When was Aulus Persius Flaccus born and when did he die?
Aulus Persius Flaccus lived from AD 34 to AD 62. He arrived in the capital at age twelve and died prematurely from a stomach illness before completing all his work.
Questions about Persius
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Who were the main teachers and friends of Aulus Persius Flaccus?
Remmius Palaemon taught him rhetoric while Verginius Flavus instructed the young student. Lucius Annaeus Cornutus became a lifelong friend and mentor who edited his surviving texts after death.
How many satires did Aulus Persius Flaccus write and what happened to them?
Only six satires remained after his premature death stopped him from finishing everything. His friend Cornutus edited the surviving texts and blacked out an offensive reference to the emperor's literary taste.
Which ancient writers influenced the style of Aulus Persius Flaccus?
Horace influenced Persius more than any other predecessor with whole phrases and situations coming directly from that earlier writer. He combined Stoic philosophy with biting criticism of contemporary excesses to create a difficult but moral style.
What are the key modern editions of Aulus Persius Flaccus work?
Isaac Casaubon released an edition with notes in Paris in 1605 while Otto Jahn added scholia and prolegomena in Leipzig by 1843. John Conington provided translations in Oxford editions by 1893 and D. M. Hooley examined structures of mimesis in The Knotted Thong.