Gaius Caesius Bassus (d. AD 79) was aRoman lyric poet who lived in the reign ofNero.[1]
He was the intimate friend ofPersius, who dedicated his sixth satire to him, and whose works he edited (Schol. on Persius, vi. I). He had a great reputation as a poet;Quintilian (Instit. x. I. 96) went so far as to say that with the exception ofHorace, he was the only lyric poet worth reading.[2]
He is also identified with the author of a treatiseDe Metris of which considerable fragments, probably of an abbreviated edition, are extant (ed. Keil, 1885).[3] The work was probably originally in verse, and afterwards recast or epitomized inprose form to be used as an instruction book. An account of some of the metres of Horace (in Keil,Grammatici Latini, vi. 305), bearing the titleArs Caesii Bassi de Metris is not by him but chiefly borrowed by its unknown author, from the treatise mentioned above.[2]
He is said to have lost his life in theeruption of Vesuvius in AD 79.[2]
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bassus, Caesius".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 498.| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
 | This ancient Roman biographical article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
  | This article about a European writer or poet is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
