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Quintus Asconius Pedianus (9 BC – AD 76) was a Roman rhetorician fromPatavium. There is no evidence that Asconius engaged in a public career, but his familiarity with the politics and geography of contemporary Rome suggests that he may have written much of his works in the city.[1] He was likely born into an equestrian family; his familiarity with senatorial procedure also suggests membership in the Roman Senate.[2]
During the reigns ofClaudius andNero he compiled historical commentaries onCicero's speeches for his two sons, employing various sources: theActa Diurna, shorthand reports or skeletons (commentarii) of Cicero's unpublished speeches,Tiro's life of Cicero, and speeches, letters and histories written during or shortly after Cicero's times, by such authors asVarro,Atticus,Antias,Tuditanus andFenestella (a contemporary ofLivy whom he often criticizes). Only five commentaries survive, relating toin Pisonem,pro Scauro,pro Milone,pro Cornelio de maiestate, andin toga candida.[1][3] The commentary onpro Scauro can be approximately dated, since Pedianus speaks ofLongus Caecina (died AD 57) as still living, and implies that Claudius (died AD 54) is deceased. These valuable notes, written in good Latin, relate chiefly to historical and antiquarian matters.[3] A grammatical commentary on Cicero'sVerrines was transmitted alongside Asconius' main commentaries but has been shown to be a 5th century work.[1]
Other works attributed to Asconius include aVita Sallustii (biography ofSallust) referenced inPliny'sNaturalis Historiae,contra Vergilii obtrectatores (a defence ofVirgil against his detractors), and a treatise on health and long life, perhaps a symposium in imitation ofPlato.[1][3]
The works on Sallust and Virgil were found byPoggio in a manuscript atSt Gallen in 1416. This manuscript is lost, but three transcripts were made by Poggio, Zomini (Sozomenus) of Pistoia and Bartolommeo da Montepulciano. That of Poggio is now atMadrid (Matritensis X. 81), and that of Zomini is in the Forteguerri library at Pistoia (No. 37). A copy of Bartolommeo's transcript exists in Florence (Laur. 5). The later manuscripts are derived from Poggio's copy.[3]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Asconius Pedianus, Quintus".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 723.