Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus was a slave from Syria, brought to Italy in the first century B.C. His master recognized his wit and intelligence, and decided to free and educate him. Publilius composed and performed dramatic scenes called “mimes” throughout the Italian countryside and then in Rome; he was a hit. At the games hosted by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C., Publilius famously challenged his opponents to a literary competition in which they would write and perform scenes on a particular theme. Caeser himself crowned Publilius the winner. Today, all that remains of Publilius Syrus’s works is a collection of his moral maxims, Sentences.