What does philanthropist mean in ancient Rome? Who was the first patron of the arts? See what “Patron” is in other dictionaries

Patron and Benefactor Day is celebrated on April 13. It is believed that it was on this day that Gaius Cilnius Maecenas, a Roman aristocrat, patron of artists, performers, and musicians, was born. The first such celebration took place 9 years ago. It was founded by employees of the Hermitage, the Committee for Culture of the Government of St. Petersburg and the editors of the almanac “Russian Maecenas”.

G. Batista Tiepolo. The patron introduces the free Arts to Emperor Augustus. Hermitage collection

We know surprisingly little about Gaius Cylnius Maecenas, patron of poets, closest friend and adviser to Emperor Augustus. We don’t know his appearance: no images have survived. We don’t know his age: he was born on April 13 (his friend Horace mentions this in a congratulatory poem), but we don’t know what year: sometime around 70 BC. We don’t know his origin: he was from a small Italian town, he called himself a descendant of local kings, but no one took it seriously.

The patron came from an equestrian family in the Italian town of Arretia (now Arezzo), and was considered (in his own words) a descendant of the Etruscan kings conquered by the Romans. His year of birth is not known exactly - between 74 and 64. BC, but Horace helped calculate the day:

We celebrate the Ides -

That April day

What is Venus month

Divides in two.

Welcome patron

The years are counted from him.

Since the Ides, the middle day of the month, fell on the 13th, April 13 is considered the Maecenas’ birthday.
It was during these years that a social revolution took place: the degenerate Senate oligarchy was replaced by “new people” from humble families, such as Maecenas. After the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. they had two rival leaders: the elder Antony and the younger Octavian, the future Augustus. From the very beginning we see Maecenas in the army of Octavian; then he reconciles the quarreling Octavian and Antony ahead of time; then, during Octavian’s absences, he rules Rome on his behalf. But unlike his political comrades, he is not looking for a career and does not hold any positions. He is an Epicurean, and the rule of Epicureanism was: avoid worries, enjoy life and do not fear death.

When Octavian defeated Antony, became the sole ruler of the state and took the name Augustus, Maecenas left politics. He lives in Rome, in a luxurious house on the Esquiline Hill with a huge park, keeps a crowd of servants, flaunts his effeminacy and quirks, and in response to ridicule he writes the book “This is How I Live.” Like all his other works, it has not survived; and he wrote about carved stones, and about aquatic plants and animals, and poems, and dialogues about everything in the world. His style was pretentious and aroused ridicule. But this did not stop him from becoming acquainted with all the young poets and writers and becoming their friend and patron.

There were three main figures in this “circle of Patrons”. One is Varius Rufus, a Roman poet from the time of Augustus, a prominent member of the circle of poets who met with Maecenas, to whom he recommended Horace. Back in 40 BC. e. Varius Rufus gained recognition after the release of the didactic poem On Death (De morte), in which, in the spirit of the teachings of Epicurus, he struggled with the fear of death. The tragedy of Varius Rufus entitled Thyestes, staged in 29 BC. e. during the games in honor of the victory at Actium, brought fame and a large monetary reward to the author. In addition, he is known as the publisher of the Aeneid, written by his friend Virgil.

Virgil and Horace became poets for all times. Nature rewarded them not only with divine talent, but also with a perspicacious understanding of the needs of society and government. Honor and praise to Augustus and Maecenas that they did not pass by the true creators.
In times of troubles, Virgil, as an enemy of the monarchy, was deprived of his estate by order of Augustus. An incident brought the “disenfranchised” together with Maecenas. He listened to an unknown provincial poet - Virgil read him his “Bucolics” (“Eclogues”) and was shocked by the beauty and grandeur of the poem. Guy Tsilniy realized that he had a genius in front of him and that he needed to be won over to the side of the empire.
Having invited the poet to his circle, Maecenas became the poet's main patron and intermediary between Virgil and Augustus. At his request, the emperor returned his estate to the disgraced citizen, and Maecenas himself gave the poet a house not far from his villa. At the same time, he ordered the poem “Georgics” (“On Agriculture”) from Virgil, in which, as he expected, 6 years later he received “a kind of manifesto for the government of Octavian, who intended to return Rome to a rural idyll, to the times of Cincinnatus, to the harsh morals and customs of their ancestors " (I.Sh. Shifman).
Next, the poet received an order directly from Augustus himself - for “The Aeneid” - a poem about the exploits of Aeneas, the mythical ancestor of Caesar and Octavian. Virgil wrote the poem for 11 years, all these years being fully financially supported by the Maecenas. The poet did not have time to finish writing the Aeneid; it was published after the author’s death by order of the emperor.

The first works of Horace, the son of a freedman, also interested Maecenas. Soon the poet became the benefactor's closest friend, and over time, through his efforts, the official poet of the empire. The patron fully supported Horace - generous gifts, abundant rewards for his work, an estate in the Sabine Mountains - this is not a complete list of the patron's benefits.
Horace willingly carried out the orders of his patron, aimed at creating things that would strengthen the state and improve morals. The poet could not be accused of immoderate flattery to the authorities (he was an apologist for the “golden mean”), although none of his great works were complete without sincere and well-deserved praise to Augustus and Maecenas.
As a reward, Augustus commissioned Horace to write the “Century Song” (“Anniversary Hymn”) for the age-old games, which the poet coped with glory and pleased both the people and the authorities.

Less is said about the relationship between Maecenas and Titus Livius, the creator of the great annals in the 142 volumes “History of Rome from the Foundation of the City.” It is from this grandiose creation that we today draw basic knowledge on the history of Ancient Rome during the times of the kings and the republic.
When an unknown young man from the provincial town of Patavium (Padua) first appeared in the capital, he immediately turned to Maecenas for help, was supported by him and soon, under his influence, began to create his great work. “The History of Rome from the Foundation of the City” became the most important conductor of the ideas of Augustus in Roman society and the greatest ideological instrument of statehood in all subsequent times and among all peoples.
The central idea of the entire work of Titus Livy was the idea of self-sacrifice of a citizen in the name of the salvation and well-being of his people. Apparently, this was the central idea of the life of Maecenas himself, which the young historian learned from him.

The patron really wanted one of his poets to write about the victories of Augustus, he suggested this to both Virgil and the young Propertius - but Virgil wrote the Aeneid instead, and Propertius only wrote love elegies. And the smart Maecenas did not insist. We know the names of a dozen other writers who can be considered members of his circle, but they tell us little. The relationship that connected Maecenas with them was called “friendship” in Rome, and often - as with Horace - it was friendship without any quotation marks. But descendants confidently saw in this “friendship” primarily patronage and material assistance.

The heyday of the “circle” lasted for fifteen years, then the Maecenas’s star set. It turned out that his wife was Augustus’s mistress, and her brother was a conspirator against Augustus; relations with the emperor began to cool. Virgil died, Augustus enticed Horace into his own service; he evaded, but Maecenas was nervous, and Horace had to write to him in verse: “If your gifts constrain my freedom, take them back!” His health was getting worse: fevers, nervous breakdown, insomnia that lasted for years - he dozed off only to the splash of fountains in the garden. The Epicurean “do not fear death” was not given to him: half a century later, the stern Seneca reproached him for his unmanly verse:
Just to live! Even on spicy cola, all life is precious!

The great patron of the arts died in 8 BC. from a serious illness. He was mourned by his friends and the Roman people. Gaius Cilnius bequeathed his entire considerable fortune to Emperor Augustus with the words: “Remember Horace Flaccus as you remember me!” Horace survived Maecenas by two months.

Largely thanks to Maecenas, the era of Augustus was called the “golden age of Roman culture.” It is not without reason that a century later the poet Martial (40-102 AD) exclaimed: “If Flaccus were Patrons, there would be no shortage of Maroons” (i.e. Virgils). It was from this time that the name Maecenas became a common noun to designate a generous patron of literature, art and science.
maecenas.ru ›docs/2002_1_4.htm

The reign of Emperor Octavian Augustus also became the “golden age of Latin poetry.” It was then that the great Roman poets Virgil, Horace, Tibullus, Propertius, Ovid and others worked. But the flowering of poetry did not happen on its own. Needing to strengthen the authority of the new system of power, Augustus instructed his close associate Gaius Cylinius Maecenas to provide support to cultural figures. The patron turned his house in Rome and his estates outside the city into a haven for poets, helped them financially, supported and looked after them. It is characteristic that Virgil and Horace, due to the circumstances of their lives, should have been opponents of Augustus, but it was they who glorified him most in their works. Virgil's land was confiscated for distribution to veterans. However, Maecenas gave him a villa near Naples. On the advice of Maecenas and Augustus himself, Virgil created his most outstanding poems. His “shepherd songs” (eclogues), glorifying peaceful rural life and morals, were especially popular. One of the eclogues was later seen as a prophecy about the coming of Jesus Christ. The pinnacle of Latin poetry was Virgil’s poem “Aeneid,” dedicated to the legendary ancestor of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, the Trojan Aeneas.
Horace fought in the Republican legions against Augustus as a young man. However, in his odes he glorified the emperor; at his request, he wrote a solemn hymn for a huge choir. Horace also created outstanding satirical poems.
Only Ovid Naso, another great poet of the Golden Age, did not have a good relationship with Octavian Augustus, although this was most likely the result of a misunderstanding. Ovid became famous for his poems about love. In his elegies, he describes the experiences of lovers. In the poem “Heroines,” he invents a love correspondence between the heroines of Greek myths and their lovers (Helen and Paris, etc.). His poem “The Art of Love” became an instruction to lovers on how to achieve reciprocity. This is where a misunderstanding occurred: Augustus decided that the poet was mocking his laws on strengthening family ties. In vain Ovid wrote a poem with flattering praise to the emperor - he was exiled to a distant city on the Black Sea shore on the site of modern Constanta. Here he creates his famous poems describing northern nature and his sadness for warm Italy. All the poems of Ovid Naso, like the works of his other great contemporaries, are full of perfection. All together they allow us to talk about the “golden age of Latin poetry.”
Along with the names of the great poets, the name of their patron, Maecenas, has remained alive through the centuries.

MAECENAS

(Maecenas). Roman horseman, friend and adviser to Emperor Augustus, patron of Horace and Virgil. Died in 8 BC.

A brief dictionary of mythology and antiquities. 2012

See what “Patron” is in other dictionaries:

PAINTER, GUY CILNIUS (Gaius Cilnius Maecenas) (c. 70 8 BC), an outstanding Roman statesman, patron of the arts. The patron came from a wealthy family and was proud of his Etruscan origins (Tsilniy is his maternal name,... ... Collier's Encyclopedia

- [lat., proper name. Maecenas (Maecenatis)] rich patron of the sciences or arts. Wed. SPONSOR. Dictionary of foreign words. Komlev N.G., 2006. PAINTER Roman nobleman, patron of learned poets. Now generally a nobleman, patron of education.... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

See patron... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and similar expressions. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. philanthropist, benefactor, patron; sponsor Dictionary of Russian synonyms ... Synonym dictionary

Named after the wealthy Roman patrician Gaius Cilnius Maecenas (between 74 and 64 8 BC), who patronized artists and poets. His attention and generosity to people of art were glorified in their poems by the Roman poets Horace, Virgil, Propertius and others... Dictionary of popular words and expressions

Maecenas, Guy Tsilniy; Maecenas, Gaius Cilnius, 70 8 BC e., Roman statesman and writer. He came from an aristocratic Etruscan family from Arretium (modern Arezzo), although his father’s family had already lived in Rome for several generations in a row and ... Ancient writers

A person who contributes free of charge to the development of science and art, providing them with material assistance from personal funds. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001... Dictionary of business terms

- (Maecenas) (between 74 and 64 8 BC), a close associate of the Roman Emperor Augustus, who carried out his diplomatic, political, as well as private assignments. His patronage of poets made the name of Maecenas a household name... Modern encyclopedia

PAINTER, philanthropist, husband. (bookish and ironic). A wealthy patron of the arts and sciences. (Name of a wealthy Roman patrician of the Augustan era). Ushakov's explanatory dictionary. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

PAINTER, huh, husband. Wealthy patron of the arts and sciences; in general, one who patronizes what n. business, undertaking. Sports patrons. | wives philanthropist, etc. | adj. philanthropist, oh, oh. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949… … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- (Maecenas). Roman horseman, friend and adviser to Emperor Augustus, patron of Horace and Virgil. Died in 8 BC. (Source: “A Brief Dictionary of Mythology and Antiquities.” M. Korsh. St. Petersburg, published by A. S. Suvorin, 1894.) ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

A philanthropist is a person who contributes free of charge to the development of science and art, providing them with material assistance from personal funds. In the common sense, a philanthropist is a person who financially helps art and science. Title... ...Wikipedia

Books

Patron of arts, Bondarenko Mikhail Evgenievich Category: Politicians, businessmen Series: ZhZL - Small series Publisher: Young Guard,
Patron of the arts, Mikhail Bondarenko, The name of this man has long become a household name. For two millennia, philanthropists have been those people who unselfishly and generously help talented poets, writers,... Category: Biographies of government and socio-political figures Series: Life of remarkable people. Small series Publisher:

How did the word "philanthropist" appear? August 20th, 2013

You see, the first philanthropist known to history was called... Maecenas. This was his name - Gaius Cilnius Maecenas. Maybe art had other patrons, but it was he who became so famous in this field that this name later became a household name.

Maecenas was born between 74-64. BC. in a wealthy aristocratic family from the privileged class of horsemen. He was proud of his Etruscan roots (his family came from the nobility of Arretium - present-day Arezzo, a city in Central Italy, by the way, which is the birthplace of Petrarch). Actually, he received the name Tsilnius from his mother, since this was customary among the Etruscans.

A convinced monarchist, Gaius Cilnius early entered the inner circle of Octavian, the future Emperor Augustus. Believing him to be the closest to the ideal image of a ruler, he helped his accession to the throne, supported him in every possible way, showing talent and energy, helped solve problems: he made peace with Anthony, for example, calmed popular unrest, and prevented conspiracies. When Augustus left Rome, he left Maecenas in his place (either alone or together with Agrippa).

For the first time on the historical stage, Maecenas appears in 42 BC, participating in the Battle of Philippi. And after 2 years he helps Octavian arrange his marriage with Scribonia. Having successfully negotiated with Antony, who left his Cleopatra for a short period of time and intended to march with an army against Octavian, Maecenas convinced him and Octavian to make peace, and the campaign was cancelled. The allies in the struggle for the Roman throne constantly quarreled, and in the most tense moments Maecenas again and again provided invaluable services to Octavian. Maecenas twice had to calm the popular uprising in Rome; after the Battle of Actium, he destroyed the plans of the young Lepidus. Over time, when Augustus Octavian happened to go to the provinces on business, Maecenas replaced him in Rome, in fact, as a vice-ruler.

G. Batista Tiepolo. The patron introduces the free Arts to Emperor Augustus. Hermitage collection

In fact, occupying the position of the second person in the state, being an adviser and confidant of the emperor, he never had any public position. At the same time, he did not curry favor with the monarch and did not hide his views, even if they differed or completely contradicted the latter’s intentions. It’s hard to believe, but it was... a matter of friendship, which turned out to be so strong and strong that it even made it possible for Gaius Tsilnius, without ceremony, to extinguish outbursts of august anger, to which the ruler was prone.

For example, interesting historical evidence has been preserved about how Maecenas prevented Augustus from signing death warrants. He stopped him with the words: “Surge tandem, carnifex!” (That's enough for you, butcher!). And even after he warned his wife’s brother, a participant in a conspiracy against the government, in a kindred manner that the secret intent had been revealed, Gaius Tsilnius Maecenas did not lose the friendship of the emperor, although he was removed from participation in state affairs.

He had a luxurious palace on the Esquiline Hill, surrounded by equally luxurious gardens. During excavations, many artistic treasures were found there; the “Maecenas Hall” still stands on Merulana Street. There he indulged in pleasures, without hiding his epicurean passions for pleasure: this man was sincere everywhere and in everything.

When Octavian defeated Antony, became the sole ruler of the state and took the name Augustus, Maecenas left politics. He lives in Rome, in a luxurious house with a huge park, keeps a crowd of servants, flaunts his effeminacy and quirks, and in response to ridicule, writes the book “This is How I Live.” Like all his other works, it has not survived; and he wrote about carved stones, and about aquatic plants and animals, and poems, and dialogues about everything in the world. His style was pretentious and aroused ridicule. But this did not stop him from becoming acquainted with all the young poets and writers and becoming their friend and patron.

There were three main figures in this “circle of Patrons”. One is Varius Rufus, his epic collections of poems - “Odes”, and “Epodes”, and “Satires”, and “Epistle”. The patron really wanted one of his poets to write about the victories of Augustus, he suggested this to both Virgil and the young Propertius - but Virgil wrote the Aeneid instead, and Propertius only wrote love elegies. And the smart Maecenas did not insist. We know the names of a dozen other writers who can be considered members of his circle, but they tell us little. The relationship that connected Maecenas with them was called “friendship” in Rome, and often - as with Horace - it was friendship without any quotation marks. But descendants confidently saw in this “friendship” primarily patronage and material assistance. Already a hundred years later, the poet Martial, ironically explaining the beginning of literary decline, uttered a catchy line:

If we had patrons of the arts, Virgils would immediately be found!

(It seems that here for the first time the name of Maecenas “becomes a household name”).

The heyday of the “circle” lasted for fifteen years, then Maecenas’s star set. It turned out that his wife was Augustus’s mistress, and her brother was a conspirator against Augustus; relations with the emperor began to cool. Virgil died, Augustus enticed Horace into his own service; he evaded, but Maecenas was nervous, and Horace had to write to him in verse: “If your gifts constrain my freedom, take them back!” His health was getting worse: fevers, nervous breakdown, insomnia that lasted for years - he dozed off only to the splash of fountains in the garden. The Epicurean “do not fear death” was not given to him: half a century later, the stern Seneca reproached him for his unmanly verse:

Just to live! Even on spicy cola, all life is precious!

Fedor Bronnikov

And how Guy Tsilniy Maecenas cared for his charges! He supported and protected them in every possible way. He helped Virgil in a lawsuit with one centurion, and worked for the return of the taken away estate. He gave his estate to Horace... By the way, about Virgil. He wrote his “Aeneid” for 10 years, without showing a single line even at the urgent request of Augustus, and all this time he was on state support. Without the participation of the Patron, this would have been impossible.

It must be said that the writers whom he gathered around him turned out to be grateful (which once again confirms the characterization of the atmosphere of this circle); apparently, the spirit of nobility that distinguished their benefactor was inherent in them. Both Virgil and Horace (and not only them) praised Maecenas in their works. And he himself composed (although he was criticized in later times), but, carried away by the care of the talents of Rome, did not ensure the safety of his own works, of which only fragments have survived.

Guy Tsilnius Maecenas died exactly two thousand years ago, in the eighth year BC. His death was preceded by a serious illness. His will provided for the transfer of all property (and this was a very rich fortune) to Augustus and contained the last will of the deceased: for the emperor to take care of Horace (however, Horace at that time also had only two months to live).

And his name lives to this day, denoting what Maecenas was most famous for in life: patronage of talents.

sources
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-16677/ © Shkolazhizni.ru
http://www.maecenas.ru/docs/2002_1_4.htm
http://www.inshe.org/rome.html

Find out more about the history of a few words: and The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

What does philanthropist mean in ancient Rome? Who was the first patron of the arts? See what “Patron” is in other dictionaries

See also interpretations, synonyms, meanings of the word and what MAECENATE is in Russian in dictionaries, encyclopedias and reference books:

See what “Patron” is in other dictionaries:

Books