Life
He was a native of Leptis Magna in Libya, but resided for the most part in Rome. He is best known as the teacher and friend of Persius, whose fifth satire is addressed to him, as well as other distinguished students, such as Claudius Agathemerus. "Through Cornutus Persius was introduced to Annaeus, as well as to Lucan, who was of his own age, and also a disciple of Cornutus". At Persius' death, Cornutus returned to Persius' sisters a bequest made to him, but accepted Persius' library of some 700 scrolls. He revised the deceased poet's satires for publication, but handed them over to Caesius Bassus to edit, at the special request of the latter.
Among Persius's satires were lines that, as Suetonius records, "even lashed Nero himself, who was then the reigning prince. The verse ran as follows:
- Auriculas asini Mida rex habet
- (King Midas has an ass's ears)
but Cornutus altered it to:
- Auriculas asini quis non habet?
- Who has not an ass's ears?"
in order that it might not be supposed that it was meant to apply to Nero."
Annaeus Cornutus was banished by Nero nevertheless—in 66 or 68 CE—for having indirectly disparaged the emperor's projected history of the Romans in heroic verse, after which time nothing more is heard of him.
Read more about this topic: Lucius Annaeus Cornutus
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