Publilius Syrus Ancient Roman poet, author of mimes and sayings Country: Italy

Biography of Publilius Syrus

Publilius Syrus, also known as Publius Syrus, was an ancient Roman poet and author of mimes, farces on real-life topics with amusing dialogues, and occasionally songs and dances, as well as numerous aphorisms, some of which have survived to the present day. He was born in the Roman province of Syria around 85 BC and died in Rome in 43 BC. He was a contemporary of Caesar, Augustus, Mark Antony, Cicero, and of course, Virgil and Horace. Publilius lived during a period of profound political and social changes brought about by shifts in the mentality of the Romans. It was an era of uprisings, wars, reforms, and the widespread dissemination of Greek culture, which became part of the everyday life of the ruling class thanks to a large number of slave tutors. Unfortunately, very little is known about the poet's life. Publilius was a slave, given the name "Syrus" based on his place of birth - he was Syrian. He was then brought to Rome, received an education, and his owner set him free out of respect for his developed intellect, rare wit, and literary talents.
Publilius as a Mime Artist

Publilius was the main representative of the mimetic art of his time and a brilliant improviser. Alongside Decimus Laberius, a Roman equestrian whom Publilius defeated in a literary competition in the presence of Caesar in 46 BC, he participated in shows to celebrate Caesar's victory at the Battle of Thapsus. Prior to this, Publilius was primarily known as the author of mimes, in which he himself performed, in provincial cities in Italy. However, after receiving a prize from Caesar, the former slave achieved great success in the capital. Only two titles from his mime cycle have survived, which suggests that the author relied primarily on the improvisational talent and originality of the actors.
Aphorisms and Sententiae

All that has come down to us from his works is a collection of sententiae, a series of moral aphorisms written in iambic and choral metre, each consisting of no more than one line. This collection was compiled a very long time ago, as it is referenced by the writer Aulus Gellius, who lived in the 2nd century AD. Each sententia is a single line of verse, and the verses are arranged in alphabetical order according to their initial letters. Over time, aphorisms from other writers, especially those from apocryphal works of Seneca, were included in the collection. The number of statements attributed to Publilius Syrus is around 700, and some of them have long spread throughout the world, becoming proverbs, such as "No one knows what they can do until they try" and "A friendship that ends never truly began."