Gaius Cilnius Maecenas (maɪˈsiːnəs; 29 April 70 BC – ? October 8 BC) was an ally, friend and political advisor to
Octavian (who was to become the first Emperor of Rome as
Caesar Augustus) as well as an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets. During the reign of Augustus, Maecenas served as a quasi-
culture minister to the Emperor.
His name has become a byword for a wealthy, generous and enlightened patron of the arts.