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Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Tutti
In Seneca the Elder's Controversiae, the rhetorician Stertinius Maximus is primarily referenced and discussed in Book 2 (specifically Controversiae2.1.36) rather than Book 9.
However, Book 9 features a highly famous preface (Contr. 9. praef.) that critiques the exhibitionist nature of the declamation schools. If you are looking at Book 9 regarding contemporary figures, you may be thinking of Votienus Montanus. Below is the context, Latin text, and English translation regarding Stertinius Maximus as recorded by Seneca the Elder.
The Context
Stertinius Maximus (who became a suffect consul in 23 CE) was a Roman rhetorician and a close, longtime friend of the quick-witted declaimer Vallius Syriacus. Despite their twelve-year friendship, Stertinius turned on Syriacus and attacked him. Syriacus retaliated during a debate with a famous, stinging piece of repartee that Seneca the Elder deemed too brilliant to leave out of his collection.
Latin Text (Contr. 2.1.36)
Et in Stertinium Maximum, qui illum ex vetere amicitia lora laeserat, dixit: „Duodecim annis in contubernio tuo fui; dic quid in domo tua peccaverim. Sed hoc vestri generis est: libertatis finem putatis iniuriam; tamdiu vobis placemus, quamdiu utiles sumus.“ Has Syriaci sententias, quia cum magno plausu exceptae erant, cum in memoriam mihi redissent, praeterire non potui.
English Translation
“And against Stertinius Maximus, who had attacked him despite their being old friends, he [Syriacus] said: 'For twelve years I was in your circle; tell me what I did wrong in your house. But this is typical of your type: you call the ending of slavery an insult. We are to your liking only as long as we are of use to you.' I could not leave out these witticisms of Syriacus, received as they were with great applause, once I recalled them.”
If you are looking for a different Stertinius—such as the general under Germanicus mentioned by Tacitus, the Stoic philosopher mocked by Horace, or the wealthy imperial physician under Claudius—or if you meant a different section of Book 9, let me know so I can track down the exact passage you need!
Tutti
Statius Tullianus was a minor Roman grammarian and lexicographer active no later than the first half of the fourth century AD. He is primarily known for a lost grammatical/etymological work titled De vocabulis rerum (On the Names of Things).
Because his work survives only in fragments, there are exactly two known ancient citations of his name and text preserved by later Classical commentators. Both the original Latin text and their English translations are detailed below.
1. Macrobius, Saturnalia (Book III, 8.6)
In this passage, Macrobius references the first book of Tullianus' De vocabulis rerum to debate the Etruscan versus Latin etymology of the sacred word camillus (a ritual servant or attendant).
Latin Source Text
"Statius Tullianus de vocabulis rerum libro primo ait dixisse Callimachum apud Tuscos Camillum appellari Mercurium, quo vocabulo significant deorum praeministrum, ... Romani quoque pueros et puellas nobiles et investes camillos et Camillas appellabant, flaminicarum et flaminum praeministros."
English Translation
"Statius Tullianus, in the first book of On the Names of Things, states that Callimachus said Mercury is called 'Camillus' among the Etruscans, a term by which they mean a servant of the gods... The Romans also used to call noble, pre-pubescent boys and girls camilli and camillae, the attendants of the Flamines and Flaminicae."
2. Servius Auctus / Scholia Danielis, In Aeneidem (Book XI, 543)
The expanded Carolingian-era commentary on Virgil's Aeneid (commonly known as the Scholia Danielis or Servius Auctus) references Statius Tullianus regarding the naming of the mythical Volscian warrior Camilla.
Latin Source Text
"Statius Tullianus 'de vocabulis rerum' dicit, Tuscos 'camillum' dicere Mercurium... alii dicunt hanc Camillam non a matre Casmilla, sed quasi deae Dianae ministram a poeta nominatam: unde et Statius Tullianus ait..."
English Translation
"Statius Tullianus in On the Names of Things says that the Etruscans call Mercury 'camillus'... others say that this Camilla was not named after her mother Casmilla, but rather named by the poet as a servant of the goddess Diana: whence also Statius Tullianus states..."
Fragmentary Context & Identification
- The Work: His single identified treatise, De vocabulis rerum, belonged to a long lineage of antiquarian and lexicographical works (such as those by Varro) designed to preserve archaic sacred vocabulary, names, and cultural origins.
- Distinction: In classical cataloging, it is crucial not to confuse him with his far more famous namesake, the imperial epic poet Publius Papinius Statius (author of the Thebaid and Silvae).
- Scholarly Registry: He is officially recorded under the same biographical details in the Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire (PLRE), Volume I.
If you are tracking down fragments of lost Roman grammarians, would you like me to find the Teubner or fragments compilation text (such as Funaioli's Grammaticae Romanae Fragmenta) where these specific quotes are officially indexed?
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