Grice e Spurio

 When we turn to Rome we find that letter writing became a Roman literary art under Greek influence and was speedily nationalized as was the dialogue. We know that the epistolary form was used by Spurius Mummius, who appears in Cicero's de republica as an intimate friend of Scipio the younger. He received a Stoic education and accompanied his more famous brother to Corinth as a legatus. From Corinth he sent a number of poetic epistles to his friends. These did not receive general publicity, but were preserved in the archives of the family where they were read by Cicero, who praises their wit, 123