How did political patronage restrict writers during the Silver Age?

During the Silver Age of Latin literature, political patronage—which had begun in the Augustan Age—increasingly restricted writers by sterilizing creative output and fostering an environment of fear.12

While patronage initially supported the arts, it eventually led to a decline in original work as writers became inhibited or suppressed by the political climate. Under the rule of tyrants such as Caligula, Nero, and Domitian, the atmosphere became one of terror; for instance, Ovid was among the first to face direct suppression. Because public speech-making became a dangerous activity, many rhetoricians shifted their focus toward literature, which contributed to the development of the elaborate, poetical prose styles characteristic of the era.12

Ultimately, the pressure of this environment meant that true literary vigor often emerged only when writers like Tacitus and Juvenal channeled their pent-up emotions and frustrations into their work during periods of comparatively greater tolerance.2