Marcus Terentius Varro

Marcus Terentius Varro (born 116 bc, probably Reate, Italy—died 27 bc) was Rome’s greatest scholar and a satirist of stature, best known for his Saturae Menippeae (“Menippean Satires”). He was a man of immense learning and a prolific author. Inspired by a deep patriotism, he intended his work, by its moral and educational quality, to further Roman greatness. Seeking to link Rome’s future with its glorious past, his works exerted great influence before and after...