Challenging Gender Roles: Maecenas, Velleius Paterculus Hist. II.88.2

Erat tunc urbis custodiis praepositus C. Maecenas equestri, sed splendido genere natus, vir, ubi res vigiliam exigeret, sane ex omnis, providens atque agendi sciens, simul vero aliquid ex negotio remitti posset, otio ac mollitiis paene ultra, feminam fluens, non minus Agrippa Caesari carus, sed minus honoratus (quippe vixit angusti clavi plene contentus), nec minora consequi potuit, sed non tam concupivit. 

--Velleius Paterulus, Historiae Romanae, II.88.2-3

At that time, C. Maecenas was in charge of the city's guards. Maecenas was a member of the Equestrian order, and born of an illustrious background. In times of crisis, he was very dilligent, almost prophetic in perceiving what needed to be done.  However, he was just as extreme once work was done, being over-the-top in reveling in effeminate pleasure, even more so; he was practically dripping with femininity. He was no less dear to Augustus Caesar than Agrippa, despite being bestowed with less honors, since he was content to remain in his social class. He could have achieved the same level of political influence as Agrippa if he had wanted to, but he had no desire to do so.

VELLEIUS PATERCULUS	MAP:
Name:  Velleius Paterculus Date:  19 BCE – 31 CE Works:  Roman History	REGION  1
BIO:	Timeline:
Velleius Paterculus was an Italian-born Roman statesman and author. Writing a generation after the publication of Livy’s massive history, Velleius reinvented the genre by creating a succinct abbreviated text that fits all of Roman history, from Aeneas’ flight from Troy to the reign of Augustus, into two volumes.	SILVER AGE ROME