As well to remember that all Roman literature was written by an elite for an elite about an elite, and is overwhelmingly conservative and traditionalist in tone. Even when they’re writing about farmers or ordinary citizens or soldiers, Roman writers are doing it from the perspective of privileged members of the literate, leisured classes. With the possible exception of the first two entries in the list, the comic playwrights Plautus and Terence, whose work features numerous slaves and tradesmen (often cooks) though here again, we should be cautious about treating these characters and their views as documentary evidence, as they are clearly based on standardised stereotypes.
This isn’t a comprehensive list of Roman authors, that would be much longer. These are the important Roman authors and this is by way of being an ideal or personal, reading list.
The Republic
Plautus (Titus Maccius Plautus, 254 to 184 BC) Plautus’s comedies…
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