Publius Vergilius Maro was not from a Roman family, and defenses for non-Romans were common in his many poems. He began his studies at the age of five, and early in adulthood gave up the study of rhetoric for philosophy. He wrote many poems reflective of his own life, including the "Eclogues," which supposedly tell of the loss and regaining of his estate. He died while writing his most famous work, "The Aeneid"; contrary to his wishes, the manuscript was not destroyed, but rather published after his death, with little to no editing completed and many lines missing.

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Available books:

• The Aeneid