Saleius Bassus

Saleius Bassus was a Roman epic poet. He lived during the reign of Vespasian, being a contemporary of Gaius Valerius Flaccus.

Quintilian credited him with a vigorous and poetical genius and Julius Secundus, one of the speakers in Tacitus' Dialogus de Oratoribus styles him a perfect poet and most illustrious bard. Saleius was apparently overtaken by poverty, but was generously treated by Vespasian who gave him a present of 500,000 sesterces. Nothing from his works has been preserved; the Laus Pisonis, which has been attributed to him, is probably by Lucan or Titus Calpurnius Siculus.

References

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Bassus, Saleius". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 498. The Siculus attribution cites J. Held, De Saleio Basso, 1834.