Publius Syrus

Syrian-born Roman mime-writer — whose moral maxims extracted from his theatrical works became the most quoted Latin aphorisms — freed slave who won theatrical competitions in Rome.

Creates the Latin theatrical maxim tradition — Publius Syrus's one-line moral observations (extracted from his mimes) include many of the most durable Latin sayings; his status as a freed Syrian slave who won competitions against Julius Caesar's players is the most dramatic backstory in Roman theatrical history.