Aquila Romanus was a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

grammarian who flourished in the second half of the 3rd century AD.

Life

He was the author of an extant treatise ''De Figuris Sententiarum et Elocutionis'', written as an installment of a complete

rhetoric Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate parti ...

al handbook for the use of a young and eager correspondent. While recommending

Demosthenes Demosthenes (; el, Δημοσθένης, translit=Dēmosthénēs; ; 384 – 12 October 322 BC) was a Greek statesman and orator in ancient Athens. His orations constitute a significant expression of contemporary Athenian intellectual prow ...

and

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...

as models, he takes his own examples almost exclusively from Cicero. His treatise is really adapted from that by Alexander, son of Numenius, as is expressly stated by

Julius Rufinianus Iulius Rufinianus was a Latin rhetor Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize ...

, who brought out a supplementary treatise, augmented by material from other sources. According to the ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition, Aquila's style is harsh and careless, and the Latin is inferior.

Work

*"De Figuris Sententiarum et Elocutionis", in

Karl Halm Karl Felix Halm (also ''Carl''; ''Karl Felix Ritter von Halm'' after 1872; 5 April 1809 – 5 October 1882), was a German classical scholar and critic. Life He was born at Munich. In 1849, having held appointments at Speyer and Hadamar, he ...

. . Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1863 * ''P. Rutilii Lupi de figuris sententiarum et elocutions libri duo, accedunt Aquilae Romani et Julii Rufiniani de eodem argumento libri'',

David Ruhnken David Ruhnken (2 January 172314 May 1798) was a Dutch classical scholar of German origin. Origins Ruhnken was born in Bedlin (today Bydlino) near Stolp, Pomerania Province, (today Słupsk, Poland). After he had attended Latin school at König ...

(ed.), Lugduni Batavorum, apud Samuelem et Joannem Luchtmans, 1768
pp. 139 ff.

References

Sources

*Elice, ''Romani Aquilae De figuris'' (Hildesheim : Olms, 2007) *

, ''Rhetores Latini minores'' (1863) *Wensch, ''De Aquila Romano'' (1861). {{DEFAULTSORT:Romanus, Aquila Grammarians of Latin Ancient Roman rhetoricians Post–Silver Age Latin writers 3rd-century Romans 3rd-century Latin writers