Gaius Matius
Who was Gaius Matius?
Roman writer and supporter of Julius Caesar
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Gaius Matius (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Gaius Matius (c. 99–40 BC) was a Roman citizen from the gens Matia. He is best known as a close friend of Julius Caesar and the orator Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero, in a letter to Trebatius in 53 BC, called Matius 'homo suavissimus doctissimusque,' or a very sweet and learned man, showing his reputation as a cultured and serious figure in late Republican Rome. His connections with powerful men put him at the heart of events that shaped Roman history.
Matius was a strong supporter of Julius Caesar, aligning with the Caesarian faction during the civil wars. He helped Cicero manage his relationship with Caesar in 49 and 48 BC, acting as an intermediary. Matius's loyalty to Caesar was personal, and after Caesar's assassination in March 44 BC, Matius spoke out about the risks the murder posed to Rome's stability. He warned of possible rebellions in Gaul and mutinies among Caesar's veteran legions, fears that later events justified.
After Caesar's murder, when his great-nephew Octavian came to Rome to claim his inheritance, Matius became a close associate. Together, they organized games in July 44 BC to honor Caesar. These games were meant to gain public sympathy for Caesar and strengthen Octavian as his heir. Letters between Cicero and Matius from later that year provide insight into Matius's views and his defense of his loyalty to Caesar even after Caesar's death.
Another person named Gaius Matius is noted as a friend and aide of Caesar Augustus, an equestrian order member, and author of three books on cooking. Roman writer Columella credits him with a dish called minutal Matianum (mincemeat in the style of Matius), and Pliny the Elder says he invented topiary. Whether this Matius is the same as Caesar's friend or a later family member is debated. Historian Ronald Syme suggested this later Matius was likely the son of the first, a view widely accepted by modern scholars.
Before Fame
There aren't a lot of records about Gaius Matius's early life, but we can piece together his background from the world he lived in. Rome during the late second and early first centuries BC was a city full of political turmoil, with conflicts between optimates and populares, the violent Sullan proscriptions, and the slow breakdown of the Republic due to military leaders gaining power. Someone like Matius, with his education and social grace, would have been trained in rhetoric, literature, and philosophy, which was the usual prep for participating in Roman public life.
Being part of the gens Matia and friends with Cicero and Caesar from a young age means he was likely moving in high equestrian or senatorial circles early on. Cicero admired his intellect, and his loyalty to Caesar shows he was shaped during a time when political lines in Rome were becoming starkly divided. By the early 50s BC, when he clearly shows up in historical accounts, Matius was already well-known and respected in Rome's top social and political circles.
Key Achievements
- Served as a trusted intermediary between Julius Caesar and Cicero during the civil war years of 49 and 48 BC
- Co-organized the memorial games of July 44 BC honoring the assassinated Julius Caesar alongside Octavian
- Authored three volumes on gastronomy, contributing to Roman culinary literature
- Credited by Pliny the Elder with inventing the art of topiary
- Gave his name to a variety of apple, Matiāna mala, the linguistic ancestor of the modern Spanish word manzana
Did You Know?
- 01.Cicero praised Matius in a letter to Trebatius in 53 BC using the Latin phrase 'homo suavissimus doctissimusque,' meaning a very sweet and learned man.
- 02.The Spanish word for apple, manzana, as well as the Portuguese maçã and Galician mazá, are believed by the Real Academia Española to derive from 'Matiāna mala,' meaning apples of Matius, a variety mentioned by Pliny the Elder.
- 03.Pliny the Elder credited a Gaius Matius with inventing topiary, the ornamental clipping of shrubs into geometric or decorative shapes.
- 04.Matius co-organized the July 44 BC memorial games for Julius Caesar alongside the young Octavian, events that helped cement public devotion to Caesar's memory.
- 05.A dish called minutal Matianum, a kind of mincemeat preparation, was recorded by the agricultural writer Columella as an invention attributed to Matius.