CORNUTUS, L. Annaeus, was a Stoic philosopher of great repute, who flourished in the reign of Nero. He was a native of Leptis, a city of Libya, but resided for thø most part of his life in Rome. He is best known as the teacher and friend of Persius, who dedicated his fifth satire to him, and in it describes in glowing terms his affection for him. The youthful poet at his death left a large sum of money and all his books to Cornutus. Cornutus took the books, but gave the money to the poet’s sisters. He also revised the poems of Persius before their publication, but committed the task of editing them to Caesius Bassus, who requested the privilege of discharging that duty. He was well known to the famous men of the court of Nero and to Nero himself. Indeed, some have inferred from his name Annaeus that he was a freedman of that family, and thus connected with Seneca and Lucan. He was banished by Nero under the following circumstances. Nero intended to write a history of the Romans in heroic verse. Before beginning his work he consulted various persons, and amongst them Cornutus, as to the number of books of which it should consist. Some advised him to make his poem in 400 books, but Cornutus urged that the number was too great, and that nobody would read so long a poem. Whereupon some one said, “Chrysippus, whom you praise and imitate, wrote many more.” “Yes,” said Cornutus, “but these books are useful for the life of man.” Nero was enraged, and thought of putting him to death, but contented himself with banishing him to some island. We hear nothing more of Cornutus. Cornutus seems to have been a voluminous writer, but considerable uncertainty hangs about the subject of his literary activity, owing mainly to the circumstance that we do not know how many of ...