Ovid and the Domus Augusta periodrevealsthatthefirsteverRomansenatortocomefromtheterritory
ofthePaeligniwasQ.VariusGeminusfromSuperaequumPaelignorum:^26
‘‘isprimusomniumPaelign(orum)senatorfactusesteteoshonoresgessit’’
(hewas the first of the Paeligni to become senatorand held these offices).
Theearliestoftheofficeslistedinhiscareer(cursus)willhavebeenthepre-
senatorialpostinthevigintivirate,decemvir stlitibus iudicandis(oneofaboard
oftenmenforjudginglaw-suits),andhewentontobepraetor,andaprae-
torianlegateandproconsul.ThatnoearlierPaelignianhadrisensofarlends
muchgreatersignificancetothefactthatOvid(andhisbrother)mighthave
done so. LikeVelleius, Ovid lays repeated emphasis on his place of origin
(patria),Sulmo,andonthe(equestrian)rankwhichheinherited(e.g.,Tr.,
,–),thoughinfactnoRomanrankcanhavegonebackmorethantwo
generations(atthemost)ofthefamily;forSulmo,asOvidhimselfrecalls,
hadbeennon-RomanandonthealliedsideintheSocialWar(Amores,,
–).Inthes..,OvidwasinRomeand,likehisbrother,assumedthe
wide stripe on the toga (latus clavus), a sign that hewas intending to enter
theSenate.Itseemstohavebeenafterhisbrotherhaddiedin..that
Ovidheldthepostoftresvir(oneofthe‘‘threemen’’inchargeeitherofcapi-
talcases,capitales,orofthemint,monetales)inthevigintivirate(theboardof
twenty),andwaspreparingforasenatorialcareer—onlythentorejectitin
favourofpoetry(Tr.,,–).
The conclusion is inescapable that Ovid belonged to one of the most
prominentfamiliesofthewholePaelignianregion.Thatherejectedasena-
torialcareerwasapersonalchoice;heremainedamemberoftheequestrian
order,laterregretfullyrecallingfromTomoihowhehadriddeninthean-
nualparade(transvectio)onJuly(Tr.,–):‘‘at,memini,vitamquemeam
moresque probabas/illo, quem dederas, praetereuntis equo’’ (But, I recall,
youusedtoapprovemylifeandmorals,whenIrodepastonthehorseyou
hadgrantedme).
He also enjoyed the personal friendship and encouragement of one of
themostprominentofallAugustansenators,M.ValeriusMessallaCorvinus,
whohadsharedtheconsulshipwithImperatorCaesarDivifiliusintheyear
ofActium.Truesocialequalitytheresurelywasnot;butatthesametimewe
shouldavoidatallcostsimportingintoourconceptionsofhowLatinlitera-
turewaswrittenthewhollyirrelevantcategoriesof‘‘patronus’’and‘‘cliens.’’^27
.ILS.
. Thereisnoroomheretoarguethisproposition.Iwillmerelystatebaldlythat(for
instance)itwhollyvitiatestheotherwiseinterestingpaperbyG.Williams,‘‘DidMaecenas
‘FallfromFavour’?AugustanLiteraryPatronage,’’inRaaflaubandToher(n.),.