Maecenas

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Maecenas, a "doctus", learned author, and rich 'eques', organized a fairly independent Roman cultural politics up to his resignation due to disagreement with Augustus, who had an affair with his wife, whose M. was very much in love (Hor. Carm. II 12, 13 ff.); her brother had been just indict of plot. It is not proved his presence to battlefield (Actium, Sextus Pompeius). To his circle gravitated the best-known Vergilius ( Georg. 1, 1 ff.; 2, 39 ff.; 3, 40 ff.), Horatius, Propertius; and Varius, Plotius Tucca, Quintilius Varus, Valgius Rufus, Domitius Marsus, Aemilius Macer, Aristius Fuscus, (cf. Hor. Serm. I, 5, 39 ff.; Serm. I. 10, 81 ff.), many of them Epicureans. He wrote a Symposium (fr. 12.), in which Virgil, Horace and Valerius Messalla were leading actors. Augustus attempted also to attract Horatius through some office, but got only polite justifications, and some patriotic stoic-like Odes for the triumph of the emperor..

The Maecenas' talk to Augustus, as reported by Cassius Dio (Roman History, LII. He looked at M.' s Autobiography), may reverberate The good King of Philodemus. The "divus" Imperator has to imitate the "divi", the gods (for Epicureans: they do not favour anybody, and they are a paragon of prudence). But he advises against theocracy: no demigod's temples, no gold/silver statues, few pomp expenditures, no bringing to trail for lese-majesty. Might we catch sight of an Epicurean constitutional monarchy, which reigns but does not govern, or: the better government, the lesser governing? "Sell all state-owned landed properties". Most of all, a secluded living: "If you will be slow-moving to give your confidence to somebody, you shall undergo no great damages, but if you will be hasty, is it there possibility you incur some mistakes you cannot remedy". Even tough Cassius Dio testifies that he looked down to philosophers ("There is plenty of so-called philosophers") - this was possibly an effect of sectarianism - his Epicureanism’s quotations are orthodox:

"Until one survives, life is a good". "Grave doesn't worry me, Nature annihilates what she has leaved behind". "Height in itself attracts lightning on his tops.(fr. 10)"

His private life is well known through Seneca, who criticized his outfit and pusillanimity, and through his best friend Horatius. He liked limited circle without conversation's frenzy, playing tirelessly sport, genuine wine; he took remarks about his affection' s possessiveness, as he grieved from separation's anxiety; he entrusted Horatius to the Emperor even in his will; he practiced the Epicurean open-handedness with his friends, as a rich man.
He constructed his own villa among the trees of a big garden in an old burial ground, in disregard of superstition.