Hyginius

Hyginius, also known as Gaius Julius Hyginus, was a Roman author, scholar, and a student of Titus Pomponius Atticus. He lived during the reign of Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, from 64 BCE to 17 CE. Hyginus was a native of Hispania and was brought to Rome by his patron. He was later appointed by Augustus to oversee the Palatine Library, making him one of the first librarians. His most famous works, though now lost, were on military history, biography, and genealogy. He is best known today for two works attributed to him, "Fabulae" (Fables) and "De Astronomia" (On Astronomy), which are likely compilations or paraphrases of earlier Greek texts. These works preserve valuable information about Roman mythology, Greek myths, and ancient constellations. "Fabulae" is a collection of mythological stories, and "De Astronomia" describes the constellations and their associated myths. While their authorship is debated, they are crucial sources for classical mythology. Hyginus was also a grammarian and a rhetorician, and his contributions to the preservation of ancient knowledge are significant.