GALLUS, C. CORNELIUS, a distinguished Roman poet, orator, and politician. He was born of humble parents at Forum Julii (Fréjus) in Gaul, about the year 66 B.C. At an early age he removed to Rome, where he was taught by the same master as Virgil and Varius, with both of whom he afterwards lived on terms of the most intimate friendship. In political life he espoused the cause of Octavianus; and in reward for his services was made first prefect of Egypt. His good fortune, however, turned his head, and urged him to a course of conduct which brought him into disgrace with Augustus. The accusations of arrogance, extortion, and even cruelty, brought against him were so numerous and well supported, that Gallus, in order to escape exposure, put an end to his life by throwing himself on his sword, B.C. 26 years.
Gallus enjoyed a high reputation among his contemporaries as a man of intellect. He associated on terms of equality with all the literary notabilities of his day, Virgil, Ovid, Varius, Asinius Pollio, and others. He wrote four books of elegies, which were so good that Ovid claimed for their author the first place among the elegiac poets of Rome. His fame as an orator was hardly inferior to his renown as a poet; but as not a fragment of his composition has descended to our times, we have no means of judging the worth of his literary pretensions, and have to content ourselves with the somewhat partial estimate of his personal friends.