William Shakespeare, Critical Commentary of The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra
Horace Howard Furness, Ed.

[14] Mecænas Thomas Dyer (Smith's Dictionary, greatly condensed): It is most probable that Mæcenas (it seems to be agreed that this spelling is right) was born between b.c. 73 and 63; his family was of high antiquity and traced its descent from an Etruscan source. All that we know of his life is to be gathered from scattered notices of him in poets and historians of Rome. Shortly after the appearance of Octavius on the political stage, we find the name of Mæcenas in frequent association with his; and there can be no doubt that he was of great use to him in assisting him to consolidate and establish the empire. In the year b.c. 40, Mæcenas took part in the negotiations with Antonius which led to the peace of Brundusium, confirmed by the marriage of Antonius with Octavia, the sister of Octavius. About two years afterward Mæcenas seems to have been employed in negotiating with Antonius, and it was probably on this occasion that Horace accompanied him to Brundusium, a journey which he has described in the Satire, i, 5. In b.c. 36 we find Mæcenas in Sicily with Octavius, then engaged in an expedition against Sextus Pompeius. From this time till the battle of Actium, b.c. 31, history is silent concerning him; but at that period we find him again intrusted with the administration of the civil affairs of Italy. It has indeed been maintained by many critics that Mæcenas was present at the seafight of Actium; but the best modern scholars who have discussed the subject have shown that this could not have been the case and that he remained in Rome during this time. [His subsequent life, familiar to us all as the munificent patron of learning and of poets, has no connection with the present play, and is, therefore, omitted.]