Catius

Catius was an Epicurean philosopher, identified ethnically as an Insubrian Celt from Gallia Transpadana, who was active around the 50s to 40s BC. His works, along with those of Amafinius and Rabirius, were the earliest philosophical treatises written in Latin. Catius composed a significant work in four books titled 'De rerum natura et de summo bono,' which dealt with the physical world and the concept of the highest good. Cicero credited Catius and Amafinius with making Epicurean philosophy accessible to the general populace through their writings. Cicero's letters provide valuable insights into Catius's philosophical ideas, particularly his terminology for 'spectres' or 'eidola,' which represented the material images that Epicureans believed presented themselves to the mind and evoked ideas of absent objects. Although Cicero used these ideas for ridicule, they are crucial for understanding Epicurean theories of vision. Catius's use of 'spectrum' for these images was a novel attempt to create specialized vocabulary in Latin. Quintilian described Catius as 'agreeable to read, though lacking in weight.' There is also a tradition linking him to a satire by Horace, though this is unlikely given the timing of the satire relative to Catius's death.