Editing Marcus Cornelius Fronto (section)

==Life==
Fronto was born a [[Roman citizen]] in the year 100<ref> "or a year or two earlier", C.R. Haines, p.lii. See also p. xxiii: "The probable date of his birth is 100 A.D., and in any case before 113 A.D."</ref> in the Numidian capital, [[Cirta]]. He described himself as a Libyan of the nomadic [[Ancient Libya|Libyans]].<ref>''Ad M. Caesarem'' 2. 3. 5; cf. A. R. Birley, ''The African Emperor'' (London: Batsford, 1999), 43.</ref><ref>[[Edward Champlin]], ''Fronto and Antonine Rome'' (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1980), 7–8.</ref> He was taught as a child by the Greek paedagogus Aridelus.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ballif|first1=Michelle|last2=Moran|first2=Michael G.|title=Classical Rhetorics and Rhetoricians: Critical Studies and Sources|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CYykAGVyqvwC|year=2005|publisher=Greenwood|isbn=978-0313321788|page=83}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Hout |first=Michel P J |title=A Commentary on the Letters of M. Cornelius Fronto|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cl7eV-AsCgQC|year=1999|publisher=Brill|isbn=978-9004109575|page=1}}</ref>

Later, he continued his education at [[Rome]]<ref>Champlin, ''Fronto'', 20</ref> with the philosopher Athenodotus and the orator Dionysius.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fronto |first=M. Cornelius |title=Fronto: Selected Letters|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WbAJAgAAQBAJ|year=2014|publisher=Bloomsbury Academic|isbn=978-1780934426|page=163}}</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/stream/correspondenceof01fronuoft#page/170/mode/2up Greek Letters-Marcus Cornelius Fronto]</ref>
He soon gained such renown as an advocate and orator as to be reckoned inferior only to [[Cicero]]. He amassed a large fortune, erected magnificent buildings, and purchased the famous [[gardens of Maecenas]].<ref>[[Aulus Gellius]], 19.10</ref>

In 142 he was [[Roman consul|consul]] for two months (August and September)<ref>W. Eck and M. M. Roxan in ''Festschrift für Hans Lieb 1995'', p. 79–99</ref> but declined the proconsulship of [[Asia (Roman province)|Asia]] on the grounds of ill-health. His latter years were embittered by the loss of all his children except one daughter. His talents as an orator and rhetorician were greatly admired by his contemporaries, a number of whom were later regarded as forming a school called ''Frontoniani''{{citation needed|date=January 2024}} after him; his object in his teaching was to inculcate the exact use of the [[Latin]] language in place of the artificialities of such 1st-century authors as [[Seneca the Younger]] and to encourage the use of "unlooked-for and unexpected words", to be found by diligent reading of pre-Ciceronian authors. He found fault with Cicero for inattention to that refinement, though admiring his letters without reserve. He may well have died in the late 160s as a result of the [[Antonine Plague]] that followed the [[Roman–Parthian War of 161–66|Parthian War]], though conclusive proof is lacking. C.R. Haines asserts he died in 166 or 167.<ref>"There can be little doubt that he predeceased [[Lucius Verus|Verus]] and died in 166 or 167". C.R. Haines, p. xl.</ref>