• Served as military man, provincial governor, senator and consul
• Despite antihellenism, was thoroughly familiar with Greek culture
• Mentions Themistocles and Pericles and was familiar with Greek books
• Despised members of Roman aristocracy who went too far in emulation of Greeks
  • An example was A. Postumius Albinus, consul in 151
• Despised the Greeks and was deeply mistrustful of all things Greek