1st century BC) (PW 1) was a citizen of ancient Rome notable as a friend of Julius Caesar and of Cicero, who described him in a letter to Trebatius (53BC) as "homo suavissimus doctissimusque" (transl.
Matius and Octavian managed the July 44 BC games honoring the recently assassinated dictator.
A Gaius Matius (PW 2) is recorded as a friend and assistant of Caesar Augustus, an eques who wrote three volumes on gastronomy (Columella credits him with "mincemeat à la Matius" (minutal Matianum)), and was said by Pliny the Elder to have invented the clipping of shrubs in topiary.
[1] It is unclear however if this is the same person, or a later generation: Ronald Syme[2] supposes the later Matius to be the son of the first.
[3] which was mentioned by Pliny and others among fruits that had been recently introduced to Roman tables.