Martianus Capella

Who is Martianus Capella?

Martianus Minneus Felix Capella was a Latin prose writer of Late Antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education. According to Cassiodorus, he was a native of Madaura—which had been the native city of Apuleius—in the Roman province of Africa. He appears to have practiced as a jurist at Carthage.

Martianus often presents philosophical views based on Neoplatonism, the only form of classical philosophy taking an active stance against Christianity in this period. Like his near-contemporary Macrobius, who also produced a major work on classical Roman religion, Martianus never directly identifies his own religious affiliation. Much of his work occurs in the form of dialogue, and the views of the interlocutors may not represent the author's own.

The lunar crater Capella is named after him.