Ennius

Born around 239 BC in Rudiae, a small Messapian town near modern Lecce, Ennius grew up speaking three languages: his native Oscan, Latin, and Greek. He lived and wrote during the Roman Republic, drawing on Greek literary models to shape a new kind of Latin verse. His works — now lost except for fragments preserved in quotations by later writers — introduced techniques and forms that would define Roman poetry for generations. He died around 169 BC, leaving behind scattered lines and a reputation as the father of the tradition.