Shakespeare's funerary monument Socrates in genius, a Maro in art," comparing Shakespeare to Nestor the wise King of Pylus, to the Greek philosopher Socrates, and to the Roman poet Virgil (whose last name, or "cognomen" was Maro). The second reads "The earth buries him, the people mourn him, Olympus possesses him," referring to Mount Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. The English poem reads: As modernized by Katherine Duncan-Jones: Stanley Wells is one of the few biographers to comment on the poem, saying that it "somewhat cryptically calls on the passer-by to pay tribute to his greatness as a writer", and admitting
Isonokami no Maro Isonokami no Maro In 672 Maro supported Prince Ōtomo (later known as Emperor Kōbun) in the Jinshin War until the prince's suicide. He was forgiven and sent as an envoy to Silla in 676. After this he served as a , and as head of the dazaifu in 700. He became centrally involved in politics with a promotion to "dainagon" in 701, making "udaijin" in 704 and "sadaijin" in 708. Between 715 and his death in 717 Maro was the most powerful man in the "daijō-kan". Maro is also thought to be the model of , one of Princess Kaguya's