BASSUS, SALEIUS, Roman epic poet, in the reign of Ves pasian. He is praised by Quintilian (Instit. x. 1. 90) and by one of the speakers in Tacitus' Dialogus de Oratoribus (5, 9) . Ves pasian relieved his poverty by a present of 5oo,00o sesterces. Nothing from his works has been preserved ; the Laus Pisonis, which has been attributed to him, is probably by Titus Calpurnius Siculus (J. Held, De Saleio Basso,