Marcus Terentius Varro (Latin: [ˈmaːrkʊs tɛˈrɛntiʊs ˈu̯arroː]; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes called Varro Reatinus to distinguish him from his younger contemporary Varro Atacinus.