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Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (‘Lucan’, AD 39-65) was a Roman poet of the Neronian period, famously compelled to commit suicide at the age of 25 after becoming involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor Nero. He is best known for his epic ''De bello ciuili'' (often called ''Pharsalia''), a poem in ten books on the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar. | Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (‘Lucan’, AD 39-65) was a Roman poet of the Neronian period, famously compelled to commit suicide at the age of 25 after becoming involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor Nero. He is best known for his epic ''De bello ciuili'' (often called ''Pharsalia''), a poem in ten books on the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar. | ||
Even as a toddler, Lucan inspired a {{#lemma: short character sketch | [[Seneca, De consolatione ad Heluiam matrem, 18.4-5 | Sen. ''Helv.'' 18.4-5]]}} from his uncle, the philosopher and playwright Seneca (Fantham 2011: 3). The first extended biographical narrative, however, was written shortly after Lucan’s death by the poet Statius (Newlands 2011b). In {{#lemma: a posthumous poem | [[Statius, Silvae 2.7 | Stat. ''Silv.'' 2.7]]}} composed for the anniversary of Lucan’s birthday and addressed to his widow, Polla, Statius embeds a life of Lucan narrated in the voice of the muse Calliope (lines 36−106). Part of Statius’ purpose is to rehabilitate Lucan after the poet’s disgrace (Newlands 2011a and 2011b): in doing so he remains largely silent on Lucan’s political life, and instead writes a ''poetic'' biography. Calliope describes how the infant poet, favoured by her from birth, will go on to produce a catalogue of works, despite ‘ungrateful Nero’ (''ingratus Nero''), all at a remarkably young age. For Statius, Lucan, despite his short life, reached full maturity as a poet, producing an epic to rival Virgil’s: the ''Aeneid'' itself will venerate Lucan as he sings to the Romans, ''ipsa te Latinis/Aeneis uenerabitur canentem'' (Silvae 2.7.79−80: Quint 1993: 131−4; Newlands 2011b). Another of Lucan’s contemporaries, Martial, wrote {{#lemma: a cycle of epigrams | [[Martial | Mart. 7.21-23]]}}, likewise for the anniversary of Lucan’s birthday and likewise concerned to rehabilitate the poet, in which he calls Lucan Apollo’s poet (7.22.1) and criticises ‘cruel Nero’ (''Nero crudelis'') (7.21.3) for his unjust death. Snippets of Lucan’s life and death are found, too, in passing remarks by the historian Tacitus in his account of the conspiracy against Nero and its aftermath. According to Tacitus, when he was arrested, Lucan gave up his own mother even though she had nothing to do with the plot (15.56; a claim repeated in Suetonius’ ''Life of Lucan'' and the Codex Vossianus), while his death was fit for a poet: as the blood left his body, Lucan, still in control of his mind, {{#lemma: quoted with his last breath | [[Tacitus Annals 15.49; 56.3-4; 58.1; 70.1; 71 | Tac. Ann. 15.49; 56.3-4; 58.1; 70.1; 71]]}} from his own epic on the death of a wounded soldier (15.70). | |||
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Revision as of 18:39, 26 April 2013
Nora Goldschmidt
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (‘Lucan’, AD 39-65) was a Roman poet of the Neronian period, famously compelled to commit suicide at the age of 25 after becoming involved in a conspiracy to overthrow the emperor Nero. He is best known for his epic De bello ciuili (often called Pharsalia), a poem in ten books on the civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar.
Even as a toddler, Lucan inspired a short character sketch Sen. Helv. 18.4-5 from his uncle, the philosopher and playwright Seneca (Fantham 2011: 3). The first extended biographical narrative, however, was written shortly after Lucan’s death by the poet Statius (Newlands 2011b). In a posthumous poem Stat. Silv. 2.7 composed for the anniversary of Lucan’s birthday and addressed to his widow, Polla, Statius embeds a life of Lucan narrated in the voice of the muse Calliope (lines 36−106). Part of Statius’ purpose is to rehabilitate Lucan after the poet’s disgrace (Newlands 2011a and 2011b): in doing so he remains largely silent on Lucan’s political life, and instead writes a poetic biography. Calliope describes how the infant poet, favoured by her from birth, will go on to produce a catalogue of works, despite ‘ungrateful Nero’ (ingratus Nero), all at a remarkably young age. For Statius, Lucan, despite his short life, reached full maturity as a poet, producing an epic to rival Virgil’s: the Aeneid itself will venerate Lucan as he sings to the Romans, ipsa te Latinis/Aeneis uenerabitur canentem (Silvae 2.7.79−80: Quint 1993: 131−4; Newlands 2011b). Another of Lucan’s contemporaries, Martial, wrote a cycle of epigrams Mart. 7.21-23, likewise for the anniversary of Lucan’s birthday and likewise concerned to rehabilitate the poet, in which he calls Lucan Apollo’s poet (7.22.1) and criticises ‘cruel Nero’ (Nero crudelis) (7.21.3) for his unjust death. Snippets of Lucan’s life and death are found, too, in passing remarks by the historian Tacitus in his account of the conspiracy against Nero and its aftermath. According to Tacitus, when he was arrested, Lucan gave up his own mother even though she had nothing to do with the plot (15.56; a claim repeated in Suetonius’ Life of Lucan and the Codex Vossianus), while his death was fit for a poet: as the blood left his body, Lucan, still in control of his mind, quoted with his last breath Tac. Ann. 15.49; 56.3-4; 58.1; 70.1; 71 from his own epic on the death of a wounded soldier (15.70).
