Difference between revisions of "Lucan" - New World Encyclopedia
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| − | '''Marcus Annaeus Lucanus''' ( | + | '''Marcus Annaeus Lucanus''' (November 3, 39 C.E. – April 30, 65 C.E.), better known in English as '''Lucan''', was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (present-day Córdoba, Spain), in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded one of the outstanding figures of the [[Silver Latin]] period, and he is often ranked alongside [[Ovid]] and [[Virgil]] as being one of the major epic poets of his times. Lucan's place in the history of Latin literature is somewhat unusual, because his only surviving work, the long poem ''Pharsalia'' (also known by the name ''Bellum Civile'') is rather difficult to categorize. Although ostensibly an epic, ''Pharsalia'' is not a story of legendary heroes and mythological dieties like the epics of [[Homer]] and [[Virgil]]; rather, the subject of Lucan's great poem is the relatively recent history of the civil war between [[Julius Caesar]] and Pompey that had enveloped the Roman Empire only a century prior. In addition to his strangely contemporary choice of subject-matter for an epic, Lucan is the only epic poet in Latin literature to make no references to the Roman and Greek gods, and indeed it contains almost no allusions to the supernatural mythology of the ancient world. Lucan's epic almost reads like a work of journalism due to its strict adherence to historical facts, and Lucan has been praised as one of the clearest and most direct poets in Latin literature. |
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| + | Although ''Pharsalia'' is Lucan's only surviving work, it is important to note that he was not trained as a poet. Lucan was trained as a rhetorician, and he first impressed the Roman literary public by his skill in argument and rhetoric. Lucan had received very little training as a poet, and it has been generally agreed upon by scholars that he was lacking in skill with regard to the more technical aspects of poetry such as meter and versification, but that he made up for it in the swiftness and eloquence of his character's dialogue. As a result of these qualities, Lucan would find more recognition among the medieval and Romantic poets of Europe than he ever would with his own Roman contemporaries. Certainly one of the more unique poets to write in the epic tradition, Lucan has been cited as a major influence by such varied figures as [[Samuel Johnson]], [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]] and [[Pierre Corneille]]. | ||
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| + | ==Life== | ||
He found success under [[Nero]], and won a prize for poetry in [[60]]. His epic poem, ''[[Pharsalia]]'' (but labelled ''Bellum civile'' in the manuscripts), which told the story of the [[Roman Civil War|civil war]] between [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Pompey]], was much acclaimed. However, he soon fell out of favor, and was alleged to have been lured into the conspiracy of [[Gaius Calpurnius Piso]]. His alleged [[treason]] having been discovered, he was obliged to commit [[suicide]] by opening a vein at the age of 25, but not before incriminating his mother (among others) in hopes of a [[pardon]]. | He found success under [[Nero]], and won a prize for poetry in [[60]]. His epic poem, ''[[Pharsalia]]'' (but labelled ''Bellum civile'' in the manuscripts), which told the story of the [[Roman Civil War|civil war]] between [[Julius Caesar]] and [[Pompey]], was much acclaimed. However, he soon fell out of favor, and was alleged to have been lured into the conspiracy of [[Gaius Calpurnius Piso]]. His alleged [[treason]] having been discovered, he was obliged to commit [[suicide]] by opening a vein at the age of 25, but not before incriminating his mother (among others) in hopes of a [[pardon]]. | ||
Revision as of 23:22, 7 September 2006
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, 39 C.E. – April 30, 65 C.E.), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, born in Corduba (present-day Córdoba, Spain), in the Hispania Baetica. Despite his short life, he is regarded one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period, and he is often ranked alongside Ovid and Virgil as being one of the major epic poets of his times. Lucan's place in the history of Latin literature is somewhat unusual, because his only surviving work, the long poem Pharsalia (also known by the name Bellum Civile) is rather difficult to categorize. Although ostensibly an epic, Pharsalia is not a story of legendary heroes and mythological dieties like the epics of Homer and Virgil; rather, the subject of Lucan's great poem is the relatively recent history of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey that had enveloped the Roman Empire only a century prior. In addition to his strangely contemporary choice of subject-matter for an epic, Lucan is the only epic poet in Latin literature to make no references to the Roman and Greek gods, and indeed it contains almost no allusions to the supernatural mythology of the ancient world. Lucan's epic almost reads like a work of journalism due to its strict adherence to historical facts, and Lucan has been praised as one of the clearest and most direct poets in Latin literature.
Although Pharsalia is Lucan's only surviving work, it is important to note that he was not trained as a poet. Lucan was trained as a rhetorician, and he first impressed the Roman literary public by his skill in argument and rhetoric. Lucan had received very little training as a poet, and it has been generally agreed upon by scholars that he was lacking in skill with regard to the more technical aspects of poetry such as meter and versification, but that he made up for it in the swiftness and eloquence of his character's dialogue. As a result of these qualities, Lucan would find more recognition among the medieval and Romantic poets of Europe than he ever would with his own Roman contemporaries. Certainly one of the more unique poets to write in the epic tradition, Lucan has been cited as a major influence by such varied figures as Samuel Johnson, Percy Bysshe Shelley and Pierre Corneille.
Life
He found success under Nero, and won a prize for poetry in 60. His epic poem, Pharsalia (but labelled Bellum civile in the manuscripts), which told the story of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey, was much acclaimed. However, he soon fell out of favor, and was alleged to have been lured into the conspiracy of Gaius Calpurnius Piso. His alleged treason having been discovered, he was obliged to commit suicide by opening a vein at the age of 25, but not before incriminating his mother (among others) in hopes of a pardon.
His father was involved in the proscription, his mother escaped, and his widow Polla Argentaria survived to receive the homage of Statius under Domitian. The birthday of Lucan was kept as a festival after his death, and a poem addressed to his widow upon one of these occasions and containing information on the poet's work and career is still extant (Statius's Silvae, ii.7, entitled Genethliacon Lucani).
As with Virgil's masterpiece, Lucan's epic poem was unfinished at the time of his death, and its untidy condition is reflected in its 400 complete and partial copies. As A.E. Housman stated in the preface to his edition of 1926, "the manuscripts group themselves not in families but in factions; their dissidences and agreements are temporary and transient ... and the true line of division is between the variants themselves, not between the manuscripts which offer them."
Pharsalia was celebrated during the Middle Ages; Dante mentions him twice:
- De vulgari eloquentia mentions him, along with Ovid, Virgil and Statius as one of the four regulati poetae (ii, vi, 7)
- Inferno ranks him side by side with Homer, Horace, Ovid and Virgil (Inferno, IV,88).
His work had tremendous influence in the poetry and drama of the 17th century. Shelley, Southey and Macaulay all praised his work.
External links
- Works by Lucan. Project Gutenberg
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
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