(By Seneca?) c. 55 CE

This work is a satire on the deification of Claudius (Emperor 41-54 CE). It is written in Menippean style (Menippus, a 3rd cent. BCE Syrian, satirized men and philosophers using a mixture of prose and verse). It is thought to have been written soon after the death of Claudius during the beginning of Nero's reign.

Etymology of title:

apotheosis=deification
colocynta=pumpkin
apocolocyntosis="pumpkinification"

The work "...describes Claudius' arrival in heaven, the difficulty of finding out who he is because of his stammer, and the proposal of the deified emperor Augustus that he should be deported to the Underworld because the of murders he has committed. Here he meets his victims and is brought to trial before Aeacus. Following Claudius' own system, Aeacus hears the case against him and pronounces sentence without listening to the defense. Claudius is finally made clerk to one of his own freedmen." (source: Concise Oxford Companion)

Style

Light and racy, full of witticisms, proverbs, and colloquialisms, alternating between prose and poetry.

Tone

Disrespectful toward everyone and everything except Nero; unsparing derision of Claudius.

Author

Probably Seneca the Younger, but other candidates could be Lucan or some unknown author of the period.

Models

Menippus and Lucilius, biting comments similar to Cicero's..

Bibliography:

Coffey, M. Roman Satire (London 1976) 165-177.

Currie, H. MacL. 'The purpose of the Apocolocyntosis,' A.C. 1 (1962) 91-97.

Griffin, M. T. Seneca: a Philosopher in Politics (Oxford 1976) 129-33/

Momigliano, A. Claudius: the emperor and his achievement (Oxford 1934).