Life (39 -- 65 CE)
Born in Cordoba, Spain and educated at Rome, Lucan studied philosophy with the Stoic Cornutus. He was the grandson of Seneca the Elder and the nephew of Seneca the Younger. Nero invited him to join his literary circle before 60 CE. Lucan was involved in the Pisonian Conspiracy and was forced by Nero to commit suicide in 65 CE along with his father and both uncles.
Works
Bibliography
Ahl, F. M. Lucan, An Introduction (New York, 1976).
Brisset, J. Les idees politiques de Lucain (Paris, 1964).
Champin, E. " The Life and Times of Calpurnius Piso, " MH XLVI, 1989,1-124.
George, David B. "Lucan's Cato and Stoic Attitudes to the Republic," Classical Antiquities, XX, 1991, 237-258,
Johnson, W, R. " Momentary Monsters: Lucan and his Heroes," AJPH, CX, 1989, 371-375, Morford, M. P. 0. The Poet Lucan (Oxford 1967).
Thompson, L. and Bruere, R. T. "Lucan's Use of Vefgilian Reminiscence," Classical Philology, (1968) 1-21.
Style
Strengths
Weaknesses
Innovations
Models
Concrete, ordinarylanguage:
| Prosaic words (Lucan): | Heroic, poetic words (Vergil, etc.): |
|
mors |
letum |
|
terra |
tellus |
|
caelum |
polus |
|
ventus |
aura |
|
aqua |
lumpha, latex |
Uses vivid colors: red is his favorite color: blood!
Philosophy of Rome's present state: Nature and man suffer when human values are reversed. He preaches about the imminent rupture ol lex and ius.
First lines ol the poem:
Bella per Emathios plus quam civilia campos
iusque datum sceleri canimus...
Of wars more than civil on the plains of Thessaly I sing, ol right granted to crime...