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This comprehensive reassessment of the carmina maiora of the fourth-century poet Claudian contributes to the growing trend to recognize that Late Antique poets should be approached as just that: poets. Its methodology is developed from that of Michael Roberts' seminal The Jeweled Style. It analyzes Claudian's poetics and use of story telling to argue that the creation of a story world in which Stilicho, his patron, becomes an epic hero, and the barbarians are giants threatening both the borders of Rome and the order of the very universe is designed to convince his audience of a world-view in which it is only the Roman general who stands between them and cosmic chaos. The book also argues that Claudian uses the same techniques to promote the message that Honorius, young hero though he may seem, is not yet fit to rule, and that Stilicho's rightful position remains as his regent.
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CL AUDIAN THE POET
This comprehensive reassessment of the carmina maiora of the fourthcentury poet Claudian contributes to the growing trend to recognize that late antique poets should be approached as just that: poets. Its methodology is developed from that of Michael Roberts’ seminal The Jeweled Style. It analyses his poetics and use of story-telling to argue that the creation of a story-world in which Stilicho, his patron, becomes an epic hero and the barbarians are giants threatening both the borders of Rome and the order of the very universe is designed to convince his audience of a world-view in which it is only the Roman general who stands between them and cosmic chaos. The book also argues that Claudian uses the same techniques to promote the message that Honorius, young hero though he may seem, is not yet fit to rule, and that Stilicho’s rightful position remains as his regent. clare coombe is Head of Classics at the Oratory School, Reading and retains a research interest in late antique and early Christian Latin poetry.
C L AUD I A N THE P OE T CL ARE COOMBE The Oratory School, Reading
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This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 2018 Printed in the United Kingdom by Clays, St Ives plc A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data Names: Coombe, Clare, 1986– author. Title: Claudian the poet / Clare Coombe. Description: Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2018. | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: lccn 2017058257 | isbn 9781107058347 (hardback) Subjects: LCSH: Claudianus, Claudius – Criticism and interpretation. Classification: lcc pa6374 .c66 2018 | ddc 871/.01 – dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017058257 isbn 978-1-107-05834-7 Hardback Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, acc