Epic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome: A New Reading of Valerius Flaccus' ArgonauticaEpic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome offers a new interpretation of Valerius Flaccus' Argonautica, a Latin epic poem written during the reign of the emperor Vespasian (70-79 AD). Recounting the famous voyage of Jason and the Argonauts as they set off to retrieve the Golden Fleece, the poem depicts a narrative of high epic adventure. In this volume, Stover shows how Flaccus' epic reflects the restorative ideals of Vespasianic Rome, which attempted to restore order following the destructive civil war of 68-69 AD. This proposition sets it apart from the largely 'pessimistic' readings of other scholars. An important element of Flaccus' poetics of recovery is an engagement with Lucan's iconoclastic Bellum Civile. This poem's deconstructive tendencies offered Flaccus a poetic point of departure for his attempt to renew the epic genre in the context of political renewal triggered by Vespasian's accession to power. Stover's approach is thus both formalist and historicist as he seeks not only to elucidate Flaccus' dynamic appropriation of Lucan, but also to associate the Argonautica's formal gestures within a specific socio-political context. |
Contents
Introduction | 1 |
1 The Date of the Argonautica | 7 |
2 The Inauguration of the Argonautic Moment | 27 |
3 The Sea Storm and Political Allegory | 79 |
4 Gigantomachy and Civil War in Cyzicus | 113 |
5 The Vespasianic Vates | 151 |
Medea and the Issue of Jasons Virtus | 181 |
References | 219 |
| 235 | |
| 243 | |
Other editions - View all
Epic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome: A New Reading of Valerius Flaccus ... Tim Stover Limited preview - 2012 |
Epic and Empire in Vespasianic Rome: A New Reading of Valerius Flaccus ... Tim Stover No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
activity Aeneid allows Apollo Apollonius appearance Argo Argo’s Argonautica Argonauts aspects battle beginning Bellum Civile Book Boreas bring Caesar civil war claims concerning context contrast course Cyzicus death dedication describe desire discussion divine Dog Star Doliones earlier echoes effect emphasizes employs engagement epic episode establishment example fact father Feeney figure forces future Giants gigantomachic given gods Greeks hand Hercules hero heroic hope human imperial important inspiration Italy Jason Jovian Jupiter Jupiter’s labor Lucan’s martial Medea Mopsus namely narrative nature noted offers once passage Phineus phrase Phrygian poem poet poetic poetry political position possible present proem prophecy reading recalls reference regard regime represents reveals role Roman Rome sailing Salmoneus ship simile Statius storm storm winds suggest symbolic term theme tradition Valerius vates vatic Vergil’s Vergilian Vespasian virtus voyage Zissos