The Poet Lucan: Studies in Rhetorical Epic 9781472540348, 9781853994883

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DIVINATION AND MAGIC

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NY classical epic worth the name had a storm: another standard feature, at any rate of Roman epic, was prophecy and (generally) superstitious ritual. This is hardly surprising if one considers the naturally superstitious character of the Romans, the enormous part that divination played in Roman public life, and the flood of speculation about matters supernatural that swept Rome under the JulioClaudians in the wake of the collapse of the old official religion. The surprising fact is the virulence of the criticism of Lucan by modern scholars for giving so much spacc to these matters: his Erictho scene 'has little raisori d'ttrc save the gratification of the taste for witchcraft which Lucan shared with his audience' (Butler): Heitland finds that 'the witch of the hour takes up 63 lines of unspeakable foulness and horror'. The enthusiasm of Bourgkry may be excessive, but it leads to a more just estimate of what Lucan was trying to do.1 There are three main passages which deal with divination and magic: in book I. 522-695 prodigies at Romc are enumerated and are then interpreted by three seers-a professional haruspcx, a learned astrologer, and a raving matron. In book 5. 67236 there is a digression on the Delphic oracle; and in book 6. 413830 there is the celebrated episode of the witch Erictho and her necromancy. T o these should bc added the fcw lincs in book 9. 544-86, whcre Cato stands before the oracle of Jupiter Atnmon and expounds the virtuous man's attitude to divination. Onc-tenth of the poem (as it stands) is a largc proportion to devote to these subjects, especially in a pocm which is sclf-consciously historical epic, in that it eschews thc apparatus of divine intervention. One call only observe, whilc admitting that Lucan has been disproportionate in his treatment, that thc episodes do fit into thc plan of thc A. BourgPry, 'Lucain et la Magie', R.E.L. 6 (1928), 299 sqcl. Other works helpful on the subject are: L. Fahz, D e Poctar~rrnRorrlnriortrnt Doctrirta Rfagica (Giessen, 1904: = Dietrich and Wiinsch, Rclig. Versr~rlte,ii. 3 ) : T. Hopfner, art. 'Mantike', R-E 14, col. 1258: C. Preisendanz, Papyri Grnecne Mnxicae (Leipzig, 1928), esp. vol. 1, 6 4 1 8 0 : F. Cumont, Les Religiorts Orietztales datu Ic Pqgarlisme Ronrairi (Paris, 1929) and /lfier-l(fi in Roniar~Pagariisrn (New Haven, 1923). Most recently (after the present chapter had been completed), B. F. Dick, 'The Technique of Prophecy in Lucan', T . A . P . A . 9-1 (1963), 37-49. In general, A . S . Pease's edition of Cicero, D e Divini~tioire( C i i i v . ~lfIllirr,~is Strrdirs iit Lnt;q. arid Lit., 6, 1930 and 8, 1923), has been very useful. 59

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY Abbreviations Ad.P. C.P. C.Q. R-E. R.E.L. Rh. M. T.A.P.A.

American Journal ofphilology. Classical Philolog Classical Quarter y Pauly-Wissowa-Krofl, Real-Encyclopadie d. Klassischen Altertunlswissenschaft Revue &s h & s Latines Rheinisches Museumfir Philologie Transactions and Proceedings g t h e American Philological Associatiorl

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Thc first page-number of each article is given. Texts, etc. A. BourgCry and M. Ponchont (Budt ed., 2 vols.), Paris 19269. J. D. D&(Loeb text and translation), London 1928. C. E. Haskins, with Introduction by W. E. Heitland, London 1887. A. E. Housman, 2nd ed., Oxford 1950 (rev. of 1st ed. by E. Fraenkel, Gnomon 2 (1926), 497)P. Lejay, Book I, Paris 1894. R. J. Getty, Book I, Cambridge 1955 0. A. W. Dike, Book 7, Cambridge 1960 (revision of J. P. Postgate's ed., Cambridge 1913). J. P. Postgate, Book 8, Cambridge 1917. J. Endt, Adnofationes super Lucanum (Teubner), Leipzig 19q. B. M. Marti, Arnulfi Aurelianensis Glosule super Lucanum, Romc 1958. H. Usener, Comnlenfa Bernensia (Teubner), Leipzig 1869. R.J. Deferrari and others, A Concordance of Lucan, Washington 1940. Other works J. Aymard, Quelques Shies de Comparaisons chez Lucain, Montpelier 1951. J. W. Basore, 'Direct Speech in Lucan as an Element of Epic Technic', T.A.P.A. 35 (1904), xciv. S. F. Bonner, Roman Declamation, Liverpool 1949. H. Bomecque, Les Dhclamations et les Dhclatnateurs d'apr2s Se'nhqque fc Pire, Lille 1902. A. Bourgery, 'Lucain et la Magie', R.E.L. 6 (1928), 299. J. Brisset, las Idkes Politiques de Lucain, Paris 1964. R.T. Brdre, 'Palae harsalus, Pharsalus, Pharsalia', C.P. 46 (195I), I I I. -'Lucan's Come ia', C.P. 46 (1951)~221. M. L. Clarke, Rhetoric at Rome, London 1953. B. Dick, 'The technique of Prophecy in Lucan', T.A.P.A. 94 (1963), 37. L. Eckardt, Exkurse undEkphraseis bei Lucan, Heidelberg 1936. L. Fahz, De Poetarum Romanorum Dochina Magica, Gieszen 1904. C. S. Floratos, 'H rpocpfiw~aTOG P. Nigidius Figulus, Athens 1958.

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