Claudian

Claudius Claudianus (Claudian) (* around 370; † 405) was one of most important latin poet of late ancient times.

For information to its biography and to its career/development we are dependent on the meager statements of later writers, above all however on Claudians own seals,so that much that concerns its person, remains in the dark one. Claudian probably originated from the Egyptian Alexandria and buildup there bilingual (Greek-Latin). About its beginnings as poets we do not know anything; possibly he hired himself first as a moving poet in the griechischsprachigen east. In the year 394 afterChr. anyhow we find it in Rome, where it itself with a fixed poem (Panegyrikus), which celebrates the installation of the brothers Olybrius and Probinus as acting consuls of the yearly 395, when poet in Latin language forms.

After success, the Claudian with this poem, stepped he had as a yard poet into the service of the westRoman emperor Honorius and its vandalischen army master Flavius Stilicho. In this periphery develop to 405 n.Chr. numerous enkomiastische poems, the Stilicho and the emperor house, their politics and their military being made, in particular by the Goten,as well as celebrate the two Invektiven (defamation poems) “in Rufinum” and “in Eutropium”, which are directed against the ruling powers at the yard to Konstantinopel. Does the fact that Claudians literary production was recognized by highest place show up in the fact that it (around 400 (?) n. Chr.) with a statue on the Trajansforumone honoured, whose is received to base inscription. Even if Claudians are tendencious representations and the historical content is subjected often to the principles of a responding literary organization, its political poems are nevertheless time-historical documents of first rank, there them for the history of the outgoing fourth century partiallyour only source form. Also for the history of the Roman literature they are of great importance, since they develop the traditional kind further of the heroischen Epos, present and - at least after our knowledge - in most innovative form panegyrische statements in combination with a narrativen action.Beside the zeitgeschichtichen poems numerous smaller opportunity poems are (“carmina minora”) from Claudian as well as its mythologisches Epos “De raptu Proserpinae” (“the robbery of the Proserpina”), that from the robbery of the Demeter daughter Persephone receive (lat. Proserpina) by the underworld God Pluton reports; both the developing background and the interpretationthe poem are most disputed in the research. Same applies also to the fragments of the “Gigantomachie”, a poem in Greek language, which is likewise in the collection by Claudians poems contained.

Claudians trace loses itself after 405 n. Chr. ; whether its death or the fallits sponsor Stilicho the cause for its growing silent is, cannot any longer be constituted.

The somewhat mysteriöse personality Claudians inspired occasionally to literary organization. Hermann Sudermann wrote 20 at the beginning. Century (1914) a drama with the title “the praise singing of the Claudian”, that thatMore closely than ambitious, verlogenen and aalglatten yard poet draws, who from insulted vanity its sponsor Stilicho in spoiling tears and with the attempt dies, this error again-good-close. The representation is somewhat more balanced in Hella S. Haasses novel “Een nieuwer will” (1964; English. 1993 under the title“Threshold OF fire”), which brings up for discussion Claudians Egyptian origin and its successes at the westRoman emperor yard.

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Wikiquote: Claudius Claudianus - quotations

• Claudians of works (Latin and English)
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