Year: 2016
Type: article
Abstract: My article has as its starting point the well-known ancient satirical work, L. Annaeus Seneca’s Divi Claudii apotheosis per saturam, also known as Apocolocyntosis Divi Claudii. Seneca’s satirical novel describes the death of the Emperor Claudius and his ascent to heaven where his request for deification is discussed by the gods. The gods decide to deny Claudius admission to Olympus, a decision followed by his expulsion and dispatch to the Underworld for his many crimes. My main concern is with the later Neo-Latin tradition: Seneca’s work inspired many imitators, including Erasmus of Rotterdam and Daniel Heinsius, who described other-worldly journeys, ascents to heaven or descents to the Underworld in the spirit of the genre. These later works included descriptions of the apotheoses of various authorities, (in)famous poets, emperors and allegorical figures. I will examine the functions of the apotheosis motif in the satirical literature written in imitation of Seneca, and I will show how the motif of the elevation into the divine status was used to ridicule authorities and examine conflicting value systems.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Kivistö, Sari
Institution: University of Helsinki
Language: English
Subfield: Classics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2397583506