Lucan (39 A.D - 65 A.D)
This young and capricious youth, while serving the in court of Nero, probably conducted himself well enough with his only surviving and masterpiece of a work. He came from family of scholars from Corduba (modern day Cordoba in Spain). His uncle was Seneca the Younger, who was very successful in his literary career. Later he moved to Rome (like many authors before and after him to pursue writing). There, the Stoic Annaeus Cornutus taught Lucan and later became his patron. Under the tutelage of Cornutus, Lucan met his friend Persius. He became a good friend to Nero and even participated (and excelling) in the Neronia (with his Laudes Neronis). Later, he fell out of favor with Nero, probably because he couldn't be as great as Lucan. As such, he dared to write insulting poems about Nero, but was ignored rather than executed (got lucky there Lucan). He later joined the Pisonian Conspiracy against Nero in 65 A.D His treason was discovered and at the age of 25, had to commit suicide by opening a vein. He incriminated his mother and relatives in the hopes of them being pardoned. According to Tacitus, as Lucan bled to death, "(he) recalled some poetry he had composed in which he had told the story of a wounded soldier dying a similar kind of death and he recited the very lines. These were his last words." He managed to save his mother, but not his father.
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Basic Info |
Full Name:
Marcus Annaeus Lucanus Born: 3 November 39 A.D | Corduba, Hispania Baetica Died: 30 April 65 A.D (aged 25) | Not Specified |
Works
Latin of Bellum Civile/Pharsalia:
http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/lucan.html |
Lucan's only surviving work was his Bellum Civile, alternately called Pharsalia, also dubbed the Anti-Aeneid.
Lost works we know of:
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