A Companion to the Neronian Age

A Companion to the Neronian Age is an up–to–date, interdisciplinary and comprehensive collection of essays on the literature, history, archaeology and the reception of this period. Offering a careful balance of scholarly overview and new research, this collection presents an in–depth focus on individual works of art and text, but also ranges across broader aspects of Neronian rule—home affairs and international relations; the imperial image from cameo to colossus—as well as fresh perspectives, with chapters on religion, philosophy and reception. Making important research available in English for the first time, the Companion will serve as an authoritative overview and helpful resource for all levels of students and scholars.

List of Illustrations xi Notes on Contributors xiii Acknowledgments xvii Introduction: The Neronian (Literary) ‘‘Renaissance’’ 1 Martin T. Dinter PART I Nero 1 The Performing Prince 17 Elaine Fantham 2 Biographies of Nero 29 Donna W. Hurley 3 Nero the Imperial Misfit: Philhellenism in a Rich Man’s World 45 Sigrid Mratschek PART II The Empire 4 The Empire in the Age of Nero 65 Myles Lavan 5 Apollo in Arms: Nero at the Frontier 83 David Braund 6 Domus Neroniana: The Imperial Household in the Age of Nero 102 Michael J. Mordine 7 Religion 118 Darja ¡ Sterbenc Erker 8 Neronian Philosophy 134 Jenny Bryan PART III Literature, Art, and Architecture 9 Seneca, Apocolocyntosis 151 Christopher L. Whitton 10 The Carmina Einsidlensia and Calpurnius Siculus’ Eclogues 170 John Henderson 11 Seneca’s Philosophical Writings: Naturales Quaestiones, Dialogi, Epistulae Morales 188 Jonathan Mannering 12 Senecan Tragedy 204 Emma Buckley 13 Lucan’s Bellum Civile 225 Philip Hardie 14 Petronius’ Satyrica 241 Tom Murgatroyd 15 Persius 258 Marden Fitzpatrick Nichols 16 Columella, De Re Rustica 275 Christiane Reitz 17 Literature of the World: Seneca’s Natural Questions and Pliny’s Natural History 288 Aude Doody 18 Greek Literature Under Nero 302 Dirk Uwe Hansen 19 Buildings of an Emperor – How Nero Transformed Rome 314 Heinz–J¨urgen Beste and Henner von Hesberg 20 Portraits of an Emperor – Nero, the Sun, and Roman Otium 332 Marianne Bergmann 21 Neronian Wall–Painting. A Matter of Perspective 363 Katharina Lorenz PART IV Reception 22 Nero in Jewish and Christian Tradition from the First Century to the Reformation 385 Harry O. Maier 23 Haec Monstra Edidit. Translating Lucan in the Early Seventeenth Century 405 Yanick Maes 24 Haunted by Horror: The Ghost of Seneca in Renaissance Drama 425 Susanna Braund 25 ‘‘Fantasies so Varied and Bizarre’’: The Domus Aurea, the Renaissance, and the ‘‘Grotesque’’ 444 Michael Squire Epilogue 26 Nachwort: Nero from Zero to Hero 467 Miriam Griffin Index 481

Emma Buckley is Lecturer in Latin and Classical Studies at the University of St. Andrews. She has published on post–Virgilian epic, Maffeo Vegio and Christopher Marlowe. She is currently writing a monograph on Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica . Martin T. Dinter is Lecturer in Latin Literature and Language at King’s College London. He has published articles on Virgil, Horace, Lucan and Valerius Flaccus and is the author of a forthcoming monograph on Lucan’s Bellum Civile .

“Many of its essays should become the standard discussions on the topic, whereas others gesture importantly toward future work to be done in the field. Moreover, the clarity of the chapters makes them suitable to be used pedagogically in an advanced undergraduate or graduate course." ( Bryn Mawr Classical Review , 29 February 2014) “It is very hard to do justice to this excellent addition to the series of Blackwell Companions to the Ancient World . The editors have done a splendid job in selecting and organising the material, together with some helpful cross–referencing within the contributions . ”  ( Journal of Classics Teaching , 1 June 2013)