Lucan's Egyptian Civil War

306 Pages·2014·1.64 MB·English

by  Jonathan Tracy

LUCAN’S EGYPTIAN CIVIL WAR
ThisbookexploresLucan’shighlyoriginaldeploymentofcontradic-
toryGreco-RomanstereotypesaboutEgypt(utopianvs.xenophobic)
asameansofreflectingontheviolenttensionswithinhisownsociety
(conservatismvs.Caesarism).Lucanshowsthetwodistinctfacetsof
first-centurybcEgypt,namelyitsancientPharaonicheritageandits
latter-dayHellenisticcultureunderthePtolemies,notonlyinspiri-
tualconflictwithoneanother(viatheopposedcharactersofAcoreus,
priest of old Memphis, and the Alexandrian courtier Pothinus) but
also inextricably entangled with the corresponding factions of the
RomancivilwarandofNero’sRome.DrTracyalsoconnectsLucan’s
portrayalofEgyptandtheNiletohiscriticalengagementwithGreco-
Romandiscourseonnaturalscience,particularlytheNaturalesQuaes-
tiones of his uncle, Seneca the Younger. Lastly, he examines Lucan’s
attitudetowardsthevalueofculturaldiversitywithintheincreasingly
monoculturalenvironmentoftheRomanMediterranean.
jonathan tracyteachesintheDepartmentofClassicsattheUni-
versityofToronto.HehaspublishedwidelyonLucanandEgyptand
iscurrentlyworkingonasecondbook,whichconsiderstheevolution
ofGreco-RomanattitudestowardsthedeclineandfallofPharaonic
EgyptfromHerodotusdowntotheendofclassicalantiquity.

LUCAN’S EGYPTIAN
CIVIL WAR
JONATHAN TRACY
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sedtuamevirtustamenetsperatavoluptas
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suadetetinducitnoctesvigilareserenas...
Lucretius,DeRerumNaturae1.140–142

Contents
Acknowledgements pageviii
Introduction:Thecomfortsofdistance 1
part one: pompey in egypt 13
1 SeePompeyrun 15
2 ThefatalcaseforEgypt 31
3 MemphisversusAlexandria 60
part two: caesar in egypt 97
4 Apilgrim’sprogress? 99
5 ThecontextofAcoreus 144
6 ThelessonsofAcoreus 181
7 MemphisversusAlexandriaII 225
Conclusion:Fromseclusiontosolidarity 274
Bibliography 280
Indexofnames 288
Indexofpassages 292
vii
Acknowledgements
ThisbookbeganlifeasadoctoraldissertationattheUniversityofToronto,
withthetitleScience,Egypt,andEscapisminLucan,andmythanksgoout
firstofalltomylong-sufferingsupervisor,ProfessorMichaelDewar,who,
withhissageadviceandconstantencouragement,patientlyshepherdedme
through the entire process and without whose gentle strictures my thesis
would have ended up much less effective and persuasive (not to mention
much longer). I would also like to thank the other members of my thesis
committee: Professor Brad Inwood, who considerably refined my picture
ofLucan’srelationshipwithSenecaandwhoalwayspushedmetoapproach
thephilosophicalportionsofmythesiswithprecision,accuracy,andintel-
lectual rigour; Professor Alison Keith, who directed my thoughts towards
Lucan’suseofgenre,aswellasofferingusefulfeedbackonmywritingstyle
and on the structuring of my arguments; and Professor Christer Bruun,
who, in his capacity as Graduate Coordinator, guided me at every stage
of my major field and thesis. In addition, I owe a considerable debt of
gratitude to Professors Elaine Fantham and Denis Feeney, my internal
andexternalexaminers(respectively),fortheirinsightful,challenging,and
stimulating questions and comments, which proved to be of invaluable
assistance in my further development of this topic and in the daunting
taskoftransformingthesisintobook.Mentionshouldlikewisebemadeof
ProfessorJohnGrant,whosegraduateseminaronLucanprovidedthegerm
for my thesis. Of course, the book has also benefitted considerably from
theguidanceIhavereceivedfromMichaelSharp,myeditoratCambridge
University Press, as well as the anonymous reviewers for my manuscript,
whosesuggestionsandcriticismswereindispensablyconstructive.Finally,
IoffermyheartfeltthankstoW.N.GwynPhierry,mydearestfriend,my
trustedhelpmate,andthesinequanonofallmyendeavours.Ihopethat,
oneday,Icanbegintorepayallthelovingkindnessandunfailingsupport
you’veshownmethroughthepasttwodecadesofmylife.
viii