Marcus Annaeus Lucanus

Roman poet. Born in Cordoba, Spain. Grandson of Seneca the Elder and nephew of Seneca the Younger. In Rome, he studied under the same Stoic school as the satirical poet Persius. He was a member of the literary circle surrounding Emperor Nero, active in prose and verse, and was appointed treasurer, but his literary talent aroused the jealousy of the emperor, who banned him from writing at all. He then participated in the so-called Piso Conspiracy, which was discovered and he was ordered to commit suicide. The unfinished epic poem "The Civil War" (also known as "Pharsalia"), 10 volumes in length, is the only surviving work, depicting the conflict between Caesar and Pompey and the end of the Republic. It denounces the dictator Caesar as the epitome of evil, portrays Pompey, shrouded in past glory, as a weak opponent, and Cato the Younger as a wise Stoic who resists in despair, and ultimately sees the civil war as a meaningless event brought about by fate.

[Tsuneo Nakayama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代ローマの詩人。スペインのコルドバ生まれ。大セネカの孫、小セネカの甥(おい)。ローマで、風刺詩人ペルシウスと同じストア派の門に学ぶ。ネロ帝を取り巻く文人サークルに属して散文、韻文に活躍し、財務官にも任ぜられたが、文才のゆえに帝の嫉妬(しっと)を買い、いっさいの文筆活動を禁じられた。そこで彼はいわゆるピソの陰謀に加わり、発覚して自殺を命じられた。未完の叙事詩『内乱』（別名『ファルサリア』）10巻が現存する唯一の作品で、カエサルとポンペイウスの争いと共和政の末路を描く。独裁者カエサルを悪の権化として告発し、過去の栄光に包まれたポンペイウスを非力な対抗者、小カトーを絶望的に抵抗するストア派の賢者として描き、結局この内乱を運命がもたらした無意味な事件ととらえている。

［中山恒夫］

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