Wiener Studien 137/2024, pp. 185-214, 2024/07/11
Zeitschrift für Klassische Philologie, Patristik und lateinische Tradition
In this paper, panegyric epic poems by Claudian, Sidonius, and Gorippus are considered together for the first time as examples of the late antique reception of the Punica. It is argued that these late antique poets in their works about African campaigns referred to the depiction of Scipio Africanus, the first great Roman victor in Africa, in the last books of the Punica (the “Scipias”). This is suggested by explicit references, scene imitations as well as literal quotations. The paper thus aims to contribute to a better understanding of the impact of the Punica on late antique Latin poetry.
