Claudian: Poetry and Propaganda at the Court of Honorius

As a propagandist Claudian offers unique illumination of the intrigues inside and between the rival courts of Milan and Constantinople in the decisive years following the death of Theodosius the Great. Though a Greek by birth, Claudian revived Latin poetry with a flair not seen since the Silver Age - and not to be seen again. This book studies Claudian's political and propagandist techniques, his accounts of Stilico's campaigns and rivals, his debt to Greek rhetorical theory and contemporary poetry, his culture, attitudes to Rome and its problems and, not least, his position as a pagan at a Christian court. An epilogue traces his influence in medieval times and on English literature. Alan Cameron is Anthon Professor of Latin Language and Literature at Columbia University.