Une lecture religieuse des invectives de Claudien est-elle possible?

Abstract

A recent work has proposed to literary reading of Claudian’s invectives, but this seems excessively restrictive. Indeed, In Rufinum and In Eutropium were drafted at a time when relations between pagans and Christians were polemical to such an extent Claudian could not have absolutely avoided current events, for he was himself a convinced heathen. In this connection Claudian’s poetry seems to show characteristics in common (although expressed with less acrimony) with the religious message which authors like Servius or Rutilius Namatianus were trying to circulate. A glance to the carm. min. 27 on the Phoenix shows that the poet had never given up disputing against Christians. Thus, a passage of In Rufinum (265-267) finds a new interpretation. One must of course raise the issue of several verses in Claudian’s work which seem to be biblical, but these were probably intended in an ironic or polemical way. An analysis of a passage of In Eutropium (2, 288-303) also requires a politico-religious reading of the omen connected with Cybele. Religious issues, which were reinforced by political disputes, appear to be the heart of In Eutropium. On this matter, however, the hypothesis according to which Claudian was an inspiration for the Historia Augusta should be reversed. In fact, it was the other way around, and Claudian actually shares with the author of the Historia Augusta a deep distrust of Constantinople, the Christian capital of the Empire. The study reveals many ideological affinities between Claudian and contemporary pagan authors, and argues for a religious reading of the poet’s invectives.