| This dissertation attempts to examine two factors that inform and shape early Christian Latin epic: namely, Vergilian imitation and biblical exegesis. The primary texts selected for analysis are three biblical epics composed in hexameters by Christian Latin poets of the fourth and fifth centuries, Juvencus, Proba, and Sedulius. By placing the Vergilian and biblical heritages side by side, I hope to demonstrate the dynamic relationship between these two different, yet sometimes compatible, cultural traditions in the rise of biblical epic.The first chapter investigates how Vergil and the Bible, both as literary and canonical texts, were received in Late Antiquity. As the influence of these two texts was always mediated through commentators, special attention is paid to the formal exegesis of Vergil (Servian commentary, for example) and the Bible (patristic sources).The second chapter focuses on Juvencus' gospel epic (330's), especially the problem of paraphrase. Juvencus appropriates Vergilian epithets, vocabulary, and type scenes to amplify the gospel account. Yet, by revising and re-editing the gospel narrative, he insinuates "correct" interpretations into the mind of his reader. As any form of re-writing inevitably involves re-interpretation of the base text, Juvencus' literary improvement on the biblical text must be considered as an implicitly hermeneutical act rather than merely stylistic embellishment.The third chapter is devoted to Proba, who composed a Vergilian cento in 360's. Against most critics, I argue that the key to understanding Proba's work is to invoke the original context of the centonized Vergilian verses. Only by comparing the old Vergilian contexts and their new Christian incarnations can we appreciate the audacity and subtlety of Proba's work.The fourth chapter deals with Sedulius' epic (420's), a polemic against Arianism. Sedulius combines the tradition of didactic epic with homiletic devices developed by Christian preaching to create a new form of biblical epic in which doctrinal discussion and biblical exegesis play a more prominent role than in his predecessors' works.The three poets under discussion found their unique way of solving the problem of how to achieve a synthesis between Vergilian imitation and biblical influence. They contribute significantly to preserving the epic tradition and establishing a Christian Vergilianism. |
