No More Learning

Claudius Pulcher [No. 38), was married to During the republic no patrician Claudius adopted
Cn. Pompeius, the elder son of the triumvir. (Cic. one of another gens: the emperor Claudius was
ad Fam. ii. 13, üi. 4, 11; Dion Cass. xxxix. 60. ) the first who broke through this custom by adopt-
11. CLAUDIA (Stemma, No. 45), sister of the ing L. Domitius Ahenobarbus, afterwards the
preceding, was married to M. Brutus, who sepa- emperor Nero. (Suet. Claud. 39; Tac. Ann. xii.
rated from her in B. C. 45. (Cic. ad Fam. iii. 4, 25. )
[C. P. M. ]
ad Att. xii. 9, 10, Brut. 77, 94. )
CLAUDIA'NUS, CLAU'DIUS, the last of
12. Clodia (Stemma, No. 49], daughter of P. the Latin classic poets, flourished under Theodosius
Clodius, was betrothed in B. C. 43 to Octavianus and his sons Arcadius and Honorius. Our know-
(Augustus), who, however, never regarded her as ledge of his personal history is very limited. That
his wife, and at the outbreak of the Perusinian he was a native of Alexandria seems to be satis-
war sent her back to her mother Fulvia. (Suet. factorily established from the direct testimony of
Aug. 62; Dion Cass. xlviii. 5. )
Suidas, corroborated by an allusion in Sidonius
66


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CLAUDIANUS.
763
CLAUDIANUS.
Apollinaris (Epist. ix. 13), and certain expressions tive Hadrian, whom he had provoked by the
in his own works (e. g. Épist. v. 3, i. 39, 56). It insolence of wit, and who with cruel vigilance had
has been maintained by some that he was a Gaul, watched and seized the opportunity of revenge,
and by others that he was a Spaniard; but neither has been adopted by Gibbon with less than his
of these positions is supported by even a shadow usual caution. It rests upon two assumptions
of evidence, while the opinion advanced by Pe- alike incapable of proof - first, that by Pharius,
trarch and Politian, that he was of Florentine ex- whose indefatigable rapacity is contrasted in an epi.
traction, arose from their confounding the Floren- gram (xxx. ) with the lethargic indolence of Mal-
tinus addressed in the introduction to the second lius, the poet meant to indicate the praetorian
book of the Ruptus Proserpinac, and who was prefect, who was a native of Egypt; and secondly,
praefectus urbi in A. D. 396, with the name of that the palinode which forms the subject of one
their native city. We are entirely ignorant of the of his epistles refers to that effusion, and is ad-
parentage, education, and early career of Claudian, dressed to the same person.
and of the circuinstances under which he quitied The religion of Claudian, as well as that of
his country. We find him at Rome in 395, when Appuleius, Ausonius, and many of the later Latin
he composed his panegyric on the consulate of Pro-writers, has been a theme of frequent controversy.
binus and Olybrius. He appears to have culti-There is, however, little cause for doubt. It is
vated poetry previously, but this was his first impossible to resist the explicit testimony of St.
essay in Latin verse, and the success by which it Augustin (de Civ. Dei, v. 26), who declares that
was attended induced him to abandon the Grecian he was “a Christi nomine alienus," and of Orosius,
for the Roman muse. (Epist. iv. 13. ) During who designates him as “ Poeta quidem eximius
the five years which immediately followed the sed paganus pervicacissimus. " The argument for
death of Theodosius, he was absent from Rome, his Christianity derived from an ambiguous expres-
attached, it would appear, to the retinue of Stilicho sion, interpreted as an admission of the unity of
(de Conis. Stilich. praef. 23), under whose special God (111. Cons. Honor. 96), is manifestly frivolous,
protection he seems to have been received almost and the Greek and Latin hymns appended to most
immediately after the publication of the poem editions of his works are confessedly spurious.
noticed above. We say after, because he makes That his conscience may have had all the pliancy
no mention of the name of the all-powerful Vandal of indifference on religious topics is probable
in that composition, where it might have been enough, but we have certainly nothing to adduce
most naturally and appropriately introduced in against the positive assertions of his Christian con-
conjunction with the exploits of Theodosius, while temporaries.
on all subsequent occasions he eagerly avails him- The works of Claudian now extant are the fol.
self of every pretext for sounding the praises of his lowing: 1. Three panegyrics on the third, fourth
patron, and expressing his own fervent devotion. and sixth consulships of Honorius respectively.
Nor was he less indebted to the good offices of 2. A poem on the nuptials of Honorius and Maria.
Serena than to the influence of her husband. He 3. Four short Fescennine lays on the same subject.
owed, it is true, his court favour and preferment to 4. A panegyric on the consulship of Probinus and
the latter, but by the interposition of the former Olybrius, with which is interwoven a description
he gained his African bride, whose parents, als of the exploits of the emperor Theodosius. 5. The
though they might have tumed a deaf ear to the praises of Stilicho, in two books, and a panegyric
suit of a poor poet, were unable to resist the solici- on his consulship, in one book. 6. The praises of
tations of the niece of Theodosius, the wife of the Serena, the wife of Stilicho : this piece is mutilated
general who ruled the ruler of the empire. The or was left unfinished.
7. A panegyric on the
following inscription, discovered at Rome in the consulship of Flavius Mallius Theodorus. 8. The
fifteenth century, informs us that a statue of Epithalamium of Palladius and Celerina. 9. An
Claudian was erected in the Forum of Trajan by invective against Rufinus, in two books. 10. An
Arcadius and Honorius at the request of the invective against Eutropius, in two books. 11. De
senate, and that he enjoyed the titles of Notarius Bello Gildonico, the first book of an historical poem
and Tribunus, but the nature of the office, whether on the war in Africa against Gildo. 12. De Bello
civil or military, denoted by the latter appellation Getico, an historical poem on the successful cam-
we are unable to determine :-
paign of Stilicho against Alaric and the Goths,
CL. CLAUDIANI V. C. CL. CLAUDIANO V. C. concluding with the battle of Pollentia. 13. lap-
TRIBUNO ET NOTARIO INTER CETERAS VIGENTES tus Proserpinae, three books of an unfinished epic
ARTES PRAEGLORIOSISSIMO POETARUM LICET AD on the rape of Proserpine. 14. Gigantomachia, a
MEMORIAM SEMPITERNAM CARMINA AB EODEM fragment extending to a hundred and twenty-eight
SCRIPTA SUFFICIANT ADTAMEN TESTIMONII GRA- lines only. 15. Ten lines of a Greek poem on the
TLA OB JUDICII SUI FIDEM DD. NN. ARCADIUS same subject, perhaps a translation by some other
ET HONORIUS FILICISSIMI AC DOCTISSIMI IMPE- hand froin the former. 16. Five short epistles ;
the first of these is a sort of prayer, imploring for-
DIVI TRAJANI ERIGI COLLOCARIQUE JUSSERUNT. giveness for some petulant attack. It is usually
The close of Claudian's career is enveloped in inscribed “ Deprecatio ad Hadrianum Praefectum
the same obscurity as its commencement. The Praetorio,” but from the variations in the manu-
last historical allusion in his writings is to the 6th scripts this title appears to be merely the guess of
consulship of Honorius, which belongs to the year some transcriber. The remaining four, which are
404. That he may have been involved in the very brief, are addressed—to Serena, to Olybrius,
misfortunes of Stilicho, who was put to death in to Probinus, to Gennadius. 17. Eidyllia, a col-
408, and may have retired to end his days in his lection of seven poems chiefly on subjects connected
native country, ja a probable conjecture, but no- with natural history, as may be seen by their titles,
thing more. The idea that he at this time became Phoenix, Hystrix, Torpedo, Nilus, Mages, Aponus,
exposed to the enmity of the powerful and vindic-Dc Pris Fratribus. 18. A collection of short occa-
RATORES SENATU PETENTE STATUAM IN FORO


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764
CLAUDIANUS.
CLAUDIANUS.
sional pieces, in Greek as well as Latin, conipre- accurate lecturer discriminates the several beads of
hended under the general title of Epigrammata. The his discourse. It can scarcely be argued, however,
Christian hymns to be found among these in most that the absence of all reserve rendered the task
editions are, as we have observed above, certainly more easy. The ingenuity of the author is severely
spurious. 19. Lastly, we have a hundred and taxed by other considerations, with this disadvan-
thirty-seven lines entitled “ Laudes Herculis ;" but tage, that just in proportion as we might feel dis-
with the exception of some slight resemblance in posed to admire his skill in hiding the ugliness of
style, we have no ground for attributing them to his idol within the folds of the rich garment with
Claudian.
which it is invested, so are we constrained to loathe
The measure employed in the greater number of his servile hypocrisy and laugh at his unblushing
these compositions is the heroic hexameter. The falsehood. It was indeed hard to be called upon
short prologues prefixed to many of the longer to vaunt the glories of an empire which was crum-
poems are in elegincs, and so also are the last four bling away day by day from the grasp of its feeble
epistles, the last two idylls, and most of the epic rulers; it was harder still to be forced to prove a
grams. The first of the Fescennines is a system child of nine years old, at which age Honorius re-
of Alcaic hendecasyllabics ; the second is in a ceived the title of Augustus, to be a model of wis-
sianza of five lines, which the first three are dom and kingly virtue, and to blazon the military
iambic dimeters catalectic, the fourth is a pure exploits of a boy of twelve who had never seen an
choriambic dimeter, and the fifth a trochaic dimeter enemy except in chains; and hardest of all to be
brachycatalectic; the third is a system of anapaestic constrained to encircle with a halo of divine per-
dimeters acatalectic; and the fourth is a system of fections a selfish l'andal like Stilicho. To talk of
choriambic trimeters acatalectic.
the historical value of such works as the Bellum
It will be at once perceived that the first thir- Gildonicum and the Bellum Geticum is sheer folly.
teen articles in the above catalogue, constituting a Wherever we have access to other sources of in-
very large proportion of the whole works of Clau- formation, we discover at once that many facts
dian, although some of them differ from the rest have been altogether suppressed, and many others
and from each other in form, belong essentially to distorted and falsely coloured ; and hence it is im-
one class of poems, being such as would be exacted possible to feel any confidence in the fidelity of
from a laureate as the price of the patronage he the narrator in regard to those incidents not else-
enjoyed. The object in view is the same in all-where recorded.
all breathe the same spirit, all are declamations in The simple fact that pieces composed under such
verse devoted either professedly or virtually to the circumstances, to serve such temporary and un-
glorification of the emperor, his connexions and worthy purposes, have been read, studied, admired,
favourites, and to the degradation of their foes. and even held up as models, ever since the revival
We must also bear in mind, while we discuss the of letters, is in itself no mean tribute to the powers
merits and defects of our author, and compare him of their author. Nor can we hesitate to pronounce
with those who went before, that although Virgil him a highly-gifted man. Deeply versed in all the
and Horace were flatterers as well as he, yet their learning of the Egyptian schools, possessing a most
strains were addressed to very different ears. extensive knowledge of the history of man and of
When they, after entering upon some theme appa- the physical world, of the legends of mythology,
rently far removed from any courtly train of and of the moral and theological speculations of
thought, by some seemingly natural although un- the different philosophical sects, he had the power
expected transition seemed as it were compelled to to light up this mass of learning by the fire of a
trace a resemblance between their royal benefactor brilliant imagination, and to concentrate it upon
and the gods and heroes of the olden time, they the objects of bis adulation as it streamed forth in
well knew that their skill would be appreciated by a fiashing flood of rhetoric. The whole host of
their cultivated hearers, and that the value of the heaven and every nation and region of the earth
compliment would be enhanced by the dexterous are called upon to aid in extolling his patron, the
delicacy with which it was administered. But prince, and their satellites; on the other hand, an
such refinements were by no means suited to the infernal Pantheon of demons and furies with all
“purple-born” despots of the fifth century and the horrors of Styx and Tartarus, are evoked as
their half-barbarous retainers. Their appetite for the allies and tormentors of a Rufinus, and all
praise was craving and coarse. If the adulation nature is ransacked for foul and loathsome images
was presented in sufficient quantity, they cared to body forth the mental and corporeal deformity
little for the manner in which it was seasoned, or of the eunuch consul. His diction is highly bril-
the form under which it was served up. Hence liant, although sometimes shining with the glitter
there is no attempt at concealment; no reil is of tinsel ornaments; his similes and illustrations
thought requisite to shroud the real nature and are elaborated with great skill, but the marks of
object of these panegyrics. All is broad, direct, toil are frequently too visible. His versification is
and palpable. The subject is in each case boldly highly sonorous, but is deficient in variety; the
and fully proposed at the commencement, and fol- constant recurrence of the same cadences, although
lowed out steadily to the end. The determination in themselves melodious, palls upon the ear. His
to praise everything and the fear lest something command of the language is perfect; and although
should be left unpraised, naturally lead to a syste- the minute critic may fancy that he detects some
matic and formal division of the subject; and hence traces of the foreign extraction of the bard, yet in
the career of each individual is commonly traced point of style neither Lucan nor Statius need be
upwards from the cradle, and in the case of Stilicho ashamed to own him as their equal. His powers
separate sections are allotted to his warlike, his appear to greatest advantage in description. His
peaceful, and his magisterial virtues,—the poet pictures often approach perfection, combining the
warning his readers of the transition from one sube softness and rich glow of the Italian with the
division to another with the same care as when an force and reality of the Dutch school:


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CLAUDIANUS.
75. 5
CLAUDIUS.
We have as yet said nothing of the Rape of tion was that of Theod. Pulmannus, printed at
Proserpine, from which we might expect to form Antwerp by Plantinus, 16mo. , 1571, including the
the most favourable estimate of his genius, for here notes of Delrio. The second edition of Caspar
at least it had fair and free scope, untrammeled by Barthins, Francf. and Hamburg. 1650 and 1054,
the fetters which cramped its energies in panegyric. 4to. , boasts of being completed with the aid of
But, although these causes of embarrassment are seventeen MSS. , and is accompanied by a volu-
removed, we do not find the result anticipated. minous commentary; but the notes are heavy, and
If we become familiar with his other works in the the typography very incorrect. The edition of
first instance, we rise with a feeling of disappoint-Gesner, Lips. 1759, is a useful one; but by far
ment from the perusal of this. We find, it is true, the best which has yet appeared is that of the
the same animated descriptions and harmonious younger Burmann, Amst. 1760, forming one of the
numbers; but there is a want of taste in the ar- series of the Dutch Variorum Classics, in 4to. An
rangement of the details, of sustained interest in edition was commenced by G. L. König, and one
the action, and of combination in the different volume published in 1808 (Götting. ), but the work
members, which gives a fragmentary character to did not proceed farther.
the whole, and causes it to be read with much The “ Raptus Proserpinae" was published sepa-
greater pleasure in extracts than continuously rately, under the title " Claudiani de Raptu Pro-
The subject, although grand in itself, is injudi- serpinae 'Tragoediae duae," at Utrecht, by Ketelaer
ciously handled ; for, all the characters being gods, and Leempi, apparently several years before the
it is impossible to invest their proceedings with Editio Princeps of the collected works noticed
the interest which attaches to struggling and suf- above, and three other editions of the same poem
fering humanity. The impression produced by the belong to the same early period, although neither
commencement is singularly unfortunate. The the names of the printers nor the precise dates can
rage of the King of Shades that he alone of gods be ascertained.
is a stranger to matrimonial bliss, his determina- We have a complete metrical translation of the
tion to war against heaven that he may avenge his whole works of Claudian by A. Hawkins, 2 vols.
wrongs, the mustering and marshalling of the 8vo. , Lond. 1817; and there are also several Eng-
Titans and all the monsters of the abyss for battle lish translations of many of the separate pieces, few
against Jupiter, are figured forth with great dignity of wbich are of any merit.
(W. R. ]
and pomp; but when we find this terrific tem- CLAUDIA'NUS (Klavdiavos), the author of
pest at once quelled by the very simple and sensi- five epigrams in the Greek Anthology (Brunck,
ble suggestion of old Lachesis, that he might pro Anal. ii. p. 447; Jacobs, iii. p. 153), is commonly
bably obtain a wife, if he chose to ask for one, the identified with the celebrated Latin poet of the
whole scene is converted into a burlesque, and the same name; but this seems to be disproved by the
absurdity is if possible heightened by the bluster- titles and contents of two additional epigrams, as-
ing barangue of Pluto to the herald, Mercury. cribed to him in the Vatican MS. , which are ad-
Throughout this poem, as well as in all the other dressed “to the Saviour,” and which shew that their
works of Claudian, we lament the absence not only author was a Christian. (Jacobs, Paralip. ap. Anthol.
of true sublimity but of simple nature and of real Graec. xiii. pp. 615—617. ) He is probably the
feeling : our imagination is often excited, our intel-poet whom Evagrius (Hist. Eccl. i. 19) mentions
lect is often gratified; but our nobler energies are as flourishing under Theodosius II. , who reigned
never awakened ; no cord of tenderness is struck, A. D. 408—450. The Gigantomachia, of which a
no kindly sympathy is enlisted ; our hearts are fragment still exists (Iriarte, Catal. MSS. Matrit.
never softened.
p. 215), and which has been ascribed to the Roman
Of the Idylls we need hardly say anything ; poet, seems rather to beiong to this one. He wrote
little could be expected from the subjects: they also, according to the Scholia on the Vatican MS. ,
may be regarded as clever essays in versification, poems on the history of certain cities of Asia Minor
and nothing more. The best is that in which the and Syria, tétpia Tapooû, 'Avačápscu, Bmpúrov,
hot springs of Aponus are described. The Fescen- Nikalas, whence it has been inferred that he was
nine verses display considerable lightness and a native of that part of Asia (Jacobs, Anth. Graec.
grace ; the epigrams, with the exception of a very xiii. p. 872. )
(P. S. ]
few which are neatly and pointedly expressed, are CLAUDIA'NUS ECDI'DIUS MAMERTUS.
not worth reading.
[MAMERTUS]
The Editio Princeps of Claudian was printed at CLAU'DIUS, patrician. [CLAUDIA Gens. )
Vicenza by Jacobus Dusenius, fol. , 1482, under 1. App. Claudius SABINUS REGILLENSIS, a
the editorial inspection of Barnabus Celsanus, and Sabine of the town of Regiilum or Regilli, who in
appears to be a faithful representation of the MS. his own country bore the name of Attus Clausus
from wbich it was taken. Several of the smaller (or, according to some, Atta Claudius; Dionysius
poems are wanting. The second edition was calls him Títos Klaudios), being the advocate of
printed at Parma by Angelus Ugoletus, 4to. , 1493, peace with the Romans, when hostilities broke out
superintended by Thadavus, who made use of between the two nations shortly after the begin-
several MSS. for emending the text, especially one ning of the commonwealth, and being vehemently
obtained from Holland. Here first we find the opposed by most of his countrymen, withdrew
epigrams, the Epithalamium of Palladius and Se- with a large train of followers to Rome. (B. c. 504. )
rena, the epistles to Serena and to Hadrian, the He was forth with received into the ranks of the
Aponus, and the Gigantomachia. The edition i patricians, and lands beyond the Anio were as-
printed at Vienna by Hieronymus Victor and Jo- i signed to his followers, who were formed into a
annes Singrenius, 4to. , 1510, with a text newly new tribe, called the Claudian. (Liv. ii. 16, iv. 3,
revised by Joannes Camers, is the first which con- x. 8; Dionys. v. 40, xi. 15; Sueton. Tib. 1; Tac.
tains the Landes Herculis, In Sirenas, Laus Christi, Ann. xi. 24, xii. 25; Niebuhr, i. p. 560. ) He
and Miracula Christi. The first truly critical edi- | exhibited the characteristics which marked his


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766
CLAUDIUS.
CLAUDIUS.
STEMNA CLAUDIORUM.
1. App. Claudius Sabinus Regillensis, Cos. B. C. 495.
2. App. Claud. Sabinus,
Cos. B. c. 471.
3. C. Claud. Sabinus,
Cos. B. C. 460.
4. App. Claud. Crassus, Decemvir B. C. 451.
1
6. P. Claud. Crassus.
6. App. Claud. Crassus,
Trib. Mil. B. C. 424.
7. App. Claud. Crassus,
Trib. Mil. B. C. 403.
9. C. Cland. Crassus, Dict. B. c. 337.
8. App. Claud. Crassus,
Dict. B. C. 362, Cos. B. c. 349.
10. App. Claud. Caecus, Cens. B. C. 312.
11. App. Claud. Caudex, Cos. B. C. 264.
12. App. Cl. Cras-
sus, Cos. B. c. 268.
13. P. CI. Pulcher,
Cos. B. c. 249.
14. C. Cl. Cento,
Cos. B. c. 240.
15. Tib. Ci.
Nero.
16. Claudiae
Quinque.
18. Claudia Quinta.
(C. Cl. Cento. )?
17. App. Cl. Pulcher,
Cos. B. c. 212.