Pompey’s Head and Cato’s Snakes

Non Fit Morte Miser: Pompey The Great as Aristotelian Tragic Hero in Lucan’s Bellum Civile .

“…Mebane (2016) 202 and Ambühl (2005 289 make similar observations. 71 Malamud (2003) 34. Stok (1996 73 gives a favorable interpretation of the dream as prefiguring Pompey's apotheosis after his death.…”

“…By including Cornelia and Sextus in the scene (8.590), Lucan presents Pompey's death as a kind of play which the general's family and fleet will watch. Malamud (2003) points out that Pompey himself is "both actor and spectator" in this scene because he is conscious of how his assassins and his family perceive him while also 69 Bartsch (1997) 97, for example, sees the narrator who apostrophizes as a distinct character from Lucan the author, whom she interprets as being more cynical towards Pompey. For apostrophes in Lucan see Asso (2009a).…”

“…73 In his silence, moreover, Pompey is more heroic than acknowledged epic heroes, since Fratantuono points out that the Virgilian warriors Turnus and Camilla emit cries of dismay when they are killed. 74 Although the general maintains dignified conduct externally, he still experiences fear within himself and consciously holds his breath in order to not make any sound of fear or pain when he is killed (8.615-7): 75 70 Malamud (2003) 34. Mebane (2016) 202 and Ambühl (2005 289 make similar observations.…”

The Myth of the Republic: Medusa and Cato in Lucan, Pharsalia 9

“…Bruère and Thompson 1970 detail the important Virgilian echoes in this episode. 2 For example, Eldred 2000, Malamud 2003, Papaioannou 2005, Raschle 2001, and Saylor 2002. The recent commentary on Book 9 by Wick 2004 also, obviously, treats this episode in depth.…”