Virgil, Lucan, and the Meaning of Civil War in Valerius Flaccus’ Argonautica

Abstract

In his recent monograph (2012) Tim Stover has provided the first full-scale study of Valerius Flaccus’ interaction with Lucan’sBellum Civile, arguing that theArgonauticarestores epic after Lucan and optimistically supports Vespasian’s restoration of the Principate after the civil wars of 68-69ad. Focusing on the ‘civil war’ between the Argonauts and the Doliones in Book 3 of Valerius’ epic, I will propose an alternative reading of the influence of Lucan as well as Virgil’s Aeneid. Although Valerius at first sight seems to set up the Cyzicus episode in Virgilian fashion, he in fact deconstructs this reading, revealing the impossibility of (re)writing anAeneidin the Flavian age.