Reading Pace in Lucan’s De Bello Civili and Silius Italicus’ Punica

Abstract

This thesis seeks to establish pace as a framework for reading Lucan’s De Bello Civili (BC) and Silius Italicus’ Punica. Drawing on the study of exemplarity and the scholarship on fortuna, it examines the most significant moments in the development of a character’s pace across both texts. Chapter 1 focusses on the creation of three pace paradigms linked to Julius Caesar, Pompey the Great, and Cato the Elder in BC: celeritas Caesariana, mora Pompeiana, and patientia Catoniana. They reflect the speed of Caesar, the idleness of Pompey, and the endurance of Cato. Chapter 2 explores Silius’ treatment of pace in the first ten books of the Punica, revealing that it is informed by Lucan’s pace paradigms. The Caesarian speed of Hannibal and the Roman leaders (Scipio the Elder, Sempronius, Flaminius, and Minucius) is explored, and particular emphasis is paid to Fabius’ emulatory cunctatio and its ability to save, endure, inspire, and slow Hannibal’s celeritas. However, the conflict between the consuls Varro and Paulus at the climactic Battle of Cannae places Roman celeritas and Fabian cunctatio in opposition to explain the catastrophic Roman defeat. Chapter 3 explores how the pattern of pace in the Punica changes because of fortuna after Cannae in books 11-17. Hannibal’s pace begins to resemble Pompey’s idleness, the Roman leaders’ swiftness (Fulvius, Marcellus, and Claudius Nero) becomes effective, and Scipio Africanus emerges as a unique paradigm of celeritas.