This article deals with the problem of interpreting the
third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (... more This article deals with the problem of interpreting the third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (De Laudibus Dei) by the late antique Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius. Since the poem is formally of theological character, researchers usually regard it as a Christian anti-pagan manifesto. However, comparison with other works by Dracontius, including the epyllia ‘The Abduction of Helen’ (De Raptu Helenae), ‘The Tragedy of Orestes’ (Orestis Tragoedia), and ‘Medea”, as well as ‘The Atonement’ (Satisfactio), written in prison as a verse plea for mercy, allows us to see in it political allegories that highlight other challenges relevant to the author’s contemporary period. In particular, Dracontius has in mind the collapse of the Roman Empire and the emergence of barbarian kingdoms, the associated redistribution of spheres of influence, and the struggle for power between the old and new elites. Manipulating textbook historical and mythological plots, the Roman poet constructs a didactic model focused on both of these groups in the Vandal kingdom, one that allows him to consider himself a significant political influencer. The conclusions of the article shed light on the relationship between the “intellectual” Roman and the “military” Vandal noble groups in North Africa at the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries.
Аристей.. Вестник классической филологии и античной истории / Aristeas. Philologia Classica et Historia Antiqua, 2019
: In the paper on material of the works by the Latin authors who lived in the Vandal Africa at th... more : In the paper on material of the works by the Latin authors who lived in the Vandal Africa at the turn of the 6-th century (Florentinus, Dracontius) the question is examined: how – and for what purpose – could an image of Carthage, the capital of the Vandal kingdom, be constructed in the local literature. The main conclusion is that its representation in these sources, undoubtedly politically motivated, could be an instrument not only of proVandal propaganda (Carthage – ‘Homeland of Asdingui’), as the most researchers studying this question believe, but also of anti-Vandal one (‘Phoenix Risen’)
The article deals with the religious poem by Dracontius 'De Laudibus Dei', particularly its third... more The article deals with the religious poem by Dracontius 'De Laudibus Dei', particularly its third book, dedicated to the problem of self-sacrifice. Usually, this text is regarded as Christian apology, and its polemic character is linked only to anti-pagan propaganda. However, the examination of the fragment that provides examples of ‘wrong’ behaviour from Greek and Roman mythology and history leads to the conclusion that the author’s view on his pagan heroes’ ethical choices was not so simple and reflected a more complex outlook of the Late Antique poet.
The paper deals with three mythological poems (epyllia) by the Carthaginian 5th century poet Drac... more The paper deals with three mythological poems (epyllia) by the Carthaginian 5th century poet Dracontius: De Raptu Helenae, Medea and Orestis Tragoedia. As a rule, researchers extract them from the corpus of the other texts by Dracontius and study them as a whole, because, to a large extent, they seem similar in terms of structure, motifs and plotlines. Comparison of these poems with another work by Dracontius (Controversia de statua viri fortis, Satisfactio) leads to the conclusion that they can be examined not just as separate and similar pieces of fiction, but as a kind of trilogy. They have in common the representation of the Trojan war as a conflict between absolutely ‘good’ and absolutely ‘evil” forces, with the Trojans depicted as an object of the author’s sympathy, and the Greeks, their antagonists, paradoxically appearing as an incarnation of natural barbarity. Analysis of the terms and symbols used by Dracontius in these texts allows us to suggest links between this plot and very specific political processes: on the one hand, the confrontation between Roman and Vandal political elites, on the other — the struggle for power among the Vandal nobles themselves. Thus, the Trojans appear as the predecessors of the Romans, and the ‘barbarian’ Greeks as a symbolic resurgence of the Vandals.
The main subject of the paper is the representation of
Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In p... more The main subject of the paper is the representation of Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In particular, it concerns the image of the lion depicted in Book 8 of Historia Naturalis as the most gentle and merciful of carnivores. I try to argue that a Carthaginian 5th century author, Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, used this image to construct political allegories, but not in a complimentary way; rather, it served as a kind of ‘camouflage’, an instrument to disguise the criticism present in his texts, which were, in essence, political pamphlets.
This article deals with the poem Medea by the Latin poet Dracontius, who lived in the Vandal Afri... more This article deals with the poem Medea by the Latin poet Dracontius, who lived in the Vandal Africa in the end of the fifth – beginning of the sixth century. Analysis of the terms and characters of this poem in the context of Dracontius’s works in general implies that in this case, as well as in other texts by the Carthaginian poet, the mythological plot became an allegory of the events contemporary to the author and relating to the Romano-Vandal conflict. This political interpretation, in its turn, helps to give a new explanation of the differences between versions of the myth given by Dracontius and by classical authors, Euripides and Seneca.
The article deals with the epyllion De Raptu Helenae written by the Carthaginian poet Dracontius ... more The article deals with the epyllion De Raptu Helenae written by the Carthaginian poet Dracontius (5th – early 6th century) as an example of representation of political perceptions in literary works in general and in works by this author in particular. Classical myth that have appeared in the piece of fiction in a new, original version, is viewed as an allegory of the events, contemporary with Dracontius, a conflict between the Romans and the Vandals. A view from such perspective gives an opportunity to re-estimate cardinally traditional, widespread in academic research belief about the character system and configuration in this work.
The article deals with the problem of transformation of the political ideology in the Late Roman ... more The article deals with the problem of transformation of the political ideology in the Late Roman Empire and in the post- imperial world, in the barbarian kingdoms that appeared during the period of decline and fall of the West Roman Empire and existed in the Mediterranean region. The main source for our work is the poem Satisfactio, written in Carthage at the end of the 5th century by the Roman rhetor and lawyer Dracontius, and republished in an abridged version in the 7th century in Toledo by the bishop of this city, Eugene. Based on this material, we examine the question of how the image of an ideal ruler had been evolving in the Late Empire, as well as in the Vandal and Visigothic kingdoms.
This article deals with the work ‘Satisfactio’ by the 5th century
Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemi... more This article deals with the work ‘Satisfactio’ by the 5th century Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, which is often regarded as a piece of fiction, written in prison as a pray for pardon and at the same time as an ode, dedicated to the Vandal king Gunthamund. However, a comparison of the author’s dedication inside the ‘Satisfactio’ with his dedication to Felicianus Grammaticus, allows to make a conclusion that ‘Satisfactio’ could have contained an implication that changed its colouring from panegyrical to directly opposite, which makes it possible to assume that the creation of this piece of fiction was quite a daring and provocative action.
This article deals with the problem of interpreting the
third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (... more This article deals with the problem of interpreting the third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (De Laudibus Dei) by the late antique Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius. Since the poem is formally of theological character, researchers usually regard it as a Christian anti-pagan manifesto. However, comparison with other works by Dracontius, including the epyllia ‘The Abduction of Helen’ (De Raptu Helenae), ‘The Tragedy of Orestes’ (Orestis Tragoedia), and ‘Medea”, as well as ‘The Atonement’ (Satisfactio), written in prison as a verse plea for mercy, allows us to see in it political allegories that highlight other challenges relevant to the author’s contemporary period. In particular, Dracontius has in mind the collapse of the Roman Empire and the emergence of barbarian kingdoms, the associated redistribution of spheres of influence, and the struggle for power between the old and new elites. Manipulating textbook historical and mythological plots, the Roman poet constructs a didactic model focused on both of these groups in the Vandal kingdom, one that allows him to consider himself a significant political influencer. The conclusions of the article shed light on the relationship between the “intellectual” Roman and the “military” Vandal noble groups in North Africa at the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries.
Аристей.. Вестник классической филологии и античной истории / Aristeas. Philologia Classica et Historia Antiqua, 2019
: In the paper on material of the works by the Latin authors who lived in the Vandal Africa at th... more : In the paper on material of the works by the Latin authors who lived in the Vandal Africa at the turn of the 6-th century (Florentinus, Dracontius) the question is examined: how – and for what purpose – could an image of Carthage, the capital of the Vandal kingdom, be constructed in the local literature. The main conclusion is that its representation in these sources, undoubtedly politically motivated, could be an instrument not only of proVandal propaganda (Carthage – ‘Homeland of Asdingui’), as the most researchers studying this question believe, but also of anti-Vandal one (‘Phoenix Risen’)
The article deals with the religious poem by Dracontius 'De Laudibus Dei', particularly its third... more The article deals with the religious poem by Dracontius 'De Laudibus Dei', particularly its third book, dedicated to the problem of self-sacrifice. Usually, this text is regarded as Christian apology, and its polemic character is linked only to anti-pagan propaganda. However, the examination of the fragment that provides examples of ‘wrong’ behaviour from Greek and Roman mythology and history leads to the conclusion that the author’s view on his pagan heroes’ ethical choices was not so simple and reflected a more complex outlook of the Late Antique poet.
The paper deals with three mythological poems (epyllia) by the Carthaginian 5th century poet Drac... more The paper deals with three mythological poems (epyllia) by the Carthaginian 5th century poet Dracontius: De Raptu Helenae, Medea and Orestis Tragoedia. As a rule, researchers extract them from the corpus of the other texts by Dracontius and study them as a whole, because, to a large extent, they seem similar in terms of structure, motifs and plotlines. Comparison of these poems with another work by Dracontius (Controversia de statua viri fortis, Satisfactio) leads to the conclusion that they can be examined not just as separate and similar pieces of fiction, but as a kind of trilogy. They have in common the representation of the Trojan war as a conflict between absolutely ‘good’ and absolutely ‘evil” forces, with the Trojans depicted as an object of the author’s sympathy, and the Greeks, their antagonists, paradoxically appearing as an incarnation of natural barbarity. Analysis of the terms and symbols used by Dracontius in these texts allows us to suggest links between this plot and very specific political processes: on the one hand, the confrontation between Roman and Vandal political elites, on the other — the struggle for power among the Vandal nobles themselves. Thus, the Trojans appear as the predecessors of the Romans, and the ‘barbarian’ Greeks as a symbolic resurgence of the Vandals.
The main subject of the paper is the representation of
Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In p... more The main subject of the paper is the representation of Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In particular, it concerns the image of the lion depicted in Book 8 of Historia Naturalis as the most gentle and merciful of carnivores. I try to argue that a Carthaginian 5th century author, Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, used this image to construct political allegories, but not in a complimentary way; rather, it served as a kind of ‘camouflage’, an instrument to disguise the criticism present in his texts, which were, in essence, political pamphlets.
This article deals with the poem Medea by the Latin poet Dracontius, who lived in the Vandal Afri... more This article deals with the poem Medea by the Latin poet Dracontius, who lived in the Vandal Africa in the end of the fifth – beginning of the sixth century. Analysis of the terms and characters of this poem in the context of Dracontius’s works in general implies that in this case, as well as in other texts by the Carthaginian poet, the mythological plot became an allegory of the events contemporary to the author and relating to the Romano-Vandal conflict. This political interpretation, in its turn, helps to give a new explanation of the differences between versions of the myth given by Dracontius and by classical authors, Euripides and Seneca.
The article deals with the epyllion De Raptu Helenae written by the Carthaginian poet Dracontius ... more The article deals with the epyllion De Raptu Helenae written by the Carthaginian poet Dracontius (5th – early 6th century) as an example of representation of political perceptions in literary works in general and in works by this author in particular. Classical myth that have appeared in the piece of fiction in a new, original version, is viewed as an allegory of the events, contemporary with Dracontius, a conflict between the Romans and the Vandals. A view from such perspective gives an opportunity to re-estimate cardinally traditional, widespread in academic research belief about the character system and configuration in this work.
The article deals with the problem of transformation of the political ideology in the Late Roman ... more The article deals with the problem of transformation of the political ideology in the Late Roman Empire and in the post- imperial world, in the barbarian kingdoms that appeared during the period of decline and fall of the West Roman Empire and existed in the Mediterranean region. The main source for our work is the poem Satisfactio, written in Carthage at the end of the 5th century by the Roman rhetor and lawyer Dracontius, and republished in an abridged version in the 7th century in Toledo by the bishop of this city, Eugene. Based on this material, we examine the question of how the image of an ideal ruler had been evolving in the Late Empire, as well as in the Vandal and Visigothic kingdoms.
This article deals with the work ‘Satisfactio’ by the 5th century
Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemi... more This article deals with the work ‘Satisfactio’ by the 5th century Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, which is often regarded as a piece of fiction, written in prison as a pray for pardon and at the same time as an ode, dedicated to the Vandal king Gunthamund. However, a comparison of the author’s dedication inside the ‘Satisfactio’ with his dedication to Felicianus Grammaticus, allows to make a conclusion that ‘Satisfactio’ could have contained an implication that changed its colouring from panegyrical to directly opposite, which makes it possible to assume that the creation of this piece of fiction was quite a daring and provocative action.
Вестготская правда (Книга приговоров). Латинский текст. Перевод. Исследование. — М.: Русский Фонд Содействия Образованию и Науке, 2012. — 944 с. — (Исторические источники) ISBN 978-5-91244-069-4, 2012
«Вестготская правда» («Книга приговоров») — кодификация законов вестготских правителей V–VII вв.,... more «Вестготская правда» («Книга приговоров») — кодификация законов вестготских правителей V–VII вв., осуществленная в середине — второй половине VII в. в Толедском королевстве вестготов, – является одним из наиболее важных памятников западноевропейского средневекового права. Созданная по образцу позднеримского «Кодекса Феодосия», она стала прямым продолжением традиции постклассического римского права. В период раннего Средневековья кодекс действовал на территории Толедского королевства. После его падения в результате мусульманского завоевания (711/713 гг.), памятник сохранял значение одного из важнейших источников испанского права вплоть до конца XVIII в. Полный комментированный перевод на русский язык осуществлен впервые. Для историков, историков права и всех интересующихся историей западного Средневековья.
Uploads
Papers by Ivan Nikolsky
third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (De Laudibus Dei) by the
late antique Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius.
Since the poem is formally of theological character, researchers
usually regard it as a Christian anti-pagan manifesto. However,
comparison with other works by Dracontius, including the epyllia ‘The Abduction of Helen’ (De Raptu Helenae), ‘The Tragedy of
Orestes’ (Orestis Tragoedia), and ‘Medea”, as well as ‘The Atonement’ (Satisfactio), written in prison as a verse plea for mercy, allows us to see in it political allegories that highlight other challenges relevant to the author’s contemporary period. In particular,
Dracontius has in mind the collapse of the Roman Empire and the
emergence of barbarian kingdoms, the associated redistribution of
spheres of influence, and the struggle for power between the old
and new elites. Manipulating textbook historical and mythological
plots, the Roman poet constructs a didactic model focused on both
of these groups in the Vandal kingdom, one that allows him to consider himself a significant political influencer. The conclusions of
the article shed light on the relationship between the “intellectual”
Roman and the “military” Vandal noble groups in North Africa at
the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries.
them from the corpus of the other texts by Dracontius and study
them as a whole, because, to a large extent, they seem similar in
terms of structure, motifs and plotlines.
Comparison of these poems with another work by Dracontius
(Controversia de statua viri fortis, Satisfactio) leads to the conclusion
that they can be examined not just as separate and similar pieces
of fiction, but as a kind of trilogy. They have in common the
representation of the Trojan war as a conflict between absolutely
‘good’ and absolutely ‘evil” forces, with the Trojans depicted as an
object of the author’s sympathy, and the Greeks, their antagonists,
paradoxically appearing as an incarnation of natural barbarity.
Analysis of the terms and symbols used by Dracontius in these
texts allows us to suggest links between this plot and very specific
political processes: on the one hand, the confrontation between Roman and Vandal political elites, on the other — the struggle for
power among the Vandal nobles themselves. Thus, the Trojans appear as the predecessors of the Romans, and the ‘barbarian’ Greeks
as a symbolic resurgence of the Vandals.
Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In particular, it concerns the
image of the lion depicted in Book 8 of Historia Naturalis as the
most gentle and merciful of carnivores. I try to argue that a Carthaginian 5th century author, Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, used
this image to construct political allegories, but not in a complimentary way; rather, it served as a kind of ‘camouflage’, an instrument
to disguise the criticism present in his texts, which were, in essence, political pamphlets.
as well as in other texts by the Carthaginian poet, the mythological plot became an allegory of the events contemporary to the author and relating to the Romano-Vandal conflict. This political interpretation, in its turn, helps to give a new explanation of the differences between
versions of the myth given by Dracontius and by classical authors, Euripides and Seneca.
A view from such perspective gives an opportunity to re-estimate cardinally traditional, widespread in academic research belief about the character system and configuration in this work.
Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, which is often regarded as a piece of fiction, written in prison as a pray for pardon and at the same time as an ode, dedicated to the Vandal king Gunthamund. However, a comparison of the author’s dedication inside the ‘Satisfactio’ with his dedication to Felicianus Grammaticus, allows to make a conclusion that ‘Satisfactio’ could have contained an implication that changed its colouring from panegyrical to directly opposite, which makes it possible to assume that the creation of this piece of fiction was quite a daring and provocative action.
third book of the poem ‘Praises of God” (De Laudibus Dei) by the
late antique Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius.
Since the poem is formally of theological character, researchers
usually regard it as a Christian anti-pagan manifesto. However,
comparison with other works by Dracontius, including the epyllia ‘The Abduction of Helen’ (De Raptu Helenae), ‘The Tragedy of
Orestes’ (Orestis Tragoedia), and ‘Medea”, as well as ‘The Atonement’ (Satisfactio), written in prison as a verse plea for mercy, allows us to see in it political allegories that highlight other challenges relevant to the author’s contemporary period. In particular,
Dracontius has in mind the collapse of the Roman Empire and the
emergence of barbarian kingdoms, the associated redistribution of
spheres of influence, and the struggle for power between the old
and new elites. Manipulating textbook historical and mythological
plots, the Roman poet constructs a didactic model focused on both
of these groups in the Vandal kingdom, one that allows him to consider himself a significant political influencer. The conclusions of
the article shed light on the relationship between the “intellectual”
Roman and the “military” Vandal noble groups in North Africa at
the turn of the 5th and 6th centuries.
them from the corpus of the other texts by Dracontius and study
them as a whole, because, to a large extent, they seem similar in
terms of structure, motifs and plotlines.
Comparison of these poems with another work by Dracontius
(Controversia de statua viri fortis, Satisfactio) leads to the conclusion
that they can be examined not just as separate and similar pieces
of fiction, but as a kind of trilogy. They have in common the
representation of the Trojan war as a conflict between absolutely
‘good’ and absolutely ‘evil” forces, with the Trojans depicted as an
object of the author’s sympathy, and the Greeks, their antagonists,
paradoxically appearing as an incarnation of natural barbarity.
Analysis of the terms and symbols used by Dracontius in these
texts allows us to suggest links between this plot and very specific
political processes: on the one hand, the confrontation between Roman and Vandal political elites, on the other — the struggle for
power among the Vandal nobles themselves. Thus, the Trojans appear as the predecessors of the Romans, and the ‘barbarian’ Greeks
as a symbolic resurgence of the Vandals.
Pliny’s ‘bestiary’ in Late Antiquity. In particular, it concerns the
image of the lion depicted in Book 8 of Historia Naturalis as the
most gentle and merciful of carnivores. I try to argue that a Carthaginian 5th century author, Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, used
this image to construct political allegories, but not in a complimentary way; rather, it served as a kind of ‘camouflage’, an instrument
to disguise the criticism present in his texts, which were, in essence, political pamphlets.
as well as in other texts by the Carthaginian poet, the mythological plot became an allegory of the events contemporary to the author and relating to the Romano-Vandal conflict. This political interpretation, in its turn, helps to give a new explanation of the differences between
versions of the myth given by Dracontius and by classical authors, Euripides and Seneca.
A view from such perspective gives an opportunity to re-estimate cardinally traditional, widespread in academic research belief about the character system and configuration in this work.
Carthaginian poet Blossius Aemilius Dracontius, which is often regarded as a piece of fiction, written in prison as a pray for pardon and at the same time as an ode, dedicated to the Vandal king Gunthamund. However, a comparison of the author’s dedication inside the ‘Satisfactio’ with his dedication to Felicianus Grammaticus, allows to make a conclusion that ‘Satisfactio’ could have contained an implication that changed its colouring from panegyrical to directly opposite, which makes it possible to assume that the creation of this piece of fiction was quite a daring and provocative action.