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City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 5-2015 Roman Tragedy and Medicine: Language and Imagery of Illness in Seneca and Celsus Michael Patrick Goyette Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/950 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] ROMAN TRAGEDY AND MEDICINE: LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY OF ILLNESS IN SENECA AND CELSUS by MICHAEL P. GOYETTE A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Classics in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2015 ©2015 MICHAEL P. GOYETTE All Rights Reserved ii This dissertation has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in Classics in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Craig A. Williams Date Chair of Examining Committee Dee L. Clayman Date Executive Officer Ronnie Ancona Philip Thibodeau Markus Asper Supervisory Committee THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iii Abstract ROMAN TRAGEDY AND MEDICINE: LANGUAGE AND IMAGERY OF ILLNESS IN SENECA AND CELSUS by MICHAEL P. GOYETTE Adviser: Professor Craig A. Williams This dissertation analyzes the language and imagery of illness in selected tragedies and, to a lesser extent, the philosophical prose of the first-century CE Roman tragic poet and philosopher Seneca, reading these works with and against De Medicina, a nearly contemporary encyclopedic Latin prose text on medical theory and practice by the Roman encyclopediast Celsus. Inspired by previous studies of classical Greek tragedy together with the largely contemporary body of Greek prose writings on medicine known as the Hippocratic Corpus, my dissertation moves the discussion to Latin literature and is the first extended study to do so. I aim not only to provide insight into Seneca’s and Celsus’ writings, with particular attention to the question of vocabulary usage, but also to show how a shared language of human illness can inform a range of textual genres in Greco-Roman antiquity, from the prose literature of knowledge to philosophy to mythological poetry. I demonstrate that reading Senecan tragedy in tandem with Celsus’ prose encyclopedia on medicine can shed light upon how illness functions as a prominent although previously overlooked theme in Seneca’s plays. At the same time, my comparisons provide insight into vocabulary usage and rhetorical strategies in Celsus’ De Medicina. My project examines both “physical” and “mental” forms of illness, calling into question the linguistic and conceptual boundaries between such categories as they are explored in the works of Seneca and Celsus, and as they relate to Roman medicine more generally. My readings are sensitive to cultural and historical differences, encouraging re- examination of modern ideas and assumptions about illness, health, and other aspects of medicine; my project thus makes a key contribution to the developing field of medical humanities. iv Parentibus Meis v Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my family: it is only because of their loving, tireless, herculean support that I have been able to complete my doctoral studies. My parents, Michael J. and Donna Goyette, to whom this dissertation is dedicated, instilled a love of learning early on and nurtured it all the way through my time in graduate school. They have always encouraged me to follow my passions and to pursue my education to the highest level. At every stage along the way, they have given me confidence and been there for me in every way imaginable. They have also provided a constant source of inspiration with the examples of hard work, dedication, attention to detail, intellectual curiosity, and integrity that they set every day. My sisters, Andrea Goyette and Lisa Johnson, have always been there for me as well. Their frequent encouragement and support have done so much to help me make it through the challenges of graduate school. They also have supplied much inspiration with the hard work and commitment that they dedicate to their respective careers. Other family members I would especially like to thank include Matthew Johnson, my brother-in-law, for his positivity, kindness, and encouragement, and for sharing many car rides between New York City and upstate New York; my grandparents, Helen and Sam Spoon, and Jeanne and Joseph Goyette, for their constant love and support; my aunts and uncles, especially Connie Nashton, Mary Stromei, Dave Goyette, and Gloria Kavanah, for being so encouraging and supportive, and for taking such an interest in my academic pursuits over the years. I would be remiss not to acknowledge Buddy, Reggie, Zoey, Archie, Lucy, and all the other animals who have been vi members of our family and who have provided much-needed comfort, warmth, and serenity over the years. I am very fortunate to have assembled an exceptional dissertation committee, whose members have all made vital contributions not only to the present study, but to the general course of my academic career. I am especially grateful to my adviser, Dr. Craig Williams, whom I first met when he interviewed me for an adjunct teaching position at Brooklyn College in 2008. From those early days of my teaching career—well before I could have imagined he would become my dissertation adviser—Dr. Williams was tremendously supportive of my academic pursuits, both as a teacher and as a scholar. I am, in retrospect, extremely thankful that we happened to take the same ill-fated Amtrak train to travel to upstate New York for Thanksgiving in 2009. While suffering together through many hours of travel delays and absurdities, we had the chance to discuss many fascinating topics and deepen our rapport, which would be so crucial during the dissertation process. Dr. Williams has been an ideal person to guide this project for many reasons, including his engagement with various genres of literature, his sensitivity concerning language usage, his skills in close reading and textual analysis, his thoughtfulness and attention to the details of writing, and his sheer knowledge of Latin literature and scholarship. I deeply appreciate Dr. Williams’ willingness to work with me from afar, and how generous he has been with his time while on a leave of absence. During that time, I applied for The Graduate Center’s Dissertation Year Fellowship, and he served an instrumental resource, not only by writing me a thoughtful recommendation, but also by giving me excellent advice about various aspects of my vii application. I am extremely grateful for this mentorship, which helped me craft the most competitive application possible and win the award. Dr. Williams has given much thought to various pieces of writing I have shared with him over the years, including papers (for both courses and conference presentations), abstracts, applications, funding proposals, articles to be submitted for publication, and, most of all, this dissertation. In these projects, he has served as an extraordinarily thorough reader and commenter, always pushing me to dig deeper, to look for further evidence and comparanda, to reach for greater interpretive precision, and to mine the text as fully and critically as possible. While spurring me on in these ways, he has always maintained a constructive, encouraging, and eminently clear mode of critique. These comments have helped me become a better philologist and a better writer. I would also like to thank Dr. Ronnie Ancona for her contributions as a member of my dissertation committee, and for the collegiality, advocacy, and support she has provided throughout my time in graduate school. Dr. Ancona is, as I have come to know quite well personally, incredibly invested in her students and always has their best interests at the very forefront of her thoughts and actions. I was fortunate enough to take two courses with her during my time in graduate school, both of which significantly enhanced my research and writing skills. It has been a tremendous privilege to be her student, and I have learned much from her inside and outside of the classroom. I have benefitted from her guidance and mentorship in so many ways, including the remarkably thorough, perceptive, and incredibly expeditious comments she has provided on various pieces of writing, the many thought- viii provoking conversations we have had about my scholarly and pedagogical interests, and the innumerable articles, references, and announcements she has so thoughtfully sent my way. I would like to thank Dr. Philip Thibodeau, who, like Dr. Williams and Dr. Ancona, kindly served on my committee for my History of Latin Literature Exam. In preparation for this exam, Dr. Thibodeau, being aware of my interests in ancient medicine, suggested that I explore Celsus, an author I previously knew very little about. At that point I had no suspicion that this research would grow into a major scholarly interest of mine, and then one of the foundations of my dissertation and future research plans. Through the many conversations we have had about ancient medicine, Dr. Thibodeau has pointed me toward new authors, literary passages, and works of scholarship that have shaped the direction of my dissertation research and methodology. I have also been fortunate to have Dr. Markus Asper, an exceptional scholar from outside of The City University of New York, serve on my dissertation committee. Dr. Asper presently teaches at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and formerly taught at New York University, where I took his course on Greek Medicine and Literature in Fall 2008. This course sparked my passion for ancient medicine, especially by opening my eyes to the possibility of studying medical topics in various literary genres.

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