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1 SATIRE in the HISTORIA AUGUSTA by SHAWN GAIUS SATIRE IN THE HISTORIA AUGUSTA By SHAWN GAIUS DANIELS A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2013 1 © 2013 Shawn Gaius Daniels 2 Matri meae 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Victoria Pagán. When I began to read the Historia Augusta in the Summer of 2010, I was struck most by its humor. Dr. Pagán recommended that I turn to Northrop Frye and his Anatomy of Criticism to find a theoretical basis on which to understand the role of humor, and it is there that I found a definition of satire that took me on the road to the present work. A large portion of the bibliography and the majority of the organizational structure came from the many conversations we held over the past three years. Without her unflagging support and invaluable advice, this project would not have been completed. I owe many thanks to Dr. Trevor Luke, of Florida State University. He found time, even at conferences, to speak with me individually about my research—once even driving down from Tallahassee to discuss a rough draft he had read the week before. His penetrating questions and moral support have kept me critical of my own work. I would also like to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Andrew Wolpert, Dr. Kostas Kapparis, and Dr. Terry Harpold for sparing their time to help see that I accomplish this task. I would like to thank several former teachers and professors for helping bring me to this point. Dr. Jeannette Marchand taught me how to be a proper scholar who could indentify flaws in my own thinking and accept criticism from others. Dr. Bruce Laforse let me create an independent study and then served as the instructor for a year when the department could not fund an upper-level Greek course. Dr. Rebecca Edwards helped demystify the process of writing academic papers. She is also the one who recommended that I apply to the University of Florida when I began looking at graduate schools. Dr. Robert Hatch gave me constant material and mental support and 4 introduced me to a fascinating era of the Latin language even later than that of the Historia Augusta. Mr. Jeff Mesko was the first to introduce me to the Latin language, and it was his enthusiasm and sense of fun that convinced me to pursue the Classics as a field. Finally, Mrs. Linda Breidenbach recommended, as far back as the fourth grade, that I take Latin in high school. I am happy that I took her advice. I must thank the various friends and acquaintances who have ensured that my sanity remained (relatively) intact over my years in graduate school, the colleagues who have supported my preposterous effort to rehabilitate the Historia Augusta, and my family, who have cheered me on from afar. Above all, I want to thank all those who own, operate, and frequent the Midnight. It has proven a haven countless times, providing refuge and support in all my various trials in Gainesvile. Most of all, I wish to thank my mother, who has given me all the love and encouragement I have needed and more. I could not even conceive of being where I am right now if not for her. This dissertation is a testament to everyone who has influenced me, and thus my research. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. 4 LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ 8 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................. 9 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................... 11 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 13 The Historia Augusta .............................................................................................. 13 Date ........................................................................................................................ 15 Authorship ............................................................................................................... 22 Purpose .................................................................................................................. 25 Historical Setting ..................................................................................................... 27 SATIRE AND THE HISTORIA AUGUSTA .................................................................... 33 Biography and History............................................................................................. 34 Academic Approaches to Satire .............................................................................. 40 Formal Satire .......................................................................................................... 43 Menippean Satire .................................................................................................... 51 Parody .................................................................................................................... 57 The Satiric ............................................................................................................... 59 FOOD, SEX, AND JOKES ............................................................................................ 61 Food........................................................................................................................ 61 Catalogues .............................................................................................................. 66 Sex.......................................................................................................................... 68 Humor ..................................................................................................................... 76 NARRATIVE AMBIGUITY ............................................................................................. 86 Internal Ambiguity ................................................................................................... 87 Intermediate Ambiguity ........................................................................................... 93 External Ambiguity .................................................................................................. 95 RELIGION IN THE HISTORIA AUGUSTA .................................................................. 114 Christianity in the Vita Alexandri Severi ................................................................ 118 Christianity in the Rest of the Historia Augusta ..................................................... 123 Deification ............................................................................................................. 127 6 Sacrifice ................................................................................................................ 132 Divination .............................................................................................................. 139 The Importance of Religion? ................................................................................. 144 POLITICAL APORIA ................................................................................................... 145 Nomen Antoninorum ............................................................................................. 148 Child Emperors ..................................................................................................... 159 Senatorial Acclamations ....................................................................................... 165 CONCLUSIONS .......................................................................................................... 174 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................. 181 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH .......................................................................................... 190 7 LIST OF TABLES Table page 1-1 Important data concerning the Historia Augusta. ................................................ 32 8 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AEL. Aelius ALEX. SEV. Alexander Severus AMM. MARC. Ammianus Marcellinus ANT. PIUS Antoninus Pius AUR. VICT. Aurelius Victor AUREL. Aurelianus AVID. CASS. Avidius Cassius CARAC. Caracallus (Caracalla) CARUS Carus et Carinus et Numerianus CASS. DIO Cassius Dio CIC. Cicero CLAUD. Claudius CLOD. ALB. Clodius Albinus COMM. Commodus DIAD. Diadumenus (Diadumenianus) DID. IUL. Didius Iulianus ELAGAB. Elagabalus (Heliogabalus) GALL. Duo Gallieni GORD. Tres Gordiani HA Historia Augusta HADR. Hadrianus HEROD. Herodian HOR. Horace I.G. Inscriptiones Graecae 9 JUST. Justin JUSTIN. Justinian JUV. Juvenal MACR. Macrinus MARC. Marcus Aurelius MAX. Maximus et Balbinus MAXIMIN. Duo Maximini OLD Oxford Latin Dictionary PERS. Persius PERT. Pertinax PESC. NIG. Pescennius Niger PROB. Probus QUAD. TYR. Quadrigae Tyrannorum (Firmus, Saturninus, Proculus, and Bonosus) SEV. Septimius Severus SUET. Suetonius TAC. Tacitus (Historian) TACIT. Tacitus (Emperor) TYR. TRIG. Tyranni Triginta (The Thirty Tyrants) VAL. Duo Valeriani VERG. Vergil 10 Abstract of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy SATIRE IN THE HISTORIA AUGUSTA By Shawn Gaius Daniels August 2013 Chair: Victoria Pagán Major:
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