REUSING HORACE

Elena Dahlberg

When analyzing Neo-Latin literature of Scandinavia, we easily discover that it did not have its heyday at one and the same time in all the coun- tries there. This fact may be explained by their political and economic his- tories. ’s exceptional economic and military strength lasted from the mid of the 16th century till the mid of the 17th century. The Swedish Age of Greatness took place almost one century later. Recent research in the field shows that the periods, in each of these countries, when Latin lit- erature flourished, corresponded to the time of their imperial ambitions.1 The subject of the present paper is Magnus Rönnow, one of the most talented Swedish Neo-Latin authors at the beginning of the 18th century. The period of his poetical activity coincides with the . Before the war broke out in 1700, the Swedish Realm encompassed not only the territory of the Sweden of today, but also Finland, Pomerania, Wismar, Bremen-Verden, Livonia, Estonia, Karelia, and Ingria on the Finnish Gulf. It was consequently the dominating power on the Baltic Sea.2 In 1700, Sweden with Charles XII as its king was suddenly attacked from three different sides.3 The attacking enemies were Saxony-Poland, Denmark, and Russia. These three countries had formed an alliance,

1 On the history of Neo-Latin literature in Sweden, Hans Aili, “Sweden”, in A History of Nordic Neo-Latin Literature, ed. Minna Skafte Jensen (, 1995, 129–158), and Hans Helander, Neo-Latin literature in Sweden in the period 1620–1720. Stylistics, vocabulary and characteristic ideas (Uppsala, 2004). On the Danish Neo-Latin legacy, Karsten Friis-Jensen & Minna Skafte-Jensen, “Latindigtningens spejl”, in Dansk litteraturhistorie. Lærdom og magi. 1480–1620 (København, 1984, 368–438), Vibeke A. Pedersen, Karen Skovgaard- Petersen & Peter Zeeberg, “Mellem middelalder og moderne tid” (191–210), Karen Skovgaard-Petersen & Peter Zeeberg, “En glemt litteratur” (244–267), “Historieskrivning i kongemagtens ­tjeneste – fra Lætus til Bering” (281–291), and “Tradition og eksperiment 1600–1650” (416–426), in Dansk litteraturs historie 1100–1800 (København, 2007), and Skafte Jensen, Minna, “Denmark” (19–65), in A History of Neo-Latin Literature. An important con- tribution on the vernacular and Latin poetry produced in connection to the introduction of absolute Royal Power in Denmark is Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen’s Poesi og politik: lej- lighedsdigtningen ved enevældens indførelse 1660 (København, 1996). 2 On the Swedish period of Greatness, Michael Roberts, The Swedish Imperial Experience 1560–1718 (Cambridge, 1979). 3 Several books and surveys in chapter-form on the history of the Great Northern war may be mentioned, e.g. Ragnhild Hatton’s Charles XII of Sweden (London, 1968), Bengt 330 elena dahlberg whose aim was to crush Swedish power in the region. The Saxon Elector Augustus II was the first to start the offensive by invading Livonia. One month later, Frederick IV of Denmark sent his troops to the duchy of that at the moment was a Swedish ally. Later the same year, the Russians led by Czar Peter I besieged Estonian Narva. Even though these first attempts of the enemies failed, and Charles XII succeeded in winning several important victories, Sweden lost this war and together with it also lost a big part of its territories, and the status of a great power. The main part of Magnus Rönnow’s Latin poetry composed during the Great Northern war consists of eulogies to the Swedish king and his officers.4 Additionally, he wrote witty epigrams on Denmark, Russia, and Saxony-Poland. Rönnow’s role as a propagandist is not to be underestimated. One of his poems, Hercules Genuinus Carolus Duodecimus Magnae Scandinaviae Imperator (1706, reprinted 1707), was used in the Danish declaration of war as one of the causae belli. Frederik Rostgaard, the author of the Danish manifesto, contended that the poem was arrogant by its very title. He means that the words Magnae Scandinaviae Imperator imply that the Swedish King possesses power over the whole of Scandinavia, i.e. not only over Sweden alone, but also over Denmark and . History, however, says Rostgaard, shows that the latter two countries have ruled over Sweden, whereas there is no evidence whatsoever that Sweden has subjugated them. The manifesto aims at showing how the Swedes have offended Denmark: Videre licet arrogans non minus quam impudens, Nobisque maxime injurio- sum, die 20 (10) Decembris 1706 publico e prelo in lucem editum scriptum, cujus auctor, qui ibidem se appellat Magnum Ronnau, intolerabili quadam temeritate coecaque superbia Regi Sveciae, et huic minime conveniens, et Nostri praecipue in fraudem spectans arrogare audet nomen. . . . Cum tamen noverint omnes, Scandinaviae appellatione tria illa Septentrionalia Regna, Daniam nempe, Norvegiam et Sveciam comprehendi; pateatque ita simul, quod arrogans istud Imperatoris nomen Nostri unice in despectum contumeliamque sit inventum, publicaque usurpatum auctori- tate. Quin ex historiis, iisque etiam, quae non admodum sunt vetustae, satis, ut credimus, liquet, priores duos populos tertio imperitasse: at hunc illos sua unquam in ditione habuisse, valido nullo probari poterit testimonio. Interea

Liljegren’s Karl XII: en biografi (Lund, 2000), and Peter Ullgren’s Det stora nordiska kriget 1700–1721: en berättelse om stormaktens Sveriges fall (Stockholm, 2008). 4 The Linköping Diocesan Library is the richest library regarding Magnus Rönnow’s poetical production. The poems preserved there are a part of Samuel Älf’s collection.