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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Apocolocyntosis, by Lucius Seneca
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Title: Apocolocyntosis
Author: Lucius Seneca
Release Date: November 10, 2003 [EBook #10001]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
- START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK APOCOLOCYNTOSIS ***
Produced by Ted Garvin, Ben Courtney and PG Distributed Proofreaders
SENECA
APOCOLOCYNTOSIS
WITH AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION BY
W.H.D. ROUSE, M.A. LITT. D.
MCMXX
INTRODUCTION
This piece is ascribed to Seneca by ancient tradition; it is impossible to prove that it is his, and impossible to prove that it is not. The matter will probably continue to be decided by every one according to his view of Seneca's character and abilities: in the matters of style and of sentiment much may be said on both sides. Dion Cassius (lx, 35) says that Seneca composed an [Greek: apokolokuntosis] or Pumpkinification of Claudius after his death, the title being a parody of the usual [Greek: apotheosis]; but this title is not given in the MSS. of the Ludus de Morte Claudii, nor is there anything in the piece which suits the title very well.
As a literary form, the piece belongs to the class called
_Satura Menippea_, a satiric medley in prose and verse.
This text is that of Buecheler, with a few trifling changes,