Gaius Valerius Flaccus (/ˈflækəs/; diedc. AD 90) was a 1st-centuryRoman poet who flourished during the "Silver Age" under theFlavian dynasty,[1][2] and wrote a LatinArgonautica that owes a great deal toApollonius of Rhodes'more famous epic.[3][4]
The only widely accepted mention of Valerius Flaccus by his contemporaries is byQuintilian (10.1.90),[5] who laments the recent death of "Valerius Flaccus" as a great loss; as Quintilian's work was finished about 90 AD, this traditionally gives a limit for the death of Valerius Flaccus.[6] Recent scholarship, however, puts forward an alternative date of about 95 AD, and definitely before the death ofDomitian in 96 AD.[7]
It has been claimed that he was a member of theCollege of Fifteen, who had charge of theSibylline books, based on a reference in his work to the presence of a tripod in a "pure home" (1.5).[8] The assumption that this indicates he himself was a member, however, has also been contested.[2][9]
A contested mention of a poet of the name "Valerius Flaccus" is byMartial (1.76),[10] who refers to a native ofPadua. A subscription in theVatican manuscript adds the nameSetinus Balbus, a name which suggests that its holder was a native ofSetia inLatium, however it is not clear if this inscription refers to "Valerius Flaccus" or someone else.[9] The connection of this "Valerius Flaccus" to Gaius Valerius Flaccus has been contested under the assumption that Martial was referring to his friend's financial strife, and that Gaius Valerius Flaccus was a member of the College of Fifteen, and therefore likely to have been wealthy.[4]
Valerius Flaccus' only surviving work, theArgonautica, was dedicated to Vespasian on his setting out forBritain. It was written during the siege, or shortly after thecapture of Jerusalem byTitus in 70 AD. As theeruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD is alluded to, its composition must have occupied him a long time. TheArgonautica is anepic poem probably intended to be in eight books (though intended totals of ten and twelve books, the latter corresponding toVirgil'sAeneid, an important poetic model, have also been proposed) written in traditionaldactylic hexameters, which recountsJason's quest for theGolden Fleece.[4]
The Argonautica was lost until 1411, when the first 4½ volumes were found atSt Gall in 1417 and published atBologna in 1474.[11]
The poem's text, as it has survived, is in a very corrupt state; it ends so abruptly with the request ofMedea to accompanyJason on his homeward voyage, that it is assumed by most modern scholars[12] that it was never finished. It is a free imitation and in parts a translation of theArgonautica ofApollonius of Rhodes, "to whom he is superior in arrangement, vividness, and description of character" (Loeb Classical Library). The familiar subject had already been treated in Latin verse in the popular version ofVarro Atacinus. The object of the work has been described as the glorification of Vespasian's achievements[13] in securing Roman rule inBritain and opening up the ocean to navigation (as theEuxine was opened up by theArgo).[6]
In 1911, the compilers of theEncyclopædia Britannica remarked,
Various estimates have been formed of the genius of Valerius Flaccus, and some critics have ranked him above his original, to whom he certainly is superior in liveliness of description and delineation of character. His diction is pure, his style correct, his versification smooth though monotonous. On the other hand, he is wholly without originality, and his poetry, though free from glaring defects, is artificial and elaborately dull. His model in language wasVirgil, to whom he is far inferior in taste and lucidity. His tiresome display of learning,rhetorical exaggeration and ornamentations make him difficult to read, which no doubt accounts for his unpopularity in ancient times.[6]
More modern analysis has been more accepting of Valerius Flaccus' style, noting how it fits in the "long and energetic Roman tradition of appropriation of the golden age and iron age myths"[2] and commenting on his narrative technique:
Valerius has unjustly suffered from being viewed as a doggedly earnest imitator of mightier models; his self-awareness and wry humour have gone largely unnoticed, although he has been commended for the poise of his versification and the acuity of his observation.[2]
Valerius Flaccus appears as a recurring character inCaroline Lawrence'sRoman Mysteries series of children's novels. He is the husband of the main character, Flavia Gemina. In thetelevision adaptations, the character is played by British actorBen Lloyd-Hughes.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Valerius Flaccus, Gaius".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 859–860.
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