Latin Poetry Podcast

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In honor of Spain’s recent world cup victory, here’s a bit of Claudian on the glories of Spain (Hispania to the Romans):

Claudian Laus Serenae

Quid dignum memorare tuis, Hispania, terris

vox humana valet? primo levat aequore solem

India: tu fessos exacta luce iugales

proluis inque tuo respirant sidera fluctu.

dives equis, frugum facilis, pretiosa metallis,

principibus fecunda piis, tibi saecula debent           55

Traianum; series his fontibus Aelia fluxit.

hinc senior pater, hinc iuvenum diademata fratrum.

namque aliae gentes, quas foedere Roma recepit

aut armis domuit, varios aptantur in usus

imperii; Phariae segetes et Punica messis       60

castrorum devota cibo; dat Gallia robur

militis; Illyricis sudant equitatibus alae:

sola novum Latiis vectigal Hiberia rebus

contulit Augustos. fruges, aeraria, miles

undique conveniunt totoque ex orbe leguntur:        65

haec generat qui cuncta regant. nec laude virorum

censeri contenta fuit, nisi matribus aeque

vinceret et gemino certatim splendida sexu

Flaccillam Mariamque daret pulchramque Serenam.

On the punctuation of line 57, elucidating the reference to Theodosius the elder, German readers can see here. On the empress Aelia Flavia Flacilla, her daughter Aelia Pulcheria, and Serena herself, see here. And on the very real importance of women of the imperial house in this period, see interestingly here.

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