Project Gutenberg 2003-11-01 Public domain in the USA. 895 Seneca, Lucius Annaeus 65 Seneca, L. A. (Lucius Annaeus) Seneca, Annaeus Annaeus Seneca, Lucius Rouse, W. H. D. (William Henry Denham) 1863 1950 Rouse, William Henry Denham Apocolocyntosis Reading ease score: 76.2 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. Produced by Ted Garvin, Ben Courtney and PG Distributed Proofreaders "Apocolocyntosis" by Lucius Annaeus Seneca is a satirical work written during the early Roman Empire. Defined as a satura menippea, the text employs a blend of prose and verse to humorously critique the emperor Claudius, particularly through the lens of his posthumous "Pumpkinification," which contrasts sharply with the traditional idea of apotheosis wherein notable figures are elevated to godhood. The narrative primarily explores themes of power, folly, and the absurdities of Roman politics. The story begins with the death of Emperor Claudius and transports readers to an absurd celestial setting where gods and mythological figures convene to discuss his fate. Despite brief moments of hope from Claudius about his potential divinity, he is quickly met with derision from the gods, including notable characters like Mercury and Hercules. His claims of greatness are undermined as they recount his abysmal rule, highlighting his incompetence. Ultimately, Claudius is subjected to a mocking trial in the afterlife, where he faces the consequences of his actions through unjust punishment, ending with him perpetually shaking dice in a bottomless box—a metaphor for his futile grasp on power. Through this comedic lens, Seneca critiques the nature of rule and legacy, contrasting divine aspirations against a backdrop of human folly. (This is an automatically generated summary.) en Claudius, Emperor of Rome, 10 B.C.-54 A.D. -- Humor PA Text Browsing: Humour Browsing: Literature 59650 59590 2024-11-05T03:30:16.566480 2023-10-05T04:41:22.323992 text/html text/html 34961 2024-11-07T00:32:39 text/html 93236 2024-11-05T03:30:20.621475 application/epub+zip 91850 2024-11-05T03:30:18.274474 application/epub+zip 91850 2024-11-05T03:30:17.160489 application/epub+zip 199329 2024-11-05T03:30:22.365396 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 192564 2024-11-05T03:30:19.986461 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 166499 2022-09-05T06:29:23.659831 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 51127 51076 2024-10-05T03:30:17.102242 2023-10-05T04:41:22.119961 text/plain; charset=us-ascii text/plain 31242 2024-11-07T00:32:39 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 20313 2024-11-05T03:30:22.504413 application/rdf+xml 14602 2024-11-05T03:30:17.713480 image/jpeg 3743 2024-11-05T03:30:17.435473 image/jpeg 91181 2024-11-05T03:30:16.573473 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia en.wikipedia