mail: Bill Thayer	Latine	Italiano	Help	Up	Home
This webpage reproduces one of the Carmina Minora of Claudian published in the Loeb Classical Library, 1922 The text is in the public domain. This page has been carefully proofread and I believe it to be free of errors. If you find a mistake though, please let me know!

 p217  Against James Commander of the Cavalry.​1

L (LXXVII)

By the ashes of S. Paul and the shrine of revered S. Peter, do not pull my verses to pieces, General James. So may S. Thomas prove a buckler to protect thy breast and S. Bartholomew bear thee company to the wars; so may the blessed saints prevent the barbarians from crossing the Alps and Suzanna​2 endow thee with her strength; so, should any savage foe seek to swim across the Danube, let him be drowned therein like the swift chariots of Pharaoh; so may an avenging javelin strike the Getic hordes and the favour of Thecla​3 guide the armies of Rome; so may thy guests dying in their efforts to out-drink thee assure thy board its triumph of hospitality and the broached casks o'ercome thy thirst; so may thy hand ne'er be red with an enemy's blood — do not, I say, pull my verses to pieces.

---

The Loeb Editor's Notes:

1 Nothing is known of this man. Birt dates the poem 401.

❦

2 Suzanna was martyred under Diocletian.

❦

3 There were several virgins, saints, and martyrs of this name. Claudian probably means the proto-martyr of Iconium, the friend and companion of S. Paul.

Images with borders lead to more information. The thicker the border, the more information. (Details here.)
UP TO:	Carmina Minora	Claudian	Classical Texts	LacusCurtius	Home
A page or image on this site is in the public domain ONLY if its URL has a total of one *asterisk. If the URL has two **asterisks, the item is copyright someone else, and used by permission or fair use. If the URL has none the item is © Bill Thayer. See my copyright page for details and contact information.