author
Claudius Claudianus
A late Roman poet from Alexandria, he became the brilliant voice of the Western imperial court and is often remembered as the last major poet of the classical Latin tradition. His verse moves between sharp political praise and richly imagined myth, giving modern readers both drama and a vivid glimpse of a changing empire.
2 Audiobooks
Claudian, volume 2 (of 2) With an English translation by Maurice Platnauer
by Claudius Claudianus
Claudian, volume 1 (of 2) With an English translation by Maurice Platnauer
by Claudius Claudianus
About the author
Writing in the late 4th and early 5th centuries CE, Claudius Claudianus—usually called Claudian—was born in Alexandria and later made his name in Italy. Ancient and modern sources alike connect him with the court of the Western emperor Honorius, where he rose to prominence through polished public poems and panegyrics.
He became especially known for works celebrating the powerful general Stilicho and attacking Stilicho's rivals, which makes his poetry an important literary window into late Roman politics. At the same time, he also wrote mythological verse, including De raptu Proserpinae (The Rape of Proserpine), a work that helped preserve his reputation well beyond antiquity.
Claudian is often described as the last important poet of the classical Latin tradition. That reputation comes from the way his work combines technical brilliance, theatrical energy, and historical value: even when he is partisan, his poems still capture the ambitions, anxieties, and grandeur of the late Roman world.