Death and the Matron: Prophecy in Lucan’s Bellum Civile

Donna M. Nagle (University of Michigan)

This paper examines Lucan’s use of prophecy in the Bellum Civile by focusing on the frenzied matron in Book One. Although prophetic utterances are often problematic in Lucan’s poem (Dick, O’Higgins, Feeney, Masters) I argue that the frenzied matron delivers a comprehensive and detailed prophecy concerning the fate of the Republic. Throughout the course of the epic Lucan employs several methods of prophecy, such as oracles, dreams, and his own authorial predictions to foreshadow the fate of the main characters. The matron, however, appears in another type of scene, one that involves prophecies delivered by credible agents in order to interpret prodigies. While all of these methods reveal at least a measure of truth, they are not equally effective. For example, oracles are unable to deliver definitive predictions and are ultimately rejected, while dreams come to only two characters, Pompey and Caesar, and in each case they provide only a glimpse of the dreamer’s fate. Prophecies elicited by prodigies are more successful in providing accurate predictions, but I show that the prophecy delivered by the matron stands out from the others for its length, detail, and accuracy. Following a scholiast on Lucan, I suggest that the character of the matron is symbolic of the res publica. I argue that the matron is thus uniquely qualified to deliver such an accurate prediction and I suggest that she does so in accordance with Lucan’s own suggestions about the practice of prophecy.

The frenzied matron appears in the final scene of Book One. At this point in the epic Caesar has crossed the Rubicon and the civil war has begun. While standing on the banks of the Rubicon Caesar was confronted by the imago of Roma who posed these questions to his army: Quo tenditis ultra? Quo fertis mea signa, viri? (1.190–1). Rumors of Caesar’s advance produce fear in the people. Their fear is increased by the dreadful prodigies that appear in the sky and on the land. These prodigies are so dire and momentous that they require no less than three seers to interpret them. The matron is the third and final seer to appear in this series of prophets. She is described in a striking simile: in her madness the matron is likened to a raving bacchante. Inexplicably, the matron has become possessed by Apollo. This possession provides the means by which the matron is able to foresee not only the deaths of Pompey and Caesar, but also all of the places where the civil war will be fought. In fact, I suggest that in her prophecy the frenzied matron answers the very questions posed by Roma earlier in Book One.

In order to place the matron’s prophetic utterance in a wider perspective, I briefly examine the figure of Cato. For Cato provides the greatest clue as to how the matron can deliver the most accurate and detailed prophecy in the poem. Cato refuses to consult the oracle of Jupiter Hammon in Egypt since he has already been told all he needs to know about the future: death is certain. This knowledge, according to Cato, has been provided to all. Thus mortals do not need to seek information from oracles. Indeed, Cato is described as deo plenus (9.564): he does not need Jupiter’s oracle for he already possesses his own divine spark. He is perfectly capable of delivering his own prophecy, and this is precisely what he ultimately does.

I argue that the matron, as the personification of the res publica, predicts her own fate. Since she possesses all of the requisite knowledge she is able to foresee her own fate and speak it clearly, unlike the oracles. This is similar to Lucan’s use of dreams in which the dreamer is given a preview of his own fate. Because she is possessed by Apollo, she is connected to the god who knows all future things; therefore she is also deo plena. Thus, like Cato, she can act as her own oracle.

Time: 15 minutes; Topic Code: LE