Markus Kersten – författare

Through an examination of paratextuality in late antique literature, this collection of essays reconsiders the importance of the written material that appears in the margins of ancient poetic texts. Paratexts such as headings, prefaces, letters et al. have largely been skimmed over or completely disregarded in favour of the main ancient work. However, there is now a new wave of scholarship that takes into consideration the reading of books in line with the different ''margins'', or ''frames'', and the structures (de-)constructed by them.A salient feature of late antique poetry is the presence of the paratextual. For example, the prefaces of Ausonius, Claudian, Avianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus are studied in their own right by the contributors, who present new understandings and interpretations of the aims of these late antique writers. In keeping with its subject matter, this volume presents a multitude of approaches intended not only to look at, but rather to read and take seriously the paratextual material. The result is a reframing of our appreciation of the marginal matter, which has up until this point been overlooked.

Through an examination of paratextuality in late antique literature, this collection of essays reconsiders the importance of the written material that appears in the margins of ancient poetic texts. Paratexts such as headings, prefaces, letters et al. have largely been skimmed over or completely disregarded in favour of the main ancient work. However, there is now a new wave of scholarship that takes into consideration the reading of books in line with the different ‘margins’, or ‘frames’, and the structures (de-)constructed by them.A salient feature of late antique poetry is the presence of the paratextual. For example, the prefaces of Ausonius, Claudian, Avianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus are studied in their own right by the contributors, who present new understandings and interpretations of the aims of these late antique writers. In keeping with its subject matter, this volume presents a multitude of approaches intended not only to look at, but rather to read and take seriously the paratextual material. The result is a reframing of our appreciation of the marginal matter, which has up until this point been overlooked.

Through an examination of paratextuality in late antique literature, this collection of essays reconsiders the importance of the written material that appears in the margins of ancient poetic texts. Paratexts such as headings, prefaces, letters et al. have largely been skimmed over or completely disregarded in favour of the main ancient work. However, there is now a new wave of scholarship that takes into consideration the reading of books in line with the different ''margins'', or ''frames'', and the structures (de-)constructed by them.A salient feature of late antique poetry is the presence of the paratextual. For example, the prefaces of Ausonius, Claudian, Avianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus are studied in their own right by the contributors, who present new understandings and interpretations of the aims of these late antique writers. In keeping with its subject matter, this volume presents a multitude of approaches intended not only to look at, but rather to read and take seriously the paratextual material. The result is a reframing of our appreciation of the marginal matter, which has up until this point been overlooked.

Through an examination of paratextuality in late antique literature, this collection of essays reconsiders the importance of the written material that appears in the margins of ancient poetic texts. Paratexts such as headings, prefaces, letters et al. have largely been skimmed over or completely disregarded in favour of the main ancient work. However, there is now a new wave of scholarship that takes into consideration the reading of books in line with the different ‘margins’, or ‘frames’, and the structures (de-)constructed by them.A salient feature of late antique poetry is the presence of the paratextual. For example, the prefaces of Ausonius, Claudian, Avianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, and Venantius Fortunatus are studied in their own right by the contributors, who present new understandings and interpretations of the aims of these late antique writers. In keeping with its subject matter, this volume presents a multitude of approaches intended not only to look at, but rather to read and take seriously the paratextual material. The result is a reframing of our appreciation of the marginal matter, which has up until this point been overlooked.

Die Arbeit untersucht Lucans »Georgica«-Rezeption und geht von der thematischen Voraussetzung aus, dass das spätere Gedicht gewissermaßen als ein prequel für das frühere zu verstehen ist. Zur Analyse dient hierbei das Konzept ›metapoetischer Realismus‹. Damit ist es möglich, zwei potentiell verschiedene intertextuelle Phänomene zu vergleichen: die effektive Präsenz literarischer Kultur auf der Ebene der Eposhandlung einerseits und solche Formen von Intertextualität andererseits, die streng genommen nur für die Leser des Gedichtes wirksam sind. Letzteren zeigt Lucan, wie sich der Bürgerkrieg in dem historischen Moment ereignet, als bisherige kulturelle Standards nicht mehr und die der augusteischen Literatur noch nicht wirksam waren. Der für die »Georgica« wie für die gesamte Dichtung Vergils charakteristische Anspruch, die Folgen des Krieges zu überwinden und in eine Phase höherer Kultur einzutreten, wird von Lucan nicht ›anti-vergilisch‹ ad absurdum geführt, sondern mit Blick auf die keineswegs ausgesöhnte neronische Gegenwart eingefordert. Damit wird zugleich nach dem Wert literarischer Kultur gefragt. Das Handeln der ›Helden‹ Lucans erscheint vor dem Hintergrund der »Georgica« gerade als fundamentale Ursache für den Skandal des Krieges; eine Heroisierung von Caesar, Pompeius oder Cato ist unmöglich. Die Diskussion um eine entweder ›positive‹ oder ›negative‹ Aussage des Gedichts und insbesondere des programmatischen Nerolobs ist angesichts dieser Befunde verfehlt.Die diesem Buch zugrunde liegende Doktorarbeit wurde 2018 mit dem Joachim-Jungius-Preis für herausragende Dissertationen ausgezeichnet.