Giampiero SCAFOGLIO (Université Côte d’Azur)
Fortunae opprobria: la visione (e la rimozione) della guerra nella poesia di Ausonio [Fortunae opprobria: the vision (and removal) of war in Ausonius’ poetry]
Keywords: Ausonius, Griphus ternarii numeri, Bissula, Mosella, view of war, rejection and removal of violence.
Abstract: Fortunae opprobria: the vision (and removal) of war in Ausonius’ poetry. Although living in a period troubled by wars caused by barbarian pressure and incursions into the borders of Roman Empire, Ausonius never speaks of conflicts and violence in his poetry: on the contrary, he dedicates himself to disengaged and apparently futile literary exercises (Griphus ternarii numeri), and gives a peaceful and harmonious image of the world that does not correspond to reality (Mosella). But even though he does not speak openly of war, he represents its consequences on human life in sharply negative terms (Bissula). I shall therefore demonstrate that his rejection of war and violence takes the form of distancing and removal.