Maia 69 (2/2017) 326-349 PASSION IN A STOIC’S SATIRE DIRECTED AGAINST A DEAD CAESAR? Seneca’s Apocolocyntosis as a Saturnalian Text Composed for Overcoming the Crisis Anton Bierl (Universität Basel) A small text modelled on Menippean satire and attributed to Seneca, better known as a philosopher, has been passed down to us with the title The Pumpkinification of Caesar Claudius – although not until the third century AD do we find this title in Xiphilinus’ excerpts of the historian Cassius Dio (LX 35, 3) 1 . The pamphlet parodies the journey of Caesar Claudius to the realm of the gods following his deification, consummated by the Senate upon his death – most likely after his being poisoned by a mushroom – on October 13, 54 AD. The Greek term is apotheosis, but instead of becoming a god, Claudius must lead a miserable life in the underworld. He there- fore undergoes an apocolocyntosis, rendering him, in excessive taunt and mockery, metaphorically a gourd. Ridicule and satire elicit, of course, intense emotions from the spectators – as the constructed stories are predicated upon the passion, hate and bitterness har- bored against the object of satire. Above all, spectators witness the graphic bodily harm of the satirical subject. Here, pain and passion, emotion and violence occupy 1 The nucleus of this paper is built on my Habilitations-Vortrag held on the Saturnalia, i.e. Dec. 17, of 1998 at the University of Leipzig. But the contribution was written completely anew. I would like to thank Damien Nelis and Douglas Cairns for the kind invitation to the Geneva conference and the audi- ence for useful comments. I am especially grateful to Damien Nelis for editing and improving my Eng- lish. The text of Apocolocyntosis is cited after R. Roncali (ed.), L. Annaei Senecae APOKOLOKUNTOSIS, Leipzig 1990; if not otherwise stated, the translations are according to W.H.D. Rouse (ed.), Seneca. Apo- colocyntosis, London 1913; for commentaries see O. Weinreich, Senecas Apocolocyntosis. Die Satire auf Tod / Himmel- und Höllenfahrt des Kaisers Claudius. Einführung, Analyse und Untersuchungen, Übersetzung, Berlin 1923; P.T. Eden (ed.), Seneca, Apocolocyntosis, Cambridge 1984; O. Schönberger, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Apocolocyntosis Divi Claudii. Einführung, Text und Kommentar, Würzburg 1990; N.L. Bruun, Seneca. Apocolocyntosis, udgivet med indledning, oversættelse, kommentar og re- gister, Aarhus 1990; A.A. Lund, L. Annaeus Seneca, Apocolocyntosis Divi Claudii, herausgegeben, übersetzt und kommentiert, Heidelberg 1994; bibliographic overview scan be found in M. Coffey, Seneca, Apocolocyntosis 1922-1958, «Lustrum» 6 (1961), pp. 239-271; K. Bringmann, Senecas Apo- colocyntosis. Ein Forschungsbericht 1959-1982, in ANRW II.32.2 (1985), pp. 885-914; A. Bonandini, Seneca, Apocolocyntosis 1983-2006, «Lexis» 25 (2007), pp. 341-379; R. Roncali, Seneca, Apoco- locyntosis 1980-2000, «Lustrum» 50 (2008), pp. 303-366; N. Holzberg, (Ps.?-)Seneca. Divi Claudii ∆Apolokuvntosi~ (?). Eine Bibliographie, München 2015 (www.niklasholzberg.com/Homepage/Biblio- graphien_files/BiblSenApocoloc.docx). Recent overviews are by C.L. Whitton, Seneca, Apocolocyn-