Claudian and Prudentius wrote individual prefaces to their longer hexameter poems. Because these prefaces are distinct from the main text in meter and subject matter, they should be regarded as paratexts, introductory material that stands apart from the text and informs its reading. The concept of the paratext was introduced by Gérard Genette and has never been applied systematically to the prefaces of these late antique poets, although Jean-Louis Charlet and others have discussed Prudentius’ prefaces individually, Fritz Felgentreu has provided a basic study of Claudian’s prefaces, and Reinhart Herzog has compared the allegorical techniques of both poets. In this paper, however, I look at what is particularly innovative in these prefaces. Unlike the proems common to all Greco-Roman poetry, these prefaces are not strictly speaking part of the poem itself. Rather, they allow their authors to speak more directly to their audiences. In this way, Claudian and Prudentius establish their own personas and introduce their readers to the poems that they have written. The reader in turn may--but need not--follow the author’s direction for the text. Whereas Claudian focuses upon himself as singer and panegyrist, Prudentius describes both himself and his reader in terms of a shared Christian narratives. Both poets, though, use this shared form to communicate more intimately with their audience. This technique, therefore, unites their poetry and is part of the broader cultural idiom of the late fourth century. The paratextual preface was an innovative poetic form, and it allowed these poets to comment upon their own production. Their self-reflection mirrors a greater interest in poetry’s use and in the audience’s active reception of the poetic text.
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