— Three brief ancient lives allow for the reconstruction of a modest biography – the earliest attributed to Suetonius, another to an otherwise unknown Vacca, and the third anonymous and undated – along with references in Martial, Cassius Dio, Tacitus’s Annals, and one of Statius’s Silvae.

 

He found success under Nero, became one of the emperor’s close friends and was rewarded with a quaestorship in advance of the legal age. In 60 AD, he won a prize for extemporizing Orpheus and Laudes Neronis at the quinquennial Neronia, and was again rewarded when the emperor appointed him to the augurate. During this time he circulated the first three books of his epic poem, Pharsalia (labelled De Bello civili in the manuscripts), which told the story of the civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey.

At some point, a feud began between Nero and Lucan. Two very different accounts of the events have survived that both trivialize the feud. According to Tacitus, Nero became jealous of Lucan and forbade him to publish his poems.[2] According to Suetonius, Nero lost interest in Lucan and Lucan responded by writing insulting poems about Nero that Nero continued to ignore.

Italy, Basilicata (Lucania)… the untold story.
Music by Isao Tomita.
Canon 5D mark II, Canon 7D, Sony Ex1 with Nanoflash.
Editing: Final Cut Pro
Grading: Red Giant Software, Color
Slider: DitoGear – OmniSlider
Camera support / accessories: Zacuto
Lenses: Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX, Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G AF-S, Nikon 24mm f/1.4G AF-S, Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8G AF-S