Ausonius' lost paradises

This article examines representations of the afterlife in the works of Ausonius, challenging the traditional view of the poet as a mere erudite associated with a superficial and conventional Christianity. Through an analysis of a wide range of texts (Parentalia, Ephemeris, Commemoratio Professorum Burdigalensium, Epitaphia, Epigrammata, and Technopaegnion), it shows how Ausonius develops a plurality of images of the beyond, oscillating between classical models and Christian influences. The afterlife appears variously as Elysium, Erebus, the celestial firmament, the biblical Hell, or a condition of the soul, according to a compositional strategy grounded in variatio and in the reworking of literary archetypes. The study also highlights the role of intertextuality with Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Lucan, Statius, and other authors, as well as the dialogue with Christian tradition, demonstrating that reflection on death and the afterlife constitutes one of the most significant aspects of Ausonius’ poetics and worldview.