Abstract
ABSTRACT: This paper argues that Lucan’s use of the word privatus to refer to the proconsuls Caesar and Pompeius corresponds to the republican formal definition of promagistrates as privati vis-à-vis magistratus (the existence of such a definition is, however, a subject of modern debate). Additionally, Lucan uses the label privatus to highlight Caesar and Pompeius’ unusually proactive role in the sphere domi , outside their sphere of competence. Building on this analysis, it becomes possible to better appreciate Lucan’s distortions in his representation of Caesar as a proconsul.