The (real) death of the author and the (dreamed) coronation of the writer On Polythéisme romain (1833), posthumous work by Benjamin Constant

Theoretical researches maintain a cautious reserve concerning the auctorial status of posthumous publications. However, the question can be addressed today in a new way. The present article focuses on Benjamin Constant, and on a posthumous publication, Du Polythéisme romain considéré dans ses rapports avec la philosophie grecque et la religion chrétienne. This book is a fascinating example of how a text can be invested with multiple auctorial projections linked to the writer’s death.