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Prudentius (Aurelius Prudentius Clemens) was born in AD 348 probably at Caesaraugusta (Saragossa) and lived mostly in northeastern Spain, but visited Rome between 400 and 405. His parents, presumably Christian, had him educated in literature and rhetoric. He became a barrister and at least once later on an administrator; he afterwards received some high honour from Emperor Theodosius. Prudentius was a strong Christian who admired the old pagan literature and art, especially the great Latin poets whose forms he used. He looked on the Roman achievement in history as a preparation for the coming of Christ and the triumph of a spiritual empire. The Loeb Classical Library edition of the poems of Prudentius is in two volumes. Volume I presents: "Preface" ("Praefatio"); "The Daily Round" ("Liber Cathemerinon"); 12 literary and attractive hymns, parts of which have been included in the Breviary and in modern hymnals; "The Divinity of Christ" ("Apotheosis"), which maintains the Trinity and attacks those who denied the distinct personal being of Christ; "The Origin of Sin" ("Hamartigenia") attacking the separation of the 'strict' God of the Old Testament from the 'good' God revealed by Christ; "Fight for Mansoul" ("Psychomachia"), which describes the struggle between (Christian) Virtues and (Pagan) Vices; and the first book of "Against the Address of Symmachus" ("Contra Orationem Symmachi"), in which pagan gods are assailed. The second volume contains the second book of "Against the Address of Symmachus," opposing a petition for the replacement of an altar and statue of Victory; "Crowns of Martyrdom" ("Peristephanon Liber"), 14 hymns to martyrs mostly of Spain; "Lines To Be Inscribedunder Scenes from History" ("Tituli Historiarum"), 49 four-line stanzas which are inscriptions for scenes from the Bible depicted on the walls of a church; and an Epilogue.
About the author
Henry John Thomson (1881–1966) was Professor of Latin at the University of St Andrews.
Summary
Prudentius used allegory and classical Latin verse forms in service of Christianity. His works include the Psychomachia, an allegorical description of the struggle between Christian virtues and pagan vices; lyric poetry; and inscriptions for biblical scenes on a church’s walls—a valuable source on Christian iconography.
