Venantius Fortunatus: Personal and Political PoemsVenantius Fortunatus, writing in the latter half of the sixth century, was not only a major Latin poet, but also an important historical figure. Born in the north of Italy and given a classical education in Ravenna, he travelled as a young man to seek patronage in the courts of Merovingian Gaul, writing both formal and informal poetry for three of the royal brothers, Sigibert, Charibert and Chilperic, and for many influential figures in ecclesiastical and secular life. He settled eventually in Poitiers, as the close friend of the ex-queen Radegund, of Agnes, abbess of the community Radegund had founded, and the major historian of the period, Gregory of Tours. In the period of cultural transition, he played an important part in adapting and developing literary traditions, influencing not only his contemporaries but also succeeding generations. He also played a personal role in events of national and international significance; his poems allow us vivid glimpses of the individual lives and characters of his patrons, painting a picture of a literary, not merely literate, culture, which complement's Gregory's canvas of bloodthirsty dynastic feuding. |
Contents
Abbreviations | xi |
Introduction | xvii |
to Radegund and Agnes | xxiv |
Copyright | |
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Appendix Averil Cameron Baudonivia behold Biographical Notes Bishop Bishop of Arles blessed Book brother Brunhild Caesarius Charibert Childebert Chilperic Chilperic's chrétienne Christ Christian church classical Claudian consolation Curtius daughter dear death delight earth echoes eloquence emperor epitaph epithalamium Études faith father feast flowers Fredegund Galswinth Gaul George gifts give glorious glory Gogo Grégoire de Tours Gregory of Tours grief Guntram heart heaven holy honour ISBN Justin king king's kingdom Lady Radegund Latin light imagery lines literary live lofty Lord Lothar Lupus MacCormack Martin Matth merits Merovech Merovingian mérovingiennes metre Metz Moos mother motif mourn no-one noble Oxford panegyric Paris Poem poet poet's Poitiers praise prayers queen Radegund Radegund and Agnes reference resplendent Reydellet rhetorical Riché Roman royal panegyric rule Saint Sigibert sorrow spirit splendour Stroheker sweet Testament Testimonien Theudechild tomb tradition Translated Treaty of Andelot Venantius Fortunatus Vergil verses virtues Visigothic Vita waters