Poems to Friends

eBook available for $13.95. Click HERE for more information.

Owing to the rich storehouse of information it contains, the poetry of Venantius Fortunatus (c. 535–600) has long been mined as a historical source for Merovingian society, a focus that overshadows an appreciation of the poems’ literary value. This volume, offering free-verse translations of Fortunatus’ personal poetry, remains faithful to the historical sweep of the poet’s lines while paying attention to the literary qualities that make these poems masterpieces of their kind.

The volume includes an overview of late antique Gaul, Fortunatus’ biography, interpretations of the poems, prosopographical introductions, maps, bibliography, and indices.

Reviews:

“A fugitive handprint in a bowl of cream, a bird tangled in the grapevines of a mural, holy women who clap their voices into prayers—this is a world of unexpected beauty, and Pucci as a translator deserves our respect and praise for having clapped these poems into songs.”
     —Joel C. Relihan, Wheaton College, Norton, MA

Contents:

Preface
Abbreviations

Introduction
   From Roman to Frankish Gaul
   Fortunatus in Italy—and Gaul
   The Poems
   Elegy
   Friendship
   Translating Fortunatus
   The Text—and Using This Translation

Maps
   Gaul at the death of Lothar I (561)
   Gaul and Northern Italy in the time of Fortunatus

Genealogical Chart: The Merovingians from Childeric through Dagobert I

Poems to Friends

1. To Placidina: carm. 1.17
2. To Felix: carm. 3.5, 3.10, 5.7
3. To Vilicus: carm. 3.13a–d
4. To Hilary: carm. 3.16
5. To Bertrand: carm. 3.18
6. To Agricola: carm. 3.19
7. To Avitus: carm. 3.22, 3.22a
8. To Anfi on: carm. 3.24
9. To Paternus: carm. 3.25, 7.23
10. To Rucco: carm. 3.26, 9.10
11. To the Archdeacon of Meaux: carm. 3.27
12. To John: carm. 3.28
13. To Anthimius: carm. 3.29
14. To Sindulf: carm. 3.30
15. To Gregory: carm. 5.4, 5.8, 5.8a, 5.8b, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.13, 5.14,
      5.15, 5.16, 5.17, 8.11, 8.14, 8.15, 8.16, 8.17, 8.18, 8.19, 8.20, 8.21
16. To Aredius: carm. 5.19, 6.7
17. To Ultrogotha: carm. 6.6
18. To Dynamius: carm. 6.9
19. To Gogo: carm. 7.2, 7.3
20. To Lupus: carm. 7.9
21. To Magnulf: carm. 7.10
22. To Jovinus: carm. 7.11
23. To Felix: carm. 7.13
24. To Berulf: carm. 7.15
25. To Gunduarius: carm. 7.17
26. To Flavus: carm. 7.18
27. To Evodius and Flavus: carm. 7.19
28. To Sigimund: carm. 7.20, App. 4
29. To Sigimund and Alagisilus: carm. 7.21
30. To Boso: carm. 7.22
31. To Galactorius: carm. 7.25, 10.19
32. To Chilperic I and Fredegund: carm. 9.3
33. To Droctoveus: carm. 9.11
34. To Faramod: carm. 9.12
35. To Lupus and Waldo: carm. 9.13
36. To Chrodinus: carm. 9.16
37. To Armentaria: carm. 10.15
38. To Sigoald: carm. 10.16, 10.18
39. To Agiulfus: carm. App. 7
40. To Radegund and/or Agnes: carm. 8.5, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 8.9, 8.10, 11.2,
     11.3, 11.4, 11.5, 11.6, 11.7, 11.8, 11.9, 11.10, 11.11, 11.12, 11.13, 11.14,
     11.15, 11.16, 11.17, 11.18, 11.19, 11.20, 11.21, 11.22, 11.22a,11.23, 11.23a,
     11.24, App. 10, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31.

Endnotes; Works Cited; Index of Fortunatus’ Poems; General Index

About the Author:

Joseph Pucci is Associate Professor of Classics and in the Program in Medieval Studies and Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Brown University.