Venantius fortunatus biography template

MedardusBishop of Vermandois St-Quentin and Soissonswho caused her to take the veil, and she remained at Poitiers. The monastery of Poitiers was very large and contained about religious. At first they lived without a definite rule, but about Radegunde accepted that of St. At this time, which was previous to the death of Caribertshe caused the consecration as abbess of her beloved adoptive daughter Agnes.

It was at the same period that Fortunatus became the friend of the two women and took up his residence at Poitierswhere he remained till the death of Radegunde, 13 Aug. The closest friendship sprang up between them, Fortunatus calling Radegunde his mother and Agnes his sister. It was one of those tender and chaste friendships between ecclesiastics and pious women ; similar, for example, to the relations between St.

Jerome and the Roman ladies, delicate friendships enhanced by solid pietyconfirmed in peace by a mutual love of Godand which do not exclude the charming child's play usually making feminine friendship. In this instance it brought about a constant interchange of letter in which the art and grace of Fortunatus found their natural vent. He was an epicure, and there were sent to him from the conventmilk, eggs, dainty dishes, and savoury meats in the artistic arrangement of which the cooks of antiquity exercised their ingenuity.

He did not allow himself to be outdone and sent to his friends at one time flowers, at another chestnuts in a basket woven by his own hands.

Venantius fortunatus biography template

The little poems which accompanied them are not included in the works published by Fortunatus himself; it is probable that many of them are lost, no great importance being attached to them. Circumstances provided him with the graver subjects which necessitated the production of more serious works. About Radegunde received from Emperor Justin a particle of the True Crossto which the monastery had been dedicated, and Fortunatus was commissioned to thank the emperor and empress for their gift.

The vigorous movement of these poems shows that Fortunatus was not lacking in strength and seriousness. Two of this series are "figurate" poems, i. It was one of the least happy inventions of this period of literary decadence. Radegunde was in constant communication with Constantinople, for Amalafried, a cousin whom she dearly lovedhad found refuge in the East where he was in the service of the Empire.

Through Fortunatus Radegunde bewailed the sad lot of her country and her family ; this long elegy, full of life and movement, and addressed to Amalafried, is one of the poets best and most celebrated works Appendix, I. Another elegy deplores the premature death of Amalafried Appendix, 3. The death of Galeswintha was also the occasion of one of those elegies in which Fortunatus shows himself at once so profound and so natural.

This princess, the sister of Brunehild, was married to Chilperic, and had just been put to death by the order of her husband or Shortly before this Fortunatus had seen her arrive from Spain and pass through Poitiers in a silver chariot, and it was on this occasion she had won the heart of Radegunde. In recalling these things and in his portrayal of the mother of the unhappy young woman and their heart-breaking farewell, he succeeded, despite many rhetorical artifices, in depicting true grief.

Other poems written at Poitiers deal with religious subjects. Fortunatus explained to his "sister" Agnes that his love was wholly fraternal XI, 6and devoted lines to the praise of virginity VIII, 3. While abounding in Christian sentiments he develops in a singularly realistic style the inconveniences of marriage, especially the physiological sufferings it imposes upon woman.

It is probably an academic theme. Fortunatus also took part in ecclesiastical life, assisting at synodsbeing invited to the consecration of churches, all of which occasions were made the pretext for verses. Further references to this text will be noted with line numbers in the episode transcription. Hackett Publishing, p. Translated and Edited by Michael Roberts.

Harvard University Press,p. Edited and with an Introduction and Notes by Michael Roberts. Letter Printed in Jerome. The Complete Works of Saint Jerome. Marcellus of ParisSt. Germanus of Paris d. Paternus, Bishop of Avranches, and St. The poetical merit of Fortunatus should not be over-estimated. Like most poets of this venantius fortunatus biography template of extreme decadence, he delights in description, but is incapable of sustaining it; if the piece is lengthy his style runs into mannerisms.

His vocabulary is varied but affected, and while his language is sufficiently exact, it is marred by a deliberate obscurity. These defects would render him intolerable had he not written in verse; poetic tradition, Boissier well says, imposed a certain sobriety. His versification is monotonous, and faults of prosody are not rare. By his predilection for the distich he furnished the model for most Carlovingian poetry.

Fortunatus, like a true Roman, expresses with delicate sincerity the sentiments of intimacy and tenderness, especially when mournful and anxious. He interprets with success the emotions aroused by the tragic occurrences of surrounding barbarian life, particularly in the hearts of women, too often in those times the victims of brutal passions. In this way, and by his allusions to contemporary events and persons, and his descriptions of churches and works of art, he is the painter of Merovingian society.

His entire work is an historical document. Fortunatus has been praised for abstaining from the use of mythological allegory, despite the fact that his epithalamium for Sigebert is a dialogue between Venus and Love. Occasionally one encounters in his works the traditional academic themes, but in general he refrains from these literary ornaments less through disdain than through necessity.

Every writer of occasional verse is perforce a realist, e. In his portrayal of the barbarian society of Gaul Fortunatus exhibits the manner in which contemporary Christian thought and life permeated its gross and uncultured environment. Leaving aside the bishops, all of them Gallo-Romans, it is the women of the period, owing to native intuition and mental refinement, who are most sensitive to this Christian culture.

They are the first to appreciate delicacy of sentiment and charm of language, even refined novelties of cookery, that art of advanced civilizations and peoples on whose hands time hangs heavily. From this point of view it may be said that the friendship of Fortunatus with Radegunde and Agnes mirrors with great exactness the life of sixth-century Gaul.

The best edition of Fortunatus is that of F. Leo and B. To reach Metz, he took a winding route, passing through four modern countries: Italy, Austria, Germany and France. Fortunatus himself explains two entirely different reasons for this route. Describing the first reason, he "portrays himself in the guise of a wandering minstrel, his journey just one in a venantius fortunatus biography template of adventures.

Martini that he took this route to worship at the shrine of St Martin in Tours, visiting other shrines as he went. Fortunatus' arrival in Metz coincides with the marriage of King Sigibert and Queen Brunhildand at the ceremony he performed a celebration poem for the entire court. After this incident, Fortunatus had many noble patrons, as well as bishops, who wished him to write poetry for them.

About a year after he arrived in Metz, Fortunatus travelled to the court of King CharibertSigibert's brother, in Paris, and stayed there until Charibert's death in or Due to danger presented by King Chilpericbrother of Sigibert and Charibert, Fortunatus had to move south to Toursreturning to Sigibert's lands. From there, he ventured to Poitiers where he met Radegund.

They became close friends, and Fortunatus wrote many poems in her honour and in support of her political campaigns. Fortunatus had made another great friendship in Tours and Poitiers: with Gregory of Tourswho was installed as Bishop of Tours infrom whom Fortunatus also received patronage. InFortunatus wrote a poem defending Gregory against treasonous charges placed upon him at Chilperic's court.

After the death of Sigibert, and that of Chilperic, Fortunatus moved to Childebert 's court in Poitiers. Childebert was Sigibert's son. Sometime aroundhe was ordained into the church. Fortunatus died in the early 7th century. He was called a saint after his death, but was never formally canonized. Fortunatus is best known for two poems that have become part of the liturgy of the Catholic Churchthe Pange lingua gloriosi proelium certaminis "Sing, O tongue, of the glorious struggle"a hymn that later inspired St Thomas Aquinas 's Pange Lingua Gloriosi Corporis Mysterium.

This poem was written in honour of a large piece of the True Crosswhich explains its association also with the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. The Municipal Library in Poitiers houses an 11th-century manuscript on the life of Radegunde, copied from a 6th-century account by Fortunatus. Venantius Fortunatus wrote eleven surviving books of poetry in Latin in a diverse group of genres including epitaphspanegyricsgeorgics, consolations, and religious poems.

A major genre of Fortunatus' poetry is the panegyric.