Days Linked by Song: Prudentius’ Cathemerinon. By Gerald O’Daly
If Prudentius is not exactly the ‘swan’ of ancient lyric, he does sing its swan-song very nicely. His Cathemerinon croons its way through the Christian day with due dexterity. The fitly-named O’Da(i)ly now gives us—gratias tibi maximas! (so co-lyrist Catullus [49.4])—text (Bergman’s CSEL), translati...
Main Author: | |
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Format: | Electronic Review |
Language: | English |
Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
Journals Online & Print: | |
Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
Published: |
Oxford University Press
2013
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In: |
The journal of theological studies
Year: 2013, Volume: 64, Issue: 2, Pages: 748-750 |
Further subjects: | B
Book review
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Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
Summary: | If Prudentius is not exactly the ‘swan’ of ancient lyric, he does sing its swan-song very nicely. His Cathemerinon croons its way through the Christian day with due dexterity. The fitly-named O’Da(i)ly now gives us—gratias tibi maximas! (so co-lyrist Catullus [49.4])—text (Bergman’s CSEL), translation (O’Dalyan stanzas), and an interpretative essay post-fixed to each of the dozen poems. The final chapter (‘Afterlife’) then briskly tracks the bard’s non-celestial Nachleben from St Jerome to Hymns Ancient and Modern. This Devil’s dozen of essays is generally marked by considerable charm and sensitivity. Poem no. 10 (‘The Burial of the Dead’) is perhaps the best of the Cathemerinon, and O’Daly himself is perhaps at his best when dealing with such a congenially supermundane topic. |
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ISSN: | 1477-4607 |
Contains: | Enthalten in: The journal of theological studies
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Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1093/jts/flt161 |