The Prologue to Avitus' ‘De spiritalis historiae gestis’: Christian Poetry and Poetic License
In the dedicatory letter to the De spiritalis historiae gestis, addressed to his brother Apollinaris, bishop of Valence, Avitus of Vienne discusses the peculiar problems raised by Christian poetry (201.16–202.15 Peiper). The implications of this passage have not, I believe, been fully grasped. Let m...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
1980
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| In: |
Traditio
Year: 1980, Volume: 36, Pages: 399-407 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (JSTOR) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In the dedicatory letter to the De spiritalis historiae gestis, addressed to his brother Apollinaris, bishop of Valence, Avitus of Vienne discusses the peculiar problems raised by Christian poetry (201.16–202.15 Peiper). The implications of this passage have not, I believe, been fully grasped. Let me begin by citing the relevant section of the letter to Apollinaris (201.16–202.9 Peiper). Quamquam quilibet acer ille doctusque sit, si religionis propositae stilum non minus fidei quam metri lege servaverit, vix aptus esse poemati queat; quippe cum licentia mentiendi, quae pictoribus ac poetis aeque conceditur, satis procul a causarum serietate pellenda sit. In saeculari namque versuum opere condendo tanto quis peritior appellator, quanto elegantius, immo, ut vere dicamus, ineptius falsa texuerit. Taceo iam verba ilia vel nomina, quae nobis nec in alienis quidem operibus frequentare, ne dicam in nostris conscribere licet: quae ad conpendia poetarum aliud ex alio significantia plurimum valent. Quocirca saecularium iudicio, qui aut inperitiae, aut ignaviae dabunt non uti nos licentia poetarum, plus arduum quam fructuosum opus adressi divinam longe discrevimus ab humana existimatione censuram. |
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| ISSN: | 2166-5508 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Traditio
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0362152900009302 |