Prudentius: a career switch.

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348  Saragossa - between 405 and 413 (?) is with St Ambrose the most important poet from early Christianity. Very little is known about him and what is known is taken from the praefatio of his Cathimeron. This is a collection of hymns for use at certain hours of the days or for some special days like 25 December or Three Kings. He is in his 57^th year when he wrote the praefatio and is looking back at his life. In the praefatio he tells us of his life before he converted to Christianity (lines 1-27) and his decision to spend his remaining years with writing Christian poetry (28-45). In some respects it is reminiscent of the Confessiones by St Augustine: the old life is depicted in bleak terms. There is nothing to suggest that his life was different from other Roman juveniles and his career was very successful. The date of his conversion and the circumstances are unknown. Given the quality of his poetry he must have written poems before. I too am now in my 57^th year and maybe I should also think about a new career. Fortunately I recently read that 60 is the new 40, so I have many years ahead of me before I have to take that decision!

I give the first 27 lines of the poem: a complete text and a translation are here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14959/14959-h/14959-h.htm#f00_24

Praefatio to the Cathimeron lines 1-27.

Meter: first two Glyconic, third Lesser Asclepiad

- - - u u - u u

- - - u u - / - u u – u –

- - - u u - / - u u - / - u u – u -

Per quinquennia iam decem,

  ni fallor, fuimus ; septimus insuper

  annum cardo rotat, dum fruimur sole volubili.

Instat terminus, et diem

  vicinum senio iam Deus adplicat.  

  Quid nos utile tanti spatio temporis egimus ?

Aetas prima crepantibus

  flevit sub ferulis. mox docuit toga

  infectum vitiis falsa loqui, non sine crimine.

Tum lasciva protervitas

  et luxus petulans (heu pudet ac piget !)

  foedavit iuvenem nequitiae sordibus ac luto.

Exin iurgia turbidos

  armarunt animos, et male pertinax

  vincendi studium subiacuit casibus asperis.

Bis legum moderamine

  frenos nobilium reximus urbium,

  ius civile bonis reddidimus, terruimus reos.

Tandem militiae gradu

  evectum pietas principis extulit,

  adsumptum propius stare iubens ordine proximo.

Haec dum vita volans agit,

  inrepsit subito canities seni,

  oblitum veteris me Saliae consulis arguens,

Sub quo prima dies mihi

  quam multas hiemes volverit, et rosas

  pratis post glaciem reddiderit, nix capitis probat.

quinquennium: period of five years

cardo cardinis (f.): hinge (i.e. the year turns around a pole)

volubilis: revolving

instat terminus: the end is near

vicinum senio: as a neighbour to old age

crepantibus sub ferulis: under cracking/ sounding rods

toga: the toga virilis, taken at the age of 16

(me) infectum: me corrupted with (inficio)

protervitas –atis (f.): boldness

foedo: to deform

nequitiae sordibus ac luto: by the dirt and mud of wickedness

exin: then

iurgia: legal disputes (Prudentius was a lawyer)

pertinax: stubborn

subiaceo (+ dat.): to lie near, couple (a legal term, meaning losing a case)

legum moderamine frenos reximus: I held the reigns in the office of laws  (probably as prefect)

nobelium urbium: it is not known what cities)

reus: both `accused’ and `guilty’

militiae gradu: at that period not necessarily a military rank. It could also be a high civil rank

(me) evectum: promoted me

pietas principis: the favour of the Emperor

 adsumptum…proximo: having accepted that rank ordering me to stand very near in the nearest rank (i.e. very close to the Emperor)

inrepo inrepsi inreptum: to creep

canietes –es (f.) greyness

oblitum veteris me Saliae consulis arguens = arguens me oblitum veteris Saliae consulis

proving me to have forgotten (obliviscor + gen.) the old consulship of Saliae (in 348, the year of his birth, so Prudentius is forgetting his childhood)

sub quo: under Salia

prima dies: birth day

pratum: meadow

nix capitis: the snow of my head `my white head’

Prudentius: some vivid details of the massacre of the innocents.

Little is known about Prudentius (348 – after 405, possibly 413). He was born in Spain and served twice as a governor before serving at the court of Theodosius I. He must have had a spiritual crisis and withdrew from public life. During that period he wrote a substantial number of poems,. In 405 he published these poems and added a preface in which he told something about his background, but only very sketchy. It is all we know about Prudentius. Amongst his works is the Cathemeron, a Greek word meaning  `According to the day’. The title implies that is a Book of Hours (a book that contains prayers for certain hours of the day a certain festivities ). It contains 12 poems of which the first six are indeed releted to certain hours, but they seem too long for liturgical use, so it is not quite sure what use they had. May be they are more meant as a Christian counterpart for pagan poetry. The poems by Prudentius became immensely popular and because of his Cathemeron, he was called the Christian Horace. Parts of his poems are still in use in Christian worship and this is especially true for the last poem of the Cathemeron, which is about the killing of the innocent children in Bethlehem. For use in worship the various stanzas are rearranged and do not reflect the original order.

I have selected a part of this poem in which Prudentius depictures the slaughter with vivid not to say horrific details – for good reasons they are left out in selections of his poems. We may frown upon baby heads smashed against rocks with brains coming out and other details, but for the Christians of his time these details must have illustrated the wickedness of Herod. Fortunately those poor children became the first martyrs and are now playing in Heaven with palms and crowns before the altar!

Prudentius, Cathemerina, Hymn 12, Hymnus Epiphaniae  93-132

Meter: iambic dimeter (x- x- x- x-)

audit tyrannus anxius

adesse regum principem,

qui nomen Israel regat,

teneatque David regiam.

nomen Israel: the name of Israel = the people of Israel (Mind that Hebrew names are mostly not declined.)

exclamat amens nuntio

‘successor instat, pellimur:

satelles, i, ferrum rape,

  perfunde cunas sanguine.

amens: without mind, furious

insto institi: to be ad hand

pello pepuli pulsum: to drive away

satelles (m.): guard

rapio rapui raptum: to seize

perfundo perfudi perfusum: to make wet

cunae cunarum: cradle

mas omnis infans occidat,

scrutare nutricum sinus,

interque materna ubera

ensem cruentet pusio.

mas maris: male

occido occicdi occasum: to perish, die

scruto: to search carefully

sinus –us (m.): bossom

uber uberis (n.): breast

ensem cruentet pusio: that he may stain the sword with his blood

suspecta per Bethlem mihi

puerperarum est omnium

fraus, ne qua furtim subtrahat

prolem virilis indolis.’

puerpara: woman in labor

fraus fraudis (f.): trick, deceit

fraus…qua

furtim: in secret

prolem virilis indolis: offspring of male nature

transfigit ergo carnifex

mucrone districto furens

effusa nuper corpora,

animasque rimatur novas.

transfigo transfixi  transfixum: to pierce through

carnifex carnificis (m.): executioner

mucrone districto: with drawn dagger

effusa nuper corpora: just born bodies

rimor rimatus sum: to tear up

locum minutis artubus

vix interemptor invenit

quo plaga descendat patens,

iuguloque maior pugio est.

minutis artubus : in the small limbs

interemptor interemporis (m.): murderer

quo plaga descendat patens: in which a wide open blow can come down (i.e. a blow that can make a wide open wound.)

iugulum: neck

pugio pugionis (f.): knife

o barbarum spectaculum!

inlisa cervix cautibus

spargit cerebrum lacteum,

oculosque per vulnus vomit;

inlisa cervix cautibus: a head dashed against the rocks

spargo sparsi sparsum: to scatter

cerebrum: the brains

lacteus: white

vulnus vulneris (n.): wound

aut in profundum palpitans

mersatur infans gurgitem,

cui subter artis faucibus

singultat unda et halitus

palpito: to tremble

merso: to immerse

gurges gurgitis (m.): stream

cui subter artis faucibus singultat unda et halitus: for whom under his small throat water and breath hick up.

salvete, flores martyrum,

quos lucis ipso in limine

Christi insecutor sustulit,

ceu turbo nascentes rosas.

quos lucis ipso in limine Christi insecutor sustulit: whom the persecutor of Christ took away on the very threshold of light (i.e. the birth of Christ)

ceu: just as

turbo turbinis (m.): whirlwind

nascor natus sum: to be born, begin life

vos, prima Christi victima,

grex inmolatorum tener,

aram ante ipsam simplices

palma et coronis luditis.

grex grecis (m.): herd

simplex simplicis: simple, without trouble

ludo lusi lusum: to play

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prudentius

Translation by H.J. Thomson (1949)

The uneasy monarch hears of the coming of the King of Kings

to rule over the name of Israel and possess the throne

of David. Out of his mind at the news, he cries

" He that shall take my place is upon me, driving

me out. Go, guard, grasp thy sword and steep the

cradles in blood. Let every male child perish.

Search the nurses' bosoms, and at the mother's

breasts let the boy-child's blood redden thy blade*

I suspect guile in all that have borne babes in

Bethlehem, lest one of them by stealth save her male

progeny." So the executioner raging madly with

drawn sword pierces the new-born bodies and tears

the young life out of them. Scarce can the slayer

find room on the little frames for the gaping wound

to fall upon; the dagger is bigger than the throat.

O barbarous sight ! A head dashed against the stones

scatters the milk-white brains and spews out the

eyes through the wound; or a babe is flung all

throbbing into the depths of the flood, and beneath

in his narrow throat water and breath make choking

spasms. Hail, martyr-flowers, whom on the very

threshold of life the persecutor of Christ destroyed,

as the stormy wind kills roses at their birth. You

are Christ's first offerings, a tender flock slain in

sacrifice, and before the very altar you play in inno-

cence with palm and crowns.

 

 

Lodovico Mazzolino (1530)