Despite its unique quality and tremendous impact on the shaping of literary, artistic and religious culture, the modern reader – even the modern student of Latin – is usually unfamiliar with Prudentius’ Psychomachia. In this monograph P., an expert in late antique literature, offers a valuable guide to this poem for advanced students and their teachers: a Latin text with a clear and useful critical apparatus and a commentary in English, which elucidates and helps the reader to understand some of the most intriguing aspects of this groundbreaking work of art.
The introduction contextualises the poem within Prudentius’ work and epoch, tackling the main changes in literature, culture, politics and religion in the fourth century that are crucial to understanding the poem and its merits. It also summarises the work and clarifies its structure, its Classical and Christian literary sources as well as the nature and originality of the poem, paying special attention to allegory. P. also focuses on the date of composition of the work and its contemporary editions, to conclude that there is not enough evidence for authorial revisions and variants. The sheer number of late antique and early medieval manuscripts proves the success and impact of the Psychomachia; P. briefly summarises the manuscript tradition and the editorial principles of J. Bergman (1926) and M. Cunningham (1966), before explaining his own ‘eclectic approach’: he cites five manuscripts thoroughly, offering a complete collation of A, Parisinus Latinus 8084, and some other codices occasionally, in a ‘selective’ and ‘negative’ apparatus (p. 32), presenting a ‘very conservative’ text (p. 31), quite sceptical of C. Gnilka's omnipresent suspicions of interpolation (‘Zwei Binneninterpolamente und ihre Bedeutung für die Geschichte des Prudentiustexts’, Hermes 114 [1986], 88–98). Some codices are cited for their glosses or their illustrations, which is one of the main assets of P.'s edition. The final section of the introduction is devoted to ‘reception’, and it turns out to be the least satisfactory to my liking, since it focuses mainly on the more philological aspects (editions and translations), overlooking the tremendous significance of the battle between the virtues and the vices in European medieval and Renaissance literature and visual art. In general, advanced students of Latin will benefit from this introduction, which is both succinct and comprehensive and which also provides ample and pertinent bibliographical references in footnotes for further reading.
The commentary seeks to provide a useful tool for understanding the linguistic and literary form and meaning of the poem. The notes are selective and varied, generally sharp and accurate, especially explaining grammatical, linguistic, literary and religious aspects. Manuscript variants are also discussed in detail if relevant. When necessary, P. offers extended discussions, as well as overviews on the different sections of the poem, which help the reader to understand its structure and development. In general, there is a balance between linguistic and literary explanations, even if some notes on grammar are probably unnecessary (cf. e.g. the note on l. 903, p. 220). Yet, not everything in the poem is commented upon, and some readers are likely to find no answers to the questions raised by specific passages or words. To quote but a few examples, the erotic language of pr. 64ff. is overlooked (complexibus being a euphemism for the sexual act: ThLL s.v. complexus, 3.0.2101.50, saepe i. q. concubitus [Jachmann]). Nothing is put forward about the relationship between martyrdom and flowers (l. 39). The gelidum iecur of Pudicitia deserves an explanation as well (l. 238): in the glossary it is pointed out that the liver is usually the source of passion, a meaning that is reinforced by gelidum (heat being one of the tritest elements in erotic imagery), but it is also the seat of other feelings and qualities (including prudentia and fortitudo); the notion of coldness is repeated in line 251 (algenti … sanguine), an oxymoron that is left uncommented: the adjective could refer here to lack of passion (as appropriate for Pudicitia and her entourage), but cold blood is usually related to fear in Latin poetry (Virg. Aen. 3.30; 10.452; Sen. Oed. 224), a feebleness that the Virtues lack, despite the Vices’ boasting. ‘The battle of Patientia and Ira offers a touch of humor’, P. remarks (p. 115): if Patientia is visualised as a martyr (or as the personification of martyrdom), this touch of (black) humour is not exclusive to Prudentius, since it can be found in many martyrdom accounts, in which the martyr is miraculously unharmed despite the ridiculously ineffective efforts of their enemies, as in the case of the attacks of Ira on Patientia. Regarding the flowers in Aaron's rod, certainly something could have been added about the symbolism of the rose (tinged with blood) and the white lilies: it goes without saying that ‘the contrast of red roses and white lilies is frequent in poetry’ (p. 215), but these became powerful symbols in Christian literature and iconography. These and other explanations could have enhanced the understanding of a poem that deserves meticulous and in-depth analysis.
Another field for further research is the reception and transformation of Classical poetry beyond the Aeneid, but also the acknowledgement of a more pervasive presence of Virgil's epic poem. Just one example: if Abraham is portrayed as an ‘epic hero’ (p. 84), could not the word advena (pr. 17) also recall Aeneas’ wanderings and sufferings (Virg. Aen. 7.38; cf. p. 81, where only biblical examples are cited in the note)? Widening the focus of literary sources makes Luxuria coming from the West (310 occiduis mundi de finibus) not as puzzling as it may seem at first glance, if we imagine her as a wanton and lascivious dancer (380 saltatrix ebria), like a puella Gaditana (Mart. 3.63.5; 6.71.2; 14.203; Gades is, in fact, one of the ends of the world: cf. Sil. 17.637 terrarum finis Gades). Other verbal subtleties are not fully explored: regarding exsanguis and its unlikely use for Sarah's menopause (pr. 48), it could have been added that the word was usually applied to elderly people in general in Latin literature (ThLL s.v. exsanguis, 5.2.1826.35–45 [P. Schmid]).
The book is completed by two appendices (‘On meter’ and a ‘Glossary of literary terms’), a comprehensive and up-to-date bibliography and a glossary of the Latin words used in the Psychomachia. There is no index, though, neither general nor of cited passages. Yet, despite the aforementioned omissions or the possible further nuances, this volume is a most welcome addition to scholarship in late antique poetry, for which P. is to be congratulated. I truly hope that his contribution will encourage instructors of Latin to embrace Prudentius’ amazing work as part of their didactic materials and will assist them in their endeavour.
