Prudentius, Peristephanon 14: 'n literêre analise

M.A. (Latin)This study is focused on a literary analysis of the Passio Agnetis, the last poem in the Peristephanon-series, written by the poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens. This analysis is preceded by a historical survey on Agnes, the martyr who is venerated in poem fourteen, as well as a survey of Prudentius' life and work. The survey of the background of Agnes shows that she was still very young when she chose to worship Christ and not the gods of the Romans. She also refused to be married to a magistrate's son, as she saw herself as the bride of Christ. Because of this choice she was decapitated. According to .the ancient sources (Damasus, Ambrose and Prudentius), Agnes is an historical figure and she forms part of the Christian martyrology, and has consequently been worshipped and venerated throughout the centuries. Prudentius, a Roman citizen, was born in Spain. He led an active life as a magistrate and at the age of fifty-seven, after his retirement, he decided to devote himself to a more worthy cause, and he started writing. In the Peristephanon Prudentius combined his devotion to the martyrs with his love of poetry. This survey is followed by a translation of the one hundred and thirty-three lines of poem fourteen. Then follows a discussion on the metre and form of poem fourteen. This was deemed necessary as the metre is complex and the form and contents of the poem raise the problem of genre, as the poem shows elements of both epic and lyric. The bulk of this study is taken up by the literary analysis of the poem. The poem is divided into different sections. In each section the style, contents and the thought development of the poem are discussed