Prudentius
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This article only deals with illustrated manuscripts of Prudentius's work. Prudentius was a Spanish poet writing around 403-405AD.
Psychomachia
Peristephanon
Cathemerinon
Apotheosis
Hamartigenia
Libri contra Symmachum
Prudentius Psychomachia Manuscripts
The following list is based on the work of Stettiner [STETTINER 1895]. He breaks the manuscripts into 3 groups. Groups 1 and 2 run roughly chronologically to each other and must have come from a common model. Group 3 are from the C12th and C13th and show elements from both groups 1 and 2.
The Catalogue number is broken into 3 parts:
S = Stettiner catalogue number; T50 = Temple Anglo-Saxon catalogue number; (P1) = Original Stettiner number [STETTINER 1895]
Stettiner Group 1
S1 (P1), in 2 parts
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S2 (Le1)
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S3 T48 (C)
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S4 T51 (Lo1)
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S5 T49 (Lo2)
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S6 T50 (M)
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Stettiner Group 2
S7 (Le2)
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S8 (Le2)
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S9 (B1)
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S10 (B1)
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S11 (P3)
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S12 (Ly)
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S13 (B2)
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S14 (Be)
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S15 (K)
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S16 (B3)
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S17 (G)
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Stettiner Group 3
S18 (Lo4)
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S19 (P4)
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Scenes of the Psychomachia Story
There are 86 illustrated scenes of the Psychomachia from the four Anglo-Saxon Psychomachias. The following summary of these scenes is taken from Ohlgren's [OHLGREN 1992] descriptions of British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII
1-Abraham
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 4r-5v.
1.1 Abraham’s Sacrifice of Isaac
1.2 Lot Taken Prisoner by Kings
1.3 Abraham pursues Lot’s captors
1.4 Abraham returns after freeing Lot
1.5 Abraham and Melchisedec sacrifice at an alter
1.6 Abraham greets the three Angels. Sarah sits in a tent
2-Faith vs, OldGodsWorship
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 7r-7v
2.1 Prudentius genuflects before an alter
2.2 OldGodsWorship attacks Faith with a spear
2.3 Faith defeats OldGodsWorship
2.4 Faith crowns the Virtues
3-Modesty vs. Lust
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 7v-10r
3.1 Lust attacks Modesty with a torch
3.2 Modesty casts a stone at Lust
3.3 Modesty strikes Lust in the neck with a sword
3.4 Modesty stands in victory over Lust
3.5 Modesty dips her sword in the River Jordan
3.6 Modesty kneels before the Temple
4-Patience vs. Wraith
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 10r-13r
4.1Patience is flanked by 2 groups of soldiers
4.2 Wraith holds a spear
4.3 Patience is threatened by Wraith holding a spear
4.4 Wraith prepares to throw a spear at Patience
4.5 Patience deflects Wraith’s spear
4.6 Wraith strikes at Patience with a sword
4.7 Wraiths sword breaks into pieces
4.8 Wraith commits suicide on her spear
4.9 Patience stands victorious over Wraith
4.10 Patience and Job walk through a warring host
5-Humility vs. Pride
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 13v-17v
5.1 Pride rides a horse with a lion skin on its back
5.2 Pride attempts to trample Humility
5.3 Pride falls from her horse into a dark pit
5.4 Humility stands over Pride and her horse
5.5 Hope offers the sword of vengeance to Humility
5.6 Humility, accompanied by Hope, decapitates Pride
5.7 Humility holds up Prides head
5.8 Hope stands over Prides headless corpse
5.9 Ascension of Hope to Heaven
6-Sobriety vs. Luxury
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 18r-22r
6.1 Luxury sits at feast
6.2 Luxury prepares for battle
6.3 Luxury rides her chariot
6.4 Luxury enchants two Virtues
6.5 The Virtues drop their spears
6.6 Luxury Dances while the Virtues surrender
6.7 Sobriety chastise the dissenting Virtues
6.8 Sobriety confronts Luxury
6.9 Luxury’s horse panics at the sight of the cross, throwing Luxury
6.10 Sobriety delivery a victory speech
6.11 After hearing of Luxury’s death, Jest throws away his cymbols
6.12 Amor flees dropping his bow and quiver
6.13 Ostentation is dressed in vain flowing robes
6.14 Pleasure runs through the thorns
6.15 Sobriety and the Virtues trample Luxury’s treasure
7- Good Works vs. Avarice
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 23v-30v
7.1 Avarice picks up Luxury’s treasure
7.2 Avarice with her booty
7.3 Avarice nurses the Vices, Cura, Famis, Metus, Anxietas, Periuria, Pallor, Corruptela, Dolus, Commenta, Insomnia and Sordes
7.4 Avarice forces a man to the ground, another has been blinded by her
7.5 Avarice lures a man to his death with treasure
7.6 Avarice drives five men into a fiery pit
7.7 Avarice disguises herself as the Virtue Frugality.
7.8 Avarice as Frugality deceives four people
7.9 Avarice as Frugality binds a man’s hands
7.10 Avarice as Frugality confuses the Virtues
7.11 Good Works fights Avarice and distributes her treasure to the poor and crippled
7.12 Avarice stands shocked by Good Works
7.13 Good Works presses Avarice arms
7.14 Good Works kills Avarice
7.15 Good Works gives Avarice’s treasure to the poor and crippled
7.16 Good Works addresses the troops
7.17 Peace drives away Metus, Labor and Fear
7.18 The Virtues disarm
8-Concord vs. Discord
British Library, Cotton Cleopatra C VIII, 30v-36v
8.1 The Virtues rejoice in their victory
8.2 Concord signals the Virtues to return to camp
8.3 The Virtues return to camp
8.4 The Virtues arrive at the camps gate
8.5 Discord attacks Concord
8.6 Discord disguised as a Virtue to captured by the Virtues
The following scenes are from Cambridge Corpus Christi:
8.7 A Virtue about to strike Discord with a sword
8.8 A Virtue strikes Discord
8.9 Discord is chopped into pieces
8.10 A Prisoner
8.11 Faith and ? converse
8.12 Faith and ? on bed. Men, cities
8.13 Faith and ? talk to some men
8.14 Faith addresses the Virtues
8.15 Faith and Concord layout the temples foundations
8.16 The temple of the Lord
8.17 Wisdom seated on a throne
8.18 Prudentius prays before the temple
See Also
Partial translation into English
Prudentius Peristephanon Manuscripts
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References
