Poems to Friends

Owing to the rich storehouse of information they contain, the poetry of Venantius Fortunatus (c535-600 CE) has long been mined as a historical source for Merovingian society, a focus that has tended to overshadow an appreciation of the poems' literary qualities. This volume, offering free-verse translations of Fortunatus' personal poetry, remains faithful to the historical sweep of the poet's lines while paying attention to the literary qualities that make these poems masterpieces of their kind. The volume includes an overview of late antique Gaul, Fortunatus' biography, interpretations of the poems, prosopographical introductions, maps, bibliography and indices.