The Origin of Sin

An English Translation of the "Hamartigenia"

Fiction & Literature, Poetry
Cover of the book The Origin of Sin by Prudentius, Cornell University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Prudentius ISBN: 9780801463068
Publisher: Cornell University Press Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Cornell University Press Language: English
Author: Prudentius
ISBN: 9780801463068
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Publication: December 15, 2009
Imprint: Cornell University Press
Language: English

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348–ca. 406) is one of the great Christian Latin writers of late antiquity. Born in northeastern Spain during an era of momentous change for both the Empire and the Christian religion, he was well educated, well connected, and a successful member of the late Roman elite, a man fully engaged with the politics and culture of his times. Prudentius wrote poetry that was deeply influenced by classical writers and in the process he revived the ethical, historical, and political functions of poetry. This aspect of his work was especially valued in the Middle Ages by Christian writers who found themselves similarly drawn to the Classical tradition.

Prudentius's Hamartigenia, consisting of a 63-line preface followed by 966 lines of dactylic hexameter verse, considers the origin of sin in the universe and its consequences, culminating with a vision of judgment day: the damned are condemned to torture, worms, and flames, while the saved return to a heaven filled with delights, one of which is the pleasure of watching the torments of the damned. As Martha A. Malamud shows in the interpretive essay that accompanies her lapidary translation, the first new English translation in more than forty years, Hamartigenia is critical for understanding late antique ideas about sin, justice, gender, violence, and the afterlife. Its radical exploration of and experimentation with language have inspired generations of thinkers and poets since—most notably John Milton, whose Paradise Lost owes much of its conception of language and its strikingly visual imagery to Prudentius's poem.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348–ca. 406) is one of the great Christian Latin writers of late antiquity. Born in northeastern Spain during an era of momentous change for both the Empire and the Christian religion, he was well educated, well connected, and a successful member of the late Roman elite, a man fully engaged with the politics and culture of his times. Prudentius wrote poetry that was deeply influenced by classical writers and in the process he revived the ethical, historical, and political functions of poetry. This aspect of his work was especially valued in the Middle Ages by Christian writers who found themselves similarly drawn to the Classical tradition.

Prudentius's Hamartigenia, consisting of a 63-line preface followed by 966 lines of dactylic hexameter verse, considers the origin of sin in the universe and its consequences, culminating with a vision of judgment day: the damned are condemned to torture, worms, and flames, while the saved return to a heaven filled with delights, one of which is the pleasure of watching the torments of the damned. As Martha A. Malamud shows in the interpretive essay that accompanies her lapidary translation, the first new English translation in more than forty years, Hamartigenia is critical for understanding late antique ideas about sin, justice, gender, violence, and the afterlife. Its radical exploration of and experimentation with language have inspired generations of thinkers and poets since—most notably John Milton, whose Paradise Lost owes much of its conception of language and its strikingly visual imagery to Prudentius's poem.

More books from Cornell University Press

Cover of the book History Is a Contemporary Literature by Prudentius
Cover of the book Stopping the Bomb by Prudentius
Cover of the book The Triangle Fire by Prudentius
Cover of the book Deadly River by Prudentius
Cover of the book Immigrant Girl, Radical Woman by Prudentius
Cover of the book The Fate of Freedom Elsewhere by Prudentius
Cover of the book A History of Medieval Spain by Prudentius
Cover of the book Bach in Berlin by Prudentius
Cover of the book This Could Be the Start of Something Big by Prudentius
Cover of the book Literary Transcendentalism by Prudentius
Cover of the book The Politics of the Headscarf in the United States by Prudentius
Cover of the book Emotional Diplomacy by Prudentius
Cover of the book To Shape Our World for Good by Prudentius
Cover of the book Arctic Mirrors by Prudentius
Cover of the book Japan Prepares for Total War by Prudentius
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy