Quam supra nullae pendebant debita curae
Roscida desertis poma sub arboribus,
Et circum irriguo surgebant lilia prato
Candida purpureis mixta papaveribus.
‘In some respects both Tibullus and Ovid may claim the advantage over Propertius: Tibullus for refined simplicity, for natural grace and exquisiteness of touch; Ovid for the technical merits of execution, for transparency of construction, for smoothness and polish of expression. But in all the higher qualities of a poet Propertius is as much their superior.’—Postgate.
AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS CLEMENS, 348-circ. 410 A.D.
1. Life.
PRUDENTIUS.
Prudentius (as he tells us in the brief metrical autobiography prefixed to his poems) was born in the N. of Spain, and, like so many of the Roman poets, began his public life as an advocate. He was afterwards appointed by Theodosius (379-395 A.D.) judge over a district in Spain. His active and successful discharge of this office induced Theodosius (or Honorius, 395-423 A.D.) to promote him to some post of honour about the Emperor’s person. His later years he devoted to the composition of sacred poetry, and published his collected works 405 A.D., after which date we know no more of his history.