Origin of Sin

Prudentius, A. Malamud Martha

Description

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.

Sujets

• Christianity
• History of religions
• Theology
• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 15 novembre 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801463051
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

The Or igin of Sin

A VOLUME IN THE SERIES Cornell Studies in Classical Philology

Edited by Fre derick M. Ahl,h eodore R. Brennan, Charles F. Brittain, Kevin M. Clinton, Gail J. Fine, David P. Mankin, Sturt W. Manning, Alan J. Nussbaum, Hayden N. Pelliccia, Pietro Pucci, Hunter R. Rawlings, III, Éric Rebillard, Jefrey S. Rusten, Barry S. Strauss

VOLUME LXI The Origin of Sin An English Translation of theHamartigenia

Prudentius

Translated and with an Interpretive Essay byMartha A. Malamud

A list of titles in this series is available at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

The Origin of Sin A Eîŝ Tàŝàîô ô éHamartigenia

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PRUDENTIUS

Translated and with an Interpretive Essay by Martha A. Malamud

COR N ELL U N I V ERSIT Y PR E S S IT H ACA A N D LON DON

Copyright © 2011 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2011 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2011

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Prudentius, b. 348.  [Hamartigenia. English]  h e origin of sin : an English translation of the Hamartigenia / Prudentius ; translated and with an interpretive essay by Martha A. Malamud.  p. cm. — (Cornell studies in classical philology ; v. 61)  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 978-0-8014-4222-3 (cloth : alk. paper)  ISBN 978-0-8014-8872-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1. Christian poetry, Latin—Translations into English. I. Malamud, Martha A., 1957– II. Title. III. Series : Cornell studies in classical philology ; v. 61.  PA6648.P6 H3313  871'.01—dc23 2011021222

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In memory of my beloved aunt,

Gisela Wehrhan Christian

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. . . ôû à’ ô évî àyéŝ, O évî àyŝ ôû à’, à évî ôûéŝ; I àkéŝŝ, à wî àéŝ côpàŝ ôû, A ŝôîûé; yé ô àôé . . .

Milton,Paradise Lost

CONTENTS

Acknowledg mentsix Note on Translations and Editionsxi

THE ORIGIN OF SIN:AN ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Preface3 h e Origin of Sin7

AN INTERPRETIVE ESSAY

Introduction51 1. Writing in Chains56 2. Figuring It Out76 3. Seeking Hidden Truth85 4. Falling into Language96 5. Under Assault112 6. Generation of Vipers129 7. Signs of Woe140 8.In Aenigmate170

Notes197 References213 Index223

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

HIS BOOK HAS BENEFITED GREATLY from the hard work of others— ship, T expending so much e for fort on a p roject not their own. Chris Francese especially Christopher Francese and Marc Mastrangelo, who had n o reason, other than collegiality at the highest level, and love of scholar- sent me detailed, cogent comments on almost every page of the translation, and Marc Mastrangelo provided equally detailed and challenging comments on the essay. I gratefully acknowledge their expertise and generosity. Emily Albu read and commented on both the text and the translation in sev- eral versions and helped clarify the structure of the argument and the placement of notes in the translation. Rebecca Krawiec made me aware of signiicant bibli- ography that would have otherwise escaped me. Margaret Malamud and Don McGuire put up with reading and hearing about innumerable versions of the evolving manuscript; I t hank them for their patience and encouragement. Neil Cofee deserves thanks for taking up the slack in the department when I was on leave and distracted by administrative duties. Brad Ault and Renee Bush pro- vided crucial support in the late stages of the project. John Dugan, coeditor of Arethusa, shouldered an extra editorial burden and provided advice, encourage- ment, and friendship throughout the writing of this book. And I thank Frederick Ahl, who has been an inspiration for many years; my approach to Latin poetry bears his indelible stamp. hreaders for Cornell University Press set high standards and e anonymous ofered incisive comments that have substantially improved the translation. I also beneited from the comments of the lively students and faculty of the Uni- versity of Toronto Department of Classics, and the participants in the Paciic Rim Roman Literature Seminar in Christchurch, New Zealand. Portions of this essay (Malamud 2002)irst appeared in thearly Christian StudiesJournal of E , whose anonymous readers were extremely helpful. I t hank Bruce McCombe, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University at Bufalo, and the Department of Classics there for granting me a s emester of research leave that enabled me to complete this project.