De Viris Illustribus (Petrarch)

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Petrarch

De viris illustribus (On Illustrious Men) is a collection of short biographies, written in Latin, by the 14th century Italian author Francesco Petrarca.
There is as yet no English translation, however Harvard University has it under contract to appear in the I Tatti Renaissance Library sometime in 2007.

• Liber I is 24 moral biographies of heroes of Greek and Roman antiquity (much like Polybius "The Histories" and Livy's figures in his Lives)

• Liber II is 12 moral biographies of Biblical and mythical figures (much like that found in Hebrew Bible, Greek mythology, Islamic prophets)

[edit] Liber I

These are the subjects of Petrarch's 24 biographies starting with Romulus, the mythological founder of Rome. Most of these are mentioned in Petrarch's epic poem Africa, for which he received the crown of poet laureate in 1341. Petrarch was the first to be given this title in about 1000 years from the time of Theodosius I. Jerome also has a listing On Illustrious Men.

Romulus and Remus
They established Rome

Publius Cornelius Scipio
Main character of epic poem

Storybook illustration depicting Scipio reluctant to carry out Senate's orders to obliterate Carthage. Today its only ruins.

Alexander conquering the world

Alexander, Macedonian King

Hannibal - Silver shekel, c. 230 BC

[edit] Liber II

Adam (first man) with Eve (first woman)

These are the subjects of Petrarch's 12 biographies starting with the first person of the Bible. Petrarch influenced Giovanni Boccaccio Lives On Famous Women of 106 biographies which starts with the first woman of the Bible. Below is the first person of the Bible and above in Liber I is the first mythical figures that started Rome. Boccaccio "Famous Women" of the Bible are modeled on Petrarch "Famous Men".

• Adam
• Noah
• Nimrod
• Ninus
• Abraham
• Isaac
• Jacob
• Joseph
• Moses
• Alexander
• Jason
• Hercules

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Petrarch's Africa translated in English by T.G. Bergin and A.S. Wilson 1977; New Haven and London, Yale University Press; ISBN 0-300-02062-7

[edit] References

• The Histories (Polybius)
• The Histories of Herodotus
• Plutarch's Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans
• The Histories or The Rise of the Roman Empire by Polybius:
  • At Perseus Project: English & Greek version
  • At "LacusCurtius": Translation by W. R. Paton (Loeb edition)
• Preface to Petrarch's de Viris Illustribus by JSTOR
• Most of Petrarch's works are here at The Petrarchan Grotto
• Works by Livy at Project Gutenberg that have subjects of Liber I are here
• Original displays of Petrarch's works at Cornell University Library Exhibition.
• Participating online group discussing all kinds of things about Petrarch's works. [1]
• Excellent site on many of Petrarch's works: Francesco Petrarch and Laura deNoves.
• The Catholic Encyclopedia, Published 1910 in New York by Robert Appleton Company.
• Made possible by support from the National Italian American Foundation Petrarch at 700.
• Polybius,  Histories of Lives, Evelyn S. Shuckburgh (translator), London - New York, (1889)
• Both Liber I and Liber II of Petrarch's De Viris Illustribus in Latin only is located at Bibliotecaitaliana.
• Smith, William; Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, "Logbasis", Boston, (1867)
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
• The New Testament has 27 books and the Old Testament has 39 books for a total of 66 books known as the Christian Bible.
• Petrarch in Print display at the University of Pennsylvania Library of De Viris illustribus translated into Italian by Donato degli Albanazi.
• Francis Petrarch Six Centuries Later: A Symposium. Studies in Romance Languages at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Petrarch: The German Connection

[edit] External Links

• Outline of contents of Africa in the Latin Vicipaedia
• Catholic Encyclopedia - Francesco Petrarch
• Literary Encyclopedia - Francesco Petrarch