Optatianus porphyrius biography
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Porphy'rius, Publi'lius Optatia'nus
a Roman poet, who lived in the age of Constantine the his panegyric on this emperor, we learn that he had been banished for some reason; and Constantine was so pleased with the flattery of the poet, that he not only recalled him from exile, but honoured him with a letter. Hieronymus says that he was restored to his native country in A. D. ; but the panegyric must have been presented to Constantine in A. D. , as in the manuscript it is said to have been composed in the Vicennaliaof the emperor, which were celebrated in this year, and likewise from the fact that the poet praises Crispus, the son of Constantine, who was put to death by order of his the in A. D. We may therefore conclude that the panegyric was written in the previous year. and was intended to celebrate the Vicennalia of the emperor It is probable that Publilius, after his return, was raised to offices of honour and trust, since Tillemont points out (Histoire des Empereurs,vol. iv. p. ), from an ancient writer on the praefects of the city, that there was a Publilius Optatianus, praefect of the city in A. D. , and again in , and it is likely enough that he was the same person as the poet. This is all that we know for certain respecting his life. From the way in which he spe•
Publilius Optatianus Porfyrius
Publilius Optatianus Porfyrius[1] (fl. 4th century) was a Latin poet, possibly a native of Africa. Porfyrius has been identified with Publilius Optatianus, who was praefectus urbi in and For some reason he had been banished, but having addressed a panegyric to the Emperor Constantine I, he was allowed to return.[2]
Works
[edit]Twenty-eight poems are extant under his name, of which twenty were included in the panegyric. The content of the poetry is rather trivial. However, the form of the works can be regarded as a specimen of perverted ingenuity.[2] Some of them are squares (the number of letters in each line being equal), certain letters being rubricated so as to form a pattern or figure, and at the same time special verses or maxims. Others represent various objects (a syrinx, an organ, an altar). Others have special peculiarities in each line (number of words or letters) while the eighth poem (the versus anacyclici) may be read backwards without any effect upon sense or metre. A complimentary letter from the emperor and letter of thanks from the author are also extant.[2]
The manuscript tradition attributes to Optatianus an extensive, but uneven, body of work, which includes poems written at
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The Carmina concede Publilius Optatianus Porphyrius captain the Originative Process
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