common use of the classical masterpieces cannot account for all the points of resemblance between the two, and a study of the works of the younger poet proves that he based whole passages on Ausonius and imitated him frequently in diction and phraseology.1 In a lesser degree Prudentius and Rutilius Namatianus clearly show an indebtedness to Ausonius. The Eucharisticos of Paulinus of Pella contains many phrases and forms of expression borrowed from him.2 Other authors whose works indicate a knowledge of our poet are Avitus, Paulinus Petricordiae, Dracontius, Ennodius, Fulgentius, Cyprianus.3 But none of the above writers except Paulinus of Nola mentions Ausonius, nor does his name occur in any later author except Sidonius Apollinaris and a grammarian who wrote not earlier than the middle of the seventh century. Sidonius Apollinaris, Ausonius' fellow-countryman, entertained a high esteem for his poetic powers, as is seen from the single reference found in his works. Writing to a friend he says: Nam tuorum peritiae comparatus non solum Cornelios oratores sed Ausonios quoque poetas vincere potes. But not content with mere admiration, he also imitated him in numerous passages and used many of the rarer words employed by Ausonius." 5 Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (circ. 535–600) wrote three poems relating to the Mosella which have been frequently published with Ausonius' poem on that river. In III, 1 Cf. parallel passages given in Birt's edition of Claudian; de Mirmont, 1.1., pp. 203-220. 2 Cf. parallel passages given in Brandes' edition of Paulinus. 7 Besides the authors given above de Mirmont names also Symphosius, Flavius Felix, Eusthenius, Maximinus and the author of Votum ad Oceanum. * Keil, V, 579 ff.; cf. Schenkl, p. xvii; Peiper, Jahrb. Phil. Suppl. XI, p. 297. 5 Epist. IV, 14, 2. 6 Cf. e.g. Mos. 341-8 and Sid. Apoll. Carm. XVIII, 3 ff.; XIX, 1–2. 7 E.g. by Tross, Böcking, Hosius, Hessel, as given under Bibliography IV. De Mirmont, 1.1., p. 255, includes two other poems, VII, 4 and I, 21, which show F's indebtedness to A's poems. 12, De Castello Nicetii Episcopi Treverensis super Mosellam, containing forty-four lines in elegiac metre, he describes the castle of Nicetius, Bishop of Trèves, located on the Mosella. III, 13 is a poem of the same length and metre as the preceding, addressed to Vilicus, Bishop of Metz. These two poems praise the river, its clear waters and swaying grasses, the green hills, fertile vineyards and rich fields that line its banks, and its numerous varieties of fish, more briefly than was done by the older poet, yet often in terms similar to those used by him. But it is X, 9, De Navigio Suo, that shows the greatest resemblance to the poem of Ausonius. Both poets are describing a journey on the Moselle; Ausonius travelled up the river from Neumagen to Trèves; Fortunatus sails down from Metz to Coblentz and into the Rhine. The latter tells of the villas along the bank, of the lofty cliffs, of the tributaries of the river, the hills thickly covered with vines that move in the breezes and the busy grape-gatherers, all of which is reminiscent of passages in the poem written two centuries earlier. While Fortunatus' indebtedness to Ausonius appears chiefly in the poems noted above, there are passages elsewhere in his works which show the influence of Ausonius.1 There is but one other notable imitator of Ausonius, and that is Ermenricus, a monk of Elwangen, who in a letter to the abbot Grimaldus written between 850 and 855 appropriates some verses of the Mosella. This letter is a long treatise, chiefly on grammatical and theological subjects, in which writers of the late Latin period, especially the grammarians, are freely drawn upon, being frequently quoted verbatim. There are five poems scattered throughout the work, in the first and last of which Ermenricus incorporates portions of the Mosella, sometimes without change, again by slightly altering the form of a 1 Schenkl, p. xvii, says he has found no traces of imitation of A. in the poems of Fortunatus; but cf. the detailed treatment of de Mirmont, 1.1., pp. 254-263, who cites numerous passages which show points of similarity. word, or by substituting one or more new words in a line; while in one or two instances he freely imitates a passage of several lines.1 1 There is but one passage in the first poem which is borrowed from the Mosella; the others are found in the "Epigram" at the end of the treatise. The portions of the Mosella used are vv. 201-3, 223-9, 396–8, 407, 418– 437. Priscian's Periegesis e Dionysio is used in similar fashion by Ermenricus; cf. H. E. Bonnell, Zu Priscianus und Ausonius, Philol. VIII, pp. 440-444; de Mirmont, 1.1., pp. 263-5. IV HISTORY OF THE TEXT The history of the text of Ausonius is so complicated that it is impossible to solve all the problems that arise in a study of it. In the following pages no attempt has been made to go into the details of the subject; the main facts derived from statements of the poet himself about the circulation and publication of his works, and from the nature of the various classes of manuscripts and their probable relation are set forth, and the most notable theories based thereon briefly discussed.1 On completing a poem or collection of poems Ausonius frequently sent it to some friend for revision and criticism, usually with a formal dedication. The person who received such a work would read it to others and have copies made, and in this way often cause it to be widely circulated without being actually published. A case in point is the Mosella, of which Symmachus complains that he has received no copy, but has seen the poem only through the kindness of others: Volitat tuus Mosella per manus sinusque multorum divinis a te versibus consecratus; sed tantum nostra ora praelabitur. . Spargas licet volumina tua et me semper excipias: fruemur tamen tuo opere, sed aliorum benignitate." Sometimes such circulation was made against the wish of the author; e.g. in Epist. XVII Ausonius says to Symmachus: Sat est unius erroris, quod aliquid meorum me paenitente vulgatum est: quod bona fortuna in manus amicorum incidit. 1 For all details consult the works given under Bibliography III, especially those of Brandes, Marx, Peiper, Schanz, Schenkl, and Seeck. 2 Epist. I, 14. 74 It was usually left to the decision of the one to whom the work was dedicated as to whether it should be published or not: thus, in the preface to the Ludus Ausonius says to Pacatus: Ignoscenda istaec an cognoscenda rearis, sive tegenda putes carmina quae dedimus. (vv.1-4) The result was that in a period when men manifested a somewhat exaggerated interest in literary productions many of these works were in all probability eventually published. Besides the works thus sent to friends there were others either addressed to the general reader or bearing no dedication or preface, and such were probably circulated or published by the author without submitting them for revision; e.g. Mosella and Urbes. The following statement in the preface of the Griphus shows the distinction between private circulation, however extensive, and formal publication: Iste nugator libellus iam diu secreta quidem, sed vulgi lectione laceratus perveniet tandem in manus tuas. Quem tu aut ut Aesculapius redintegrabis ad vitam, aut ut Plato iuvante Volcano liberabis infamia, si pervenire non debet ad famam.1 How far the fact of the publication of individual works is responsible for the condition of the existing manuscripts cannot now be determined. The different sequence of the works in the manuscripts may be the result, in some instances, of combining in one corpus a number of these separate publications.2 But since the fate of these detached works cannot be ascertained, 1 Kraemer, Res libraria cadentis antiquitatis Ausonii et Apollinaris Sidonii exemplis illustratur, pp. 14-22, treats fully this whole question, bringing out clearly the difference between private circulation and publication, and discussing the views of Peiper, Schenkl, Schanz and others. 2 Seeck, 1.1., pp. 503 ff., upholds this theory to explain the different order of works, as well as to account for important variants, in the separate groups of MSS. |