Carmen de bello Saxonico
Encyclopedia
The Carmen de bello Saxonico is a epic
retelling in 757 hexameters in three books of the first phase of the Saxon Rebellion
against the Emperor Henry IV, from its inception until the Battle of Spier in October 1075. It is also limited geographically to the Harz
region. It is strongly imperialist in tone, and complements the pro-Saxon history of . It was first written within months of the events it describes. The only existing manuscript dates from the sixteenth century. It received its first critical edition from Georg Heinrich Pertz
in 1851.
There is internal evidence that the anonymous author made use of Virgil
, Horace
, Lucan
, Ovid
, Sedulius
, Venantius Fortunatus
and the anonymous Poeta Saxo
, and that he was familiar with the imperial court. Early students of the text proposed as its author Lampert of Hersfeld, but this suggestion was quickly dispelled. Today it is commonly thought that the same anonymous poet composed the Vita Heinrici IV imperatoris, a biography of Henry IV, some three decades after composing the Carmen. His familiarity with local geography hints that he may have been a royalist Saxon, like the Poeta Saxo of two centuries earlier.
Epic poetry
An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Oral poetry may qualify as an epic, and Albert Lord and Milman Parry have argued that classical epics were fundamentally an oral poetic form...
retelling in 757 hexameters in three books of the first phase of the Saxon Rebellion
Saxon Rebellion
The Saxon Rebellion or Rebellion of the Saxons refers to the struggle between the Salian royal family and the rebel Saxons during the reign of King Henry IV. This reached its climax in the period from summer 1073 until the end of 1075, in a rebellion that involved armed conflict...
against the Emperor Henry IV, from its inception until the Battle of Spier in October 1075. It is also limited geographically to the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
region. It is strongly imperialist in tone, and complements the pro-Saxon history of . It was first written within months of the events it describes. The only existing manuscript dates from the sixteenth century. It received its first critical edition from Georg Heinrich Pertz
Georg Heinrich Pertz
thumb|Georg Heinrich PertzGeorg Heinrich Pertz , was a German historian born at Hanover.From 1813 to 1818 he studied at the University of Göttingen, chiefly under A. H. L. Heeren...
in 1851.
There is internal evidence that the anonymous author made use of Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
, Horace
Horace
Quintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, Lucan
Lucan
Lucan is the common English name of the Roman poet Marcus Annaeus Lucanus.Lucan may also refer to:-People:*Arthur Lucan , English actor*Sir Lucan the Butler, Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend...
, Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, Sedulius
Sedulius
Sedulius may refer to:* Coelius Sedulius, Christian poet of the 5th century* Sedulius Scottus, grammarian of the 9th century...
, Venantius Fortunatus
Venantius Fortunatus
Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus was a Latin poet and hymnodist in the Merovingian Court, and a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. He was never canonised but was venerated as Saint Venantius Fortunatus during the Middle Ages.-Life:Venantius Fortunatus was born between 530 and 540 A.D....
and the anonymous Poeta Saxo
Poeta Saxo
The anonymous Saxon poet known as Poeta Saxo, who composed the medieval Latin Annales de gestis Caroli magni imperatoris libri quinque was probably a monk of Sankt Gallen or possibly Corvey...
, and that he was familiar with the imperial court. Early students of the text proposed as its author Lampert of Hersfeld, but this suggestion was quickly dispelled. Today it is commonly thought that the same anonymous poet composed the Vita Heinrici IV imperatoris, a biography of Henry IV, some three decades after composing the Carmen. His familiarity with local geography hints that he may have been a royalist Saxon, like the Poeta Saxo of two centuries earlier.