Christiad
Encyclopedia
The Christiad is an epic poem
in six canto
s on the life of Christ
by Marco Girolamo (Marcus Hieronymus) Vida
modeled on Virgil
. It was first published in Cremona
in 1535 (see 1535 in poetry
).
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...
in six canto
Canto
The canto is a principal form of division in a long poem, especially the epic. The word comes from Italian, meaning "song" or singing. Famous examples of epic poetry which employ the canto division are Lord Byron's Don Juan, Valmiki's Ramayana , Dante's The Divine Comedy , and Ezra Pound's The...
s on the life of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
by Marco Girolamo (Marcus Hieronymus) Vida
Marco Girolamo Vida
Marco Girolamo Vida or Marcus Hieronymus Vida was an Italian humanist, bishop and poet. Born at Cremona, Vida joined the court of Pope Leo X and was given a prior at Frascati. He became bishop of Alba in 1532....
modeled on 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...
. It was first published in Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
in 1535 (see 1535 in poetry
1535 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:* Baptista Mantuanus' Eclogues prescribed for schoolboys studying Latin poetry in Braunschweig; at the same time, the work is used in schools in Nordlingen, Memmingen and Emmerich-Works published:*...
).
Modern Editions
- G.C. Drake and C.A. Forbes, 1978 ISBN 0809308142 (Latin text and English translation)
External links
- John Cranwell's English translation (scan) of Vida
- Edward Granan's translation (scan)
- Another Christiad (not Vida's), by Henry Kirke WhiteHenry Kirke WhiteHenry Kirke White was an English poet, who died at a young age.White was born in Nottingham, the son of a butcher, a trade for which he was himself intended. However, he was greatly attracted to book-learning...
(scan). - A Christiad by Wm. AlexanderWilliam AlexanderWilliam Alexander , who claimed the disputed title of Earl of Stirling, was an American major-general during the American Revolutionary War.-Life:...
(scan, pp. 71sqq).