R. Dijkstra

Musurus’ Homeric Ode to Plato and his Requests to Pope Leo X

This article provides the first philological analysis and interpretation of the ode to Plato written by Marcus Musurus in 1513 in Venice and published as a dedicatory poem in the editio princeps of the works of Plato. Musurus asks pope Leo X to found a Greek academy in Rome and start a crusade against the Ottoman empire to liberate Greece. The article includes the first modern translation of the entire poem since Roscoe (1805).

The apostles as instruments of social engagement. The poetical representations of the apostles as a means of influencing society

Christian poetry flourished in the fourth century, especially in the Latin West. This chapter discusses the significance of fourth century Christian poetry. Poetry was an appropriate means to spread a message among all Christians. Christian poets were well aware of this potential of poetry and tried to make use of it. This leads to the question what they wanted to communicate through their poems. The chapter argues that they used their poems to promote two important ecclesiastical issues: the promotion of unity within the church and the promotion of the primacy of Peter. The poetry, in Greek, by Gregory of Nazianzus and his nephew Amphilochius of Iconium is characterized by its overtly didactic purpose. One of the clearest examples of Gregorys didactic concerns might be his poem 1.1.19: an enumeration of the names of the twelve apostles in hexameters. Keywords: apostles; Christian poetry; ecclesiastical issues; Gregory of Nazianzus

Tastbare resten van een succesverhaal

Bespreking van: Arnold Provoost,De eerste christenen. Hun denken en doen Leuven/Kampen:Davidsfonds/Kok ,2009 97890977942383

BELLUM OMNE FLAGRET

Jacob Balde was in close contact with important persons such as the palatinate Maximilian I and the French diplomat D’Avaux. The latter was an influential participant of the Westphalian peace negotiations. Balde showed his political commitment by the dedication of the ninth book of his Silvae to D’Avaux. This article tries to put the publication of Silvae 9 in its historical context. Furthermore, it provides the first integral and literal translation as well as a commentary on Silvae 9.26 — the last political poem of that collection. This poem bears witness to Balde’s desire for peace, for it summons the negotiators, after a fictitiously concluded peace, not to set off fireworks, but to burn all the armaments of the war.