Did Petrarch write Africa?

Africa is an epic poem in Latin hexameters by the 14th-century Italian poet Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca).

When did Petrarch write Africa?

After his first visit to Rome in 1337, Petrarch began composing Africa, an epic poem concerning the Second Punic War, which he dedicated to Robert of Naples, king of Sicily, though it was not published until three decades after Petrarch’s death.

Where did Petrarch grow up?

Petrarch was born on July 20, 1304, in Arezzo, where his family was living in political exile. His parents were the Florentine notary Ser Petracco and Eletta Canigiani. His childhood was spent at Incisa and Pisa until 1312, when his family moved to Avignon, then the papal residence.

Did Petrarch know Greek?

Petrarch had acquired a copy, which he did not entrust to Leontius, but he knew no Greek; Petrarch said, “Homer was dumb to him, while he was deaf to Homer”.

Who is Francesco Petrarch What were his famous literary works?

His most notable works are the Trionfi, an allegorical procession of virtues, and Il Canzoniere, his songbook of 366 poems, most of them devoted to the love of a mysterious woman named Laura. Petrarch’s influence cannot be overstated.

What did Petrarch write?

Petrarch’s writing was greatly admired during his lifetime, and he was crowned Rome’s poet laureate in 1341. The work Petrarch held in highest regard was his Latin composition Africa, an epic poem about the Second Punic War.

Where was Petrarch born?

Arezzo, ItalyFrancesco Petrarca / Place of birth

What is the historical value of the Africa by Petrarch?

The Africa has particular historical value because it contains Petrarch’s ideas about Roman history and the current state of Italian life then. Petrarch intended his epic poem to be a new Aeneid. The general theme of the Aeneid is followed by Petrarch’s story of the hero Cornelius Scipio.

What is the best English translation of Petrarch’s Africa?

The only complete English edition of the twentieth century is Petrarch’s Africa translation and annotated by Thomas G. Bergin and Alice S. Wilson of Yale University Press (1977). Latin, 1558. Bucolica, Africa, Epistolae Basel Italian, 1570. L’Africa del Petrarca in ottava rima insieme col testo Latino, tradotta da by F. Marretti.

Did Petrarch think of Laura in the Africa?

Scholar Aldo Bernardo in his book Petrarch, Scipio, and the Africa argues emphatically that Petrarch’s chief thought considerations were not of Laura, but that of his epic poem’s hero – Cornelius Scipio. The editio princeps of the Africa was first published and printed, as part of Petrarch’s collected works ( Opera omnia) at Venice in 1501.

What is the subject matter of Africa by Petrarch?

Petrarch’s Africa was conceived as a classical Latin poetic counterpart and the highlight of his similar De viris illustribus about famous men of ancient times. Many of the subjects of Africa are also found in De viris illustribus which is based on Livy’s extensive History of Rome.