Coelius Sedulius
Encyclopedia
Coelius Sedulius, was a Christian
poet
of the first half of the 5th century. He is termed a presbyter
by Isidore of Seville
and in the Gelasian decree.
Practically nothing is known about his life. The only trustworthy information is given by his two letters to Macedonius, from which we learn that he devoted his early life, perhaps as a teacher of rhetoric, to secular literature. Late in life he converted to Christianity, or, if a Christian before, began to take his faith more seriously. One medieval commentary states that he resided in Italy.
His fame rests mainly upon a long poem, Carmen paschale, based on the four gospel
s. In style a bombastic imitator of Virgil
, he shows, nevertheless, a certain freedom in the handling of the Biblical story, and the poem soon became a quarry for the minor poets. His other writings include an Abecedarian hymn
in honour of Christ, consisting of twenty-three quatrain
s of iambic dimeters, has partly passed into the liturgy
, the first seven quatrains forming the Christmas hymn "A solis ortus cardine
"; and the Epiphany
hymn, "Hostis Herodes impie." A "Veteris et novi Testamenti collatio" in elegiac couplets has also come down, but we have no grounds for ascribing to him the Virgilian cento
, "De verbi incarnatione."
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
of the first half of the 5th century. He is termed a presbyter
Presbyter
Presbyter in the New Testament refers to a leader in local Christian congregations, then a synonym of episkopos...
by Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville
Saint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
and in the Gelasian decree.
Practically nothing is known about his life. The only trustworthy information is given by his two letters to Macedonius, from which we learn that he devoted his early life, perhaps as a teacher of rhetoric, to secular literature. Late in life he converted to Christianity, or, if a Christian before, began to take his faith more seriously. One medieval commentary states that he resided in Italy.
His fame rests mainly upon a long poem, Carmen paschale, based on the four gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
s. In style a bombastic imitator 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...
, he shows, nevertheless, a certain freedom in the handling of the Biblical story, and the poem soon became a quarry for the minor poets. His other writings include an Abecedarian hymn
Abecedarian hymn
An abecedarian hymn is a hymn that begins with the letter A, and each verse or clause following begins with the next letter of the alphabet.The abecedarian hymn Altus Prosator is used on All Saints Day. Other such hymns include A patre unigenitus, Carmen paschale and Archangelum mirum magnum....
in honour of Christ, consisting of twenty-three quatrain
Quatrain
A quatrain is a stanza, or a complete poem, consisting of four lines of verse. Existing in various forms, the quatrain appears in poems from the poetic traditions of various ancient civilizations including Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and China; and, continues into the 21st century, where it is...
s of iambic dimeters, has partly passed into the liturgy
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
, the first seven quatrains forming the Christmas hymn "A solis ortus cardine
A solis ortus cardine
A solis ortus cardine is a Latin poem by Coelius Sedulius , narrating Christ's life from His birth to His resurrection. Its 23 verses each begin with a consecutive letter of the alphabet, making the poem an Abecedarius...
"; and the Epiphany
Epiphany (Christian)
Epiphany, or Theophany, meaning "vision of God",...
hymn, "Hostis Herodes impie." A "Veteris et novi Testamenti collatio" in elegiac couplets has also come down, but we have no grounds for ascribing to him the Virgilian cento
Cento (poetry)
A cento is a poetical work wholly composed of verses or passages taken from other authors; only disposed in a new form or order.- History :The term comes from the Latin cento, a cloak made of patches; and that from the Greek κέντρων. The Roman soldiers used these centones, or old stuffs patched...
, "De verbi incarnatione."
Editions
- F. Arevalo (Rome, 1794), reprinted in Jacques Paul MigneJacques Paul MigneJacques Paul Migne was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely-distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a universal library for the Catholic priesthood.He was born at Saint-Flour, Cantal and studied...
's Patrologia LatinaPatrologia LatinaThe Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
vol. xix. - Johann Huemer (Vienna, 1885).
- Victoria Panagl (Bearb.), Sedulius, Opera Omnia, Ex Recensione Iohannis Huemer (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, 10), Wien, 2007, XLVII, 532 S.
Further reading
- J. Huemer, De Sedulii poetae vita et scriptis commentatio (Vienna, 1878)
- Max Manitius, Geschichte der christlich-lateinischen Poesie (Stuttgart, 1891)
- Teuffel-Schwabe, History of Roman Literature (Eng. trans.), 473
- Herzog-Hauck, Realencyklopädie für protestantische Theologie, xviii. (Leipzig, 1906)
- Smith and Wace, Dictionary of Christian Biography (1887).
- Roger P H Green, Latin Epics of the New Testament: Juvencus, Sedulius, Arator, Oxford UP 2008 ISBN 9780199234573 (reviewed by Teresa Morgan in the article "Poets for Jesus", Times Literary Supplement 4 April 2008 p 31).