Venantius Fortunatus

bishop|530-609 AD|Poitiers
Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus (c. 530-c. 609) was an Italian-born Latin poet who became the leading versifier of Merovingian Gaul and ended his life as bishop of Poitiers. Educated at Ravenna, he crossed the Alps around 565 and settled in Gaul, where he attached himself to the courts of Frankish kings and the circle of Queen Radegund and Abbess Agnes at the convent of the Holy Cross in Poitiers, for whom he composed much of his verse. His prolific output of occasional poems, epistolary verse, saints' lives, and hymns made him a crucial bridge between late-antique classical culture and the early medieval Latin tradition; his processional hymns 'Pange lingua gloriosi' and 'Vexilla regis prodeunt' entered the Western liturgy and are still sung today.
100
Letters sent
0
Letters received
100
Total letters
10
Correspondents

Top correspondents

All letters (100)

To Vitalisc. 566 AD

Ad Vitalem episcopum Ravennensem

venantius fortunatus #1001
To Placidinac. 566 AD

Ad Placidinam

venantius fortunatus #1017
To Euphronius, of Colonia Armeniæc. 567 AD

Ad Eufronium episcopum Turonensem

venantius fortunatus #3001
To Euphronius, of Colonia Armeniæc. 567 AD

Ad eundem

venantius fortunatus #3002
To Euphronius, of Colonia Armeniæc. 568 AD

Ad eundem

venantius fortunatus #3003
To Felixc. 568 AD

Ad Felicem episcopum Namneticum

venantius fortunatus #3004
To Felixc. 568 AD

Item ad Felicem episcopum ex nomine suo

venantius fortunatus #3005
To Felixc. 569 AD

Item ad eundem in laude

venantius fortunatus #3008
To Felixc. 569 AD

Ad Felicem episcopum de pascha

venantius fortunatus #3009
To Vilicusc. 570 AD

Ad Vilicum episcopum Mettensem

venantius fortunatus #3013
To Hilariusc. 570 AD

Ad Hilarium

venantius fortunatus #3016
To Hilariusc. 570 AD

Item ad eundem de opusculis suis

venantius fortunatus #3018
To Agricola, noblemanc. 571 AD

Ad Agricolam episcopum

venantius fortunatus #3019
To Felixc. 571 AD

Ad Felicem episcopum Biturigum, scriptum in turrem eius

venantius fortunatus #3020
To Avitusc. 571 AD

To my holy lord, praiseworthy for his apostolic deeds, my dear lord, particularly sweet in Christ, Father Avitus...

venantius fortunatus #3021
To Avitusc. 572 AD

Ad eundem

venantius fortunatus #3022
To the Venerable Amphion, Presbyterc. 572 AD

Ad virum venerabilem Anfionem presbyterum

venantius fortunatus #3024
To Abbot Paternusc. 573 AD

Ad Paternum abbatem de codice emendato

venantius fortunatus #3025
To Ruccoc. 573 AD

Ad Rucconem diaconum, modo presbyterum

venantius fortunatus #3026
To Johnc. 574 AD

Ad Iohannem diaconum

venantius fortunatus #3028
To Anthimiusc. 574 AD

Ad Anthimium diaconum

venantius fortunatus #3029
To Sindulfc. 574 AD

Ad Sindulfum diaconum

venantius fortunatus #3030
To Martin, Scholasticusc. 575 AD

Ad Martinum episcopum Galliciae

venantius fortunatus #5001
To Martin, Scholasticusc. 575 AD

Item ad eundem

venantius fortunatus #5002
To Gregoryc. 575 AD

Ad cives Turonicos de Gregorio episcopo

venantius fortunatus #5003
To Gregory of Toursc. 576 AD

Item ad eundem de Iudaeis conversis per Avitum episcopum Arvernum

venantius fortunatus #5005
To Syagriusc. 576 AD

Ad Syagrium episcopum Augustidunensem

venantius fortunatus #5006
To Felixc. 576 AD

Item ad Felicem episcopum Namneticum

venantius fortunatus #5007
To Bishop Gregoryc. 577 AD

Ad Gregorium episcopum post itiner

venantius fortunatus #5008
To Gregoryc. 577 AD

Ad eundem pro invitatione

venantius fortunatus #5009
To Gregoryc. 577 AD

Ad eundem pro commendatione mulieris

venantius fortunatus #5010
To Gregoryc. 578 AD

Ad eundem de itinere suo

venantius fortunatus #5011
To Gregoryc. 578 AD

Ad eundem salutatoria

venantius fortunatus #5012
To Gregoryc. 578 AD

Ad eundem pro pomis et grafiolis

venantius fortunatus #5013
To Gregoryc. 579 AD

Ad eundem de commendatione puellae

venantius fortunatus #5014
To Gregoryc. 579 AD

Ad eundem salutatoria

venantius fortunatus #5016
To Abbot Arediusc. 580 AD

Ad Aredium abbatem

venantius fortunatus #5019
To Aregius, of Vapincumc. 580 AD

We came to Cantum on a happy road,

venantius fortunatus #6008
To Dynamius, Patricianc. 581 AD

I wait for you, my love, venerable Dynamius,

venantius fortunatus #6010
To Dynamius, Patricianc. 581 AD

You have envied me, O seasons, my headlong love,

venantius fortunatus #6011
To Gogoc. 581 AD

While Orpheus moved the tuned strings with his thumb

venantius fortunatus #7001
To Gogoc. 582 AD

Nectar, wine, food, clothing, learning, resources —

venantius fortunatus #7002
To Gogoc. 582 AD

Whatever complaints the page just sent me contained,

venantius fortunatus #7003
To Gogoc. 582 AD

O clouds that come blown by the swift North Wind,

venantius fortunatus #7004
To Gogoc. 583 AD

When July, bearer of heat, burns the fiery sands

venantius fortunatus #7008
To Magnulfc. 584 AD

Ad Magnulfum fratrem Lupi

venantius fortunatus #7010
To Jovinusc. 584 AD

Ad Iovinum inlustrem ac patricium et rectorem provinciae

venantius fortunatus #7011
To Jovinusc. 584 AD

Item ad eundem

venantius fortunatus #7012
To Felixc. 585 AD

Ad Felicem socium

venantius fortunatus #7013
To Gunduariusc. 585 AD

Ad Gunduarium

venantius fortunatus #7017
To Flavusc. 585 AD

Ad Flavum

venantius fortunatus #7018
To Flavusc. 586 AD

Item ad Flavum et Euodium

venantius fortunatus #7019
To Prince Sigismundc. 586 AD

Ad Sigimundum

venantius fortunatus #7020
To Prince Sigismundc. 586 AD

Ad Sigimundum et Alagisilum

venantius fortunatus #7021
To Paternusc. 587 AD

Ad Paternum

venantius fortunatus #7023
To Count Galactoriusc. 587 AD

Ad Galactorium comitem

venantius fortunatus #7025
To Virgins of Æmonac. 588 AD

Among the apostolic ranks and the holy prophets,

venantius fortunatus #8004
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 588 AD

Powerful Radegund, of royal stock in the world —

venantius fortunatus #8005
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 588 AD

If the seasons were bringing me white lilies as usual

venantius fortunatus #8006
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 589 AD

The world's orb is gripped by the ice of winter cold

venantius fortunatus #8007
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 589 AD

O queen with power, to whom gold and purple are worthless,

venantius fortunatus #8008
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 589 AD

Radegund, mind fertile for God, life of the sisters —

venantius fortunatus #8009
To Queen Radegund, at Holy Cross monastery, Poitiersc. 590 AD

Whence has returned to me a face with shining light?

venantius fortunatus #8010
To Gregoryc. 590 AD

The kind voice of Gregory the physician came to the sick man

venantius fortunatus #8011
To Gregoryc. 590 AD

What a crime has crept into the holy enclosure of the assembly!

venantius fortunatus #8012
To Gregoryc. 591 AD

rightly the glory of your race where faith is most noble:

venantius fortunatus #8013
To Gregoryc. 591 AD

Lord bishop, good shepherd and author of honor,

venantius fortunatus #8014
To Gregoryc. 591 AD

Kind, blessed father, universal light, Gregory —

venantius fortunatus #8015
To Gregoryc. 592 AD

Ad eundem salutatoria

venantius fortunatus #8016
To Gregoryc. 593 AD

Ad eundem pro villa praestita

venantius fortunatus #8019
To Gregoryc. 593 AD

Ad eundem pro pellibus transmissis

venantius fortunatus #8021
To King Chilperic at the Synod of Berny-Rivièrec. 594 AD

Ad Chilpericum regem quando synodus Brinnaco habita est

venantius fortunatus #9001
To Chilperic and Queen Fredegundc. 594 AD

Item ad Chilpericum et Fredegundem reginam

venantius fortunatus #9002
To Chilpericc. 595 AD

Item ad Chilpericum et Fredegundem

venantius fortunatus #9003
To Gregoryc. 595 AD

Ad Gregorium episcopum pro metris Sapphicis

venantius fortunatus #9006
To Gregoriumc. 595 AD

Item ad Gregorium episcopum

venantius fortunatus #9007
To Bishop Ragnemodc. 596 AD

Ad Ragnemodum episcopum

venantius fortunatus #9008
To Abbot Droctoveusc. 596 AD

Ad Droctoveum abbatem

venantius fortunatus #9009
To Faramundusc. 596 AD

Ad Faramodum referendarium

venantius fortunatus #9010
To Presbyters and Deacons of Alexandriac. 597 AD

Ad Lupum et Waldonem diaconos

venantius fortunatus #9011
To Duke Chrodinusc. 597 AD

Ad Chrodinum ducem

venantius fortunatus #9014
To King Childebert and Queen Brunhildc. 598 AD

Ad Childebercthum regem et Brunichildem reginam, de natali sancti Martini

venantius fortunatus #10007
To Armentariac. 599 AD

Ad Armentariam matrem domni Gregorii episcopi

venantius fortunatus #10015
To Count Sigoaldus, Who Fed the Poor for the Kingc. 599 AD

Ad Sigoaldum comitem, quod pauperes pro rege paverit

venantius fortunatus #10017
To Count Galactorius of Bordeauxc. 599 AD

Ad Galactorium comitem

venantius fortunatus #10019
To Radegundc. 600 AD

Item ad eandem pro eulogiis transmissis

venantius fortunatus #11009