Riddle of the Number Three

Ausonius, Decimus Magnus. Ausonius, Volume 1. Evelyn-White, Hugh G. (Hugh Gerard), editor. London, Cambridge, MA: William Heinemann, Ltd.; Harvard University Press, 1919.

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This work is a poetic composition that explores the theme of the number "three" and its square, "nine," by weaving together diverse fields of knowledge. In the prologue, the poet reveals the background of the work, the circumstances of its recovery, and his intention to dedicate it to a friend while justifying his conciseness. The main poem catalogs various examples associated with the numbers "three" and "nine," drawing from mythology, history, natural science, geometry, law, and literature. Through these examples, the poet illustrates the mystical order of numbers found within nature and human society. Ultimately, the poet declares that the entire poem will consist of exactly ninety lines, embodying the significance of the number "nine" through the very structure of the work.