Preface

Prudentius, Volume 1. Thomson, H. J, editor. London; Cambridge, Mass.: William Heinemann Ltd., Harvard University Press, 1949 (printing).

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This poetic work features a poet who, having reached the age of fifty-six, reflects on his past life and declares his resolve to dedicate his remaining years to the praise of God. The poet looks back on his worldly pursuits, including his youth spent on rhetoric, his early transgressions, and his career in public office. Recognizing all these secular achievements as empty and fleeting, he expresses deep repentance as he senses the approach of death. He resolves to spend his remaining days writing hymns, praising God day and night, and honoring the holy martyrs. Ultimately, the work depicts the poet's profound piety and his confessional determination to seek salvation not through worldly wealth, but through sacred poetry.