Antonio, Poet

ANTONIO, poet. - Presumed author of the Carmen adversus gentes, attributed by the manuscripts to Paolino di Nola. The poem (the 32nd), in 255 hexameters, in which the poet

criticizes paganism, Judaism, and philosophy, celebrates the joy of having found light and haven in the Christian religion. Since it begins thus: Discussi, fateor, sectas, Antonius, omnes, Gallandi considers its author to be an A. otherwise unknown. But many scholars, taking Antonius as a vocative, attribute the poem to Paolino. C. Morelli appears to have demonstrated, from its historical content and its defects of composition, learning, verse technique, language, and style, that the author cannot be Paolino, and proposes assigning it to the anonymous author of the pseudo-

Cyprianic Carmen ad Senatorem.

BIBL.: PL 5, 261-283; 61, 689-710; G. Hartel, in CSEL, 30, pp. 329-38; C. Morelli, in Didaskaleion, I (1912), pp. 481-94; O. Bardenhewer, Geschichte der äthrischen Literatur, III, Friburgo in Br. 1912, p. 576 following: M. Schanz, Geschichte der römischen Literatur, parte 4ª, I, 1ª metà, 2ª ed., Monaco 1914, p. 263; U. Moricea, Storia della letteratura latina cristiana, II, II, Torino 1928, pp. 1038-40.

Michele Pellegrino

Cite this article

“ANTONIO, POETA.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. I (1948), p. 919. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/antonio-poeta.