First page of the 1501 edition of Petrarch's

''Africa'' is an epic poem in

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

hexameters by the 14th-century Italian poet

Petrarch Francesco Petrarca (; 20 July 1304 – 18/19 July 1374), commonly anglicized as Petrarch (), was a scholar and poet of early Renaissance Italy, and one of the earliest humanists. Petrarch's rediscovery of Cicero's letters is often credited ...

(Francesco Petrarca). It tells the story of the

Second Punic War The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of three wars fought between Carthage and Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For 17 years the two states struggled for supremacy, primarily in Ital ...

, in which the Carthaginian general

Hannibal Hannibal (; xpu, 𐤇𐤍𐤁𐤏𐤋, ''Ḥannibaʿl''; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Pu ...

invaded Italy, but

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

forces were eventually victorious after an invasion of north

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

led by

Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus (, , ; 236/235–183 BC) was a Roman general and statesman, most notable as one of the main architects of Rome's victory against Carthage in the Second Punic War. Often regarded as one of the best military co ...

, the epic poem's hero.Bergin and Wilson, p. xix.

Background

''Africa'' and ''

De viris illustribus ''De Viris Illustribus'', meaning "concerning illustrious men", represents a genre of literature which evolved during the Italian Renaissance in imitation of the exemplary literature of Ancient Rome. It inspired the widespread commissioning of ...

'' were partially inspired by Petrarch's visit to Rome in 1337. According to Bergin and Wilson (p. ix). ''It seems very likely that the inspirational vision of the Eternal City must have been the immediate spur to the design of the ''Africa'' and probably ''De viris illustribus'' as well.'' After returning from his grand tour, the first sections of Africa were written in the valley of

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; oc, Vauclusa, label= Provençal or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.Jackson, p. 480 Petrarch recalls The fact that he abandoned it early on is not entirely correct since it was far along when he received two invitations (from Rome and from Paris) in September 1340 each asking him to accept the crown as

poet laureate A poet laureate (plural: poets laureate) is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, typically expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. Albertino Mussato of Padua and Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch ...

.Bergin and Wilson, p. xi. A preliminary form of the poem was completed in time for the laurel coronation April 8, 1341 (Easter Sunday). Petrarch spoke of this It could easily be inferred from this wording that the epic poem was far enough along to receive this flattering colloquy. By 1343 the work was ''provvisoriamente'' finished as we have it today worldwide. Petrarch had been with the court of Cardinal Giovanni Colonna in the days he lived at Avignon around 1330. He was ordained in the Catholic priesthood, as ''capellanus continuous'', in the lower ranks. He received additional support from the Roman Colonna dynasty for his work on Cornelius Scipio.

Examination

Petrarch's epic poem was dedicated to Robert of Naples, king of

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

.Howard, p. 188 The king gave him a three-day oral examination at his residence a few days prior to see if he was qualified to receive the laurel crown.Howard, p. 188 King Robert's examination and the legal document ''privilegium laureations '' shows the ceremony was a medieval academic event; however, Petrarch intended this grand event to be a new age - the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ide ...

, a time of rebirth of the Roman classical traditions of twelve hundred years before. The symbolism of the event among the ''loco ipso'' (ruins of classical Rome) was a resurrection event, a day to start bringing back the classical era.

Coronation

Petrarch's "Coronation Oration" (a.k.a. ''Collatio laureationis'') is the formal public speech of acceptance by him of the title

on April 8, 1341 (Easter Sunday), for his work on ''Africa'' about Cornelius Scipio.JSTOR Petrarch's Coronation Oration
/ref> Petrarch's speech, given in the form of a medieval sermon, demonstrates the gradual transition from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

to the

. It is considered the first

manifesto A manifesto is a published declaration of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an individual, group, political party or government. A manifesto usually accepts a previously published opinion or public consensus or promotes a ...

of the Renaissance. Petrarch looked at his laureateship as political.Scanlon, p. 179 In his grand speech he said of the description of his laurel that it was ''...equally appropriate of Caesars and poets.'' It was a triumphal event where

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

s were blared. King Robert gave Petrarch a special robe to wear in honor of this event. He was given the titles of "poet," "master," "professor" of poetry and history and "the most famous private citizen then living." At the time of the coronation, the ''Africa'' consisted of just a few books (maybe four out of the nine written). Petrarch points out his work needed some final touches, because in the ''Metrical Letter'' at the coronation he wrote ''The little book itself, now growing bold,'' ''Burns with desire to run and cast itself'' ''Before those sacred feet,'' ''and day and night,'' ''pleads for release'' Petrarch speaks of other famous poets in his "coronation oration" (''privilegium laureationis'')

Influences

Historical foundation

Petrarch's reference to Livy places much value in the historical integrity of his ''Africa'' and sets the groundwork as being true past events. The main plot, being the ancient historical events of the

, are taken directly from Livy's extensive Roman work of the "Foundation of the City" Books 21 to 30. The coronation for the historical work of Cornelius Scipio and the Second Punic War in the ''Africa'' shows the creditability and trust for Petrarch. He was later labelled "father of humanism" for the reconstruction of Livy's records that he did on various previously lost versions. The ''Africa'' has particular historical value because it contains Petrarch's ideas about Roman history and the current state of Italian life then.

Virgil's ''Aeneid''

Petrarch intended his epic poem to be a new ''

Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who fled the fall of Troy and travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of ...

''. The general theme of the ''Aeneid'' is followed by Petrarch's story of the hero Cornelius Scipio. The ''Aeneid'' not only provided Petrarch with a rhetorical cultivation but also with a collection of epic emotions to work from. The ''Aeneid'' and the ''Africa'' complement each other, as the former describes the foundation of Rome and the latter Rome's rise to world power.

''Scipio's Dream''

Livy and Cicero's version of the '' Dream of Scipio'', which are rebuilt in the poem, complement each other and are sources of the ''Africa''. The dream shapes the context from which the poem is to be understood. Scipio's love for justice drove him to avenge his father's and uncle's death by the Carthaginians.

''Divine Comedy''

Petrarch very likely was influenced by Dante's ''

Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature a ...

'' for his ''Africa''. Dante's prestigious work was well known and surely a challenge to him. Dante's remarks of praise of medieval heroes in his ''Comedia, Convivio, Espitole'' and ''De monarchia'' also had an influence on Petrarch.

Sophonisba

Livy (30.12.11-15.11) is the historical source of Sophonisba, however the poetic design is based on Virgil's ''Aeneid.'' Petrarch intentionally did this to increase the importance of Sophonisba to the level of a new Dido (queen of Carthage). In Book 6 Sophonisba is captured by the poem's hero, Cornelius Scipio. She commits suicide so she does not become Scipio's nor Rome's war prize. Here she shows her love for Massinissa. There is a fundamental difference between Virgil's ''Aeneid'' and Petrarch's ''Africa.'' Virgil's Dido blames Rome for the ruin of herself as does Sophonisba. In Petrarch's poem the hero, Scipio, does not come to an end.

Africanus

Petrarch could have chosen between

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

and Cornelius Scipio for a great Roman hero to write about and decided on Scipio. Caesar's life did not represent Christian values that he wanted to convey to the reader. Cornelius Scipio, the hero of the poem, received the

agnomen An ''agnomen'' (; plural: ''agnomina''), in the Roman naming convention, was a nickname, just as the '' cognomen'' was initially. However, the ''cognomina'' eventually became family names, so ''agnomina'' were needed to distinguish between sim ...

(nickname) of ''Africanus'' for defeating Hannibal and the Carthaginians. The title for the poem ''Africa'' is based on the nickname of the hero.Bergin and Wilson, p. ix The adopted grandson of the poem's hero is Scipio Aemilianus, also known as Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus ''Africanus'' – receiving his like agnomen for destroying Carthage at the end of the Third Punic War.

Ecerinis

Petrarch's irresistible desire to imitate the ancients was probably influenced by Albertino Mussato's Latin tragic play ''Ecerinis'', which was modeled on

Seneca the Younger Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger (; 65 AD), usually known mononymously as Seneca, was a Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome, a statesman, dramatist, and, in one work, satirist, from the post-Augustan age of Latin literature. Seneca was born ...

's tragedy works.

Composition

Petrarch's ''Africa'' was conceived as a classical Latin poetic counterpart and the highlight of his similar ''De viris illustribus'' about famous men of ancient times.Everson, p. 96 Many of the subjects of ''Africa'' are also found in ''De viris illustribus'' which is based on Livy's extensive

History of Rome The history of Rome includes the history of the city of Rome as well as the civilisation of ancient Rome. Roman history has been influential on the modern world, especially in the history of the Catholic Church, and Roman law has influenced ...

. Petrarch wrote his historical Latin epic in the spirit of the main character of ''De viris illustribus'', Cornelius Scipio Africanus. In the ''De viris illustribus'' he wrote a ''Vita Scipionis'' (Life of Scipio) to serve as a historical backdrop for the main character. Cornelius Scipio, the hero of Petrarch's epic poem, also appears in other of Petrarch's works such as ''Rhymes'', ''Triumphs'', and ''De otio religiosorum.''Bergin, p. x Petrarch conceived his ''Africa'' as a poetic parallel of his ''

'' ("Illustrious Men"), that he was working on simultaneously. The ''Africa'' was inspired by Virgil and depended heavily on information that he was able to get from Livy and Cicero. He was at the high point of presenting himself as the poet historian intellectual of his time. There were two Scipios spoken about in Petrarch's epic poem. They were Scipio the Elder (235 B.C. - 183 B.C.) and his grandson Scipio the Younger (185 B.C. - 129 B.C.). Cornelius Scipio the Elder is the main character and is the victor of the

. He had the reputation of a chaste and temperate man.Bergin and Wilson, p. x Scipio the Younger is the victor of the Third Punic War and razed Carthage. Both had the nickname "Africanus".Bergin and Wilson, p. 1 Petrarch added the "bio" of Julius Caesar, ''De gestis Cesaris'' ("On the Deeds of Caesar"), later as the twenty-fourth and last character in the 1360s as an afterthought as the others were done in 1342–43 at Vaucluse.Kirkham, p. 107 He mentions in letters from Vaucluse around 1350 that he was working on a ''De viris illustribus'' that was wholly committed to those who were illustrious "from every country" and that he was "bringing together illustrious men from all lands and centuries." This is referenced in his ''Familiares'' 8.3 edited in 1351–52. This is known to scholars as an "all-ages" plan. Because of this research for ''De viris illustribus'' and the ''Africa'', encyclopedic and other sources refer to Petrarch as the first geographer and cartographer of modern times. Petrarch conceived his first plan for ''De viris illustribus'' of biographies of illustrious men of Jewish, oriental, Greek and Roman famous figures in 1337 before that of the ''Africa''. Scholars say Petrarch more than likely conceived ''Africa'' in 1338 based on this initial research of Lives for ''De viris illustribus''.Bergin, p. xi He wrote up his list of "Illustrious Men" from

Adam Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

and

Romulus Romulus () was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of these ...

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September 81 AD) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death. Before becoming emperor, Titus gained renown as a mili ...

in 1337–38, about the same time as he was writing his ''Africa'' (1338–39).Kohl, p. 133 Petrarch's earliest reference to writing a series of biographies of Lives can be found in the third book of his work ''

Secretum Secretum may refer to: *Secretum (book), a book by Petrarch *, a book by Monaldi & Sorti * Secretum (room) at the British Museum *A ''sigillum secretum'', a special seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a divers ...

'' which was originally written up around 1337. St. Augustine speaks to Petrarch It seems like Petrarch had the idea to write up a list of biographies of Roman leaders ("Illustrious Men") from the republican period before that of the ''Africa''.Kohl, p. 133 Petrarch was preoccupied with this idea of a series of biographies of Lives of ancient heroes (''De viris illustribus'') of generals and statesmen for almost forty years until his death and can be viewed as part of his total intellectual development. There were several plans of ''De viris illustribus''. In 1348-49 Petrarch made a larger version of Lives in his work on these ''Famous Men.'' Petrarch then went from these Lives of "Illustrious Men" into his work on the ''Africa'' using the research of ''De viris illustribus'' as the bases.Kohl, p. 134 Petrarch writes a letter to Luca Cristiani in 1349 concerning these Lives for ''De viris illustribus'' and his epic poem ''Africa'' that he was doing in the valley at Vaucluse; Petrarch saw his task in writing these two great endeavors as ''describing illustrious men, not lucky ones.'' He wanted to depict events that were controlled by them, not events that happened by luck or fortune.Kohl, p. 136 He wanted to be a critical historian and convey these illustrious men in dignity. For these reasons he is considered the first historian of the Renaissance.Kohl, p. 137

Poetic structure

Petrarch wrote his nine book epic poem in hexameters, the standard metre for Epic in Classical Latin and consisting of six metrical feet.Kirkham, p. 113, Petrarch probably intended his incomplete poem to be twelve books total based on Virgil's ''Aeneid,'' (also in hexameters). The main story centers around the time period of the Spanish campaign (205 BC) to the end of the Battle of Zama (202 BC). This is based on Livy's third decade of his ''History of Rome.''Kirkham, p. 114, Petrarch uses the Dream of Scipio as a beginning point to his epic poem in Books 1 and 2. He presents Scipio as the center figure. From here in Books 3 and 4 he gives the history of Scipio's friend Gaius Laelius being sent to

Syphax Syphax (, ''Sýphax''; , ) was a king of the Masaesyli tribe of western Numidia (present-day Algeria) during the last quarter of the 3rd century BC. His story is told in Livy's ''Ab Urbe Condita'' (written c. 27–25 BC).

to negotiate becoming a Roman ally and break off the relations with the Carthaginians. Book 5 and 6 then gives the history of Sophonisba, a new

Dido (Queen of Carthage) Dido ( ; , ), also known as Elissa ( , ), was the legendary founder and first queen of the Phoenician city-state of Carthage (located in modern Tunisia), in 814 BC. In most accounts, she was the queen of the Phoenician city-state of Tyre (t ...

. Book 7 gives the history of the Battle of Zama. Book 8 gives the history of the defeat of Carthage which concludes the Second Punic War. Book 9 shows Scipio returns to Rome for his triumphal victory celebration at the steps of the Capitol.

Synopsis

Petrarch's original conception as a goal for his epic poem was to bring back the glorious days of ancient Rome. There was a clash however between this fame for glory at his coronation and Christian values he was trying to impart to his readers. The story of the death of Mago Barcid (Book 6) and the Dream of Scipio (Books 1 and 2) entered in at this point. In the 1350s Petrarch reworked the ''Africa'' extensively to reflect this. These events ultimately established the main concepts of the poem. Petrarch was writing his third book of the ''

'', a sort of self investigation of moral values especially as it related to fame, structured as an imaginary dialogue with Saint Augustine, also in the 1350s. From this developed the ''Secretum's Africa,'' a conflict between the vanity of the glory for Rome and Christian values. Petrarch also set the rewritting in the 1350s in relation to events that recently happened. The

Black Death The Black Death (also known as the Pestilence, the Great Mortality or the Plague) was a bubonic plague pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causi ...

pandemic killed many of his friends, including his former patron and master Cardinal Stefano Colonna the Elder in 1348. In the revised version of his epic poem he makes references to his close friend king Robert of Naples (Book 9, 423–427). He portrays the concept that because of king Robert's death in 1343 that all hope is lost for a continuation of a renaissance that was initiated at the coronation sponsored by the king. Petrarch grieves over the momentum king Robert initiated for a "rebirth" of cultural values that is now lost. He gives hope, however, that in future centuries that the ''Africa'' will be rediscovered and enjoy its own "rebirth" alongside the glory of ancient Roman moral pursuits.

Critical reception and impact

Petrarch worked on his epic poem 1338-39 and 1343–44, however guarded it with his life and did not allow it to be circulated since he considered it unfinished. Petrarch continued to work on the ''Africa'' even after his coronation as poet laureate. He worked on his epic poem to the end of his life in 1374. There was then a struggle over who would have the honor of bringing out the authoritative version of Petrarch's famous poem. The competition became intense, especially between the humanists of Florence and Padua. Everson, p. 101 The text was finally made public by Pier Paolo Vergerio in 1396–1397, over two decades after his death. He officially published the first text of the ''Africa''.Bergin and Wilson, p. xiii There are 17 extant fifteenth century copies of the ''Africa,'' which shows how widely popular the poem was as a school textbook. Generally speaking however, the literary world gave little attention to Petrarch's epic poem and it was viewed as just a minor curiosity.Erik Ellis 2007
''Petrarch’s Africa I-IV: A Translation and Commentary''
MA Thesis. Baylor University. The first publication to the public was not until 1397. When Silius Italicus epic poem '' Punica'', also about the Second Punic War, was discovered in the fifteenth century it overshadowed Petrarch's medieval style ''Africa'' because the audience then loved classical works like Italicus'. Various editions of Petrarch's ''Opera Omnia'' (collected Latin works) from 1501 onward were little acknowledged or read. Leon Pingaud produced the first serious scholarly edition in Paris in 1872 and even it was done with little thought. Needless to say his work did little to the already long time tarnished reputation of the ''Africa.'' Francesco Corradini also put out a scholarly edition and it was more sympathetic, but did little to improve the already blemished reputation. Nicola Festa published a massive edition in 1926 and also a thesis ''Saggio sull’ Africa del Petrarca.'' His edition was clearer and much more like what Petrarch intended. These works by Festa received high marks in scholarly journals. Petrarch's ''Africa'' has had an increase in interest in Latin countries, however little reader interest elsewhere. A serious English scholarly work was done by Aldo Bernardo in 1962. Thomas G. Bergin and Alice Wilson published their English translation and commentary in 1977. The Renaissance scholars Bergin and Wilson have the only complete English translation. Other than these works few articles have been written on Petrarch's epic poem in English, however there have been various serious scholarly works written in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries in French, Italian, and German. To Petrarch, his ''Africa'' was his ''croce e delizia'' for the rest of his life. Petrarch set great store by ''Africa'' and his other classicizing works, but the epic was not particularly well-received because of the literary transposition from

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...

; the two parts of the ''death of Magone'' and the ''love story of Sofonisba'' have been rather better received. Historians show how it was quite likely that Petrarch met Chaucer and that the ''Africa'' and other of Petrarch's works influenced works of

Chaucer Geoffrey Chaucer (; – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant best known for '' The Canterbury Tales''. He has been called the "father of English literature", or, alternatively, the "father of English poetry". He w ...

, especially certain episodes of Canterbury Tales.J. Bazire, ''Middle English, Chaucer'', The Year's Work in English Studies, 1957, XXXVIII(1):92-105; Scholar Aldo Bernardo in his book ''Petrarch, Scipio, and the Africa'' argues emphatically that Petrarch's chief thought considerations were not of Laura, but that of his epic poem's hero - Cornelius Scipio.

Publication history

The ''editio princeps'' of the ''Africa'' was first published and printed, as part of Petrarch's collected works (''Opera omnia'') at

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in 1501. Petrarch's epic poem was printed again as a Venetian edition in 1503. There were also in 1554 to 1558

Basel , french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese , neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (B ...

editions printed which forms the basis for all later editions.Wade, p. 434 In 1872 it received special treatment in Paris by L. Pingaud. In 1874 came an edition by Francesco Corradini from

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

.Bergin and Wilson, p. xiv. In 1884, by V.Develay, in Paris.Librairie des Bibliophiles, 5 tomes Nicola Festa produced a critical edition in 1926, ''L'Africa'', in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...

. The only complete English edition of the twentieth century is ''Petrarch's Africa translation and annotated'' by Thomas G. Bergin and Alice S. Wilson of Yale University Press (1977). ;Partial translations and commentary editions * Latin, 1558. ''Bucolica, Africa, Epistolae ...'' Basel * Italian, 1570. ''L'Africa del Petrarca ... in ottava rima insieme col testo Latino, ... tradotta da'' by F. Marretti. ontaining only books 1 to 3. * Italian, 1776. ''Dell'Africa di Francesco Petrarca libro primo, volgarizzato da Egle Euganea.'' by Fratelli Conzatti:

. * Latin, 1874, ''Africa Francisci Petrarchae nunc primum emendata'', by Francesco Corradini

. * Italian, 1874. ''L'Africa recata in versi italiani dal dottor Agostino Palesa'', edited by A. Zardo, Padova. * Italian, 1874. ''L'Africa, poema epico in esametri latini ...'' into Italian verse by G. B. Gando. * French, 1880. ''Pétrarque. Sophonisbe, épisode du poème de UAfrique ; traduit pour la première fois'' by Victor Develay.

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

* Swedish, 1889. ''Afrika : episk dikt.'' Publisher: Göteborg : Göteborgs Handelstidnings Aktiebolags Tryckeri * Italian, 1925. ''Antologia petrarchesca : Canzoniere, Trionfi, Secretum, Epistole famigliari e senili, Africa, Egloghe, Epistole metriche'' by Giuseppe Morpurgo.

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

* Italian, 1926. ''L'Africa / dc Franceso Petrarca ; edizione critica per cura di Nicolo Festa ; corredata di un ritratto e cinque tavole fuori testo'' by Nicola Festa. Florence, Italy. * Italian, 1933 ''L'"Africa" di Francesco Petrarca, in versi italiani di Agostino Barolo (con introduzione)'' by Agostino Baroli, Torino * English, 1962. ''Petrarch, Scipio and the "Africa"; the birth of humanism's dream'' by Aldo S Bernardo, Baltimore, Johns Hopkins Press * English, 1973. ''Africa et Bucolica'' by Johannes, de Vellate. East Ardsley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Microform Academic Publishers * English, 1979 ''Review of Petrarch's Africa. Review of Francesco Petrarca: Canzone from First to Final Version'' by Janet L Smarr. JSTOR - Renaissance Quarterly, Autumn, vol. 32, no. 3, p. 364-367 * Multiple languages, 1998. ''L'Africa : edizione critica'', Florence * French, 2002. ''L'Afrique : 1338-1374'' by Rebecca Lenoir. Publisher: Grenoble : J. Millon. * French, 2006. ''L'Afrique. Affrica. I-V'' edited and translated in alexandrine verses by Pierre Laurens, Paris, Les Belles Lettres. * German, 2007. ''Africa: Kommentarband'' by Bernhard Huss and Gerhard Regn, Dieterich'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung * English, 2007 ''Petrarch's Africa I-IV : a translation and commentary'' by Erik Z D Ellis, Waco, Texas. Baylor University * French, 2018. ''L'Afrique. Affrica. IV-IX'' edited and translated in alexandrine verses by Pierre Laurens, Paris, Les Belles Lettres.

Footnotes

Primary sources

Cicero

* ''

De re publica ''De re publica'' (''On the Commonwealth''; see below) is a dialogue on Roman politics by Cicero, written in six books between 54 and 51 BC. The work does not survive in a complete state, and large parts are missing. The surviving sections derive ...

'' ('' Somnium Scipionis'', or ''Dream of Scipio''), Book 6

Livy

* '' From the Founding of the City'', Books 20-30 :( Third Samnite War,

Battle of Cannae The Battle of Cannae () was a key engagement of the Second Punic War between the Roman Republic and Carthage, fought on 2 August 216 BC near the ancient village of Cannae in Apulia, southeast Italy. The Carthaginians and their allies, led by Ha ...

, Third Punic War)

Virgil

* ''

Petrarch

*'' Canzoniere'' ("Rhymes") *''

'' ("My Secret Book") *'' Bucolicum carmen'' ("Pastoral Poems") *'' De vita solitaria'' ("On the Solitary Life") *''

'' ("On Illustrious Men") *'' Liber sine nomine'' ("Book without a name") *''Letter to Posterity'' *'' De otio religiosorum'' ("On Religious Leisure") *''

Rerum memorandarun libri Rerum may refer to : *Lacrimae rerum is the Latin for tears for things. * Rerum novarum is an encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII on May 16, 1891. *Rerum Moscoviticarum Commentarii was a Latin book by Baron Sigismund von Herberstein on the geograph ...

'' ("Books on Matters to be Remembered") *'' De remediis utriusque fortunae'' ("On Remedies for Fortune Fair and Foul") *'' Invectivae contra medicum quendam'' ("Investives against a Certain Doctor") *'' Epistolae familiares'' ("Letters to Familiars") : (Based on edition of ''Le familiari'', Vittorio Rossi and Umberto Bosco, Le Lettere, 1997, )

Secondary sources

*Bergin, Thomas G. and Wilson, Alice S., ''Petrarch's ''Africa'' English translation.'' New Haven. Yale University Press 1977. *Bernardo, Aldo S., ''Petrarch, Scipio, and the "Africa": the birth of humanism's dream.'' Johns Hopkins Press, 1962. pp. 127–167 *Biese, Alfred, ''The development of the feeling for nature in the Middle Ages and modern times'', G. Routledge & Sons, ltd., 1905 *Brown, Virginia, ''Famous women '' translation, Harvard University Press, 2001, *Corradini, Francisco, ''Africa Francisci Petrarchae nunc primum emendata'', In Padova a Francesco Petrarca net Quinto Centenario dalla sua morte. Padova: Premiata Tipografia del Seminario, 1874. *Develay, Victor, ''L'Afrique'', Gautier, 1893 *Develay, Victor, ''Le Livre,'' volume 6, 1885, pp. 278–288. French translation of Petrarch's Coronation Oration. *Encyclopædia Britannica, '' a dictionary of arts, sciences, and general literature'', Volume 13 (edition 9), Maxwell Sommerville, 1894 *Ellis, Erik Z D, ''Petrarch's Africa I-IV : a translation and commentary'' eBook online by Baylor University, 2007 *Everson, Jane E., ''The Italian romance epic in the age of humanism: the matter of Italy and the world of Rome'', Oxford University Press, 2001, *Festa, Nicola, ''Saggio sull' "Africa" del Petrarca'', Volume 113 of Biblioteca Sandron di scienze e lettere, H. Sandron, 1926 *Giordano, Antonio and John, ''Francesco Petrarch and Africa'' (Literary Criticism), Typography Gentile, 1890 *Hortis, Attilio, ''Scritti inediti di Francesco Petrarca'' Latin text of Petrarch's Coronation Oration, Trieste, 1874. *Howard, Donald R., ''Chaucer, His Life, His Works, His World'', E. P. Dutton, 1987, *Jackson, William T. H., ''European Writers, The Middle Ages and the Renaissance'', Volume 2 (Petrarch to Renaissance short fiction), Charles Scibner's Sons, 1983, *Kirkham, Victoria, ''Petrarch: a critical guide to the complete works'', University of Chicago Press, 2009, * *Marretti, Fabio, ''Le rime e L'Africa'', E. Perino, 1890 *Marretti, Fabio, ''L' Africa: in Ottava Rima insieme col testo Latino'', Farri, 1570 *Morley, Henry, ''English writers: an attempt towards a history of English literature,'' Volume 4, Cassell & Company, 1889 *Palesa, Agosa
Africa: visited Italian verse by Dr. Augustine Palesa
F. Sacchetto, 1874, translated by Google translate toolbar. * *Robinson, James Harvey, ''Petrarch, the first modern scholar and man of letters: a selection from his correspondence with Boccaccio and other friends, designed to illustrate the beginnings of the Renaissance'', G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907 *Scanlon, Larry, ''Narrative, Authority and Power: The Medieval Exemplum and the Chaucerian Tradition, Volume 20 of Cambridge Studies in Medieval Literature'', CUP, 2007, *Tillyard, Eustace Mandeville Wetenhall, ''The English epic and its background'', Chatto and Windus, 1954 *Toffanin, Giuseppe, ''History of humanism'', Las Americas Publishing, 1954 *Wade, Herbert Treadwell, ''The New international encyclopaedia,'' Volume 18, Dodd, Mead and company, 1922 *Warner, James Christopher, ''The Augustinian epic, Petrarch to Milton'', University of Michigan Press, 2005, *Wilkins, Ernest H., ''The making of the "Canzoniere" and other Petrarchan studies'', Chapter II "The Coronation of Petrarch", Edizioni di Storia e letteratura, 1951 *Wilkins, Ernest H., ''Petrarch's coronation oration'', Modern Language Association of America., 1953 *Wilkins, Ernest H., "Descriptions of pagan divinities from Petrarch to Chaucer" in ''Speculum'' vol. 32 (1957) pp. 511–522.

External links

Latin text of Petrarch's ''Africa''
ed. Léonce Pingaud, Paris, 1872 (archive.org) * Latin text in HTML format

(with concordances and French translation by Victor Develay)

Petrarch's ''Africa'' I-IV: a translation and commentary
by Erik Z.D. Ellis (M.A. thesis in History, Baylor University, 2007) * Outline of contents in the Latin Vicipaedia {{Authority control Epic poems in Latin Second Punic War 1341 books 1343 books 1396 books Poetry by Petrarch Medieval poetry Historical poems Cultural depictions of Hannibal Cultural depictions of Scipio Africanus