Paolo Marsi or Paolo Marso, in Latin Paulus Marsus or Paulus Marsus Piscinas (1440–1484) was an Italian humanist and poet known primarily for his commentary on the ''

Fasti In ancient Rome, the ''fasti'' (Latin plural) were chronological or calendar-based lists, or other diachronic records or plans of official and religiously sanctioned events. After Rome's decline, the word ''fasti'' continued to be used for simi ...

'' of

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

. Marsi was born at

Pescina Pescina () is a township and ''comune'' in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo, central Italy. It is a part of the mountain community Valle del Giovenco. History 1915 Avezzano earthquake The earthquake of 13 January 1915 affected the Marsi ...

, and was the brother of the Pietro Marsi who was an acquaintance of

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...

. He was a student of Pomponio Leto, and became a professor of rhetoric. He was a friend of

Lodovico Lazzarelli Ludovico Lazzarelli (4 February 1447 – 23 June 1500) was an Italian poet, philosopher, courtier, hermeticist and (likely) magician (paranormal), magician and diviner of the early Renaissance. Born at San Severino Marche, he had contact with ma ...

, and a member of the Roman Academy who participated in

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...

activities such as celebrating the

founding of Rome The founding of Rome was a prehistoric event or process later greatly embellished by Roman historians and poets. Archaeological evidence indicates that Rome developed from the gradual union of several hillfort, hilltop villages during the Prehi ...

. In the 1460s, several of the sodality's members, including the Marsi brothers, were imprisoned for fomenting "republicanism, paganism, and conspiracy". Marsi was among the poets who addressed

homoerotic Homoeroticism is sexual attraction between members of the same sex, including both male–male and female–female attraction. The concept differs from the concept of homosexuality: it refers specifically to the desire itself, which can be tempor ...

praise in the manner of

Martial Marcus Valerius Martialis (known in English as Martial ; March, between 38 and 41 AD – between 102 and 104 AD) was a Roman and Celtiberian poet born in Bilbilis, Hispania (modern Spain) best known for his twelve books of '' Epigrams'', pu ...

to Lucio Fazini, a handsome young scholar who was also incarcerated and tortured for pursuing classical studies. Marsi died in 1484, shortly after he delivered the funeral oration for Andrea Brenta. Marsi's commentary had a "supplemental influence" on ''

The Rape of Lucrece ''The Rape of Lucrece'' (1594) is a narrative poem by William Shakespeare about the legendary Roman noblewoman Lucretia. In his previous narrative poem, ''Venus and Adonis (Shakespeare poem), Venus and Adonis'' (1593), Shakespeare had included ...

'' by

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, who drew primarily on Ovid's account in the ''Fasti''.Richard Hillman, "Gower's Lucrece: A New Old Source for ''The Rape of Lucrece''," ''The Chaucer Review'' 24.3 (1990), p. 263, citing T.W. Baldwin.

References

External links

* ''Fastorum Libri'', edition of Ovid's ''Fasti'' with a frontispiece depictin
Paulus Marsus
Italian Renaissance humanists Ovid People from Pescina 1440 births 1484 deaths {{Italy-writer-stub