The Fall of Man : De Spiritalis Historiae Gestis Libri I-III

R. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The editor thanks the librarians of the Bibliotheque municipale of Laon and of the Bibliotheek der Rijksuniversiteit of Leiden for providing the micro- films of the manuscripts on which this edition is based. [...] The Theme and Style of Avitus' Epic The preface to the epic, which tells of the earlier loss of much of Avitus' poetry, also humbly emphasizes the unfinished state of what the bishop is about to publish. [...] He protests that the release of his five books of poetry is the result of his brother's strong request: 'Hi ergo quia iubes, etsi obscuri sunt opere meo, tuo saltim nomine inlustrabuntur.' Much of Avitus' humility is to be attributed to the con- ventions of late Latin literary prefaces,2 since the work, probably the most dignified and certainly the most dramatic of all the Christian-classical poem [...] The opening lines of Book I and the closing lines of Book V, however, make it clear that Avitus, like Milton, has in mind the one great theme of human depravity and ultimate redemption.3 Although the titles of the books do suggest random arrange- ment, Avitus' choice of subject matter within the five books demonstrates a clear unity of purpose. [...] This is not the case, however, for at themat- ically appropriate moments in the work the poet also em- ploys such episodes as the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorra (Genesis 18 and 19), the magic arts of the Pharaoh's magicians (Exodus 7 and 8), the tower of Babel (Genesis 11), and the giants who lived on earth (Genesis 6).