The bridge between the art of antiquity and the Middle Ages: Virgil's famous works in a Late Antique manuscript
Vergilius Romanus
Rome (Italy) — Around 500

Vergilius Romanus
Rome (Italy) — Around 500
This is arguably the most brilliantly decorated manuscript to survive from Late Antiquity
Virgil's (70–19 BC) *Eclogues*, *Georgics*, and *Aeneid* are united here into a manuscript from ca. 500
The colorful, gold framed miniatures represent a bridge between ancient and medieval art

Vergilius Romanus
Tityrus and Meliboeus
This fine miniature appearing at the beginning of the Eclogues, also known as the Bucolics, and shows a dialogue between two shepherds named Tityrus and Meliboeus. Standing on the right, Meliboeus has been forced off his land and faces an uncertain future. Tityrus recounts his journey to Rome and the "god" (likely Octavian) he met there who allowed him to remain on his land. He offers to let Meliboeus spend the night with him. Tityrus is commonly believed to be Virgil’s alter ego.
Vergilius Romanus
Short Description
Very few manuscripts from antiquity have survived to the present, and the Vergilius Romanus codex is arguably the most brilliantly decorated of them all. Aside from being of interest to art historians, the manuscript contains some of the most important texts of Roman antiquity by one of the bygone empire's greatest authors: Virgil. The Vergilius Romanus combines his masterworks in a single codex, making it one of the most significant ancient documents in existence. This manuscript is one of the oldest and most prized among the vast and storied archives of the Vatican Library.
Vergilius Romanus
The Vergilius Romanus codex is one of the oldest works housed in the Vatican Library. It contains the poems of the famous poet Virgil and a total of 19 pictures, which illustrate the events of the text. These images are counted among the main works of late-Antique illumination. It has been consulted by researchers in the examination of the connection between ancient art and medieval illumination. The thrilling, colorful miniatures are bordered with margins of pure gold leaf.
The Poet Virgil
Publius Vegilius Maro, better known by the name Virgil, was a Latin poet and epicist, who lived during the times of the Roman civil wars and the principate of Octavian. He is one of the most important authors of classical Roman antiquity. His works, The Eclogues, The Georgics, and The Aeneidrevolutionized Latin poetry. Already shortly after his death, these were repeatedly copied, edited, commented on, and intertextually distributed. The book edition Vergilius Romanus combines his masterworks in a single codex, which represents of one of the most important documents of ancient book art with breath-taking pictures.
Historical Illumination
The Vergilius Romanus codex is a book treasure that generates awe in its beholders. Only a few original illuminated codices from antiquity still exist today, and hardly any of these works is as attractively designed. The illustrations of the Vergilius Romanus exhibit stylistic features of the ancient painting tradition, as they were practiced in the 4th century. Nevertheless, the Vergilius Romanus signifies the departure from this classical canon of forms. Its illustrations exhibit in direct comparison with other works the further development of ancient illumination into medieval book art. The historical significance of the work is immeasurable. The exciting pictures are drawn in seven different colors and are set in a frame of valuable gold leaf.
Codicology
- Size / Format
- 618 pages / 33.2 × 32.3 cm
- Origin
- Rome (Italy)
- Date
- Around 500
- Epochs
- Style
- Genre
- Language
- Illustrations
- 19 miniatures, most of them full-page
- Artist / School
- Author: Publius Vergilis Maro - Virgil (70–19 B.C.)
- Previous Owners
- Saint Denis Abbey in Paris
Pope Sixtus IV (1471–1484)

Vergilius Romanus
The Trojan Fleet in a Storm
The Aeneid begins with the Trojan fleet in the Eastern Mediterranean as it flees to Italy from Troy. Juno, having already been snubbed in the judgement of Paris, is wrathful because her favorite city of Carthage is destined to be destroyed by the descendants of Aeneas. She induces Aeolus, King of the Winds, to unleash a storm that devastates the Trojan fleet, which Aeneas and others only survive through the intervention of Neptune.
Set within a gold leaf frame, two Greek galleys make their way through a sea of dark purple, which is filled with fish and mythical sea creatures. The deities who have conspired against the Trojans can be seen in the sky above them stirring up the storm. With his arms stretched out, Aeneas exhorts his men to be brave.
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Vergilius Romanus“
Vergilius Romanus
- Publisher
- Belser Verlag – Zurich, 1985
- Limited Edition
- 500 copies
- Binding
- Hand-sewn morocco leather
- Commentary
-
1 volume by CarloBertelli, Ezio Gallicet, Giovanna Garbarino, Italo Lana, Alessandro Pratesi, David Wright and José Ruysschaert
Language: German - More Information
- Reproduction of the entire original document as detailed as possible (scope, format, colors). The binding may not correspond to the original or current document binding.
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