Aurelius Prudentius Clemens’ Cathemerinon as an example of Christocentric poetry

Abstract

In this essay, the author deals primarily with the following topics: poetry as locus theologicus – a place of encounter with God, hymns of Prudentius’ Cathemerinon and their Christocentric dimension. The twelve lyrical poems by Prudentius, collected in Cathemerinon, are hymns for Christians’ every day. They could be used for private meditation and prayer; as a whole, they have a literary character. The hymns were written for an aristocratic audience of the fourth and the first half of the fifth century for those really keen on poetry and the Christian Doctrine. All the hymns discussed in this essay focus the most important aspects of human life on Christ as the source, the light and the ultimate destiny of every human being. The symbolic exposition occurs in most of the hymns. Prudentius very often uses metaphor of light which symbolize Christ and the Christian Doctrine. He also shows a mastery of language and classical metric threads.