Fabius Planciades Fulgentius

Fabius Claudius Gordianus Fulgentius (also: Fabius Fulgentius Planciades ) was a late ancient Latin author of the 6th century, who probably came from North Africa.

Life

Fulgentius, " the Mythograph " apparently belonged to the senatorial elite. The identification with the Bishop Fulgentius of Ruspe ( 462-532 ) is now mostly rejected as has recently been adopted, Fabius Fulgentius was aware of the John the Coripp, which only came to 550. About his life otherwise nothing certain is known.

From Fulgentius several works have survived, the achieved partly in the Middle Ages a significant effect. Apart from a brief, sealed representation of the world story ( De mundi et hominis aetatibus ), which remained unfinished, two are particularly important writings: In the Mythologiae Fulgentius interprets numerous classical pagan legends in the Christian sense; and in the Exposure Virgilianae continentiae secundum philosophos moralis he developed an ambitious Christian interpretation of Virgil's Aeneid.

Fulgentius is now regarded not as an outstanding author and is almost forgotten; but his work can serve as an example that classical education ( paideia ) was still maintained in the outgoing Late Antiquity.