The ''Eclogue of Theodulus'' (''Ecloga Theoduli'') was a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...

dialogue, which became a standard school text of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Scholarship generally dates it to the 10th century, though earlier dates are also given.

Authorship

The first known Medieval commentator to attribute the work to an Athenian educated writer named "Theodulus" was

Bernard of Utrecht Bernard of Utrecht (also Bernard d'Utrecht, Latinised Bernardus Ultrajectensis) was a cleric of the late eleventh century, known for an allegorical commentary on the '' Eclogue of Theodulus'', a standard Latin school text. According to its modern e ...

, but today, most scholars agree that Theodulus is a pseudonym, and the author was not educated in Athens, but lived in the West. This is supported by the fact that all sources for the ''Eclogue'' are written in Latin. Earlier theories identified Theodulus with

Gottschalk of Orbais Gottschalk (Latin: Godescalc, Gotteschalchus) of Orbais (c. 808 – 30 October 868 AD) was a Saxon theologian, monk and poet. Gottschalk was an early advocate for the doctrine of two-fold predestination, an issue that ripped through both Italy an ...

because both names mean "servant of God", and because Gottschalk is believed to have known some Greek and the use of Greek names in the dialogue, but in 1924 this was disputed by

Karl Strecker Karl Strecker (20 September 1884 – 10 April 1973) was a German general during World War II who commanded several army corps on the Eastern Front. A career military and police professional, he fought in World War I and then served in the paramil ...

. Strecker showed the writing style (

poetic meter In poetry, metre ( Commonwealth spelling) or meter (American spelling; see spelling differences) is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of ...

) of Theodulus was different.

Content

The poem is an argument between Alithia (truth) and Pseustis (falsehood), with Phronesis (reason), acting as referee.The Cambridge Medieval History
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References

External links

Edition in Migne's ''Patrologia Latina''
(PDF), Documenta Catholica Omnia. {{DEFAULTSORT:Eclogue Of Theodulus Latin poems Dialogues