Matthew of Vendôme (Matheus or Matthaeus Vindocinensis) was a French author of the 12th century, writing in

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

, who had been was a pupil of Bernard Silvestris, at

Tours Tours ( ; ) is the largest city in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabita ...

, as he himself writes.

Works

De Vendôme is known for his ''Ars Versificatoria'', a theoretical work on (Latin) versification, and as the author of ''

Milo Milo may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Milo (magazine), ''Milo'' (magazine), a strength sports magazine * ''Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze'', a 2011 children's novel by Alan Silberberg * Milo (video game), ''Milo'' (video game) * Milo ( ...

'', an

elegiac comedy Elegiac comedy was a genre of medieval Latin literature—or drama—represented by about twenty texts written in the 12th and 13th centuries in the liberal arts schools of west central France (roughly the Loire Valley). Though commonly identified ...

; and also wrote on the art of letter-writing, the

Ars dictaminis ''Ars dictaminis'' (or ''ars dictandi'') is the art of letter-writing, which often intersects with the art of rhetoric. History of letter-writing Greco-Roman theory Early examples of letter-writing theory can be found in C. Julius Victor's ...

, as with the poor student's begging letter: "I am in want. I have no books and no clothes. Paris drinks money. What tiger would refuse its kitten?" His works have been issued in a scholarly edition in three volumes: ''Mathei Vindocinensis Opera''; edidit Franco Munari. 3 vols. Roma: Edizioni di storia e letteratura, 1977-1988. v.1. Catalogo dei manoscritti—v.2. Piramus et Tisbe, Milo, Epistule, Tobias—v.3. Ars versificatoria.

Appraisals of the ''Ars Versificatoria''

According to E. R. Curtius,

''... he lays stress upon brevity as characteristic of the modern stylistic ideal, in contrast to the ancients. ..He is the first theoretician who consciously wants to be "modern".''

Helen Waddell Helen Jane Waddell (31 May 1889 – 5 March 1965) was an Irish poet, scholar, theological novelist, translator, publisher's reader and playwright. She was a recipient of the Benson Medal. A biography of her by the Benedictine nun Dame Fel ...

however considered that "Matthew of Vendóme is responsible for perhaps the dullest Art of Poetry that has ever been written"; while the work has also been criticised for its lack of organisation.W. M. Purcell, ''Ars Poetriae'' (1996) p. 57

References

External links

Lewis E 154 Tobias (History of Tobias) at OPenn
French poets Grammarians of Latin Medieval Latin-language poets Rhetoric theorists French rhetoricians 12th-century linguists Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown French male poets 12th-century writers in Latin 12th-century French writers {{France-poet-stub

Works

Appraisals of the ''Ars Versificatoria''

See also

References

Further reading

External links