Tiberius Claudius Donatus

Tiberius Claudius Donatus was a Roman Latin grammarian of the late 4th and early 5th century AD[1] of whom a single work is known, the Interpretationes Vergilianae, a commentary on Virgil's Aeneid.[2] His work, rediscovered in 1438, proved popular in the early modern age; 55 editions of this book were printed between 1488 and 1599.[3]

Interpretationes Vergilianae

In his commentary, Donatus claims that the Aeneid is a work of rhetoric with the intention of praising Aeneas, stating that it is best explained by rhetors, not grammarians; therefore, he sticks to a strict literal analysis of the text. He also criticizes existing criticisms of the Aeneid, saying that they fail to identify Virgil's apparent rhetorical advocacy for Aeneas. Donatus also maintains that Virgil was not a philosopher but rather a teacher, and that the best way to read the Aeneid is with an understanding of its universal scope.[4]

He should not be confused with Aelius Donatus, even though both are known for writing about Virgil.

Donatus had a son by the name of Tiberius Claudius Maximus Donatianus, to whom he dedicated his Interpretationes.[5]

References
  1. Fantham, Elaine; Fairey, Emily (2009-12-14). "Virgil". Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets. doi:10.1093/obo/9780195389661-0068. ISBN 9780195389661. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  2. Sarah Amile Landis; Robert Gary Babcock (2009). A New Manuscript of Tiberius Claudius Donatus at UNC-Chapel Hill. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
  3. David Scott Wilson-Okamura, Virgil in the Renaissance, CUP, 2010, p. 32
  4. Pelttari, Aaron (2014-08-07). The Space that Remains: Reading Latin Poetry in Late Antiquity. Cornell University Press. doi:10.7591/cornell/9780801452765.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-8014-5276-5.
  5. Ziolkowski, Jan M. 1956- szerk. Putnam, Michael C. J. szerk. (2008). The Virgilian tradition : the first fifteen hundred years. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-10822-4. OCLC 1014638496.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)


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