Vergilius Vaticanus

Vergilius Vaticanus

The Vergilius Vaticanus is the most important surviving example of an illustrated book from antiquity and at the same time represents one of the oldest traditions of Virgil's famous national epic the Aeneid. Created in Rome ca. A.D. 400, it is also the oldest of only three ancient manuscripts with illustrated classical literature. The Vergilius Vaticanus enjoys particular appreciation due to its rich book decoration. 50 miniatures accompany the text in a vivid manner, making the manuscript a splendid codex of the highest artistic standard. In their style, the illustrations, which are applied with lush colors, clearly show the parallels to the Pompeian murals created after Greek models. The 76 surviving leaves of the Vergilius Vaticanus contain both fragments of the Georgica, a didactic poem of agriculture, as well as those of the Aeneid and is considered one of the most direct and authentic sources of the Vergil tradition. Thus, with this codex, we have received a valuable luxury edition by the author, who has had a lasting effect on our culture like no other poet of antiquity and has been adapted repeatedly through the centuries.

A Unique Testimony to Late Roman Illumination

The scriptorium where the Vergilius Vaticanus was made employed eminent professionals. The main scribe copied the entire text and planned the illustrations, leaving spaces for them at certain points in the text. His hand is characterized by an elegant version of the Capitalis rustica, a script that was used for magnificent codices of that time. The miniatures were inserted by three different miniaturists, each working from iconographic templates. However, they not only copied these designs but complemented them with gilded frames, ornate landscapes, architectures, and other details. The lifelike proportions and the liveliness of the figures impress the beholder, as does the masterly illustrated relationship between the individual figures. In it, the classical style known from the murals of Pompeii is revealed.

One of the Oldest Vergil Traditions

The Vergilius Vaticanus, in its present state, contains fragments of two extremely popular works of Roman antiquity. Using these fragments as a starting point, the original size of the book can easily be reconstructed. It contained, as was customary at the time, all of Vergil's canonical works, so that the total volume must have comprised about 440 leaves, on which about 280 illustrations accompanied the text. The book was a valuable Vergil edition, which, though fully illustrated, still had a handy format. Vergil was one of the most widely read authors of antiquity. His Georgica were already used as a textbook before his death in 19 B.C., and his Aeneid, which was published at the behest of Emperor Augustus contrary to his testamentary instructions, was an immediate bestseller. Although Vergil was also admired and loved by Christians, the patron of the Vergilius Vaticanus was surely part of the circle of pagan aristocrats who wanted to preserve these ancient traditions. It was made for a sophisticated collector who could enjoy the artful images while reading the familiar text.