Against Symmachus - Classic Text | Alexandria
Against Symmachus (Contra Symmachum) stands as one of the most significant Christian polemical works of Late Antiquity, composed by the Roman Christian poet Aurelius Prudentius Clemens (348-c.413 CE) in two books of hexameter verse. This masterful literary response to the pagan senator Quintus Aurelius Symmachus's petition for the restoration of the Altar of Victory in the Roman Senate house represents a crucial moment in the intellectual struggle between Christianity and traditional Roman religion.
The work emerged from a controversy that began in 384 CE when Symmachus, as prefect of Rome, appealed to Emperor Valentinian II to reverse the removal of the Altar of Victory and restore state funding for the Vestal Virgins. While Ambrose of Milan had already successfully opposed this petition, Prudentius composed his poetic rebuttal approximately twenty years later, around 402-403 CE, transforming a specific political dispute into a broader theological and philosophical dialogue about the nature of true faith and Roman identity.
Written in classical Latin verse that rivals Virgil in its sophistication, Against Symmachus demonstrates Prudentius's remarkable ability to appropriate traditional Roman literary forms for Christian purposes. The first book provides a critique of paganism's historical development, while the second book directly addresses Symmachus's arguments, presenting Christianity as the fulfillment rather than the negation of Rome's destiny. Prudentius ingeniously weaves together biblical allusions, classical mythology, and contemporary political discourse to create a complex narrative that both challenges and transforms Roman cultural traditions.
The work's influence extends far beyond its immediate historical context, serving as a model for subsequent Christian appropriations of classical culture and contributing to the development of medieval Christian Latin poetry. Modern scholars continue to debate the precise relationship between Prudentius's literary objectives and the political realities of his time, while his sophisticated integration of classical and Christian elements offers valuable insights into the cultural transformations of Late Antiquity. The text remains a testament to how literary art can articulate and shape profound social and religious changes, inviting contemporary readers to consider the enduring questions of cultural identity and religious conviction in times of transformation.