Lyric tradition in the Croatiae auctores Latini collection

Neven Jovanović, University of Zagreb
Latin responses to Horatian lyric, 1150 to the present, Oxford, 16–17 April 2026

URL of the page:
http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/del/deliciae/2026-4-16-croala-horatian-jovanovic/

CroALa URL:
http://croala.ffzg.unizg.hr

CroALa temporary URL:
http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/index

Overview

1. Horatian lyric in Croatian literature in Latin: the state of research in the last 60 years. 2. Croatiae auctores Latini (CroALa), a digital collection of texts. 3. Looking for responses to Horatian lyric in CroALa: 3.1 vetera (authors, genres, meters); 3.2 nova (lexicon, clausulae, iuncturae). 4. Conclusions. 5. Literature.

1. Research on Horatian lyric in Croatian literature in Latin 1966–2024

Responses to Horatian lyric in individual authors and works (from Dubrovnik unless otherwise stated), chronology of research (see Literature): Puratić (1966, 1976): Đuro Ferić / Georgius Ferrich; Stepanić (1999): Josip Čobarnić / Josephus Ciobarnich (Makarska); Stepanić (2001): Kajetan Vičić / Caietanus Vicich (active in Padua, Prague); Bratičević (2015–2016): Rajmund Kunić / Raimundus Cunichius (active in Rome); Rezar (2018): Damjan Beneša / Damianus Benessa; Bagarić (Hidža 2024): Đuro Hidža / Georgius Higgia.

Responses to Horatian lyric in a group of authors defined by period, cultural centre and genre (occasional poetry): Josifović (1966) on Serbo-Croatian literature (15th to 18th c.); Vratović (1971) on Dubrovnik in the 18th and 19th c.; Stepanić (2005) on Croatian Latin literature in the 17th c; Bratičević (2005) on occasional poetry in 19th c. Dubrovnik; Galić Bešker (2010) on occasional poetry in 19th c. northern Croatia.

1.1 A Horatian paraphrase

Caietanus Vicich, Sacer Helicon (Padua 1686)

PARODIA
Ex Q. Horatii Flacci Lib. 1. Ode 1
AD VIRGINEM DEIPARAM.

Maecenas atavis edita regibus;
    Hoc te, presidium, et dulce decus meum,
Vitae curriculo sydus Olympium
    Elegisse juvat: Virgo calentibus
Implorata fibris, et via nobilis
    E terris superas quae vehis ad domos.
(...)

1.2 Horace as a theme and source of iuncturae

Hor. C. 3.29: Ne semper udum Tibur et Aesulae / Declive contempleris arvum et / Telegoni juga parricidae.
Hor. C. 1.18: Nullam, Vare, sacra vite prius severis arborem – / circa mite solum Tiburis et moenia Catilli.

Rajmund Kunić. Epigrammata / Satyrica 866. [860.] 120 (ante 1794)

Obscurum dicit me Varus, Tuscula rura
    Dicturus, dixi quod "Juga Telegoni",
Dicturus Tibur, "Catilli moenia" dixi;
    Obscurum at pueri, turba pusilla, negant,
Atque docent, Flacci recitato carmine, quae sint
    Moenia Catilli, quae juga Telegoni.

juga Telegoni: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/qwildcards?vwc=telegoni

Occurrences: B. Zamagna (1764), R. Bošković (1761-1779), R. Kunić (ante 1794), B. Stay (1792)

moenia Catilli: only in Kunić!

2. CroALa

Collection of digital texts first published in 2009. Currently some five million words, 569 documents in XML format, over 280 authors, from 960 to 1960.

Zenodo: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.593667 .

3. Looking for responses to Horatian lyric in CroALa

Poetry in CroALa: 247 documents containing verse, 2624 textual units with metre marked, 267,547 lines of verse.

Lyric metres: some 300 textual units, around 10% of the total; some 8200 verses, ca. 3%.

3.1 Replicating standard approaches to find Horatian responses

Authors: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/auctores
Titles (oda / ode / odarum, paraphrasis): http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/opera
Genres (encomium, hymnus, lyrica, ode, paraphrasis, sapphicum): http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/genera
Metres: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/metra
Horatian lyric metres: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/metra-horatiana

3.2 Developing new approaches to find Horatian responses

3.2.1 Horatian clausulae

Versus Adonius as a perfect hexametre ending:

[1] augur Apollo: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/quaere?verbum=augur+apollo (3 occurrences)
[2] (u)xorius amnis: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/qwildcards?vwc=uxoriu.%2B+a.%2B (3, all by Ilija Crijević, 1484-1520) NB Crijević's elegy 1.4 'Ad Traianum Bullanum urbs Veneta': Nec genere absimiles, siue hanc uxorius amnis/ Tybris et Hetruscis Ilia mater aquis
[4] more palaestrae: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/qwildcards?vwc=more+pala.%2B (2)
[5] Pallas honores: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/qwildcards?vwc=palla.%2B+hon.%2B (2)
[6] temperat horis: http://temrezah.ffzg.unizg.hr/croala/qwildcards?vwc=temper.%2B+hor.%2B (3)

3.2.2 Horatian lyric in commonplace books (Ravisius Textor, c. 1470–1542)

Tixier, Jean. Epithetorum Ioannis Ravisii Textoris opus absolutissimum iam denuo post ultimam [...] recognitionem [...] repurgatum [...]. Douai, 1607. (digitized version: CAMENA / THESAURUS)

[7] aevum breve. Hor. lib. 2. Carm. Quid breui fortes iaculamur aeuo Multa.

[7.1] Rajmund Kunić, 1719-1794 ante 1794. Epigrammata. MORALIA. 284. [283.] Hominis origo et finis.

Limo nati homines nuper, limusque futuri,
aevo quid frustra multa brevi struimus?

[7.2] R. Kunić. Homeri Ilias, Latinis versibus expressa, 1776. HOMERI ILIADOS LIBER PRIMUS.

Homer, Thetis to Achilles, brevi aevo = ὠκύμορος, Il. 1.414–418: ὤ μοι τέκνον ἐμόν, τί νύ σʼ ἔτρεφον αἰνὰ τεκοῦσα; / αἴθʼ ὄφελες παρὰ νηυσὶν ἀδάκρυτος καὶ ἀπήμων / ἧσθαι, ἐπεί νύ τοι αἶσα μίνυνθά περ οὔ τι μάλα δήν· / νῦν δʼ ἅμα τʼ ὠκύμορος καὶ ὀϊζυρὸς περὶ πάντων / ἔπλεο· τώ σε κακῇ αἴσῃ τέκον ἐν μεγάροισι.

Cur laevo genitum te, gnate, miserrima fato
Eduxi? cura vacuus, nec laesus ab ullo
Saltem ageres heic ad naves, cui tam prope vitae
Dī finem posuere. Brevi nunc, o miser, aevo es,
Moestior et cunctis, curisque infestior aevi
Hoc quodcunque trahis, Parcis heu natus iniquis.

[7.3] Đuro Ferić Gvozdenica, 1739–1820. Periegesis orae Rhacusanae, 1803. LIBER I. De Valle Nucis, illiricè Orascjaz. VII.

Nec semel hîc tenuit numerosas anchora classes,
Quarum aevo non una brevi mihi visa, per orbem
Cum strepitu horrisono feralia bella tonabant.

[8] aquila ferox Hor. lib. 3. Carm. Nec imbellem feroces Progenerant aquilae columbam. (= 4.4 Fortes creantur fortibus et bonis; / Est in iuuencis, est in equis patrum / Virtus neque inbellem feroces / Progenerant aquilae columbam.)

Ivan Gundulić, 1588-1638; Marc-Antonio Vidovich, 1795-1868; Vlaho Getaldić, 1788-1872. Osmanides (1865). Liber XV.

Getaldić's source is a supplement to Gundulić's missing cantos by Marc-Antonio Vidovich (1838): ed è ch'egli m'insegni / Dirti mia sposa, e 'l dico; ed alta spene / Concepe il mio pensier di figli degni / D'entrambi noi, chè di leöni i figli / Sono leöni ognor, e mai conigli.

Non gigni trepidum leporem scis namque leone,
Imbellem aut aquilâ naturâ obstante columbam.

3.2.3 Horace's archaisms, neologisms and iuncturae

[9] aeterno 1. Hor. C. 4.14 Per titulos memoresque fastos / Aeternet (alcaic strophe)

[9.1] Damjan Beneša, 1476-1539. De morte Christi liber nonus Damiani Benessę (c. 1534-1539)

(de Hierusalem) Aggestis hominum meritis hęc fabrica crescit,
Et positam aeternat, dum sidit gloria circum.

[9.2] Didak Pir, 1517–1599. Cato minor, sive disticha moralia (ante 1596). FLAVII IACOBI EBORENSIS LYRICA. ODE PRIMA. Ad Hieronymum Faletum Ligurem. (Asclepiadeum quartum)

Hic hic magnanima prole virum domus
Quaesitos patribus diu
Aeternat titulos, sive togam velis

[9.3] Pavao Ritter Vitezović, 1652–1713. Epistolarum metricarum liber 4, (1701). 16. Ad Eundem super dedicatione Stemmatographiae Illyricana

Attamen Heroum, magnorumque acta virorum
Vatidica aeternant nobilitata manu.
(...)
Caetera fortunae subsunt, morsque omnia delet:
Aeternat famae gloria sola bonae.

[10] inimico 1. Hor. C. 4.15 Non ira quae procudit enses / Et miseras inimicat urbes.

[10.1] Damjan Beneša. Miscellaneorum liber (c. 1499 - c. 1539) (13) Damiano Benessę tralata (Gregorii Nazianzeni elegia)

The Greek original, On silence at the time of fasting (II 1.34; inimicat = ᾿Εχθρὸν ἔθηκ'... δόμον δόμῳ): Καὶ κραδίης ἑτέρης χείλεσιν ἄλλα φέρει, / Ψεύδεά θ', αἱμυλίους τε λόγους, ἀνδροκτασίας τε. / Τίς κεν ἅπαντα λέγοι, τῆσδ ὅσα λυπρὰ πέλει; / ᾿Εχθρὸν ἔθηκ' ἐθέλουσα δόμον δόμῳ, ἄστεϊ δ' ἄστυ / Αὐτίκα, μηδὲν ὅλως γλῶσσα πονησαμένη

(lingua) Blandicias facilis uersat, mendacia, cędes,
Quantaque iam nemo dinumerare queat,
Priuatasque domos inimicat, et oppida miscet

[10.2] Damiani Benessę Satyra secunda de male regenda re publica

(Demon) Illicet arma uirum Christi sparsura cruorem
Expedit et sonitu iam classica pulsat acuto,
Efferat et reges odiis inimicat amaris.

[10.3] Damiani Benessę De morte Christi (1534-1539) liber octavus

Alternis odiis mortem pręuertimus ipsam,
Orci fraude satum, quod nos inimicat et ultro
Inter sese odisse facit

[11] exsultim. Hor C. 3.11 (only here in Roman poetry according to ThLL, MQDQ): Quae velut latis equa trima campis, / Ludit exsultim metuitque tangi

[11.1] Kajetan Vičić, ?-ante 1700. Jesseidos libri XII (ante 1700), IESSEIDOS LIBER III. 20.

Haec erat augustus coluit quam saltibus olim
Iessides: proprio venturae ex semine Princeps
Providus exultim applausit, cum regia victus

[11.2] K. Vičić. LIBER XII. IESSEIDOS. 1.

Ad pastum glomerantur apes et mellis egentes
Sollicitae saturare favos, felicia florum
Exultim per prata volant ferventque negato
Pleiade nimbosa, festivae occurrere Phoebo.

[12] bimaris Corinthus. Hor. C. 1.7: aut Epheson bimarisve Corinthi (MQDQ 23 occurrences: Ovid. 7, lyricis metris 3 praeter Hor.)

[12.1] Jakov Bunić, 1469-1534. De raptu Cerberi (1490). IACOBI BONI RACVSAEI CHRISTI SVB FIGVRA HERCVLIS PRAELVDIVM DEDICATVM LEONI X PONT. MAX. LIBER TERTIVS: EVPHROSYNA

Parte alia ueniens Ephyreas laetus ad arces
Mira Corinthiaco narrabat facta tyranno.
Mox aduecta ratis bimari iam perfida portu

[12.2] Ilija Crijević, 1463-1520. Carmina e cod. Vat. lat. 1678 (1484-1520). LIBER VII Liber VII. 1. (1495; ; a unique strophe of three iambic trimeters and a glyconic)

Quod interire me, nec emori sinis,
Febriculosa in arce praesidem, isthmii
Soli aerisque pestilentia obsitum
Et Stagni bimaris lue

[12.3] I. Crijević. LIBER I. 20. De Stagno oppido Ragusaeo (c. 1506)

Nec, puto, quod tantum bimaris paeninsula Stagni

[12.4] I. Crijević. LIBER I. 21. De eodem (c. 1506)

Opposuit bimaris tot propugnacula Stagni

[12.5] I. Crijević. LIBER I. 22. De eodem (c. 1506)

Nec modo uallata est bimaris peninsula Stagni,

[12.6] I. Crijević. Epistula ad Marinum Bonum (1504/1512; prosa)

Qui cito redibis plena et onusta scapha conchiliis, quibus bimare Stagnum affluit.

[12.7] Damjan Beneša, 1476-1539. Odarum liber I (c. 1499 - c. 1539). Ode VII (1519; Stagni bimaris laudatio ad Michaelem Marini Bonum (obiit a. 1528), qui adulescens circa a. 1519. uix incepto studio philosophiae renuntiauit, et postea, ut ex testamento eius liquet, Patauii religionem diui Benedicti induit; Asclepiadeum quartum)

Stagni nam bimaris sinum
Inuises, refugit tuta petens deum
Cętus quo pelagi minor

[12.8] AA VV. Carmina minora ex libro De vita et gestis Christi (1502–1526). Hieronymus And. Iacobo B. (sapphicum)

Tantus hinc flores Iacobe Vates,
Inde Rhacusae, bimarisque Stagni
Dignus es praetor, celebrisque clarae
Gloria gentis.

[12.9] Jakov Bunić, 1469-1534. De vita et gestis Christi (1526). Iacobi Boni Racusaei Hierarchiae tertiae Chorus .VIII. / Archangeli Deo Spiritui Sancto dicatus / qui Pastor inscribitur.

Vae tibi, quae bimares ingrata Corozain undas

[12.10] Didak Pir, 1517 – 1599. Cato minor, sive disticha moralia (ante 1596). FLAVII IACOBI EBORENSIS TUMULI. FLAVII IACOBI EBORENISIS TUMULI. Fratris Bonifacii Epitaphium

Qua brevis in bimares Staeos se contrahit isthmos,

[12.11] Benedikt Rogačić, 1646–1719. Euthymia sive De tranquilitate animi. Carmen didascalicum (1690). EVTHYMIAE Liber Quartus.

Perculerit: bimaris si moenia celsa Corinthi

[12.12] Benedikt Stay, 1714-1801. Philosophiae versibus traditae libri sex (1744-1747). LIBER SECUNDUS

Italia bimarem conducta puppe Corinthum

[12.13] Đuro Ferić Gvozdenica, 1739–1820. Periegesis orae Rhacusanae (1803). LIBER I. De Civitate Stagni, Arce, et locis Stagno Proximis. X.

Nunc bimari me Musa jubet dare carmina Stagno

[12.14] Džono Restić, 1755–1814. Carmina (ante 1814). JUNII DE RESTIIS SATYRARUM LIBER. SATYRA VI. COENA Sed bimarem Stagni piscator cepit ad isthmum

[12.15] Dž. Restić. JUNII DE RESTIIS SATYRARUM LIBER. SATYRA X. EPISTOLA

Forte ausint Umblae, aut bimari contendere Stagno;

[12.16] Dž. Restić. JUNII DE RESTIIS SATYRARUM LIBER. SATYRA XII. SALSA CULINA

Pinguia nec bimaris delectant ostrea Stagni

[12.17] Ivan Gundulić, 1588-1638; Marc-Antonio Vidovich, 1795-1868; Vlaho Getaldić, 1788-1872. Osmanides (1865). LIBER VII.

Atque ducis laevâ bimaris patet ora Chorinthi.

3.2.4 Horatian lyric turns of phrase in CroALa prose

[13] Hor. C. 1.2 Quem juvat clamor galeaeque leves / Acer et Mauri peditis cruentum / Voltus in hostem

Ludovik Crijević Tuberon, 1458-1527. Commentarii de temporibus suis (post 1522). Lodouici Tuberonis abbatis Dalmatae Commentariorum de temporibus suis liber undecimus

Quam suorum stragem capto Sabactio Hungarorumque iacentium uultus in hostem uersos quum Salomon conspexisset

[14] Hor. C. 2.7 relicta non bene parmula

Franjo Trankvil Andreis, 1490-1571. Dialogus Sylla (1527).

sin grauius premet aduersarius, abiecta parmula cursu quam expeditissimo saluti consulere

[15] Hor. C. 2.2 Quisquis ingentes oculo inretorto / Spectat acervos.

[15.1] Ivan Rattkay, 1647–1683. 20 Martii 1683. Relatio Tarahumarum Missionum eiusque Tarahumarae Nationis Terraeque Descriptio.

Ad vos tandem Reverendi Patres Aquilini vel quia sub auspiciis Augustissimae piissimaeque Austriacae Aquilae quiescitis vel quia tradito vobis a Deo moderamine Austriacam provinciam suavi regimine pulos vestros ad irretortis oculis defigendas acies in solem iustitiae edocetis...

[15.2] Ignjat Đurđević, 1675-1737. Eugenii a Sabaudia... epinicium (1717). LIBER SECVNDVS. Auspicia, praesagiaque.

Septem Diuorum, qui praecipuo patrocinio adsunt Caesari, septena Palatia describuntur in septem stellis, quae Currum septentrionalem efficiunt, collocata: eo praesertim consilio, ut Caroli regnis, quae septentrionalibus subsunt, irretorto oculo inuigilantes fauores quoque suos, ac beneficia non obliquo limite deriuarent.

[16] Hor. C. 1.13 vae meum / Fervens difficili bile tumet jecur.

Adam Alojzije Baričević (1756-1806) et Abraham Jacob Penzel (1749–1819). /Epistulae XVI invicem scriptae/ (1793–1799), Abrahamus Jacobus Penzel Ad. Barichevichio s. p. d. Zagrabiam (Aemonae 1798).

Accepi, vir amicissime, odaica illa Tua mellitissima, qua tibi nomini meo inscribere placuit. (...) Remotus sum a munere meo sine ullo viatico, sine pensione. Quare? Hoc non dicam, nam nemo judex in caussa propria, et mihi difficili bile tumet jecur.

4. Conclusions

Looking for responses to Horatian lyric in CroALa is an excellent research challenge. It is clear, specific, and workable. Both Horatian lyric and CroALa are delimited corpora; Horace's work is as familiar as the works of Croatian authors are unknown, so surprising combinations are guaranteed.

When a digital corpus is annotated for the conventional literary categories -- authors, works, genres, metres -- we can approach it in the conventional way, following the avenues opened by previous research but enjoying the greater speed and latitude the digital corpus offers.

We can also deconstruct the corpus of Horatian lyric, disassemble it into words and phrases and, starting from those we consider significant -- from memorable phrases such as relicta parmula or from special words such as exsultim -- see what will turn up in CroALa and where.

The deconstructing approach brings more surprises. Horatian neologisms are taken up by Croatian poets; Horatian phrases become part of Homer and Gregory of Nazianz; they are adapted to fit local realities; they add elegance to prose.

Does it constitute a lyric tradition, a special thread running through Croatian Latin texts? That remains to be explained.

5. Literature

Bratičević, Irena. ‘Latinsko prigodno pjesništvo u Dubrovniku u 19. st.’ Latina et Graeca, vol. 2, no. 8, Dec. 2005, pp. 15–30.
———. Via virtutis / Put vrline: Epigramatski opus Rajmunda Kunića. Sv. 1. Ex libris, 2015. darhiv.ffzg.unizg.hr, https://darhiv.ffzg.unizg.hr/id/eprint/11158/.
———. Via virtutis / Put vrline: Epigramatski opus Rajmunda Kunića. Sv. 2. Ex libris, 2016. darhiv.ffzg.unizg.hr, https://darhiv.ffzg.unizg.hr/id/eprint/11161/.
Galić Bešker, Irena. Latinsko prigodno pjesništvo sjeverne Hrvatske u 19. stoljeću: fond prigodnica u Nacionalnoj i sveučilišnoj knjižnici. 2010. University of Zagreb, PhD Thesis.
Hidža, Đuro. Latinske pjesme / Carmina Latina. Edited by Jadranka Bagarić, Latina et Graeca, 2024.
Josifović, Stevan. ‘Horaz in der älteren serbokroatischen Literatur’. Živa Antika / Antiquité Vivante, vol. 15, no. 2, 1966, pp. 429–56.
———. ‘Horaz in der serbokroatischen Literatur des XVII und XVIII Jahrhunderts’. Živa Antika / Antiquité Vivante, vol. 16, nos. 1–2, 1966, pp. 279–309.
Puratić, Željko. ‘Đuro Ferić i Kvint Horacije Flak.’ [Georgius Ferrich and Quintus Horatius Flaccus] Živa antika, vol. 16, no. 1, 1966, pp. 333–37.
———. ‘Paraphrasis psalmorum poetica’. Živa antika, vol. 26, 1976, pp. 193–212.
Rezar, Vlado. ‘Ode Damjana Beneše: uvodno promišljanje o metričkom ustroju’ [The Odes of Damianus Benessa: an introductory consideration of metrical structures]. Colloquia Maruliana XXVII, Split 2018, pp. 145–56.
Stepanić, Gorana. ‘Dioklijada Josipa Čobarnića’ [The Dioclias by Josephus Ciobarnich]. Dani Hvarskoga kazališta : Građa i rasprave o hrvatskoj književnosti i kazalištu, vol. 25, Split 1999, pp. 351–65.
———. Hrvatsko pjesništvo na latinskom u sedamnaestom stoljeću: stilske tendencije i žanrovski inventar: doktorska disertacija [Croatian poetry in Latin during the 17th century: stylistic tendences, generic inventory: PhD thesis]. 2005. Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, phd.
———. Jišajida Kajetana Vičića [The Jesseis of Caetanus Vicich]. 2001, https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/publikacija/ocjenski-rad/334529. University of Zagreb, MA thesis.
Vratović, Vladimir. ‘Horacije u dubrovačkom pjesništvu 18. i 19. stoljeća (isječak iz povijesti hrvatskog latinizma)’ [Horace in Dubrovnik 18th and 19th century poetry: a fragment from the history of Croatian writing in Latin]. Rad Jugoslavenske akademije znanosti i umjetnosti, vol. 16, 1971. dizbi.hazu.hr, https://dizbi.hazu.hr/?pr=i&id=171879.