Articles

The Tangled Reception of Proba and Virgil in the Laterculus Malalianus

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Abstract

How did a poem composed by an aristocratic woman in fourth-century Rome become essential reading for an obscure author in early medieval England? This article examines the reception of Virgil through the lens of Proba’s Cento, a patchwork poem on biblical themes comprised of lines and half-lines of Virgil. There are multiple references to the Cento in the anonymous Laterculus Malalianus, an enigmatic text that is part-chronicle, part-exegesis. Its author seems to have primarily encountered Virgil via Proba, even using the Cento to interpret Virgil’s verses. This article highlights the tangled nature of Virgil’s reception in early medieval England. 

Keywords: Proba, Cento, Women's writing, Laterculus Malalianus, Theodore of Tarsus, Virgil, Classical reception

How to Cite:

Hitchman, M., (2026) “The Tangled Reception of Proba and Virgil in the Laterculus Malalianus”, Journal of Latin Cosmopolitanism and European Literatures 12. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/jolcel.95483