The Chastity of Valentinian, John Gower, Confessio Amantis V.6430ff

Hic loquitur qualiter Valentinianus Imperator, cum ipse octogenarius plures provincias Romano Imperio belliger subiugasset, dixit se super omnia magis gaudere de eo, quod contra suae carnis concupiscenciam victoriam obtinuisset; nam et ipse virgo omnibus diebus vitae suae castissimus permansit.

--John Gower, Confessio Amantis V.6430ff

Here the narrator discusses the Emperor Valentinian.* Although the emperor conquered more than eighty provinces for the Roman Empire, he said that of all his accomplishments, the one that he was the most proud of was the conquest of his own lust. For he remained a chaste virgin for all of the days of his life.

* probably the emperor Valens instead of Valentinian

JOHN GOWER

MAP:

Name:  John Gower

Date:  1330 – 1408 CE

Works:  Confessio Amantis

 

REGION  2

BIO:

Timeline:

 John Gower was a 14^th century English poet. He was a contemporary and peer of Geoffrey Chaucer; both authors use overlapping characters and themes. Although his Confessio Amantis was written in English, the Latin text of this story was taken from the summaries that the author wrote for each chapter in Latin.

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