Avienius

Also known as Avienus Rufius Festus, Rufius Festus Avienus, Rufus Festus Avienus, Postumius Rufius Festus Avienius, Avienus

Postumius Rufius Festus Avienius (or Avienus) was a Latin writer of the 4th century AD. He was a native of Volsinii in Etruria, from the distinguished family of the Rufii Festi.

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floruit: 0400-00-00
date of birth: 0305-00-00
date of death: 0375-00-00

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Works in European collections

10 objects attributed to Avienius, held across European museums, libraries & archives · via Europeana

Carmina

Arati Solensis Phaenomema et prognostica [Printed Text]

OperaArato De Soles: Phaenomena (latine), and Germanico Caesare etiam and M.T. Cicerone translata. Sereno Samonico: Carmen de medicina

Ruffi Festi Auieni ... Opera quae extant

Aesopus des Phrygiers Leben und Fabeln, nebst den Fabeln des Philelphus ; Neue Übersetzung ; Mit moralischen nd historischen Anmerkungen des Herrn Abts von Bellegarde; Dieser neuen Uebersetzung sind die Fabeln des Gabrias, und Avienus, und die Mährchen des Aesopus beygefüget

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Postumius Rufius Festus Avienius (or Avienus) was a Latin writer of the 4th century AD. He was a native of Volsinii in Etruria, from the distinguished family of the Rufii Festi.

Avienius is not identical with the historian Festus. == Background== Avienius made a free translation into Latin of Aratus' didactic poem Phaenomena. He also took a popular Greek poem in hexameters, Periegesis, briefly delimiting the habitable world from the perspective of Alexandria, written by Dionysius Periegetes in a terse and elegant style that was easy to memorize for students, and translated it into an archaising Latin as his Descriptio orbis terrae ("Description of the World's Lands"). Only Book I survives, with an unsteady grasp of actual geography and some far-fetched etymologies: see Ophiussa.