| Abstract
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In his longest work, Mitologiae, Planciadus Fulgentius (the Mythographer), retells fifty Greek myths and legends. His aim is to teach students that Classical literature has educational value for the Christian. He receives inspiration from the Muse, Calliope, who appears with a mixture of gravitas and capriciousness. Under her influence, he uses etymological interpretations to uncover hidden philosophical meanings in the myths. One theme that emerges is a symbolic connection between lust and the desire for knowledge and learning. Although apparently random in presentation, the theme presents the Liberal Arts as the proper object of a student’s desire, and the work follows a trajectory that ends up rehabilitating Classical thought, and the Muse herself. In his longest work, Mitologiae, Planciadus Fulgentius (the Mythographer), retells fifty Greek myths and legends. His aim is to teach students that Classical literature has educational value for the Christian. He receives inspiration from the Muse, Calliope, who appears with a mixture of gravitas and capriciousness. Under her influence, he uses etymological interpretations to uncover hidden philosophical meanings in the myths. One theme that emerges is a symbolic connection between lust and the desire for knowledge and learning. Although apparently random in presentation, the theme presents the Liberal Arts as the proper object of a student’s desire, and the work follows a trajectory that ends up rehabilitating Classical thought, and the Muse herself.
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