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Illustrations depicting 10th Century Carolingian Soldiers from
Prudentius' Psychomachia
'Conflict Of The Soul'
Brussels, Bibliotheque royale, Ms. 10066-77, 10th century

Chastity and Lust

folio 116r
Chastity fights against Lust

PUDICITIA CONTRA LIBIDINEM PUGNAT

folio 116r
Chastity strikes Lust with a rock

PUDICITIA LIBIDINEM CUM SAXO PERCUTIT

folio 116v
Chastity impales Lust with a sword

PUDICITIA LIBIDINEM GLADIO TRANSITON

folio 116v
Chastity rebukes the corpse of Lust

PUDICITIA LIBIDINEM EXTINCTAM INCREPAT

folio 117v
Chastity washing her sword in the Jordan

PUDICITIA GLADIUM SUUM LAVIT IN IORDANE

folio 118r
Chastity stores her sword under an altar

PUDICITIA GLADIUM SUUM SUB ALTARE RECONDIT


Source: Brussels, Bibliotheque royale, Ms. 10066-77

Prudentius (born in 348 in northern Spain, died after 405) spent most of his life following worldly pursuits, but later turned to writing, in which he aimed to glorify God and atone for his earlier sins. One of his most popular works is a poem called Psychomachia (Conflict of the Soul), which describes the battles between female personifications of human virtues and vices.