Peace drives away Fear, Labor and Want Trumpets are silent, swords sheathed |
The legion of Virtues enjoy winning the contest Concord orders the withdrawal of the standards to camp Singing troop of cavalry & infantry |
A larger image of scenes in Prudentius' Psychomachia - 'Conflict Of The Soul', Leyden, Universitatsbibliothek, Cod. Burmanni Q 3, 9th century. | |
PAX VENIT ET FUGIUNT METUS ET LABOR ET VIS TUBAE SILENT GLADII RECONDUNTUR |
VIRTUTUM LEGIO GAUDET VICTO CERTAMINE CONCORDIA IUBET REDUCERE SIGNA IN CASTRIS TURME PSALLENTIUM EQUITUM ET PEDESTIUM |
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.