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fourth belongs to a period after Sigibert’s death in 575 AD, when Lupus had lost
power, but before the publication of Venantius’ poems, Books i–VIII in 576 AD. During
this period there was a possibility of Lupus being restored to power. This eventually
happened after the treaty of Andelots 587 AD (Wood 1994, pp. 98 ff.). The
two poems in between were both written between 566 and 576 AD.
Meyer (1901, p. 14) dated the first Lupus poem, Venantius 7.7, to 566 AD when
Venantius was connected with Sigibert’s court. Meyer dates the second poem, 7.8,
to a later period when Venantius was in Poitiers, i.e., after 567, but before 576 AD.
George (1992) also sees poem 7.8 as closer to 570 than 566 AD, i.e., as belonging
to a period after Venantius had left Sigibert’s court. This date no more than a guess
and it depends very much on how the relation between the two first poems, 7.7 and
7.8, is viewed. Meyer’s uncommented dating must be doubted. He confesses his
confusion about the composition of the second poem (1901, p. 89) and has not
noticed that the poems form a pair. Both poems give the impression that Venantius
and Lupus are in personal contact with each other and both poems are inspired by
the same events (cf. below p. 111).
The third poem to Lupus, 7.9, is after 566 AD and the reference to the nine years
which have lapsed since Venantius left Italy (Venantius 7.9:7) indicates that the poem
was written around 575 AD. The last poem is in all probability from the same period
as there seems to be a causal tie between the two last poems inasmuch as the last
poem is the poet’s way of helping Lupus after having received the gifts mentioned in
the third poem.
Turning to the poems themselves, we see that they are linked in pairs. To begin
with we read an official panegyric, and afterwards its natural counterpart, the private
panegyric. These poems are equally long. The third is a note thanking Lupus for
some presents and his thoughtfulness towards Venantius, while the fourth is a petition,
in the form of yet another short note equal in length to the third poem, from
Venantius on behalf of Lupus to Lupus’ brother Magnulfus, who has gained a politically
powerful position as a result of his military skills.
Also these two poems match each other inasmuch as we are given the impression
that in return for having received gifts from Lupus, in poem 7.9, Venantius supports
Lupus in poem 7.10, thus fulfilling his part of the bargain between patron and
protégé. The poems can be seen as thematically and perhaps also chronologically
linked. We may suspect that Venantius wanted to show how it all started between
him and Lupus and how he was able to show his affection and gratitude to Lupus.
The two short notes lack poetic quality. They are both intended to be notes, delivered
by messengers, who are actually depicted in poem 7.10 as waiting for the notes
to be finished. Both poems give the impression that Venantius is a very busy man, but
also an extremely righteous person who lives up to the code of civilised behaviour.
Although the Lupus poems are occasional they are intended in the collection to be
read en suite. Book VII contains poems to Merovingian noblemen and the position
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