Secondary sourceBook
Virgil manuscript, Edinburgh University MS 195
Florius Infortunatus
A medieval illuminated manuscript copy of Virgil's works, held at the University of Edinburgh. Its painted pages show ships, a walled city and figures on a shore.
It is a medieval copy of Virgil's works, showing how his poetry was preserved and decorated by later readers.
About this source
What it is
This is a manuscript of Virgil's works, held by the University of Edinburgh under shelf mark Ms 195. The page shown has a painted miniature in an arched frame. It shows ships on water, a walled city with towers, and figures on a grassy shore with animals. Below is a blue panel with gold script, framed by gold and blue foliate borders and a coat of arms. The record names Florius Infortunatus as creator.
Why it matters
Virgil's poems were copied by hand for centuries before printing, and manuscripts like this one kept his text alive. The illuminated pages show how medieval readers and patrons valued the book, both for the words and for their decoration. The record names Florius Infortunatus, which tells us that a specific person made or owned this copy.
Look closer
- What do the painted ships, city and animals suggest about the stories the artist had in mind?
- Who would have owned or used a book this richly decorated, and why?
- Because this is a copy made long after Virgil wrote, what might have changed as it was copied?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Virgil on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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