De Reditu Suo by Rutilius Namatianus—Bilingual Edition

Rutilius Claudius Namatianus may have been far less known than some of the great poets who preceded him, but his surviving work, De Reditu Suo (On His Return), offers a rare glimpse into the crumbling Western Roman Empire. He was born into a wealthy aristocratic family who held many leading government roles in Rome, and Rutilius himself served as Master of Offices, and later as Prefect of Rome. In 417 CE, he had to depart to Gaul because the Franks, Burgundians, and Visigoths had plundered several of his estates. De Reditu Suo chronicles Rutilius’ trip to Gaul, where he writes about broken infrastructure, abandoned towns, and his romanticized perspective on Rome amid declining imperial influence. This poem is written like a personal diary, and focuses more on Rutilius’ experiences and observations during his journey rather than a traditional epic. This edition presents the full Latin text adjacent to the Duff & Duff English translation on facing pages, in attempt to help readers shift between languages more naturally.