Giovanni Pontano (1429-1503) had established himself as one of the leading lights in academic circles in the Kingdom of Naples; he was a diplomat and a scholar but his legacy is a series of poems written in Latin, one of which is Baiae, published in 1505. In his introduction Rodney G Dennis says that Pontano was the foremost humanist scholar in Naples; he combined a deep devotion to his wife and family with the liveliest interest in large numbers of romantic alliances, many of which he found at the resort of Baiae. He was never touched by scandal, he was friendly and humorous, entirely without rancor and universally trusted.

There are 71 of his poems in Baiae most of them fairly short and many of them about those famous, perhaps infamous baths. In a poem addressed to his friend Chariteus the last four lines read:

“Happy the baths where Luna bathed
And happy Myrtles where the goddess sports
O happy bed wheron the goddess plays,
Happy Baiae while Chariteus loves!”

It would appear that the circle of friends around Pontano who were members of the "Accademia Pontano" took themselves off to the baths at Baiae to meet their lovers many of whom were prostitutes. Pontano disguises this in his poems by referring to them as goddesses or Nymphes or Graces and many of the names re-appear in the poems. Over half of the poems were addressed to Pontano’s male friends and are mostly concerned with the pleasures on offer at Baiae. Here is a typical example:

“Marullus’s Loves

Tell Muses, which girls my Marullus loves,
Or if any girls love my Marullus back.
Tell me, for he’s sure to be in love
You know what pleasures little girls can give
You know about the Venuses and Cupids
That come forth darting from her eloquent eyes.
Who breathes the scents of Cinnamon and cassia,
Who wields the quiver and the torch of Love?
Goddess Septimilla, fair of form,
She’s the one whom your Marullus loves,
She’s the one who loves him in return.
A happy union! Each burns hot as the other.”

Many of the poems have a languid erotic feel to them, but Pontano can spice them up on occasions but always with a view that “Love is a game, not a time for grief!." Many of his friends like himself were past their prime and so another recurring theme is the affect of age on the libido. The pleasures of feasting and drinking are celebrated, with admonitions not to get too carried away in the beds of their lovers.

There are poems addressed to some of the girls at Baiae as well as a couple to his wife celebrating their life together. A poem celebrating “The marriage of Joannes Broncatus and Maritella” gives advice to Joannes on what he should be doing in the bridal bed, leaving nothing to the imagination. His poem to Alfonso, Duke of Calabria who became King of Naples goes into some detail about his affair with Drusula a lady of the baths, here is an extract:

“And when you recline on her tender breast
And you’re side by side, placing your cheek
By her cheek, one hand
Touching her smooth neck, the other
Stroking those parts that shame conceals,
Soon, after murmurs and mutual cries,
After sighing, after kissing,
Out of your very deepest marrow
The heat subsides, and you lie together,
Spent, languid, quite exhausted,
Don’t you know that your spirit roams
In the heart of your Drusula?
That her spirit runs to yours,
That in both hearts they roam together?
Tell, greatest Duke, tell, blessed lover,
Are not gold and kingdoms cheap?
Are you not one of the Gods?

Pontano’s love and awe of the poets and writers of antiquity comes through with many references and the poetry celebrates paganism and the Gods of the Romans. There are direct quotes and references to Catullus in particular and Martial, which would have been welcomed by Pontano’s circle of friends at the Accademia, who would also have appreciated the “in jokes” that have been lost to us now.

The I Tatti Renaissance Library publication has included the original Latin text facing Rodney G. Dennis’s modern translation. This is useful as the poems were famous for their Hendecasyllabic (11 syllable) lines, which have not been possible to render in the translation and so even if you cannot read the Latin you can see what the poems looked like on the page and also can appreciate the rhyming schemes. There is a good selection of notes and Dennis’s introduction places the poetry in context.

These poems were unique to me in giving a glimpse of an aspect of life of the Italian Renaissance that I have not come across elsewhere. The poems themselves in translation have a sensuous quality that I found quite seductive. There was enough variety and interest to keep me reading straight through the book in two sessions. Not great literature perhaps but there are some gems here. A four star read. ( )