Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullium: Ferenc Hunyadi’s 1583 epic poem about Stephen Báthory

Molnár, Dávid (2025) Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullium: Ferenc Hunyadi’s 1583 epic poem about Stephen Báthory. HUNGARIAN STUDIES YEARBOOK, 7 (1). pp. 73-89. ISSN 2668-7542

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Abstract

Ferenc Hunyadi (1550?–1600), often referred to as the “Hun Virgil,” published a significant work in 1583 in Venice, celebrating the hero Stephen Báthory, King of Poland. Likely commissioned by the Polish Royal Chancellery, this volume serves as an example of Báthory’s deliberate political self-representation. This paper examines Hunyadi’s epic work as a piece of propaganda, particularly in relation to Báthory’s siege of Danzig (Gdańsk) and the Livonian War. Although Hunyadi’s epyllion does not appear to be a consistent or coherent composition, several compositional arcs can be identified within his work. This paper provides a concise summary of the epic poem, aiming to identify the motifs and larger compositional elements that function as deliberate propaganda tools.

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