or Chi'rius, a Roman lawyer, flourished about the
middle of the fifth century after Christ, a short time before Cassiodorus, by whom he is
quoted.
Works
Artis Rhetoricae Scholicae Libri tres
Fortunatius drew up a compendium of technical rhetoric, by way of question and answer, in
three books, compiled from the chief ancient authorities both Greek and Latin, under the
title
Curii Fortunatiani Consulti Artis Rhetoricae Scholicae Libri
tres, a production which at one period was held in high esteem as a manual, from
being at once comprehensive and concise.
Other writers with similar names
This writer must not be confounded with the Curius Fortunatianus who, as we are told by
Capitolinus (Max. et Balb. 4), composed a history of the reign of
Maximus and Balbinus, nor with Fortunatianus, an African, bishop of Aquileia, mentioned by
St. Jerome (de Viris Ill. 97) as a commentator on the Gospels.
Editions
The Editio Princeps of the Ars Rhetorica was printed at Venice, fol.
1523, in a volume containing Rufinianus and other authors upon the same subject;
a second edition, revised by P. Nannius, appeared at Louvain, 8vo. 1550;
a third, by Erythraeus, at Strasburg, 8vo. 1568.The piece will be found also in the " Rhetores Latini Antiqui," of Pithou, Paris, 4to. 1599, p. 38-78.