The 2nd Day of Christmas: Petrarch on the mercenary wars in Italy and the need for peace on earth (1344)

This quotation is part of a series for “The Twelve Days of Christmas” on the theme of “Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will towards men.” [Luke 2:14]

In a long patriotic poem Petrarch bemoans the fate of Italy which had degenerated into endless civil wars fought often with mercenary troops. He calls upon “Italia mia” (my Italy) to end “this mad disgrace” where Italian fights against Italian thus indirectly serving the interests of the “Teutons” to the north who would like to see Italy politically weak and divided. He argues that the Italians have forgotten their noble Latin heritage and that their minds have been “steeped … in evil ways by old authority, truth’s constant enemy.” He urges them to cease “strife and slaughter” and to “consecrate your lives to a better fate, to deeds of generous worth, to gracious acts that cheer and bless mankind; thus will you gather joy and peace on earth.” It should be noted that this translation was published in 1915 when Europe was being torn apart by another continent-wide civil war which became known as the “Great War.”