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Filostrato

Filostrato, commonly referred to as Il Filostrato, is a narrative poem by Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio, completed in the 1330s. It is written in vernacular Italian and is one of the earliest substantial examples of Italian epic poetry in the vernacular. The poem adapts a classical Trojan story and centers on the love affair between Troilo, a Trojan prince, and Criseide (Cressida in English), set against the events of the Trojan War. A skilled go-between, Pandaro (Pandarus), facilitates their liaison, a device through which the work explores themes of desire, fortune, and the fragility of human happiness. The tale unfolds as hope and passion are thwarted by war and fate, and Troilo dies in battle, leaving Criseide to a sorrowful fate.

The Filostrato is notable for its early use of the Italian vernacular to retell a classical legend

and
for
influencing
later
writers.
It
predates
Geoffrey
Chaucer’s
Troilus
and
Criseyde
and
provided
a
direct
model
for
that
English
work.
The
poem
helped
establish
a
tradition
of
vernacular
romance
in
Italy
and
contributed
to
the
broader
European
reception
of
the
Troilus
and
Cressida
narrative.
The
title
is
traditionally
interpreted
as
The
Strife
of
Love
or
The
Lover’s
Strife,
signaling
the
central
conflict
between
affection
and
circumstance.