De viris illustribus
Petrarch's "Africa" was conceived as a classical Latin poetic counterpart and the highlight of his similar "De viris illustribus" about famous men of ancient times. Many of the subjects of "Africa" are also found in "De viris illustribus" which is based on Livy's extensive History of Rome. Petrarch wrote his historical Latin epic in the spirit of the main character of "De viris illustribus", Cornelius Scipio Africanus. In the "De viris illustribus" he wrote a "Vita Scipionis" (Life of Scipio) to serve as a historical backdrop for the main character. Cornelius Scipio, the hero of Petrarch's epic poem, also appears in other of Petrarch's works such as "Rhymes", "Triumphs", and "De otio religiosorum."