Fortunatus, Venantius, a Latin poet, was born in Italy about the year 530. He was past middle life when he entered the ministry. In 599 he was appointed Bishop of Portiers, but died soon after, about 609. Some of his hymns have a great reputation in the Roman Catholic Church. The most famous is the passion hymn, Pange, lingua, gloriosi, proelium certaminis, which has been translated by Neale and others.