Why did Petrarch value his Latin epic Africa so highly?

Petrarch valued his Latin epic Africa so highly because it was a direct expression of his humanist ideals. As a central figure in the movement to bridge Classical culture with the Christian message, Petrarch sought to move away from the "sterile argumentation" of medieval Scholasticism and instead draw moral weight and illumination from the Classical world.12

By choosing the Second Punic War as his subject, Petrarch utilized the epic form to engage with the grandeur of Roman history, reflecting his deep commitment to the continuity between the values of the Classical past and his own time. While he is widely celebrated today for his vernacular poetry, such as the Canzoniere, Petrarch viewed his Latin works as essential to his intellectual mission of reviving the literary and rhetorical standards of antiquity.21