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Italy and the Classical Tradition: Language, Thought and Poetry 1300-1600
Author(s): Dummy Author (Author), Carlo Caruso (Editor), Andrew Laird (Editor)
- Publisher: Bristol Classical Press
- Publication Date: 14 July 2009
- Edition: Illustrated
- Language: English
- Print length: 280 pages
- ISBN-10: 0715637371
- ISBN-13: 9780715637371
Book Description
Italy’s early fascination with its Hellenic and Roman origins created what is now called the classical tradition. This book focuses on the role of the Greek and Latin languages and texts in Italian humanist thought and Renaissance poetry: how ancient languages were mastered and used, and how ancient texts were acquired and appropriated. Fresh perspectives on the influences of Aristotle, Plutarch and Virgil accompany innovative interpretations of canonical Italian authors including Dante, Petrarch and Alberti in the light of their classical models. Treatments of more specialized forms of writing, such as the cento and commentary, and some opening chapters on linguistic history also prompt reassessment of Renaissance perceptions of both Greece and Rome in relation to early modern Latin and vernacular culture. The collection as a whole highlights the importance of Italy’s unique legacy of antiquity for the history of ideas and philology, as well as for literary history. The essays in this volume, all by leading specialists, are supplemented by a detailed introduction and a subject bibliography.
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Carlo Caruso is Professor of Italian at the University of Durham. Andrew Laird is Professor of Classical Literature at the University of Warwick.
