Medieval Readings of Romans


Book Description

This sixth volume of the Romans through History and Culture series consists of 14 contributions by North-American and European medievalists and Pauline scholars who discuss significant readings of Romans through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to the eve of the Reformation. The commentaries of Abelard, William of St. Thierry, Thomas Aquinas, and Nicolas of Lyra, and the wider influence of Romans as reflected in the letters of Heloise and the works of Dante demonstrate the reception of Romans at this period. Starting with an introduction inviting the reader to into the biblical environment of the Middle Ages and suggesting the varied ways in which Paul was understood in both high clerical culture and among the people; it also offers a summary of the work done by each of the authors. This volume attests the dominant role of scripture in communal life and witnesses to the pervasive influence of Paul's letter to the Romans in the flourishing discussions on Scripture and theology.




Medieval Readings of Romans


Book Description

This sixth volume of the Romans through History and Culture series consists of 14 contributions by North-American and European medievalists and Pauline scholars who discuss significant readings of Romans through the twelfth and thirteenth centuries to the eve of the Reformation. The commentaries of Abelard, William of St. Thierry, Thomas Aquinas, and Nicolas of Lyra, and the wider influence of Romans as reflected in the letters of Heloise and the works of Dante demonstrate the reception of Romans at this period. Starting with an introduction inviting the reader to into the biblical environment of the Middle Ages and suggesting the varied ways in which Paul was understood in both high clerical culture and among the people; it also offers a summary of the work done by each of the authors. This volume attests the dominant role of scripture in communal life and witnesses to the pervasive influence of Paul's letter to the Romans in the flourishing discussions on Scripture and theology.




Imagined Romes


Book Description

This volume explores the conflicting representations of ancient Rome—one of the most important European cities in the medieval imagination—in late Middle English poetry. Once the capital of a great pagan empire whose ruined monuments still inspired awe in the Middle Ages, Rome, the seat of the pope, became a site of Christian pilgrimage owing to the fame of its early martyrs, whose relics sanctified the city and whose help was sought by pilgrims to their shrines. C. David Benson analyzes the variety of ways that Rome and its citizens, both pre-Christian and Christian, are presented in a range of Middle English poems, from lesser-known, anonymous works to the poetry of Gower, Chaucer, Langland, and Lydgate. Benson discusses how these poets conceive of ancient Rome and its citizens—especially the women of Rome—as well as why this matters to their works. An insightful and innovative study, Imagined Romes addresses a crucial lacuna in the scholarship of Rome in the medieval imaginary and provides fresh perspectives on the work of four of the most prominent Middle English poets.




The Roman Vergil and the Origins of Medieval Book Design


Book Description

The 5th century AD Roman Vergil is one of the most precious manuscripts in the Vatican Library. Wright presents a wide-ranging discussion of the influence of the manuscript on the history and development of medieval manuscript art and of book design.




Reformation Readings of Romans


Book Description

This volume of essays provides presentations and analyses of several Reformation theologians' interpretations of Romans as a whole or in part, some focusing on one particular interpreter, such as Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Bullinger, and Bucer; others compare and contrast two or more of the major interpreters whether in relation to a particular section of the letter. The commonalities and divergence in the readings are analyzed in relation to and as a reflection of the various social, political and personal circumstances of the Reformers.




The Vatican Vergil


Book Description

Made in Rome around A.D. 400, the Vatican Vergil is the most famous and the most attractive illustrated book surviving from classical antiquity. David H. Wright introduces this masterpiece of late antique art and shows why it is such an impressive example of the new form of book, the codex, that replaced the traditional papyrus roll and permitted more elaborate illustrations. Here are thirty-two of the most interesting illustrations from the Vatican Vergil, reprinted in full color from the 1980 facsimile published in Graz, Austria, in collaboration with the Vatican Library. Facing each reproduction is the appropriate text from Vergil, in Latin and in English, together with explanatory comments. Wright discusses how the manuscript was made, describing the style of the capital script and of the illustrations as well as their sources in older classical traditions. He examines the Vatican Vergil as an example of the revival of classical culture in pagan circles in Rome at a time when Christian authority was systematically suppressing pagan religion. Finally, he surveys the "afterlife" of the codex, tracing how the work was studied and copied first in the Carolingian era and then in the Italian Renaissance. All the illustrations not reproduced in color are given at full size in black and white in a concluding list of the illustrations that have survived in this unique masterpiece. Made in Rome around A.D. 400, the Vatican Vergil is the most famous and the most attractive illustrated book surviving from classical antiquity. David H. Wright introduces this masterpiece of late antique art and shows why it is such an impressive example of the new form of book, the codex, that replaced the traditional papyrus roll and permitted more elaborate illustrations. Here are thirty-two of the most interesting illustrations from the Vatican Vergil, reprinted in full color from the 1980 facsimile published in Graz, Austria, in collaboration with the Vatican Library. Facing each reproduction is the appropriate text from Vergil, in Latin and in English, together with explanatory comments. Wright discusses how the manuscript was made, describing the style of the capital script and of the illustrations as well as their sources in older classical traditions. He examines the Vatican Vergil as an example of the revival of classical culture in pagan circles in Rome at a time when Christian authority was systematically suppressing pagan religion. Finally, he surveys the "afterlife" of the codex, tracing how the work was studied and copied first in the Carolingian era and then in the Italian Renaissance. All the illustrations not reproduced in color are given at full size in black and white in a concluding list of the illustrations that have survived in this unique masterpiece.




From Roman to Merovingian Gaul


Book Description

Including such remarkable accounts as Attila the Hun's meeting with the Pope, Queen Balthild's life, and Gregory of Tours' vivid descriptions of what happens when daily life is enmeshed with politics, From Roman to Merovingian Gaul documents events that are both remarkable in themselves and that demonstrate what made this era of history distinct.




The Ancient Middle Classes


Book Description

"Our image of the Roman world is shaped by the writings of Roman statesmen and upper class intellectuals. Yet most of the material evidence we have from Roman times--art, architecture, and household artifacts from Pompeii and elsewhere--belonged to, and was made for, artisans, merchants, and professionals. Roman culture as we have seen it with our own eyes, Emanuel Mayer boldly argues, turns out to be distinctly middle class and requires a radically new framework of analysis. Starting in the first century B.C.E., ancient communities, largely shaped by farmers living within city walls, were transformed into vibrant urban centers where wealth could be quickly acquired through commercial success. From 100 B.C.E. to 250 C.E., the archaeological record details the growth of a cosmopolitan empire and a prosperous new class rising along with it. Not as keen as statesmen and intellectuals to show off their status and refinement, members of this new middle class found novel ways to create pleasure and meaning. In the décor of their houses and tombs, Mayer finds evidence that middle-class Romans took pride in their work and commemorated familial love and affection in ways that departed from the tastes and practices of social elites."--Jacket.




Reading Medieval Latin


Book Description

Reading Medieval Latin is an introduction to medieval Latin in its cultural and historical context and is designed to serve the needs of students who have completed the learning of basic classical Latin morphology and syntax. (Users of Reading Latin will find that it follows on after the end of section 5 of that course.) It is an anthology, organised chronologically and thematically in four parts. Each part is divided into chapters with introductory material, texts, and commentaries which give help with syntax, sentence-structure, and background. There are brief sections on medieval orthography and grammar, together with a vocabulary which includes words (or meanings) not found in standard classical dictionaries. The texts chosen cover areas of interest to students of medieval history, philosophy, theology, and literature.




The Middle Ages in 50 Objects


Book Description

The extraordinary array of images included in this volume reveals the full and rich history of the Middle Ages. Exploring material objects from the European, Byzantine and Islamic worlds, the book casts a new light on the cultures that formed them, each culture illuminated by its treasures. The objects are divided among four topics: The Holy and the Faithful; The Sinful and the Spectral; Daily Life and Its Fictions, and Death and Its Aftermath. Each section is organized chronologically, and every object is accompanied by a penetrating essay that focuses on its visual and cultural significance within the wider context in which the object was made and used. Spot maps add yet another way to visualize and consider the significance of the objects and the history that they reveal. Lavishly illustrated, this is an appealing and original guide to the cultural history of the Middle Ages.




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