Princeton University Press eBooks· 2013· Book chapter
European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages
- 170citations
- 2013year
Short summary
Ernst Robert Curtius's seminal 1948 work establishes medieval Latin literature as the crucial bridge between classical antiquity and later European vernacular literatures, synthesizing over two millennia of literary tradition.
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Key points
- Medieval Latin literature served as a vital link between classical and later European vernacular literatures.
- The book traces literary continuity across Europe from antiquity to the early 19th century.
- It synthesizes over two millennia of European literary history, from Homer to Goethe.
- T. S. Eliot described the work as 'magnificent'.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Published just after the Second World War, European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages is a sweeping exploration of the remarkable continuity of European literature across time and place, from the classical era up to the early nineteenth century, and from the Italian peninsula to the British Isles. In what T. S. Eliot called a "magnificent" book, Ernst Robert Curtius establishes medieval Latin literature as the vital transition between the literature of antiquity and the vernacular literatures of later centuries. The result is nothing less than a masterful synthesis of European literature from Homer to Goethe. European Literature and the Latin Middle Ages is a monumental work of literary scholarship. In a new introduction, Colin Burrow provides critical insights into Curtius's life and ideas and highlights the distinctive importance of this wonderful book.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Princeton University Press eBooks, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: Classics
ClassicsArts and Humanities