The Medieval Classic: Twelfth-Century Latin Epic and the Virgilian Commentary Tradition

Justin A. Haynes (Assistant Professor of Classics, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of California, Davis)

The Medieval Classic: Twelfth-Century Latin Epic and the Virgilian Commentary Tradition
Format
Hardback
Publisher
Oxford University Press Inc
Country
United States
Published
27 May 2021
Pages
232
ISBN
9780190091361

The Medieval Classic: Twelfth-Century Latin Epic and the Virgilian Commentary Tradition

Justin A. Haynes (Assistant Professor of Classics, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of California, Davis)

The Medieval Classic considers how ancient and medieval commentaries on the Aeneid by Servius, Fulgentius, Bernard Silvestris, and others can give us new insights into four twelfth-century Latin epics – the Ylias by Joseph of Exeter, the Alexandreis by Walter of Chatillon, the Anticlaudianus by Alan of Lille, and the Architrenius by John of Hauville.Justin Haynes argues that the most profound connections between medieval epic and the Aeneid have been overlooked because ancient and medieval interpretations, as preserved by the commentary tradition, were often radically different from modern ones. By explaining how to interpret the Aeneid, these commentaries directly influenced the way in which medieval authors were inspired by the poem. At the same time, these commentaries allow us a greater awareness of the generic expectations held by medieval readers. Because two of the medieval epics considered here are allegorical narratives, this book offers new perspectives on the importance of commentaries in the development of allegorical literature. Thus, The Medieval Classic contributes to our understanding of ancient and medieval perceptions of the Aeneid while exploring the importance of commentaries in shaping poetic composition, imitation, and the history of allegorical literature.

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