Classical Period

- Greek and Roman Literature

Epic Poetry
I. Homer regarded as the greatest of all Greek writers
2 monumental works:
a. Iliad famous story about the Trojan War
- pure tragedy
b. Odyssey mixture of tragedy and comedy
- story of Odysseus a warrior of Troy
II. Hesiod speaks of himself in his poetry
2 Works:
a. Works and Days faithful depiction of poverty-stricken country life he knows so well.
- it sets forth principles and rules for farmers
b. Theogony systematic account of creation and of the gods
- vividly describes the ages of mankind beginning with a long part of Golden Age.
* Works of Homer and Hesiod compiled a kind of bible for the Greeks.
Lyric Poetry
Lyric poetry got its name from the fact that it was originally sung by individuals or a chorus accompanied by lyre.
Archilochus of Panos is the first lyric poet
Drama
developed in Athens
After the Greek-Persian wars, the awakened national spirit was expressed in hundreds of superb tragedies based
on heroic and legendary themes of the past.
Tragic plays grew out of simple choral songs and dialogues performed at the festivals of the god Dionysus.
Performances include 3 tragedies and one pastoral drama depicting four different episodes of the same myth.

Fully surviving Greek tragedies are conventionally attributed to Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides.
1. Aeschylus seven tragedies survived.
ORESTEIA trilogy of Greek tragedies
- concerning the end of the curse of the House of Atreus.
king of Mycena in the Peloponnese.
He and his twin brother were exiled by their father for
murdering their half
brother in their desire for the throne
of Olympia.
father of Agamemnon and Menalaus
2.

mother

- the House of Atreus begins with Tantalus, who killed his son Pelops and feed him to the gods.
Sophocles the most celebrated playwright in the dramatic competition.
- seven works survived from the 120 plays he wrote: 1. Ajax
2. Antigone
3. The women of Trachis
4. Oedipus Rex
5. Electra
6. Philoctetes
7. Oedipus at Colunnus
* Each of the plays relates to the tale of mythological Oedipus, who killed his father and married his
without knowing that they were his parents.
- Most acclaimed work the three Theban Plays: Antigone, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at

Colunnus
3. Euripides 19 tragedies have survived.
- one of his famous work is Medea
* Like tragedy, comedy arose from a ritual in honor of Dionysus. But the plays were full of frank obscenity, abuse and
insult.
Aristophanes one of the great comedic writers

- he poked fun at everyone and every institution

- he wrote: The birds held up Athenian democracy to ridicule
The Clouds attacked Philosopher Socrates
Lysistrata denounced war
Satyr Play

Dramatic genre
Ancient Greek form of tragic comedy
Featured choruses of satyrs which were based on Greek mythology and mock drunkenness, brazen
sexuality, pranks, gags and general merriment.
This genre is famous but only one survived: Cyclops by Euripides
with only three characters: Silenus (Satyr), Odysseus, and
Polypemus (Cyclops)
Historians
Herodutos father of History
Thucydides
Xenophon superficial compared to Thucydides but he wrote with authority on military matters
Aesop the master of Greek fables
Roman Literature
Ancient Roman Literatures were written by Virgil, Ovid and Horace.
Virgil - Latin Poet who do not believe in the myths but he somehow found human nature in the myths and brought
mythological individuals to life as
no one has been capable of doing since Greek tragedians.
- According to Roman tradition, Octavian (now Emperor Augustus), commissioned Virgil to compose The Aeneid as
an epic recounting the
founding of Rome.
- Much like Homer's epics, The Aeneid has a key plot and several supporting side plots. However, the main plot of
The Aeneid is that Aeneas
flees Troy when the Greeks destroy it during the Trojan War. He feels lost and completely defeated, and leads his
fleet across the
Mediterranean in search of a new homeland .
Ovid Latin poet
- maintained a cynical view of the gods and yet added multidimensional perspectives to the mythological figures.
- was credited for Loves (Amores) and Metamorphoses
made a decisive impact on Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream
Horace attracted Virgils attention and became a member of the literary circle
Writings:
The Sermones or satires one of his most personal works.
- applicable today as it was then.
The Carmina or odes developed as a conscious imitation of the short lyric poetry of the Greek
originals
* Latin Literature reflects the Romans interest in rhetoric, the art of speaking and persuading (public speaking).
* Public speaking makes a great importance for educated Romans because most of them wanted to have successful
political careers.
Cicero Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer, orator, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist
- was declared a righteous pagan by the early church.
- Works: De Re Publica (On the Commonwealth)
De Legibus (On the Laws)

* Early Chrisitan writings appeared on the later period of Greek and Roman Literature. This is also the time when St.
Jerome compiled the bible for the first time.

Medieval Period

Dark Ages
Barbarian tribes settled in Europe: Franks, Ostrogoths, Lombards, Goths, and Anglo Saxons.
migrated to Britain replacing the native Celts.
The literature of this time was composed of religious writings as well as secular works.

They

ANNA COMNENA Byzantine Princess

- wrote Alexiad.
medieval history and biographical text
describes the political and military history of the Byzantine Empire.
an account of her fathers reign
Beowulf written by an anonymous Anglo Saxon
- one of the most important works of Old English Literature
- an old English epic poem consisting of 3182 alliterative lines.
CAEDMON
an English monk and poet
originally employed as cowherd at the Abbey of Whitby, became a singer later
wrote Caedmons Hymn, The Dream of the Holy Rood, and fragment of The temptation and Fall of Man
The story of how the gift of song came to him is given by the Venerable Bede, how having fallen asleep in the
stable he dreamed that one came to him desiring a song, and on his asking "What shall I sing?" replied "Sing
to me of the beginning of created things." Caedmone began to sing and, on awaking, remembered his song
and added to it. Thereafter he told what had befallen him to the bailiff who was over him, who repeated the
tale to the Abbess Hilda. She having called together certain learned and pious persons, Caedmon was
brought before them, told his story, and recited his verses. A part of Scripture was read to him, which he was
asked to turn into verse; and this being done he was received into the Abbey where, for the rest of his life, he
lived as a monk, and continued to make his holy songs.
VENERABLE BEDE
priest, teacher, scholar and author
was known as the Father of English History
canonized in 1899, recognized as Doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIII
two great works:
1. Ecclesiastical History of England - gives the fullest and best information we have as to the history of
England down to the year 731
2. De Natura Rerum scientific treatise, an encyclopedia of sciences then known
Chrtien de Troyes
12th century French poet
Wrote French chivalric romances
Known for his work on Arthurian subjects and originating the character Lancelot.
Five major poems in rhyming eight-syllable couplets:
1. Erec and Eride
2. Cliges
3. Ywain, The Knight of the Lion most masterful work.
4. Lancelot
5. Perceval, The Story of the Grail final romance
MARIE de FRANCE Medieval poet
wrote Lais of Marie de France a series of twelve short narrative Breton Lais (a form of medieval French and
English romance
literature
JEUN DE MEUN writer of French Fables

- wrote Roman de la Rose

GEOFFREY CHAUCER
known by the nickname Father of English Literature
well educated and studied law at the Inner Temple in London.
Author, poet, philosopher, courtier, and diplomat
Wrote The Book of the Duchess which was an elegy for Blanche of Lancaster, the 1 st wife of John of Gaunt
Other works: The Romaunt of the Rose, Chaucers Dream, The Flower and the Leaf, Troilus and Criseyde,
The Parlement of Foules, The House of Fame, The Legende of Goode Women, and The Canterbury Tales
The Canterbury Tales was the most famous work by Geoffrey Chaucer which places him in the front rank of
the narrative poets of the world. The Canterbury Tales contains about 18,000 lines of verse, besides some
passages in prose, and was left incomplete but began modern English literature.
MERGERY KEMPE
- Family connections : She was the daughter of John Brunham who was a wealthy merchant in King's Lynn who
was involved in local politics and achieved the position of mayor and Member of Parliament
- Education: Unable to read or write but learnt for the people who read to her. She dictated her memoirs which
were described in 'The Book of Margery Kempe'
- Married at the age of 20 and had 14 children
- Her Christian visions began after the delivery of her first child.
- What provoked her visions? She was suffering from a disturbed state of mind caused by any number of events
including depression (post natal), feelings of guilt, an over-imaginative mind, a spiritual crisis and an unsympathetic
confessor.
- She suffered the equivalent of a nervous breakdown. Her condition was so severe that she had to be
constrained. Then she experienced the vision and emerged calm and came to her senses.
- The Book of Mrgery Kempe is considered to be the first autobiography in the English language.
JOHN GOWER
became famous because he was a medieval poet and friend of Chaucer.
Works:
1. Speculum Meditantis (The Mirror of One Meditating) first principal work. It was written in French on
the subject of married life.
2. Vox Clamantis (The Voice of One Crying) it was written in Latin, giving an account of the Peasants
Revolt and attacking the misgovernment and social evils that led to it.
3. Confessio Amantis (Lovers Confession) his only English poem with 30,000 lines, consisting of tales
and meditations on love written at the request of King Richard II. This is the earliest largest collection
of tales in the English tongue.
FRANCESCO PETRARCH
Joined the Franciscan Friars
As his career was in the Catholic Church, he was not allowed to marry. But he did have two children to a
woman or women unknown.
Wrote Bucolicum Carmen and De Vita Solitaria.
He was famous for his poems which were addressed to Laura.
Petrarch is also famous for using the Canzone scheme. The canzone ('song' of Provencal origin) with verses
of different lengths and with an elaborate rhyme scheme. The Canzoniere, a collection of love lyrics by
Francesco Petrarch, had enormous influence on the poets of the 15th and 16th centuries. His love for Laura
was expressed in the Rime sparse ("Scattered rhymes"). Later Renaissance poets copied the style of
Francesco Petrarch and named this collection of 366 poems and sonnets the Canzoniere ("Song Book").
DANTE
-

Also known as Dante Alighiere

He wrote the Divine Comedy which is composed of three canticas:
Inferno (Hell) referred as Dantes Inferno.
Purgatorio (Purgatory)
Paradiso (Paradise)
* His guide through Hell (Dantes Inferno) and Purgatory is the Latin poet Virgil (the author of Aeneid), and his guide
through Paradise is Beatrice, his ideal of a perfect woman.

CHRISTINE DE PIZAN
medieval writer, rhetorician, and critic
married at the age of 15 and had 3 children.
After her husband died, she sought to support herself as a writer of Ballads and later books.
She had a famous quarrel with Jean de Meun. She was incensed at his book (Roman de la Rose) and took a
strong stand against him criticizing his work as being immoral and mysoginistic in her book called LEpistre
au Dieu damours
Her criticism of Roman de la Rose resulted in her reputation as one of the first feminists.
WILLIAM LONGLAND
English poet
Wrote The Vision of Piers Plowman, which appears to have been the great interest of his life and almost to
the end, he was altering and adding to without improving it.
The Vision of Piers Plowman has been described as a vision of Christ seen through the clouds of humanity.
This is divided into nine dreams and is in the unrhymed, alliterative, first English manner.
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO
Italian writer and humanist
writings: 1. Fiammetta a prose and verse inspired by a married woman named Maria dAquino whom he
had an affair with.
2. Filocolo a courtly romance written in prose
3. Teseida
4. Comedy of the Florentine Nymphs
5. The Amorous Vision
6. La Fiammetta
7. The Life of Dante wrote it with the help of pietro Aretino
8. Fates of Illustrious Men in Latin
10. Concerning Famous Women in Latin
-

became famous for writing Decameron

stories told by 10 individuals fleeing from the plague into the countryside.
believed to have influenced Chaucer in writing Canterbury Tales

Famous quotes from Boccaccio:

Heaven would indeed be heaven if lovers were there permitted as much enjoyment as they had
experienced on earth
Do as we say, and not as we do
While farmers generally allow one rooster for ten hens, ten men are scarcely sufficient to service one
woman.
People tend to believe the bad rather than the good
RAPHAEL HOLINSHED
-

Wrote Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland

He covered a longperiod of English history beginning with a description of Britain from the earliest times and
carried on the reign of Elizabeth.

His work was of great service to William Shakespeare who drew from it much of the materials for his historical
plays.

THE CLERICS (FAMOUS THEOLOGIAMS AND RELIGIOUS AUTHORS):

1. JOHN WYCLIFFE

known as the morning star of the reformation.

wrote Civil Dominion calling for reforms in the Church.

Began the first English translation of the Bible.

After his death, he was condemned as a Heretic and his teachings were suppressed.

The popular movement of the Lollards kept Wycliffes ideas alive and made the basis of their philosophy.

* Lollards re the bands of poor priest organized by John Wycliffe to spread the simple truths of the Bible through all of
England. They were called Lollard preachers and followers of Wycliffe. The lollards did not only attack many beliefs and
practices of the Church but also demanded social reforms. They declared that all wars are sinful, and were punishing and
murdering the poor to win glory for the Kings.

2. WILLIAM OF OCKHAM

Franciscan friar and scholastic philosopher

Regarded as the founder of a form of Nominalism, asserting that one could not know God through reason
and rationality.

The medieval rule of parsimony or principle of economy frequently used by Ockham came to be known as
Ockhams Razor (the simplest explanation to any problem is the best explanation)

Accused of Heresy and fled to Germany where he spent the rest of his life in abject poverty as required
by Franciscan monks.

3. MARTIN LUTHER

German

Obtained his degree as Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Erfurt and entered a closed Augustinian
friary in Erfurt as a monk

ordained as a Roman Catholic priest

Became convince that the Church was corrupt in their ways when Johann Tetzel (a Dominican Friar and
papal commissioner for indulgences) was sent to Germany by Pope Leo X to sell indulgences to raise
money to rebuild St. Peters Basilica in Rome. An indulgence was the remission of punishment due for
sins which had already been confessed and absolution given.

Luther wrote a scholastic objection protesting against the church practice of indulgencies which came to
be known as the 95 Theses in this he denied that the pope had the right to forgive sins.

Luther nailed a copy of the 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. The 95 Theses
were translated from German into Latin, were printed and distributed across Europe.

After some investigation Pope Leo X dismissed Luther as "a drunken German" who "when sober will
change his mind"

The problem of Luther became more serious to the Catholic church due to the printing of the 95 Thesis.
Pope Leo X warned Luther that he risked excommunication unless he recanted 41 sentences from his
writings, including the 95 Theses, within 60 days. Luther was excommunicated by Pope Leo X.

Charles V convened his first diet of the Sovereigns and States at Worms and Martin Luther was
investigated. The Emperor presented the final draft of the Edict of Worms declaring Luther an outlaw,
banning his literature and requesting his arrest. It also made it a crime for anyone in Germany to give
Luther food or shelter. It permitted anyone to kill Martin Luther without legal consequence. Luther's
Protestant views were condemned as heretical by Pope Leo X

Luther went into exile at Wartburg Castle at Eisenach where he lived incognito pretending to be a knight
called Junker Jorg

Luther publishes the German Mass. The First Imperial Diet of Speyer makes Protestant reforms legal

4. THOMAS AQUINAS

One of the greatest theologians of the Catholic Church

He taught at Paris, Cologne, Rome, and Bologna, and became so celebrated for learning as to be known
as the "Angelic Doctor."

Though he died at an early age, he left behind him no less than 18 folio volumes.

His Summa Theologiae ("Compendium of Theology"), as the name indicates, gathered up all that the
Middle Ages believed of the relations between God and man. The Roman Church has placed him among
her saints and still recommends the study of his writings as the foundation of all sound theology.

Was pronounced a saint by Pope John XXII on July 18, 1323.

5. PETER ABELARD

French

He was a brilliant scholar and teacher of philosophy, rhetoric, theology, and literature. He later became a
monk and the Abbot at the Abbey of St. Gildas de Rhuys, near Vannes, Brittany

French Medieval scholars of the Middle Ages had to swear a vow of celibacy

Peter Abelard was prominent in a number of religious and political disputes, which culminated in his
famous controversy with Bernard of Clairvaux. The story of his life and love of Heloise was chronicled in
Abelard's autobiographical writing and the lovers letters. The story of Peter Abelard and Heloise was
sung by the Medieval minstrels and troubadours of the Middle Ages

The love affair of Peter Abelard and Heloise:

Peter Abelard was a brilliant scholar at the Cathedral School which later became a University in Paris.
Abelard was charismatic, highly intelligent and handsome. As a teacher at the Notre Dame University school
Peter Abelard had sworn a vow of celibacy he was therefore in a position of total trust. The love affair
between Peter Abelard and Heloise started at the home of Abbot Fulbert, the uncle of Heloise. Abbot. Peter
Abelard was nearly twenty years older than Heloise.
Abbot Fulbert eventually discovered that Peter Abelard and Heloise were lovers. Abelard and Heloise
were parted. But Heloise was pregnant. The couple fled to the family home of Peter Abelard. It was unknown
for scholars to wed as a wife and family would be a serious impediment to an academic career. The couple
had a son. Peter and Heloise returned to Paris and were married in secret. They lived separately keeping up
a pretence that their affair had finished. Heloise was sent to the Convent of Saint Mary in Argenteuil - but
although she wore the clothes of a nun she did not take the veil.
Fulbert was furious and sought revenge on Peter Abelard. As a terrible retribution for his affair with
Heloise Peter was attacked in Paris and castrated. He then turned to the Dominican order, entered the abbey
of St. Denis and became a monk. Heloise had no alternative but to take the veil, become a nun and give up
her son. The Convent of Saint Mary in Argenteuil was taken over and Heloise moved to the convent
Paraclete where she became the abbess. Peter Abelard and Heloise wrote many letters to each other and
although their physical relationship had ended Heloise encourage Peter Abelard in his career. Peter Abelard
was prominent in a number of religious and political disputes, which culminated in his famous controversy
with Bernard of Clairvaux. But he would be forever remembered in association with Heloise.