Vergil in the Middle Ages

Long before its translation into English, this book secured its author a permanent place in the ranks of European philologists. Comparetti depicts a comprehensive history of the medieval conception of Vergil, then seeks to determine their nature, causes, and connection with European thought.

Contenu

• Importance for Vergil's reputation of the Aeneid
• Value of the grammatical, rhetorical and erudite elements in the Poem, and importance of these features from the contemporary point of view
• Proofs of the Poet's popularity in the best days of the Empire
• Vergil in the rhetorical schools
• The Time of the Decadence
• Christianity and the Middle Ages
• Vergil as prophet of Christ
• The philosophical allegory
• Grammatical and rhetorical studies in the Middle Ages
• The Vergilian biography
• Medieval Latin poetry in classical form
• Clerical conception of antiquity in the Middle Ages
• The causes that led to the Renaissance
• Dante
• Vergil in the Divina Commedia
• Vergil in the Dolopathos
• Relation of romatic literature to the classical tradition
• The legend at Naples in the Twelfth Century
• Nature and causes of the Neapolitan legend
• Spread of the legend outside Italy
• The seat of Vergil's legendary activity transferred to Rome
• Development of the legend during the Thirteenth Century
• Combination of the idea of Vergil as prophet of Christ with that of Vergil as magician
• Vergil and Women
• Fate of the legend in Italy
• Collections of the legends relative to Vergil