Kategoria BISAC: Philosophy >> History & Surveys - Medieval

This two-volume work examines far-reaching debates on the concept of courage from Greek antiquity to the Christian and mediaeval periods, as well as the modern era. Volume 1 begins with Homeric poetry and the politics of fearless demi-gods thriving on war. The tales of lion-hearted Heracles, Achilles, and Ulysses, and their tragic fall at the hands of fate, eventually give way to classical views of courage based on competing theories of rational wisdom and truth. Fears of the enemy and anxieties about suffering and death are addressed through the lenses and teachings of medicine,...

May you laugh in church? The church fathers said 'no', but the question resurfaced thanks to a German custom of making the congregation laugh on Easter morning. In 1518, Oecolampadius wrote a book in which Easter Laughter is described for the first time. Until now, his Latin text has never been translated. This study provides a historical account of Easter Laughter in the Early Modern period, traces the controversy it sparked between Catholics and Protestants in the following centuries, and offers some explanations for why a provincial custom has sparked global interest since the...

​Authors, Factions, and Courts in Angevin England: A Literature of Personal Ambition (12th-13th Century) advances a model for historical study of courtly literature by foregrounding the personal aims, networks, and careers as the impetus for much of the period’s literature. The book takes two authors as case studies – Gerald of Wales and Walter Map – to show how authors not only built their own stories but also used popular narratives and the tools of propaganda to achieve their own, personal goals. The purpose of this study is to overturn the top-down model of...