Pietas From Vergil To Dryden
By James D. Garrison
This scholarly exploration traces the evolution of a profound spiritual concept that has shaped Western thought for over two millennia. At its heart lies pietas, the Roman virtue that Vergil immortalized in his epic poem the Aeneid, encompassing humanity's sacred duties toward the divine, community, and family.
James D. Garrison reveals how this ancient ideal has traveled through centuries of cultural transformation, carrying with it layers of meaning that reflect humanity's ongoing struggles with faith, governance, and moral responsibility. From classical Rome through medieval Christianity to the Renaissance and beyond, pietas has served as both unifying principle and source of ideological conflict, embodying tensions between pagan and Christian worldviews, republican and imperial politics, and Protestant and Catholic traditions.
Through careful analysis of literary works spanning from ancient histories to Dryden's celebrated English translation of the Aeneid, this study illuminates how writers across cultures and centuries have grappled with fundamental questions of duty and devotion. The book examines medieval guides for rulers, Renaissance adaptations of Vergilian themes, and neoclassical interpretations, revealing how each era has reimagined this timeless virtue according to its own spiritual and political needs.
For readers seeking to understand how ancient wisdom continues to inform modern questions of purpose and responsibility, this work offers insight into the enduring power of classical ideals to shape human consciousness across time and culture.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Medieval Literature
- ✓ Explore Modern Literature
- ✓ Explore Letterkunde
- ✓ Explore Geschichte
- ✓ Explore Duty in literature
- ✓ Explore Lyrik
- ✓ Explore Rezeption
- ✓ Cultivate virtuous qualities
Topics
Details
- Published
- 1992
- Publisher
- Pennsylvania State University Press
- ISBN-10
- 0271007877
- Pages
- 340
- Language
- EN
