The Afterlife of Neo-Latin Literature, Freiburg
The Afterlife of Neo-Latin Literature
The importance of ancient Greek and Roman literature for post-antique history and culture is beyond doubt. From philosophy, which was said to be only a footnote to Plato, to Virgil, the so-called father of the West, ancient traditions and receptions are gratefully acknowledged and explored. Neo-Latin literature, on the other hand, tends to be seen as important, if at all, only for its own time. Accordingly, Latin literature from Petrarch to the 18th century would be a historically interesting but closed episode without any significant consequences. Decades of research into Neo-Latin, however, have brought to light many traces that can correct this picture. The conference The Afterlife of Neo-Latin Literature aims to record and extend these traces, thus providing a basis for further work on the subject. The term ‘afterlife’ here refers to echoes or receptions of Neo-Latin literature in the period following the widespread decline of Latin literature and culture in the 18th century. ‘Literature’ is understood to include also all specialized literature, the sciences, and literary culture more broadly. The thesis is that themes, concepts, forms and practices that first emerged in or in relation to Neo-Latin literature have continued to play a significant role in modernity from the 19th to the 21st century. Examples include genres such as the utopia or the roman à clef (Rösch 2004), motifs such as the ‘kiss of the Muses’ (Ludwig 1996), new characters on the dramatic stage such as Julius Caesar, cognitive patterns such as the aesthetic perception of landscapes (Barton 2017), poetological concepts such as free verse (Tilg 2019), or scientific methods and taxonomies such as Linné’s nomenclature. The study of references to individual Neo-Latin authors and works such as Ludvig Holberg’s Iter subterraneum in the genres of fantasy and science fiction is also welcome. Depending on the case, this may involve diffuse traditions or detailed, traceable chains of reception.
References
- Barton, William, Mountain Aesthetics in Early Modern Latin Literature, London: Routledge 2017.
- Ludwig, Walter, Der Ritt des Dichters auf dem Pegasus und der Kuß der Muse – zwei neuzeitliche Mythologeme, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht 1996 (Nachrichten der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Göttingen, 1. Philologisch-Historische Klasse; 1996/3).
- Rösch, Gertrud Maria,Clavis Scientiae: Studien zum Verhältnis von Faktizität und Fiktionalität am Fall der Schlüsselliteratur, Tübingen: Niemeyer 2004.
- Tilg, Stefan, ‘Die ‚argute‘ Inschrift als barocke Form des freien Verses’, in Neulateinische Metrik: Formen und Kontexte zwischen Rezeption und Innovation, Tübingen: Narr 2019 (NeoLatina 33), 133–49.
Practical information
- Proposals and registration: Paper proposals, containing a provisional title and an abstract of a few sentences, should be sent to stefan.tilg@altphil.uni-freiburg.de or stefano.poletti@altphil.uni-freiburg.de by 31 January 2024. Participants who will not give a paper do not need to register.
- Accommodation and travel: Unless otherwise requested, accommodation will be booked and covered by the organizers. If travel costs cannot be reimbursed by the home institution, we will make every effort to cover tickets as well.
- Venue: Library of the Department of Greek and Latin Philology at the University of Freiburg.
- Format: 20 minutes paper + 10 minutes discussion. Papers can be in German, English, French, Italian and Latin.
- Publication: The papers will be published in an edited volume of the NeoLatina series (Narr-Verlag, Tübingen).
Contact Information
Stefan Tilg / Stefano Poletti
Seminar für Griechische und Lateinische Philologie
Platz der Universität 3
79085 Freiburg
Contact Email
stefan.tilg@altphil.uni-freiburg.de
URL