Description
LUCRETIUS IN SPAIN
Book Summary
This comprehensive monograph examines the influence of Lucretius' *De rerum natura* on Spanish literature, from Isidore of Seville to the present day. The work analyzes how this Latin didactic poem, which expounds Epicurean philosophy to free human beings from the fear of gods and death, has been received, translated, and interpreted in the Hispanic realm. The reader will find a rigorous study that traces the text's journey from its rediscovery in the 15th century to its impact on contemporary authors, revealing a trajectory marked by both recognition and controversy.
What is it about?
The work focuses on the classical tradition of Lucretius' *De rerum natura* within Spanish letters. The author traces the presence of the poem from the first references in Isidore of Seville, through the rediscovery of the text by Poggio Bracciolini in 1417, the moment it became a reference manual for the Garden School. From there, the study follows its trajectory through the centuries, analyzing translations, editions, citations, and literary recreations, as well as the controversies and censorship sparked by its materialist content and its critique of traditional religion. The result is a complete map of the reception and transformation of one of antiquity's most essential works within the Spanish cultural context.
Main themes
- Reception and classical tradition of *De rerum natura* in Spain.
- Influence of Lucretian Epicureanism on Hispanic literature.
- History of Spanish translations and editions of Lucretius.
- Relationship between the poem and Spanish scientific and philosophical thought.
- Controversies surrounding censorship and religious orthodoxy in the dissemination of the text.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at researchers, philologists, literary historians, and advanced students interested in classical literature and its survival. It will also be of great value to specialists in ancient thought, classical reception studies, and any educated reader who wishes to understand how a foundational work of ancient materialism has been assimilated and debated in the Spanish literary tradition.
What this book offers
- An exhaustive and up-to-date study of Lucretius' presence in Spanish literature over more than fifteen centuries.
- A detailed analysis of the keys to the poem's reception, censorship, and reinterpretation in different historical contexts.
- An essential reference tool for understanding the influence of Epicureanism in Hispanic culture.
- A panoramic view that connects classical antiquity with contemporary literature.
- A rigorous scholarly work that systematizes scattered sources and offers new research perspectives.
Technical specifications
- Author: TRAVER VERA, ANGEL JACINTO
- Publisher: University of Huelva
- Language: lat
- Subject: CLASSICAL TEXTS, LITERARY STUDIES: CLASSICAL, EARLY AND MEDIEVAL
- Collection: HUELVA CLASSICAL MONOGRAPHS
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2023
- Number of pages: 702
- Weight: 2291 g
Editorial assessment
This is an indispensable reference work for the study of the classical tradition in Spain. Its diachronic approach and philological rigor make it a fundamental resource for academics and specialists. The breadth of the period analyzed, from Isidore of Seville to the present day, offers a unique perspective on the survival and transformation of a key text of ancient thought in the Hispanic realm, revealing the tensions between scholarly reception, censorship, and literary recreation.