VIC204H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Literary Theory, Liberal Arts Education, Iliad

• School: UTSG
• Department: Victoria College Courses
• Course: VIC204H1
• Professor: David Galbraith

Document Summary

Context of classical canons: concept of canon of classical literature arises much later than the classical period. Classical civilizations do have vocabulary to deal with canonicity; romans in particular applied words denoting social class to literature: li(cid:373)(cid:271)o i(cid:374) da(cid:374)te"s i(cid:374)fer(cid:374)o; populated (cid:271)(cid:455) (cid:272)ertai(cid:374) (cid:374)o(cid:374)-christian thinkers. This group of poets implies the idea of a stable literary canon. Dante places himself in a relationship with these canonical authors. Key point: homer acknowledged as the sovereign among the poets, but. Da(cid:374)te (cid:272)ould(cid:374)"t read greek; k(cid:374)o(cid:449)(cid:374) to da(cid:374)te o(cid:374)l(cid:455) (cid:271)(cid:455) reputatio(cid:374) Da(cid:374)te"s e(cid:374)(cid:272)ou(cid:374)ter (cid:449)ith ul(cid:455)sses has to (cid:271)e (cid:373)ediated/tra(cid:374)slated (cid:271)(cid:455) virgil; an acknowledgement of the distance between dante & greek literature: the iliad and the odyssey usually considered the beginning of western literature. Also marks the end of oral literary tradition. Widely thought of as having a stable position within the canon. Problem of the history of scholarship and libraries; canon relies on the widespread availability and circulation of texts.