Chapter VI: Part III: The Revival of Antiquity

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

Widened application of the word ‘Renaissance’ 171

Antiquity in the Middle Ages 172

Latin poetry of the twelfth century in Italy 173

The spirit of the fourteenth century 175

CHAPTER II.

ROME, THE CITY OF RUINS.

Dante, Petrarch, Uberti 177

Rome at the time of Poggio 179

Nicholas V., and Pius II. as an antiquarian 180

Antiquity outside Rome 181

Affiliation of families and cities on Rome 182

The Roman corpse 183

Excavations and architectural plans 184

Rome under Leo X. 184

Sentimental effect of ruins 185

CHAPTER III.

THE OLD AUTHORS.

Their diffusion in the fourteenth century 187

Discoveries in the fifteenth century 188

The libraries 189

Copyists and ‘Scrittori’ 192

Printing 194

Greek scholarship 195

Oriental scholarship 197

Pico’s view of antiquity 202

CHAPTER IV.

HUMANISM IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

Its inevitable victory 203

Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio 205

Coronation of the poets 207

CHAPTER V.

THE UNIVERSITIES AND SCHOOLS.

Position of the Humanists at the Universities 211

Latin schools 213

Freer education: Vittorino da Feltre 213

Guarino of Verona 215

The education of princes 216

CHAPTER VI.

THE FURTHERERS OF HUMANISM.

Florentine citizens: Niccoli and Manetti 217

The earlier Medici 220

Humanism at the Courts 222

The Popes from Nicholas V. onwards 223

Alfonso of Naples 225

Frederick of Urbino 227

The Houses of Sforza and Este 227

Sigismodo Malatesta 228

CHAPTER VII.

THE REPRODUCTION OF ANTIQUITY. LATIN CORRESPONDENCE AND ORATIONS.

The Papal Chancery 230

Letter-writing 232

The orators 233

Political, diplomatic, and funeral orations 236

Academic and military speeches 237

Latin sermons 238

Form and matter of the speeches 239

Passion for quotation 240

Imaginary speeches 241

Decline of eloquence 242

CHAPTER VIII.

LATIN TREATISES AND HISTORY.

Value of Latin 243

Researches on the Middle Ages: Blondus 245

Histories in Italian; their antique spirit 246

CHAPTER IX.

GENERAL LATINISATION OF CULTURE.

Ancient names 250

Latinised social relations 251

Claims of Latin to supremacy 252

Cicero and the Ciceronians 253

Latin conversation 254

CHAPTER X.

MODERN LATIN POETRY.

Epic poems on ancient history: The ‘Africa’ 258

Mythic poetry 259

Christian epics: Sannazaro 260

Poetry on contemporary subjects 261

Introduction of mythology 262

Didactic poetry: Palingenius 263

Lyric poetry and its limits 264

Odes on the saints 265

Elegies and the like 266

The epigram 267

CHAPTER XI.

FALL OF THE HUMANISTS IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

The accusations and the amount of truth they contained 272

Misery of the scholars 277

Type of the happy scholar 278

Pomponius Laetus 279

The Academies 280