Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Latin for Baccalaureate

Chronological List of Spanish Literary Works

• XV: Amadís de Gaula – Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
• XVI: Auto de la Sibila Casandra – Gil Vicente
• XV, XVI: Cancioneros and Romanceros – Anonymous
• XV: Cárcel de Amor – Diego de San Pedro
• XVIII: Cartas Eruditas y Curiosas – Benito Jerónimo Feijoo
• XVIII: Cartas Marruecas – José Cadalso
• XVI: Spiritual Canticle – San Juan de la Cruz
• XV: Verses on the Death of His Father – Jorge Manrique
• XV: Dances of Death – Anonymous
• XVI: Dialogue on Language – Juan de Valdés
• XV: The Archpriest of Talavera (Corbacho) – Alfonso Martínez de Toledo
• XVII: El Criticón – Baltasar Gracián
• XVII: The Trickster of Seville – Tirso de Molina
• XVIII: Epistles – Meléndez Valdés
• XVIII: The Girls' Yes – Leandro

Etruscan Art: Painting and Sculpture

Painting excels in the arts. There is an abundance of wall paintings in which horizontal logs are developed lineally, featuring figures with defined, dark outlines and color planes. Topics include joyful and vitalist scenes—such as dances, games, hunting, and fighting—designed to dispel the sadness of death. These themes lend their names to the graves where they are found (e.g., the Lion Tomb, the Tomb of Hunting and Fishing). The art is moving, though it lacks the ideal of beauty found in Greece, focusing instead on expressiveness and Greek influence.

Etruscan Sculpture

Sculpture shares parallels with archaic Greek art, including the archaic smile, almond-shaped eyes, frontality, and stiffness. Two main...

Rubén Darío: Stages of Poetic Evolution

• Stage 1: Imitation of the Spanish Romantics, seeking to renew lyrical metrics in the Spanish language.
• Stage 2: Publication of a disruptive and far-reaching book in Chile, marking the birth of Modernism.
• Stage 3 (1896): Profane Prose (Prosas profanas). Focuses on musical and rhythmic verses with varied stanzas, extolling cosmopolitanism, Hispanic-American poetic tradition, and the theme of love.
• Stage 4: Songs of Life and Hope (Cantos de vida y esperanza) and The Swans and Other Poems. Considered his finest poetry, alongside notable articles, chronicles, biographical sketches, and political commentary.

Manuel Machado: Poetic and Pictorial Art

Known for poems such as "Cante hondo" and "La Lola se va a los...

Introduction to the Maison Carrée

The Maison Carrée is a pseudoperipteral Roman temple located in the urban area of Nîmes, France. Its construction dates back to the time of Agrippa, around 16 BC. The original author of this description is anonymous.

Construction Materials

The Maison Carrée was built using materials such as marble, particularly for its upper sections and decorative elements.

Architectural System and Details

The temple's construction system is based on wall lintels and features Corinthian columns. It utilizes a base derived from the Attic base. The capitals are adorned with three rows of acanthus leaves, with each leaf in the upper rows placed between two leaves of the bottom row. At the center, a rosette is found between the...

The Narrative of Heroic Exploits

The narrative of a hero's exploits, rooted in a community, is expressed through epic poems. These were recited by minstrels (mester de juglaría) and were common during the Middle Ages. A primary example is the Cantar de Mio Cid, a work known for its missing pages.

Cantar de Mio Cid

Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, the hero, was born in 1043. He befriended the son of King Fernando I. Upon the King's death, the kingdom was divided among his five children. Sancho, a friend of the Cid, was assassinated, and Alfonso was crowned. After the Cid married Jimena, García Ordóñez conspired against him, leading the King to banish him. Despite this, the Cid achieved many successes and was eventually forgiven by the King before dying...

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia Mosaic

The Sacrifice of Iphigenia is a remarkable Roman mosaic that depicts a famous scene from Greek mythology.

What is a Mosaic?

A mosaic is a decorative element formed by combining tesserae (small, regular, square fragments of stone, glass, and other materials) of various colors to create different shapes, patterns, and narrative scenes.

Historical Context of Empúries

When the Greeks arrived in Empúries around 580 BC and founded the colony, it became the most important commercial hub on the Iberian Peninsula. In 218 BC, the Romans arrived in Empúries, marking the beginning of the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula. From the 1st century AD, Roman presence was firmly established for many years, even as other Roman...

Modernism in Spanish Literature: Characteristics and Innovations

Modernism was an ephemeral literary manifestation, a formal aesthetic and escapist trend that spanned the years 1885 to 1915. Its most representative poet is Rubén Darío (author of Azul). Other notable names include Antonio Machado, Manuel Machado, and J.R. Jiménez, who were Modernist during certain stages of their production.

Key Features of Modernism

• Aesthetic Principles

  Modernist poets showed a deep dissatisfaction with the bourgeois lifestyle, synonymous with banality. They rebelled against apathy, conformity, and mental laziness.

• Themes

  Modernist themes explored two main areas: sensible reality and the intimacy of the poet.

  • Sensible Reality

    Typical elements of Art Nouveau include

Alfonso X the Wise: A Legacy of Knowledge

Alfonso X the Wise significantly fostered intellectual growth through the Toledo School of Translators, a crucial center for the transmission of knowledge across cultures.

Historical Works

• General Chronicle: The first comprehensive history written in Castilian Spain.
• Grand Estoria: Intended as a universal history, spanning from the creation of the world up to his own time, including narratives such as the lineage of the Virgin Mary's parents.

Scientific Works

Alfonso X's court was a hub for scientific inquiry, particularly in astronomy and natural sciences.

• Books on Astronomy: Detailed treatises describing the movement of the stars.
• Lapidary: A comprehensive work exploring the properties of stones and minerals.

Spanish Poetry in Exile: Voices of the Generation of '27

The Spanish Civil War and subsequent dictatorship led to the exile of many intellectuals and artists. Among them were prominent poets of the Generation of '27. With the notable exceptions of Gerardo Diego, Dámaso Alonso, and Vicente Aleixandre, many key figures wrote and published outside Spain, including Pedro Salinas, Luis Cernuda, Jorge Guillén, Rafael Alberti, Manuel Altolaguirre, and Emilio Prados. Juan Ramón Jiménez, also in exile, continued to produce his final works.

These exiled poets followed diverse paths, yet their productions were universally outstanding. Initially, their work was often filled with anguish, frequently addressing the theme of Spain. These authors continued...

The Basques in Roman Times

In Roman times, the Basques were the inhabitants of the future Navarre, reaching as far as Oiasso (Irun). Beyond them were the Varduli, Caristii, and Autrigones, who would later form the 'Vasconized' Basque Provinces.

The Basques did not confront the Romans but were their allies and even became adherents of Pompey, who founded Pamplona (Pompaelo) in 75 BC on the Basque city of Iruña. The Romans granted them territories and cities along the Ebro that had previously been Celtiberian, such as Calahorra (Calagurris) and Alfaro (Gracchurris), and lands east of the Iberians beyond Jaca and Alagón.

Romanization in Hispania

Romanization is the process of integrating peoples, such as those in Hispania, into the civilization...