Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Latin

Camilo José Cela

*La Familia de Pascual Duarte* (1942)

With La Familia de Pascual Duarte, Cela initiated a new approach to incorporating reality as a literary theme, showcasing the sordid and terrible aspects of life. This work opened a new path in literature, permeated by tremendismo, which dominated the postwar years. The novel caused a great impact, as it was far from being a story with moral character. The protagonist, a condemned man, recounts his life, full of terrible events, such as the murder of his own mother. The author takes up the tradition of 19th-century realism and the picaresque. The narrator is capable of deep thoughts. The story is in the first person, and the temporary vision implies a selective memory of events experienced.... Continue reading "Camilo José Cela and the Evolution of the Spanish Novel" »

Baroque Literary Figures: Góngora, Quevedo, Lope de Vega

Luis de Góngora (Córdoba, 1561-1627)

Its principal representative is Luis de Góngora (Córdoba, 1561-1627). His culto works include the great poems Fable of Polyphemus (1612), Galatea, and The Solitudes (1613). These are poems of great complexity, both for his contemporaries and for readers today. However, Góngora's inspiration also led him to write popular compositions, including letrillas that highlight romantic and sentimental themes, or satirical ballads. These ballads are varied: Moorish, loving, or burlesque. Along with Lope de Vega and other poets, he contributed to what were called the New Ballads.

Conceptismo: Ingenious Thought and Wit

Characteristics of Conceptismo

Conceptismo... Continue reading "Spanish Baroque Literature: Góngora, Quevedo, Lope de Vega" »

Spanish Theater in the Early Decades of the 20th Century

Spanish Theater During the First Third of the Century

Spanish theater during the first third of the century catered to a bourgeois public. Consequently, innovative theater was often stifled due to conflicts with commercial barriers and established tastes.

The most prominent dramatic currents of this period were:

1. The theater that triumphed on stage continued the prevailing trends of the late 19th century.
2. The theater that sought innovation, with new techniques and approaches, as seen in the works of Valle-Inclán.

The Triumphant Theater: Benaventina Comedy

1. Jacinto Benavente is the most representative figure of the possibilities and limitations of the time. Notable work: The Vested Interests.
2. Verse

The Generation of '98: Literary Renewal

Crisis of Realism and the Rise of Essayists

The turn of the century witnessed a significant shift in Spanish literature, marked by the Crisis of Realism. During these years, the essay genre, rather than traditional prose, managed to stand out. Through their essays, authors expressed their existential and social concerns. These new writers, often referred to as the "regeneration," aimed to provide a response to the profound societal crisis of the century.

Notable figures among these essayists include:

• Joaquín Costa
• Ramiro de Maeztu
• Azorín
• Pío Baroja

Ramiro de Maeztu: Journalist and Thinker

Ramiro de Maeztu, a journalist from Vitoria, is recognized as the author of significant works such as Don Quixote, Don Juan

The Postclassic Period of Roman Law

The Postclassic Period was notably characterized by the popularization of law. This broad phenomenon involved a generalized impoverishment of legal culture, extending into various fields like linguistics, but particularly evident in the legal sphere, leading to what is known as vulgar Roman law.

While this decline was widespread in the Western Roman Empire, marked by Germanic invasions, the same cannot be said for the Eastern Roman Empire. In the East, major schools in cities like Constantinople and Alexandria saw jurists actively seeking to counter this decline by revisiting classical legal principles. This era in the East is often referred to as the Neo-East.

Factors Contributing to the Vulgarization of Roman

Valle-Inclán

Valle-Inclán's early works, published at the beginning of the century, such as the Sonatas, are modernist in genre and narrative style. The Sonatas feature the Marquis de Bradomín, whom Valle-Inclán defined as "an ugly Don Juan, Catholic and sentimental," representing the young, decadent, aristocratic modernist. His early plays also fall into this category.

In the 1920s, his playwriting culminates with the creation of a type of play called grotesques, which ridicules both Spanish society and human nature itself. The technique of the grotesque involves misrepresenting the truth to the point of absurdity, turning characters into puppets that represent human vices and weaknesses.

Notable works include: The Captain's Daughter, Don

Assessment of Los Pazos de Ulloa

This work, belonging to the Realist movement, was produced during the second half of the nineteenth century in Spain. Its historical backdrop is crucial, marked by significant political upheaval.

Historical and Political Context

The period was shaped by the aftermath of the Glorious Revolution, which led to the fall and exile of Isabel II and the proclamation of the First Republic in 1873, followed by the eventual restoration of the monarchy. This era established the Bipartisan System (Liberal and Conservative) and entrenched oligarchic centralism. Governance was heavily based on the provincial and rural environment, dominated by local strongmen (warlords or caciques).

This time also saw the consolidation of the... Continue reading "Literary Analysis of Los Pazos de Ulloa and Spanish Realism" »

Education in Ancient Rome

5.2 The education in Rome.

In the first period, Roman education was borne by the family. Apart from the first 7 years spent with the mother, the male parent took charge of the boys while mothers took care of the girls until marriage. To conquer colonies in southern Italy, the Greek system was adopted, and the educational way was renewed to be:

• Primary Education

  It was led by the school teacher; the school was called the "ludus." Children from 7 to 12 years old attended, where they learned to read, write, and count.

• Secondary Education

  It was headed by a professor named grammaticus and was only for boys from 12 to 16 years old. They were taught Latin and Greek literature, and they also learned music (piano and dance fiddling)

The Roman Republic

From Monarchy to Republic

After the expulsion of King Lucius, Rome entered its republican period, lasting until 27 BC. The monarchy was replaced by a more complex system:

• Two Consuls: Elected annually, these two individuals shared equal power.
• Magistrates: Officials responsible for various functions, including censors, quaestors, and councilors.
• The Senate: Expanded to include commoners.

Expansion in Italy

Two major conflicts shaped Roman conquest in Italy:

• Samnite Wars (343-290 BC): Rome fought against various allied Italic peoples, ultimately achieving victory in 283 BC.
• Intervention of Pyrrhus (281 BC): The Greek colony of Tarentum sought aid from Pyrrhus, King of Epirus, against Rome. Rome's subsequent victory secured control

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.