Latin and Medieval Literature: Comedies, Epics, and Lyrics

Latin Comedy

Latin comedy dramatists, influenced by Greek theater, adapted Greek stories and characters while incorporating Roman themes. Two prominent playwrights, Plautus and Terence, flourished during the third and second centuries BC.

Epic of America

Virgil's Aeneid narrates the mythical founding of Rome, attributing it to Aeneas, a Trojan hero who escapes Troy's destruction by the Greeks and lands in Latium. This epic draws inspiration from Homer. Virgil also contributed to pastoral poetry with his Eclogues and other works that would later be imitated.

Latin Lyric Poetry

Latin lyric poetry during the reign of Emperor Augustus boasts renowned figures like Virgil, Horace, and Ovid. Horace achieved his peak with Odes, where everyday life is transformed into universal poetry. His famous piece advising a woman to 'seize the day' (carpe diem) and enjoy her fleeting youth remains iconic. Ovid's masterpiece, Metamorphoses, presents a collection of mythological fables where characters undergo transformations.

Medieval Epic Poetry

Epics, long poems celebrating past glories, served as a source of history and fables for the illiterate populace. Minstrels transmitted these orally, adapting passages to suit public taste, resulting in collective creations blending historical context with fiction. Notable examples include the Nibelungs (Germany), the Song of Roland (France), and the Poem of the Cid (Spain).

Medieval Lyric Poetry

Medieval lyric poems expressed personal emotions like love, sorrow, and loneliness. These short songs, often accompanied by instruments, were either traditional (anonymous and orally transmitted) or educated (written by known authors). Traditional examples include the Mozarabic jarchas embedded within longer poems. Educated lyric poetry found expression in Provençal poetry and the dolce stil nuovo.

Provençal Poetry

During the 12th and 13th centuries, a form of learned poetry emerged in the feudal courts of Provence (Southern France), significantly influencing European lyric. Its creators were known as troubadours. Common themes included love songs dedicated to a married noblewoman, to whom the troubadour pledged allegiance as a vassal. This unique concept of love was known as courtly love.