The Medieval reception of Ancient mythology: the experience of systematization
The article is dedicated to the analysis of the diverse phenomenon of medieval reception of ancient mythology in historical perspective. The relevance of the topic is related to the interest in this phenomenon in modern historiography, both domestic and foreign (V.Yu. Lukasik, L.V. Evdokimova, J. Chance, etc.). The novelty of the research is due to the absence of a generalizing work in Russian historiography, the subject of which is the medieval reception of ancient mythology. The author’s purpose was to identify the specific features of the medieval reception of ancient mythology, paying attention to the ancient prerequisites of this reception. The objectives of the research include: to trace the influence of ancient allegoresis on the mythographic works of medieval authors; to pay attention to the correlation of "natural", "moral", "historical" (euhemerism) traditions of interpreting the subjects of ancient mythology and Christian exegesis; to point out the importance of the educational reform of Charlemagne and the inclusion of the works of Ovid in the course of medieval grammar in the XII century; to raise the question of the correlation of the theological and secular receptions of ancient mythology in the Middle Ages; to touch upon the theme of the Renaissance attitude to ancient myth. The final part of the article contains conclusions on each of these points. The significance of this study is associated with a wide range of problems addressed in it, as well as with its interdisciplinarity. The study will be useful to anyone interested in the medieval reception of ancient mythology. The article shows how inherited from Antiquity mythological plots, thanks to the mythographic writings of the churchmen, continue to live in medieval culture, becoming an integral part of it.
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