Antonio Donato – författare

In the last fifty years the field of Late Antiquity has advanced significantly. Today we have a picture of this period that is more precise and accurate than before. However, the study of one of the most significant texts of this age, Boethius'' Consolation of Philosophy, has not benefited enough from these advances in scholarship. Antonio Donato aims to fill this gap by investigating how the study of the Consolation can profit from the knowledge of Boethius'' cultural, political and social background that is available today. The book focuses on three topics: Boethius'' social/political background, his notion of philosophy and its sources, and his understanding of the relation between Christianity and classical culture. These topics deal with issues that are of crucial importance for the exegesis of the Consolation. The study of Boethius'' social/political background allows us to gain a better understanding of the identity of the character Boethius and to recognize his role in the Consolation. Examination of the possible sources of Boethius'' notion of philosophy and of their influence on the Consolation offers valuable instruments to evaluate the role of the text''s philosophical discussions and their relation to its literary features. Finally, the long-standing problem of the lack of overt Christian elements in the Consolation can be enlightened by considering how Boethius relies on a peculiar understanding of philosophy''s goal and its relation to Christianity that was common among some of his predecessors and contemporaries.

In the last fifty years the field of Late Antiquity has advanced significantly. Today we have a picture of this period that is more precise and accurate than before. However, the study of one of the most significant texts of this age, Boethius'' Consolation of Philosophy, has not benefited enough from these advances in scholarship. Antonio Donato aims to fill this gap by investigating how the study of the Consolation can profit from the knowledge of Boethius'' cultural, political and social background that is available today. The book focuses on three topics: Boethius'' social/political background, his notion of philosophy and its sources, and his understanding of the relation between Christianity and classical culture. These topics deal with issues that are of crucial importance for the exegesis of the Consolation. The study of Boethius'' social/political background allows us to gain a better understanding of the identity of the character Boethius and to recognize his role in the Consolation. Examination of the possible sources of Boethius'' notion of philosophy and of their influence on the Consolation offers valuable instruments to evaluate the role of the text''s philosophical discussions and their relation to its literary features. Finally, the long-standing problem of the lack of overt Christian elements in the Consolation can be enlightened by considering how Boethius relies on a peculiar understanding of philosophy''s goal and its relation to Christianity that was common among some of his predecessors and contemporaries.

In the last fifty years the field of Late Antiquity has advanced significantly. Today we have a picture of this period that is more precise and accurate than before. However, the study of one of the most significant texts of this age, Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, has not benefited enough from these advances in scholarship. Antonio Donato aims to fill this gap by investigating how the study of the Consolation can profit from the knowledge of Boethius' cultural, political and social background that is available today. The book focuses on three topics: Boethius' social/political background, his notion of philosophy and its sources, and his understanding of the relation between Christianity and classical culture. These topics deal with issues that are of crucial importance for the exegesis of the Consolation. The study of Boethius' social/political background allows us to gain a better understanding of the identity of the character Boethius and to recognize his role in the Consolation. Examination of the possible sources of Boethius' notion of philosophy and of their influence on the Consolation offers valuable instruments to evaluate the role of the text's philosophical discussions and their relation to its literary features. Finally, the long-standing problem of the lack of overt Christian elements in the Consolation can be enlightened by considering how Boethius relies on a peculiar understanding of philosophy's goal and its relation to Christianity that was common among some of his predecessors and contemporaries.

In the last fifty years the field of Late Antiquity has advanced significantly. Today we have a picture of this period that is more precise and accurate than before. However, the study of one of the most significant texts of this age, Boethius' Consolation of Philosophy, has not benefited enough from these advances in scholarship. Antonio Donato aims to fill this gap by investigating how the study of the Consolation can profit from the knowledge of Boethius' cultural, political and social background that is available today. The book focuses on three topics: Boethius' social/political background, his notion of philosophy and its sources, and his understanding of the relation between Christianity and classical culture. These topics deal with issues that are of crucial importance for the exegesis of the Consolation. The study of Boethius' social/political background allows us to gain a better understanding of the identity of the character Boethius and to recognize his role in the Consolation. Examination of the possible sources of Boethius' notion of philosophy and of their influence on the Consolation offers valuable instruments to evaluate the role of the text's philosophical discussions and their relation to its literary features. Finally, the long-standing problem of the lack of overt Christian elements in the Consolation can be enlightened by considering how Boethius relies on a peculiar understanding of philosophy's goal and its relation to Christianity that was common among some of his predecessors and contemporaries.

This book provides the first English study (comprehensive of introductory essays, translations, and notes) of five prominent Italian Renaissance utopias: Doni’s Wise and Crazy World, Patrizi’s The Happy City, and Zuccolo’s The Republic of Utopia, The Republic of Evandria, and The Happy City. The scholarship on Italian Renaissance utopias is still relatively underdeveloped; there is no English translation of these texts (apart from Campanella’s City of Sun), and our understanding of the distinctive features of this utopian tradition is rather limited. This book therefore fills an important gap in the existing critical literature, providing easier access to these utopian texts, and showing how the study of the utopias of Doni, Patrizi, and Zuccolo can shed crucial light on the scholarly debate about the essential traits of Renaissance utopias.

This book offers the first English translation and comprehensive analysis (inclusive of introductory study and endnotes to the translation) of the longest and most complex Italian Renaissance utopia, Ludovico Agostini’s Imaginary Republic. It not only reveals the significance of a text that has been mostly forgotten; it also shows how an investigation of Imaginary Republic uncovers neglected and surprising facets of Renaissance utopianism. The current scholarly image of Renaissance utopianism is based, predominantly, on English texts. Other European utopian traditions are considered only tangentially and do not substantially inform the overall picture of the nature of Renaissance utopias. This book’s study of Imaginary Republic, within the context of Italian sixteenth- and seventeenth-century utopias, contributes to filling this gap in the critical literature by expanding the current understanding of Renaissance utopianism.

This book offers the first English translation and comprehensive analysis (inclusive of introductory study and endnotes to the translation) of the longest and most complex Italian Renaissance utopia, Ludovico Agostini’s Imaginary Republic. It not only reveals the significance of a text that has been mostly forgotten; it also shows how an investigation of Imaginary Republic uncovers neglected and surprising facets of Renaissance utopianism. The current scholarly image of Renaissance utopianism is based, predominantly, on English texts. Other European utopian traditions are considered only tangentially and do not substantially inform the overall picture of the nature of Renaissance utopias. This book’s study of Imaginary Republic, within the context of Italian sixteenth- and seventeenth-century utopias, contributes to filling this gap in the critical literature by expanding the current understanding of Renaissance utopianism.