Literary Movements & Key Works: Antiquity to Naturalism
Greek Literature (8th-4th Century BC)
Vision
Anthropomorphic policies
Authors
- Homer
- Hesiod
- Aeschylus
- Sophocles
Key Works
- Iliad
- Odyssey
- Oresteia
- Antigone
- Medea
- Oedipus Rex
- The Trojans
- The Frogs
- The Clouds
Characteristics
Archaic and Classical (Attic) periods. Lyric poetry originates. Highlights: comedy, tragedy, and drama.
Roman Literature (4th Century BC Onward)
Vision
Policies
Authors
- Livius Andronicus
- Plautus
- Lucretius
- Catullus
Key Works
- Odyssey (Latin adaptation)
- Aeneid
- Metamorphoses
Characteristics
Relation to Classical Greek
Read MoreAeneid: Epic Journey of Aeneas and the Founding of Rome
The Aeneid: An Epic Journey
Unfinished Yet Timeless
The Aeneid, while displaying some unfinished verses and varying levels of polish, stands as a testament to Virgil’s poetic genius. Its simple language and prosaic tone may stem from an earlier prose and verse version.
Aeneas’s Odyssey
The central theme is Aeneas’s journey with his son Ascanius and father Anchises from fallen Troy to establish a new city. The first six books chronicle this arduous voyage, culminating in the tragic episode of Dido and
Read MoreAncient Greek Historians: Herodotus, Thucydides, and Xenophon
Herodotus
Life and Works
Born in Halicarnassus to a wealthy family, Herodotus opposed the tyranny that ruled the city. Following a failed conspiracy against the tyrant Lygdamis, he was exiled to Samos. There, he learned the Ionian dialect and began his travels, which culminated in his magnum opus, The Histories.
The Histories, divided into nine books, primarily focuses on the Greco-Persian Wars. Book IV describes various regions, notably Egypt. Book V recounts the Persians’ advance into Greece and
Read More20th Century Spanish Literature
1. The Interwar Period
The First World War, which began in 1914, originated from Germany’s expansionist zeal. In Italy and Germany, two new political movements arose: Fascism and Nazism. In this social context, literature was greatly transformed. In Spain, the writers of the Generation of ’98 influenced the Noucentisme movement and the Generation of ’27. Miguel Primo de Rivera imposed a dictatorial regime with the consent of Alfonso XIII. During his tenure, he attempted to prevent an economic crisis
Read MoreLife and Works of Miguel de Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)
Life
Born in Alcalá de Henares, Cervantes lived a life full of adventure and adversity. He spent time in Italy, witnessing the Battle of Lepanto where he was wounded in his left hand. Captured by Turkish pirates on his return to Spain, he endured years of captivity in Algiers. After his release, he worked as a commissioner in Seville and lived his final years in Valladolid and Madrid.
Literary Works
Poetry and Drama
Poetry
While Cervantes’s fame rests primarily on his
Read More20th Century: A Cultural Overview
Socioeconomic Sphere
Capitalism consolidated as the prevailing economic system, with growing inequality between social classes. The 1917 Russian Revolution laid the groundwork for a new communist system. The United States rose as a leading world power.
Scientific and Technical Matters
Technical advances were applied across all fields, especially media. Communication reached a global scale.
Political Sphere
Two World Wars ravaged Europe, dividing it into communist and capitalist blocs. Capitalism and
Read More