Cultures of Authority in the Long Twelfth Century
Jan M. Ziolkowski
Cultures of Authority in the Long Twelfth Century1 Jan M. Ziolkowski Ancient and medieval usages Latin noun auctoritas display an intractability that induced one lexicographer not fifty years ago to warn bluntly against trying even translate it: The word belongs most significant lasting coinages language. Its meaning is always easy ascertain, attempting it causes more trouble. A wise person will do better refrain from effort.2 To guard such difficulties, I unfold a full history auctores beginning language down present day. Furthermore, attempt address systematically vast scholarship on authorship, as distinct (sometimes) auctoritas, Middle Ages.3 Instead, aim mainly sketch attitudes toward authority, authors, prevailed among rhetoricians, grammarians, exegetes through earlier Ages offer partial list new stances developed afterward. In so doing, train my sights literary auctores, those implicated reading writing. Even within this restricted ambit, accept impossibility attaining exhaustive completeness. period seek eventually elucidate may be called long twelfth century. Centuries are arbitrary slices time, major transitions refuse willfully take place just ninety-ninth year yields hundredth. definition, century extends after Great Schism 1054 divided Greek branches Christendom around Fourth Lateran Council 1215. [End Page 421] When pursuing topic can summed up single keyword, various pitfalls need avoided. first place, concept manifest itself practice, practice turn reported or discussed text without use corresponding words. our parlance, authority at stake authorities involved when “authority” enunciated. skirt danger, concentrate upon instances which named explicitly. Another caveat particular cases specific heart given boasts history, since term have different nuances now what once did. case, although English been applied matters political, philosophical, theological, ecclesiastical, linguistic, poetic, early twenty-first-century covers range overlaps only partially with related ancient Medieval words.4 Thus grasp authors conveyed words ideas requires disentangling past well vernaculars English. associations these carry own times color distort perceptions lies eight hundred behind us. I. Waxing An examination philological comparatist shed light perhaps also Etymologically, very much origin. Dio Cassius (ca. 155–235), writing his Roman History Greek, comments cannot translated into by word.5 Although saying untranslatable he least acknowledges Romans subsumes span meanings captured any individual equivalent, hint existence semantic speak uniquely quality about it.6 422] Most prestige many debates surrounding date Ages, particularly Or, state case differently, constituent feature civilization seems recourse auctoritas. Indeed, entirely reasonable describe culture being “culture authority.”7 But caution order dealing with...
Journal of English and Germanic Philology