Presidential Address: Aspects of the European Tradition of Historical Writing 1. The Classical Tradition from Einhard to Geoffrey of Monmouth
Richard Southern
I hope the Society will not think that am wasting its time in taking European tradition of historical writing as general theme addresses required to deliver during my term office. Although there have been many studies wide range problems fall under heading historiography, study aims, methods and limitations historians past has somewhat neglected, this country at least. There are course some conspicuous exceptions. The attitudes aptitudes St Augustine, Gibbon Macaulay examined again again. But outside great names comparatively little done examine works for what they can tell us about way which is affected by intellectual presuppositions environment writer. As we generally content use chronicles histories quite simply quarries facts require be sifted purified make them usable our purposes, but do any profound investigation principles selection, emphasis or composition determined their preservation. This how Stubbs dealt with he edited so admirably. They were raw material his own those other historians. He reliability, asked whether provided new could found elsewhere.
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