This book offers the first annotated translation in English of two
works of the eminent Venetian humanist, Ermolao Barbaro (1454-93).
Books 3 and 4 of On Celibacy seek to justify a contemplative
existence at a far remove from the active life and career-path
expected of a figure of Barbaro’s standing within the Venetian
patriciate; Books 1 and 2 of On Celibacy are presented in the
companion piece to this second volume. The second work presented
here is Barbaro’s short treatise On the Duty of Ambassador
(likely written in mid- to late-1489): based on Barbaro’s own
practical experience as a Venetian envoy abroad, this treatise
outlines the conduct expected of the dedicated career diplomat.
Viewed against each other, Barbaro’s On Celibacy and On the Duty
of the Ambassador offer contrasting perspectives on the wider
15th-century debate about the claims of the reflective as opposed
to the active life – a debate that extends all the way back to
Greco-Roman antiquity. In On Celibacy the young Barbaro is
committed to a life that proudly renounces civic engagement in the
name of self-discovery and inner fulfilment. Yet a different
Barbaro asserts himself in On the Duty of the Ambassador: he now
presents himself as a committed public servant in a work that is
ahead if its time in theorizing the nature of ‘modern’
Renaissance diplomacy. On a personal level, these two works capture
the profound dichotomy in Barbaro’s life between his humanist
devotion to scholarship on the one hand and, on the other, his
burden of duty to the Republic of Venice.
General
Imprint: |
Bloomsbury Academic
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Series: |
Bloomsbury Neo-Latin Series: Early Modern Texts and Anthologies |
Release date: |
October 2023 |
Editors: |
Gareth Williams
|
Dimensions: |
216 x 138mm (L x W) |
Pages: |
256 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-350-39893-1 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-350-39893-4 |
Barcode: |
9781350398931 |
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