Latin 308S: Latin Epistle

Heloise and Abelard are perhaps the two most famous lovers in medieval history. Abelard was a brilliant scholar, who seduced his aristocratic, gifted pupil. A child and a secret marriage followed, but Abelard was castrated by members of Heloise’s family, and the pair spent the rest of their lives in monastic orders. We will be reading extracts from their correspondence and from Abelard’s History of my misfortunes. Attention will be paid to the style, sources and vocabulary of these authors. Also, through analysis of these texts, and through additional readings (in English) and individual projects, we will aim to achieve a clearer understanding of the lives of Heloise and Abelard within the broader context of twelfth-century society.