LECTIO XV International Conference: The Transmission of Classical Authors from Late Antiquity to the Early Modern Period
In both the West and the East, the handwritten transmission of any text is determined by the way in which copyists, patrons and the intellectual elite organise the transfer of knowledge. Texts were copied, quoted or alluded to, excerpted and epitomized. New works were produced according to the principles of imitatio and aemulatio, and in some cases these texts were, intentionally or mistakenly, ascribed to the ancient authors themselves. Much of the ancient literary and scientific production got lost or was only known through Syriac or Arabic translations. Keywords here are selection, compartmentalization, combination and compilation. Today we have different views on how the tradition of a text should be handled (cf. the old vs new philology debates); much in the same way, the opinions of our late ancient, medieval, Byzantine and early modern predecessors depended on aspects such as the linguistic register and intellectual level of a text.
This conference will explore how classical texts were transmitted from Late Antiquity to the early modern period through manuscripts, printed editions, translations, quotations, and adaptations across different cultures and traditions. We will examine the roles of copyists, patrons, and intellectual networks, as well as the religious, cultural, and ideological factors shaping the preservation and transformation of ancient literature.
PRAKTISCHE INFO
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DATUM02 december, 2026
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LOCATIE
3000
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DOELGROEPPhD postdoc ZAP
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TAAL EVENEMENTENGELS
ONZE UNIVERSITEITEN
