1998 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Research on Crises in Greek and Latin Literature
Project/Area Number |
08451109
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Section | 一般 |
Research Field |
文学一般(含文学論・比較文学)・西洋古典
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Research Institution | KYOTO UNIVERSITY |
Principal Investigator |
NAKATSUKASA Tetsuo Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto Univ.Prof., 文学研究科, 教授 (50093282)
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Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KUBOTA Tadatshi Faculty of Letters, Tokai Univ.Prof., 文学部, 教授 (50132600)
MINAMIKAWA Takashi Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto Univ.Ass.Prof., 文学研究科, 教授 (40174099)
TAKAHASHI Hiroyuki Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto Univ.Prof., 文学研究科, 助教授 (30188049)
UCHIYAMA Katsutoshi Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto Univ.Prof., 文学研究科, 教授 (80098102)
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Project Period (FY) |
1996 – 1998
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Keywords | Myth of Five Races / Vorsokratikers / Aristophanes / Cicero / Livy / Tacitus |
Research Abstract |
Greek and Latin literature covers over a thousand years, every period of which has some authors who have very keen senses to the crisis of their ages. Five participants in this research have studied a variety of senses of crisis in some representative authors of each period. Nakatsukasa has retrospected the Hesiodic scholarship and suggested a new viewpoint to interprete the Myth of Five Races narrated in the "Works and Days". Uchiyama has considered the special characters of the Greek mind which gave rise to philosophy and science, starting with the examination of attitudes of the Vorsokratikers toward heavenly phenomena Comedies of Aristophanes are the best mirror to reflect his age. Kubota picked up the "Birds", which was produced in 415 B.C.after the disastrous failure of the Cicilian expedition of Athens, and considered whether it was a presentation of political messages or a theatrical escape from reality. After Augustus had settled civil strifes and started the imperial government, the Latin literature showed an unprecedented raise of the historical thinking. Many writers emulated the Greek forerunners and tried to write their own histories. Takahashi has investigated the theory of Cicero and the practice of Livy in the Roman historiography. Minamikawa has considered how Tacitus warned and committed himself in the fate of Roman empire.
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