The Medieval Gift and the Classical Tradition Ideals and the Performance of Generosity in Medieval England, 1100–1300
Book contents
- The Medieval Gift and the Classical Tradition
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought Fourth Series
- The Medieval Gift and the Classical Tradition
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The Gift in Classical Literature
- Chapter 3 De Beneficiis in Medieval Contexts
- Chapter 4 Writing Generosity
- Chapter 5 Sanctifying Generosity
- Chapter 6 Romancing Generosity
- Chapter 7 Performing Generosity
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Chapter 4 - Writing Generosity
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 August 2019
Book contents
- The Medieval Gift and the Classical Tradition
- Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought Fourth Series
- The Medieval Gift and the Classical Tradition
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 Introduction
- Chapter 2 The Gift in Classical Literature
- Chapter 3 De Beneficiis in Medieval Contexts
- Chapter 4 Writing Generosity
- Chapter 5 Sanctifying Generosity
- Chapter 6 Romancing Generosity
- Chapter 7 Performing Generosity
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
This chapter explores how classical ideas of the gift were utilised by medieval writers. The chapter focuses on three particularly influential writers from medieval England active across a range of genres: John of Salisbury, William of Malmesbury and Matthew Paris. The chapter shows that these writers were highly familiar with classical ideas of the gift and drew extensively upon them in shaping their own writings.
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- The Medieval Gift and the Classical TraditionIdeals and the Performance of Generosity in Medieval England, 1100–1300, pp. 66 - 97Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2019