Umberto Eco
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Stephen Greenblatt
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Iain Pears
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Other authors
Titus Lucretius Carus
● Very little is known about Lucretius’ life.
● Born c. 99 BCE; died c. 55 BCE
● Well educated. Likely studied in Athens. Well-read in both Greek and Latin literature.
● Likely Roman, given his intimate knowledge of the city and its aristocracy.
● Lived during a time of civil unrest and political violence in Rome.
● Notable Works: On the Nature of Things is his only surviving work. It is unfinished.
Aristotle
● 384 BCE – 322 BCE
● Greek Philosopher.
● Along with Plato and Socrates, makes up triumvirate of Fathers of Western Philosophy.
● Taught Alexander the Great and Ptolemy I (founder of Hellenistic Egypt).
● Wrote on physics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, politics, science, poetry, et cetera. If it existed, he studied and probably wrote about it.
● Influenced Abrahamic (Christian/Islam/Judaism) doctrine.
● Prolific writer – wrote many dialogues, few of which have survived.
● Steeped in universalism (belief that there are absolute/universal truths that can be applied to everyone).
● Notable Works: On the Heavens; On the Universe; On the Soul; Politics; History of Animals; Metaphysics; and Poetics.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
● 106 BCE – 43 BCE
● Roman philosopher, lawyer, orator, statesman, poet. Considered one of the most influential prose writers ever.
● Roman Eques (Rome had two major aristocratic classes – the Patricians and the Equestrians).
● Consul of Rome in 63 BCE.
● From 60 BCE on, he remained at odds with Gaius Julius Caesar due to political differences (Cicero was a member of the elite who believed that Caesar’s ascension to power would prove detrimental to the republic, and of course their own power), so he semi-retired from political life while Caesar held power.
● While Cicero harbored some respect for Caesar as a statesman, an orator and a writer, he despised Caesar’s supporter Marc Antony, whom he openly opposed after Caesar’s death.
● Cicero was murdered in 43 BCE on Antony’s orders. His hands were cut off and displayed with his head and mutilated tongue – an act of destruction against that which symbolized Cicero’s power.
● Notable Works: On the Republic; On the Nature of the Gods; On Duties; and Orator.
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius
● Very little is known about Macrobius’ life.
● c. early 5th century.
● Grammarian, philosopher, military commander.
● Greek or Roman descent, possibly born in a Roman or Greek province, e.g. Roman-controlled Africa.
● Well-read in both Greek and Latin literature.
● Wrote in dialogue form, which was popular in ancient Greek and Latin literature.
● Wrote largely on Rome’s pre-Christian past, and the great philosophers from that time period.
● Notable Works: Commentary on “Dream of Scipio” (the sixth book in Cicero’s De re publica); Saturnalia.
Jorge Luis Borges
● 1899 - 1986
● Argentine short-story writer, screenplay writer, essayist, poet, literary critic, and translator.
● Many of his writings followed themes of labyrinths, animals, mirrors, dreams, philosophy, the nature of time, religion, and fictional writers.
● Literary trickster - reviewed and translated imaginary works.
● He was appointed director of the National Public Library and became the professor of Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He was considered to be “the renovator” of fiction language for Spanish and American novelists.
● Notable Works: A Universal History of Infamy; Labyrinths; Ficciones; The Aleph and Other Stories; and Book of Imaginary Beings.
Italo Calvino
● 1923 - 1985
● Italian fiction author of novels and short stories, essayist, journalist, and historian.
● Considered to be the most translated contemporary Italian writer during the time of his death.
● He studied classical literature on Ludovico Ariosto, Dante, Ignacio de Loyola, Cyrano de Bergerac, Giacomo Leopardi, Shakespeare, and Honore de Balzac.
● A notable contributor to the Italian Newspaper titled Corriere della Sera.
● Notable writers Calvino helped publish include: Leonardo Sciascia, Daniele Del Giudice, Mario Rigoni Stern, Andrea De Carlo, and Gianni Celati.
● Selected Works: Italian Folktales; The Path to the Nest of Spiders; The Cloven Viscount; The Baron in the Trees; and The Crow Comes Last.
● Very little is known about Lucretius’ life.
● Born c. 99 BCE; died c. 55 BCE
● Well educated. Likely studied in Athens. Well-read in both Greek and Latin literature.
● Likely Roman, given his intimate knowledge of the city and its aristocracy.
● Lived during a time of civil unrest and political violence in Rome.
● Notable Works: On the Nature of Things is his only surviving work. It is unfinished.
Aristotle
● 384 BCE – 322 BCE
● Greek Philosopher.
● Along with Plato and Socrates, makes up triumvirate of Fathers of Western Philosophy.
● Taught Alexander the Great and Ptolemy I (founder of Hellenistic Egypt).
● Wrote on physics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, politics, science, poetry, et cetera. If it existed, he studied and probably wrote about it.
● Influenced Abrahamic (Christian/Islam/Judaism) doctrine.
● Prolific writer – wrote many dialogues, few of which have survived.
● Steeped in universalism (belief that there are absolute/universal truths that can be applied to everyone).
● Notable Works: On the Heavens; On the Universe; On the Soul; Politics; History of Animals; Metaphysics; and Poetics.
Marcus Tullius Cicero
● 106 BCE – 43 BCE
● Roman philosopher, lawyer, orator, statesman, poet. Considered one of the most influential prose writers ever.
● Roman Eques (Rome had two major aristocratic classes – the Patricians and the Equestrians).
● Consul of Rome in 63 BCE.
● From 60 BCE on, he remained at odds with Gaius Julius Caesar due to political differences (Cicero was a member of the elite who believed that Caesar’s ascension to power would prove detrimental to the republic, and of course their own power), so he semi-retired from political life while Caesar held power.
● While Cicero harbored some respect for Caesar as a statesman, an orator and a writer, he despised Caesar’s supporter Marc Antony, whom he openly opposed after Caesar’s death.
● Cicero was murdered in 43 BCE on Antony’s orders. His hands were cut off and displayed with his head and mutilated tongue – an act of destruction against that which symbolized Cicero’s power.
● Notable Works: On the Republic; On the Nature of the Gods; On Duties; and Orator.
Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius
● Very little is known about Macrobius’ life.
● c. early 5th century.
● Grammarian, philosopher, military commander.
● Greek or Roman descent, possibly born in a Roman or Greek province, e.g. Roman-controlled Africa.
● Well-read in both Greek and Latin literature.
● Wrote in dialogue form, which was popular in ancient Greek and Latin literature.
● Wrote largely on Rome’s pre-Christian past, and the great philosophers from that time period.
● Notable Works: Commentary on “Dream of Scipio” (the sixth book in Cicero’s De re publica); Saturnalia.
Jorge Luis Borges
● 1899 - 1986
● Argentine short-story writer, screenplay writer, essayist, poet, literary critic, and translator.
● Many of his writings followed themes of labyrinths, animals, mirrors, dreams, philosophy, the nature of time, religion, and fictional writers.
● Literary trickster - reviewed and translated imaginary works.
● He was appointed director of the National Public Library and became the professor of Literature at the University of Buenos Aires. He was considered to be “the renovator” of fiction language for Spanish and American novelists.
● Notable Works: A Universal History of Infamy; Labyrinths; Ficciones; The Aleph and Other Stories; and Book of Imaginary Beings.
Italo Calvino
● 1923 - 1985
● Italian fiction author of novels and short stories, essayist, journalist, and historian.
● Considered to be the most translated contemporary Italian writer during the time of his death.
● He studied classical literature on Ludovico Ariosto, Dante, Ignacio de Loyola, Cyrano de Bergerac, Giacomo Leopardi, Shakespeare, and Honore de Balzac.
● A notable contributor to the Italian Newspaper titled Corriere della Sera.
● Notable writers Calvino helped publish include: Leonardo Sciascia, Daniele Del Giudice, Mario Rigoni Stern, Andrea De Carlo, and Gianni Celati.
● Selected Works: Italian Folktales; The Path to the Nest of Spiders; The Cloven Viscount; The Baron in the Trees; and The Crow Comes Last.