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In the labyrinth of the library: Petrarch's Cicero, Dante's Virgil, and the historiography of the Renaissance

Publication ,  Journal Article
Eisner, M
Published in: Renaissance Quarterly
September 1, 2014

Petrarch's 1345 discovery of Cicero's personal letters in Verona has long been regarded as a foundational moment in the historiography of the Renaissance. In the traditional view, Petrarch's discovery engenders a new historical self-consciousness that has frequently been described, since the middle of the twentieth century, in terms of a contrast between a medieval Dante and a Renaissance Petrarch. In keeping with recent work rethinking periodization, this essay revisits Petrarch's letters on his discovery to reconsider the distance between Dante and Petrarch and to reveal how Petrarch constructs his new relationship with Cicero through Dante's characterization of Virgil. While some critics have noted this Dantean presence, they have not examined its meaning. This study argues that Petrarch's borrowing from Dante is significant because it shows how Dante's complex relationship to the past embodied in the figure of Virgil shaped Petrarch's construction of his Cicero and informed Renaissance ideas of history.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Renaissance Quarterly

DOI

EISSN

1935-0236

ISSN

0034-4338

Publication Date

September 1, 2014

Volume

67

Issue

3

Start / End Page

755 / 790

Related Subject Headings

  • Literary Studies
  • 4705 Literary studies
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 3601 Art history, theory and criticism
  • 2103 Historical Studies
  • 2005 Literary Studies
  • 1901 Art Theory and Criticism
 

Citation

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Eisner, M. (2014). In the labyrinth of the library: Petrarch's Cicero, Dante's Virgil, and the historiography of the Renaissance. Renaissance Quarterly, 67(3), 755–790. https://doi.org/10.1086/678774
Eisner, M. “In the labyrinth of the library: Petrarch's Cicero, Dante's Virgil, and the historiography of the Renaissance.” Renaissance Quarterly 67, no. 3 (September 1, 2014): 755–90. https://doi.org/10.1086/678774.
Eisner, M. “In the labyrinth of the library: Petrarch's Cicero, Dante's Virgil, and the historiography of the Renaissance.” Renaissance Quarterly, vol. 67, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp. 755–90. Scopus, doi:10.1086/678774.
Journal cover image

Published In

Renaissance Quarterly

DOI

EISSN

1935-0236

ISSN

0034-4338

Publication Date

September 1, 2014

Volume

67

Issue

3

Start / End Page

755 / 790

Related Subject Headings

  • Literary Studies
  • 4705 Literary studies
  • 4303 Historical studies
  • 3601 Art history, theory and criticism
  • 2103 Historical Studies
  • 2005 Literary Studies
  • 1901 Art Theory and Criticism