Blog Post 1: Translatio Studii et Imperii

To understand the concept of Translatio Imperii et Studii, it is important to first break down exactly what the latin phrase means. Imperii, first and foremost, refers to political power and legitimacy while Studii refers to knowledge and culture, specifically in writing. Translatio literally means transfer or movement. Together these elements refer to the geographical and chronological movement of knowledge, culture, political power, and political legitimacy between one civilization and another. The concept of this transfer begins in the Middle Ages with the struggle between nations for European supremacy. Nations called upon their Roman ancestry, as in the cases of France and England, to legitimize their claims to power. This declaration of power in the name of the Roman empire serves as a prime example of Translatio Imperii, as political power is transferred from the previous Roman empire to give legitimacy to the political power of both France and England.

Simultaneously, as political power transferred from culture to culture, so too did knowledge and ideas. When looking at the emerging literature before and after the Medieval period, for example, there are many correlations between the romantic motiffs of Anglo-Norman text and the later writings of Sir Thomas Malory(Schwartz).
Translatio Studii becomes increasingly important when considering the scope of this class. Look no further than the direct correlations between the stories and settings presented in Boccaccio's The Decameron and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In fact, these two works, with the addition of John Gower's Confessio Amantis, provide us with important examples of knowledge and ideas in literature transferring between cultures and times periods. For instance, let us consider the Wife of Bath's Tale as presented by Chaucer. This particular tale correlates directly with many of the story elements and themes in Gower's Tale of Florent, which was written around the same time. For instance, the idea of woman's sovereignty, as well as chivalry amongst men, contributes heavily to both stories, as well as many shared plot and setting elements. This case provides a great example as to how certain motifs can transfer between authors of the same period, while The Decameron, which shares a very similar structure and purpose with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, provides a great example as to how idea transfer between cultures and times. In regards to the scope of this class, Translatio Studii is a primary explanation as to how literature is adapted over time and space.

Think and Respond!!:

Can you think of any contemporary trends in which Tranlsatio Imperii et Studii takes place?

How can Translatio Imperii et Studii be applied to domestic sovereignty, as in the Tale of the Wife of Bath?

At what point does Translatio Studii deviate from a new system of thought, using old ideas, to a simple recasting of the original text?


Citations:

Schwarts, Deborah. "Translatio Studii et Imperii." 1999-2002.
http://cla.calpoly.edu/~schwart/eng513/courtly/translat.htm.

Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. "Translatio Imperii." Wikipedia(2009).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translatio_imperii.