Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Marta Celati
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Renaissance Literature ◽  
Literature And Politics ◽  
Literary Forms ◽  
Complex Process ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Political Background ◽  
Definition Of

The first section is a general introduction to Italian Early Renaissance literature on the topic of conspiracies. It sets out the theoretical basis of this study, providing the definition of the ‘thematic genre’ of texts on political plots and contextualizing it within the historical, cultural, and political background of the fifteenth and early sixteenth century. This substantial corpus consists of texts produced in different political centres and through different literary forms, but with significant thematic and ideological traits in common. The expansion of this kind of literature, in an epoch that can be rightly defined an ‘age of conspiracies’, is connected with the concentration of political power in the hands of newly established leaders. In this scenario, the fruitful interaction between literature and politics is evident in the development of two intertwined genres: historical-literary works on plots and political treatises de principe, texts that are informed by similar political perspectives and contribute to the legitimization of new types of authorities. The crucial implications that the issue of conspiracy had in the literary debate on princely power will also emerge clearly in the following century in Machiavelli’s thought. This chapter additionally introduces the crucial role played by the classical tradition in this ‘thematic’ literature. Sallust is predictably the chief source, but all texts are based on the recovery of manifold classical models and display a complex process of imitation that affects structural, thematic, stylistic, and ideological aspects. The last section offers an overview of the main fifteenth-century texts on plots.

Leon Battista Alberti’s Porcaria coniuratio

2020 ◽  
pp. 72-112
Author(s):  
Marta Celati
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Political Thought ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political View ◽  
Literary Forms ◽  
Political Perspective ◽  
Stylistic Elements ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Political Background ◽  
Shed Light

The second chapter focuses on Leon Battista Alberti’s Porcaria coniuratio, the historical epistle on Stefano Porcari’s conspiracy against pope Nicholas V written immediately after the thwarted plot in 1453. The political perspective underlying Alberti’s text does not reflect a merely propagandistic view, but conversely is the expression of a complex and ambiguous political reading of the events. The analysis aims to shed light on Alberti’s unsettled political view, by examining not only the ideological standpoint that emerges in the epistle, but also the rhetorical and stylistic elements that permeate this work. In particular, specific attention is paid to both the choice of the epistolary genre, which is employed to produce a historiographical work and is combined with other literary forms, and the studied use of various classical models (Sallust, satirical authors, Cicero, etc.). The examination of this text, which is read in connection with other works by Alberti, reveals the humanist’s view on historiography, which occupies a pivotal position in the lively fifteenth-century debate on historical writing. Moreover, the analysis shows how the complex rhetorical and stylistic framework of the Porcaria coniuratio implicitly conveys Alberti’s uneasy political thought, which proves to be completely distant from any sympathy with the plotter. Although the epistle is informed by a questioning approach, it reveals the humanist’s disapproval of any attempt at overthrowing established governments. It also betrays Alberti’s problematizing attitude towards political power and his unresolved view on the intricate Roman political background.

Fifteenth-Century Texts on the Ceremonial of the Papal ‘Legatus a latere’

Traditio ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 295-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Franz Wasner
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Canon Law ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Code Of Canon Law ◽  
Imperial Court ◽  
John Xxii ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Right

From the earliest times the Roman pontiffs exercised the right of sending envoys - by dispatching their legates to synods and councils, by maintaning from the time of Leo the Great their apocrisiarii at the imperial court of Constantinople and later still in the kingdom of the Franks, by appointing bishops and metropolitans as vicars apostolic, and by entrusting at times even to secular princes a kind of legatine power. While the theoretical basis of their claim to this right may be said to have received its final formulation at the hands of John XXII in the year 1316, it was nonetheless more penetratingly analyzed and expounded by Pius VI and Leo XIII. It is upon the pronoun cements of these popes that the definition of this claim in the Code of Canon Law is based:ius … a civili potestate independens, in. quamlibet mundi partem legatos cum vel sine ecclesiastica iurisdictione mittendi.

The Conspiracy Against the Prince

2020 ◽  
pp. 190-211
Author(s):  
Marta Celati
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Historical Memory ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Historical Event ◽  
Political Realism ◽  
Common People ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Narrative Approaches ◽  
Classical Models ◽  
Definition Of

The chapter offers a comparative study that traces the evolution of fifteenth-century conspiracy literature, illustrating its distinctive features, narrative approaches, and political perspectives. The analysis focuses on the multiform operation of recasting classical models, which matches and, at the same time, underpins the ideological viewpoint in these texts. Specific attention is also paid to the multifunctional role of history in this literature, as it exploits historical narrative, historiographical techniques, and principles, in order to construct a historical memory that conveys a precise political message. This message coincides with the condemnation of the conspiracy as an attack against the state and the ‘prince’, who is now the dominant figure in the political discourse. The key elements that frame this political outlook in the texts are: the function of the author–narrator (as a poet, letter writer, historian, witness); the speeches delivered by historical characters; the stress on the exceptionality of the historical event; the portraits of the conspirators; the representation of the common people; the image of the revenge against the plotters; and the uneasy balance between clemency and vengeance in the ruler’s reaction to the conspiracy. Through the interplay of these components the texts reflect, and contribute to, the development of a theory of statecraft that is informed by a blossoming notion of political realism and plays a crucial role in the definition of a new model of state. Significantly this strand of political thought also emerged in mirrors for princes, which display many elements in common with works on plots.

Devotio and human sacrifice in archaic Italy and Rome

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 363-398
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
The Other ◽  
Human Sacrifice ◽  
Roman Religion ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Mona Island ◽  
Narrow Definition ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Father And Son ◽  
Very High

Abstract The Roman father and son of the same name, P. Decius Mus, became paragon heroes by deliberately giving their lives in battle that Rome might win over a fierce enemy. Both engaged in a special ritual called devotio (from which our word “devotion” derives) to offer themselves to the gods of the Underworld, with whom regular people have very little interaction and to whom they rarely sacrifice. While the Mus family is the most famous for this act, it turns out the willingness to sacrifice oneself for Rome frequently occurs within stories of great patriots, including the story of Horatius Cocles, Mettius Curtius, Atilius Regulus, and even the traitors Coriolanus and Tarpeia. Romans regarded self-sacrifice as a very high, noble endeavor, whereas they loathed and persecuted practitioners of human sacrifice. It is therefore quite amazing to read that the Romans thrice engaged in state-sponsored human sacrifice, a fact they rarely mention and generally forget. The most famous enemy practitioners of human sacrifice were the Druids, whom the Romans massacred on Mona Island on Midsummer Night's Eve, but the Carthaginians, the Germans, the Celts, and the Thracians all infamously practiced human sacrifice. To Romans, the act of human sacrifice falls just short of cannibalism in the spectrum of forbidden practices, and was an accusation occasionally thrown against an enemy to claim they are totally barbaric. On the other hand, Romans recognized their own who committed acts of self-sacrifice for the good of the society, as heroes. There can be no better patriot than he who gives his life to save his country. Often the stories of their heroism have been exaggerated or sanitized. These acts of heroism often turn out to be acts of human sacrifice, supposedly a crime. It turns out that Romans have a strong legacy of practicing human sacrifice that lasts into the historic era, despite their alleged opposition to it. Numerous sources relate one story each. Collecting them all makes it impossible to deny the longevity of human sacrifice in Rome, although most Romans under the emperors were probably unaware of it. The paradox of condemning but still practicing human sacrifice demonstrates the nature of Roman religion, where do ut des plays a crucial role in standard sacrifice as well as in unpleasant acts like human sacrifice. Devotio was an inverted form of sacrifice, precisely because it was an offering to the gods of the Underworld, rather than to Jupiter or the Parcae. Romans may have forsaken devotio, but they continued to practice human sacrifice far longer than most of us have suspected, if one widens the current narrow definition of human sacrifice to include events where a life is taken in order to bring about a better future for the commonwealth, appease the gods, or ensure a Roman victory in battle.

The Opposite of Custom

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 59-78
Author(s):  
M. Christina Bruno
Keyword(s):  
Fifteenth Century ◽  
Canon Law ◽  
Conspicuous Consumption ◽  
Moral Theology ◽  
Economic Behavior ◽  
Definition Of

Fifteenth-century Italian urban and ecclesiastical authorities sought to regulate the laity’s conspicuous consumption of dress, sometimes resulting in canon law petitions for exemption on the grounds of custom. By exploiting an ambivalent definition of custom according to status, wealthy men and especially women successfully sidestepped regulation. Critics of luxury such as the Franciscan Observants, who encountered similar arguments in confession, countered this permissive understanding of custom with alternate criteria for determining proper dress tied to the morality of the economic behavior that made luxurious dress possible. Overlapping definitions of custom drawn from canon law and moral theology thus provided both fashionable people and their confessors a way to negotiate and contest their status.

Flow Velocity Coefficient Research on the Coexistence of Pipe Flow and Flow around Pipe

2011 ◽  
Vol 204-210 ◽  
pp. 746-749
Author(s):  
Hong Bing Gao ◽  
Nan Sun ◽  
Liao Yang ◽  
Yu Ma
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Flow Simulation ◽  
Flow Speed ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Flow Problems ◽  
Relative Roughness ◽  
Velocity Coefficient ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Test Result

Based on Darcy - Weisbach route losses equation, this test is focused on the mixed-flow problems at low speed in big flow field, designing the experiment scheme, introducing its principle, and setting up the test rig. According to the test result data, we put forward the definition of flow speed coefficient and draw its curves, and described some related issues, such as reverse pressure phenomenon，reliability of flow simulation, roughness, and so on. The results showed that the flow speed in the pipe will get higher with the flow field increasing, and smaller relative roughness pipes. The flow speed coefficient x≤1 and its curves is monotone decreasing function and will be closer to a fixed value at last with V0’s increasing. This test will provide theoretical basis for increasing fluid energy’s utilization.

scholarly journals António Ferreira da Silva and the Teaching of Chemistry at the Academia Politécnica do Porto (1877–1910)

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 213-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Ferraz-Caetano ◽  
João Paiva ◽  
Francisco Malta Romeiras
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Analytical Chemistry ◽  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
Scientific Education ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Practical Teaching

Resumo No final do século XIX, a química ganhou notoriedade como uma das principais “ciências ao serviço” da nação. O surgimento de novos tópicos, métodos e práticas úteis contribuíram para a valorização da química e para a definição de medidas governamentais em temas como saúde pública, educação e proteção ambiental. Lente na Academia Politécnica do Porto entre 1877 e 1910, António Ferreira da Silva (1853–1923) desempenhou um papel central na modernização do ensino e da investigação em química em Portugal. Ferreira da Silva foi responsável pela introdução de cursos suplementares de química, pela reformulação do ensino prático, e pela elaboração de novos procedimentos e regulamentos de ensino “que em muito engrandeceram a educação científica” em Portugal. Enquanto lente da Academia Politécnica do Porto, Ferreira da Silva privilegiou ainda a articulação entre o Laboratório da Academia e as indústrias nacionais, contribuindo, em larga medida, para emergência da Química Analítica como uma nova disciplina.Palavras-chave: António Ferreira da Silva; Academia Politécnica do Porto; Química Analítica. Abstract By the turn of the nineteenth century, chemistry had become a “science at the service” of the nation. The emergence of useful topics, methods, and practices contributed to the valorization of chemistry and to the definition of new governmental directives on issues such as public health, education and environment. Lecturer at the Academia Politécnica do Porto between 1877 and 1911, António Ferreira da Silva (1853–1923) played a crucial role in the modernization of the teaching and practice of chemistry in Portugal. Ferreira da Silva created new supplementary chemistry courses, reformed the practical teaching of chemistry, and drafted new proceedings and syllabi “that glorified scientific education” in Portugal. As lecturer of the Academia Politécnica do Porto, he made important steps in the establishment of collaborations between the Academia’s Laboratory and national industries, which largely contributed to the emergence of Analytical Chemistry as an autonomous discipline. Keywords: António Ferreira da Silva; Academia Politécnica do Porto; Analytical Chemistry.

scholarly journals Concept and Essence of the Forensic Study of Personality

2018 ◽  
pp. 186-192
Author(s):  
D. V. Isyutin-Fedotkov
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Academic Discipline ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Process Theory ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Approaches To Studying ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Russian Language

The article considers and analyzes various opinions on the category "forensic study of personality". From the point of view of the Russian language, the various meanings of the term "study" fully and in a multifaceted way reflect the activities of the investigator in the study of the person in the course of sufficient disclosure and investigation of crimes. It is concluded that forensic study of personality can be considered as a process, theory (doctrine) and part of criminalistics (educational discipline, special course). In this connection, the definition of the term "forensic study of personality" depends on understanding of its essence. Forensic study of personality as a process for the study of personality is associated with activity. Forensic study of the personality as a theory (doctrine) is associated with the objective laws that constitute the subject of criminalistics. Forensic study of the personality as a section of criminalistics (academic discipline, special course) is based on a theoretical basis, on the basis of which methods, approaches to studying personality are considered. The ultimate goal of forensic study of personality is solving the problems of disclosure and investigation of crimes. Author's definitions of the term "forensic study of personality" are proposed.

New Progress of Contemporary Cartography-Navigable Electronic Map

2012 ◽  
Vol 239-240 ◽  
pp. 582-586
Author(s):  
Lin Liu ◽  
Wan Wu Li ◽  
Chen Sun ◽  
Ting Xu
Keyword(s):  
Multimedia Information ◽  
Theoretical Basis ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Electronic Map ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Thematic Information ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Development Trend

The paper gives the definition of the navigable electronic map, generalizes the theoretical basis of the navigable electronic map, analyzes the characteristics of the navigable electronic map from the aspects of the general characteristics, the data and the function, and studies the content of the navigable electronic map including the basic geographic information, the navigable thematic information, the auxiliary multimedia information, the dynamic additional information, and finally points out the development trend of the navigable electronic map.

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