'Salve atque vale, aselle': Satire and Consolation in Laura Cereta’s "In asinarium funus oratio"

• GRIFFIN, Quinn ^[1]
  1. [1] Grand Valley State University

     Grand Valley State University

     Charter Township of Allendale, Estados Unidos

     
• Localización: Humanistica lovaniensia: journal of neo-latin studies, ISSN 0774-2908, Vol. 67, Nº. 1, 2018, págs. 69-89
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The humanist Laura Cereta of Brescia (1469-1499) produced during her lifetime one collection of letters and a Latin dialogue entitled "In asinarium funus oratio" ("Oration on the Funeral of a Donkey"). In this dialogue, Cereta herself appears as the chief interlocutor, consoling the donkey’s owners with a blend of ancient philosophies. This paper will further the understanding of Cereta’s Oratio in three ways: first, by placing it in the context of the humanist and classical genres of dialogue, consolation, and satirical encomium; second, by considering the relevance of the donkey to the work as a whole; and finally, by exploring Cereta’s reception of classical authors in the context of her consolation. The paper argues that Cereta’s blending of genres and use of a donkey as the subject of her oration work to create a safe space for the humanist woman to showcase her rhetorical talents.