Classical philology
Encyclopedia
Classical philology
is the study of ancient Greek and classical Latin
. Classical philology has been defined as "the careful study of the literary and philosophical texts of the ancient Greek
and Roman
worlds." Greek and Latin literature and civilization have traditionally been considered foundations of Western Culture
. Important scholars in classical philology included Eduard Norden, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff
, Franz Boll
and Károly Kerényi.
Classical philology was a major preoccupation of the 19th-century German education system, which became "the paradigm for higher education" throughout Western culture. The discipline was considered a form of Wissenschaft
, a "science." The training in critical analysis afforded by an education in classical philology was of particular influence on Nietzsche.
Classical philologists, for the category listing individual scholars
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
is the study of ancient Greek and classical Latin
Classical Latin
Classical Latin in simplest terms is the socio-linguistic register of the Latin language regarded by the enfranchised and empowered populations of the late Roman republic and the Roman empire as good Latin. Most writers during this time made use of it...
. Classical philology has been defined as "the careful study of the literary and philosophical texts of the ancient Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
worlds." Greek and Latin literature and civilization have traditionally been considered foundations of Western Culture
Western culture
Western culture, sometimes equated with Western civilization or European civilization, refers to cultures of European origin and is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and...
. Important scholars in classical philology included Eduard Norden, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff
Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff
Enno Friedrich Wichard Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff was a German Classical Philologist. Wilamowitz, as he is known in scholarly circles, was a renowned authority on Ancient Greece and its literature.- Youth :...
, Franz Boll
Franz Boll
Franz Boll was a German scholar. He became Professor of Classical Philology at the University of Heidelberg.He is known for his editorial and biographical work on Claudius Ptolemy. He also wrote on astrology. He is quoted as saying "Astrology wants to be religion and science at the same time; that...
and Károly Kerényi.
Classical philology was a major preoccupation of the 19th-century German education system, which became "the paradigm for higher education" throughout Western culture. The discipline was considered a form of Wissenschaft
Wissenschaft
Wissenschaft is the German language term for any study or science that involves systematic research and teaching. Wissenschaft encorporates science, learning, knowledge, scholarship and implies that knowledge is a dynamic process discoverable for oneself, rather than something that is handed...
, a "science." The training in critical analysis afforded by an education in classical philology was of particular influence on Nietzsche.
See also
- PhilologyPhilologyPhilology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
Classical philologists, for the category listing individual scholars
Further reading
- George A. Kennedy, Classical Rhetoric and Its Christian and Secular Tradition from Ancient to Modern Times (University of North Carolina Press, 1999, 2nd edition), preview online
- Richard F. Thomas, "Past and Future in Classical Philology," in On Philology (Pennsylvania State University Press, 1990), pp. 66–74 online
- Classics and National Cultures (Oxford University Press, 2010), essay collection edited by Susan A. Stephens and Phiroze Vasunia preview online