Freedom, Imprisonment, and Slavery in the Pre-Modern World: Cultural-Historical, Social-Literary, and Theoretical Reflections

Albrecht Classen

Published by De Gruyter 2021

Freedom, Imprisonment, and Slavery in the Pre-Modern World

Cultural-Historical, Social-Literary, and Theoretical Reflections

Albrecht Classen

Volume 25 in the series Fundamentals of Medieval and Early Modern Culture

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110731798

Overview
Contents

About this book

Contrary to common assumptions, medieval and early modern writers and poets often addressed the high value of freedom, whether we think of such fable authors as Marie de France or Ulrich Bonerius. Similarly, medieval history knows of numerous struggles by various peoples to maintain their own freedom or political independence. Nevertheless, as this study illustrates, throughout the pre-modern period, the loss of freedom could happen quite easily, affecting high and low (including kings and princes) and there are many literary texts and historical documents that address the problems of imprisonment and even enslavement (Georgius of Hungary, Johann Schiltberger, Hans Ulrich Krafft, etc.). Simultaneously, philosophers and theologians discussed intensively the fundamental question regarding free will (e.g., Augustine) and political freedom (e.g., John of Salisbury). Moreover, quite a large number of major pre-modern poets spent a long time in prison where they composed some of their major works (Boethius, Marco Polo, Charles d'Orléans, Thomas Malory, etc.). This book brings to light a vast range of relevant sources that confirm the existence of this fundamental and impactful discourse on freedom, imprisonment, and enslavement.

Prof. Albrecht Classen is the joint winner of The Literary Encyclopedia book prize for 2023: "Literatures written in languages other than English" for this book: https://www.litencyc.com/book-prizes/book_prizes_2023.php

Author / Editor information

Albrecht Classen, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	vii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
A Imprisonment Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	19
B Freedom Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	40
C Imprisonment and Slavery Through Many Different Lenses Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	66
D Literary Treatment of Imprisonment and Slavery Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	120
E Famous Historical Prisoners Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	174
F Crime and Imprisonment in Literary Terms Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	199
G Freedom, the Protestant Reformation, and Slavery in the New World Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	227
Conclusions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	242
Acknowledgment Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	252
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	307

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: scholars in Medieval and Early Modern Studies, (cultural) historians
Pages
- Front matter: 10
- Main content: 310
Illustrations
- Coloured Illustrations: 1
Keywords: Freedom; imprisonment; enslavement; philosophical and literary treatments

eBook

Published: April 19, 2021
ISBN: 9783110731798

Hardcover

Published: April 19, 2021
ISBN: 9783110737127