CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020
| Author | Bozic, Anja |
|---|---|
| Title | Praising Saint Jerome or Praising Eloquence: Pier Paolo Vergerio's Sermones pro Sancto Hieronymono and His Letters |
| Summary | Pier Paolo Vergerio’s orations, Sermones pro Sancto Hieronymo (1392–1408), are considered to be the earliest examples of the classicizing orations (panegyrics) in praise of a Christian saint. In contrast to the thematic sermons of the scholastic writers, these orations omit the biblical quotation at the beginning and adapt the classical epideictic genre. The secondary literature has chiefly focused either on the stylistic features of the orations or their function within the humanist cult of Saint Jerome. In contrast, this thesis connects both aspects and interprets Vergerio’s work as an outcome of their harmonious alignment. Counter to the seminal studies it treats the orations separately as a series of independent pieces. It features a catalog of the orations’ structured outlines and pinpoints the standard patterns of praising oratory. The analysis looks for similarities in the material from which Vergerio takes to develop these praising patterns. It illustrates the strands of resemblances according to the specificities of the context in which the orations were delivered. Moreover, the examination involves Vergerio’s letters in praise of St. Jerome and places them in parallel with the orations. The correspondences found in the examples of the two different literary formats highlight Vergerio’s singular approach to the formation of the epideictic patterns. Finally, the thesis studies Vergerio’s utilization of the humility tropes and his omissions of miracles. Based on textual analysis, it points out his pioneering adaptations of the material provided from the contemporary devotional practice to the classical epideictic genre. |
| Supervisor | Sebők, Marcell; Szőnyi, György Endre |
| Department | Medieval Studies MA |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2020/bozic_anja.pdf |
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