European Literature: Ancient and Medieval Periods

Ancient Literature

• The ancient literature work that narrates the Trojan War and the siege of Troy is the Iliad.

Homer's Epics

• The common theme in Homer's two epics, The Iliad and The Odyssey, is the human experience and struggles.

Medieval Literature

• Medieval literature emerged during the Middle Ages, roughly spanning from the 5th to the 15th century.
• The dominant literary forms in Medieval literature are poetry, romance, and the allegory.

Greek Contributions

• The Greeks introduced the concept of tragedy and comedy to literature.
• Greek literature provided a foundation for Roman literature.

Classical Scholars and Renaissance

• During the Renaissance period, classical scholars, known as humanists, revived and translated ancient texts.
• Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, which is considered the greatest innovation of the Renaissance era.

Romanticism

• Romanticism is a literary movement that placed importance on imagination and emotion, and uplifted characters from humble backgrounds or the common man.

Paradise Lost

• John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, is about the Fall of Man, where Adam, Eve, Satan, and God are the main characters.

Enlightenment Period

• The French Revolution led to the end of the Enlightenment period.

Travel Literature

• Daniel Defoe's novel, Robinson Crusoe, serves as a metaphor for different aspects of British society, with the protagonist traveling on four separate voyages and encountering different types of societies.

Renaissance Philosophy

• The Renaissance philosophical movement placed a renewed focus on the human and his or her potential, and was prevalent among intellectuals during the Renaissance.