Thibaut, George, ed., Historia Calamitatum (Wikisource. The Free Library., 2008). View Source Online

Text name(s): Historia Calamitatum; the story of my misfortunes

Number of pages of primary source text: 0

Medieval Author(s): Abelard, Peter

Dates: 1119 - 1132

Archival Reference:

Original Language(s): Latin;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): France;

County/Region: Paris

Apparatus: Appendices Introduction

Comments:

Peter Abelard was one of the great intellectuals of the 12th century, with special importance in the field of logic. He is perhaps most famous for his affair with his student Heloise, but his influence over medieval scholasticism was immense. The Historia Calamitatum is an autobiographical work in the form of a letter addressed to an anonymous monk. It is exceptionally readable, and presents an honest self-portrait. It provides a clear picture of intellectual life in Paris before the formalization of the University, of the intellectual excitement of the period, of monastic life, and of one of history’s most famous love stories. An English translation is provided here. This site also has an appendix explaining who some of the people referred to in the letter were; though useful for students this appendix is of little value for scholars familiar with the period. Since this source is available on Wikisource it can be edited by casual readers and should be used carefully. For a printed edition of this and other works by Abelard see: Betty Radice, trans., The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (New York, 2003). To see the original Latin consult the Latin Library Website http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/abelard/historia.html

Introduction Summary:

The lengthy introduction is somewhat scattered, commenting on varied topics including the character of the letter, the life of Abelard, and the development of Gothic architecture.

Cataloger: SES