Backgrounds of European literature: The political, social, and intellectual development behind the great books of Western civilization

Horton, Rod William

Hopper, Vincent Foster

Literature & Fiction

PRENTICE/HALL

For Dante and other people in the Middle Ages, numbers had a different set of connotations than they do for moderns. The symbolism of numbers was both widespread and profoundly ingrained in the culture. In this classic study, a noted scholar reveals “how deeply rooted in medieval thought was the consciousness of numbers, not as mathematical tools, nor yet as the counters in a game, but as fundamental realities, alive with memories and eloquent with meaning.” For example, the number three — linked to the Trinity — was of special significance, and “endowed every repetition of the number three with a richness of meaning which can be but dimly grasped by the modern reader.” Numbers derived from constellations, planets, stellar revolutions, and other astronomical phenomena were also thought to have divine associations. These and many other aspects of the topic are illuminated here. In the first three chapters, the author examines the three main sources of number symbolism; basic, elementary symbols derived from man’s struggles to count and identify such natural groupings as fingers and toes; the ancient Babylonian science of astrology; and Pythagorean number theory, which fixed the relationship of the numbers to one another. The fourth and fifth chapters deal with the Gnostics’ elaborate combination of these elements, and the adoption and elaboration of number philosophy by the early Church Fathers. The last two sections examine medieval number philosophy and Dante’s use of number symbolism, particularly in The Divine Comedy. Of special interest to medievalists, numerologists, and students of literature, this volume will also fascinate anyone interested in symbology or cultural aspects of the Middle Ages.

Medieval Number Symbolism: Its Sources, Meaning, and Influence on Thought and Expression (Dover Occult)

History

Europe

Dover Publications

Updated and expanded, this popular writer's style manual covers the basics of effective communication. It includes rules of English grammar and sentence structure, punctuation, word usage in correct contexts, and advice on adapting one's writing style to different assignments, both for classroom and business use. In classrooms the program contained in this book can constitute a course, proceeding from easy to more complex ideas. More advanced instruction covers topics that include logic, clarity, emphasis, consistency, and punctuation, and ends with advice on handling larger elements of language, such as paragraphs and full essays.

Essentials of English

Reference

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Barron's Educational Series,Inc.

Essentials of Writing

Thoughtful examination of the symbolism attached to numbers during the Middle Ages and the extent to which it was rooted in medieval culture. Detailed study of number symbolism’s derivation from elementary roots and astrological sources, the adoption and elaboration of number philosophy by the early Church Fathers, Dante’s use of number symbolism, and more.

Medieval Number Symbolism

History & Criticism

UNKNO

Medieval Number Symbolism: Its Sources, Meaning And Influence On Thought And Expression

For Dante and other people in the Middle Ages, numbers had a different set of connotations than they do for moderns. The symbolism of numbers was both widespread and profoundly ingrained in the culture. In this classic study, a noted scholar reveals “how deeply rooted in medieval thought was the consciousness of numbers, not as mathematical tools, nor yet as the counters in a game, but as fundamental realities, alive with memories and eloquent with meaning.”For example, the number three — linked to the Trinity — was of special significance, and “endowed every repetition of the number three with a richness of meaning which can be but dimly grasped by the modern reader.” Numbers derived from constellations, planets, stellar revolutions, and other astronomical phenomena were also thought to have divine associations. These and many other aspects of the topic are illuminated here. In the first three chapters, the author examines the three main sources of number symbolism; basic, elementary symbols derived from man’s struggles to count and identify such natural groupings as fingers and toes; the ancient Babylonian science of astrology; and Pythagorean number theory, which fixed the relationship of the numbers to one another. The fourth and fifth chapters deal with the Gnostics’ elaborate combination of these elements, and the adoption and elaboration of number philosophy by the early Church Fathers. The last two sections examine medieval number philosophy and Dante’s use of number symbolism, particularly in The Divine Comedy.Of special interest to medievalists, numerologists, and students of literature, this volume will also fascinate anyone interested in symbology or cultural aspects of the Middle Ages.

Literary

Literary Licensing, LLC

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Books by Hopper, Vincent Foster