Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: SunkenCiv
The Byzantines saved a lot of ancient books from oblivion.

Even though Claudius' history was written in Greek, the Byzantines might not have been interested in the Etruscans. Maybe they scraped the parchment for other use, and we'll find it underneath something else.

25 posted on 12/28/2014 3:34:04 PM PST by MUDDOG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies ]


To: MUDDOG

Claudius introduced a couple of letters to the Latin alphabet which didn’t survive him; he spent more than half his life (prior to his elevation) in study, spoke multiple languages, read and wrote in them, and his history of Etruscans vanished. It’s easy to understand how stuff from that time hasn’t survived, but so little of his work survived, perhaps he was really just a dilettante, or perceived as such. :’) OTOH, after he became emperor, it became a little dicey to quote his work during his lifetime, and probably a good idea to consult with him to make sure it was okay. That too could account for its nearly total loss.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudius#Views_of_ancient_historians


29 posted on 12/29/2014 12:17:27 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson