Pen Portraits of Illustrious Castilians (Mediaeval Texts in Translation) (Medieval Texts in Translation) - Hardcover

Fernan Perez De Guzman

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813213258 ISBN 13: 9780813213255

Publisher: Catholic University of America Press, 2003

Synopsis

An English translation of "Generaciones y Semblanzas", a compilation of 34 biographical sketches of the most illustrious Castilians of the mid 15th century. These include three kings, a queen and 30 nobles, prelates and scholars who represented the most prominent families of the day. The text was written in Spanish in 1450 by Fernan Perez de Guzman, an historian, moralist, politician and poet whose personal contact with the most powerful nobles of the time provided him with the material for these intimate and revelaing portraits. Through insightful commentary on his subjects' family background, personality traits, outstanding deeds, virtues and vices, the author brings to the reader vivid portraits of some of the most important players in Castilian history. Within the portraits, occasional digressions provide the author with the opportunity to present his own personal beliefs on such timely issues as the situation of Jewish converts in Castilla, the greed and self-serving motives of many of his contemporaries, and the role played by Divine Providence in shaping the history of his country. Perez's introduction appears to be the first treatise written in Spanish on the nature of history and on the duties and responsibilities of those recording it. The translators have succeeded in maintaining certain stylistic characteristics of 15th-century Spanish without sacrificing readability. Their introduction and notes provide useful background information, as do the map and genealogical table.

About this title

Review:

"Fascinating and highly readable.... The book brings striking reality and personality to these historical figures."

About the Author:

Fern n P rez de Guzm n (1370-Batres, 1460). Espa a. P rez de Guzm n fue se or de Batres, sobrino del canciller Pero L pez de Ayala y t o del marqu 's de Santillana, igo L pez de Mendoza. Sus padres fueron Pedro Su rez de Guzm n y Elvira de Ayala. Embajador en Arag n en tiempo de Enrique III, combati en la batalla de La Higueruela, en la que salv la vida a Pero Mel ndez de Vald s, capit n de la mesnada del se or de Hita. Fue muy amigo del obispo de Burgos, el gran humanista hispanojud o Alfonso de Cartagena, con quien compart a un gran inter 's por la filosof a de S neca y a cuya muerte dedic las Coplas a la muerte del obispo de Burgos. Su parentesco con el arzobispo de Toledo, don Gutierre G mez, vehemente partidario de los infantes de Arag n, lo llev a apoyar a L pez D valos y a Fernando de Antequera lo que pag con la prisi n, que abandon para retirarse a los cincuenta y seis a os a su se or o de Batres. Desde entonces se consagr a la lectura y el estudio hasta su muerte, a los ochenta y dos a os de edad.

Marie Gillette, a Senior Lecturer in Spanish, and Loretta Zehngut, a Lecturer in Spanish, both teach at Penn State University.

About this edition

• Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0813213258
• ISBN 13: 9780813213255
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 120