The Legacy of Ancient Rome in the Russian Silver Age. (Studies in Slavic Literature and Poetics)

For poets throughout the world Rome was the world. This is particularly true for Russian poets, owing to the anagrammatical relation of the words Rome and mir (Rome and world). The legacy of ancient Rome has always constituted an important component of the Russian cultural consciousness. The revitalization of classical scholarship in nineteenth-century Russia and new approaches to antiquity prompted many of the Russian Symbolists to seek their inspiration in ancient Rome. Vladimir Solovyov, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Valery Bryusov, Vyacheslav Ivanov, Maksimilian Voloshin, Vasily Komarovsky, and Mikhail Kuzmin all made significant contributions to what is often referred to as the "Roman text." The Legacy of Ancient Rome in the Russian Silver Age analyzes the forms involved in creating the Roman image and explores its functionality within the given poetic system. In addition to the formal analysis, the background and the stimulus leading up to the composition of a particular poem are explored, as well as allusions to legends, myths and Rome's geography and architecture. Moreover, this study considers the function of the Roman text in Russian Symbolist poetics and the works of the individual poets. Finally, the relation between the Roman and Petersburg texts of Russian literature is explored, since many of the Russian Symbolist poets found in Rome a perfect metaphor for their studies of the city and "urban" poetry. Cover......Page 1 Title page......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Note on Transliteration......Page 14 Introduction. Off to Rome.........Page 16 I. Departing from Stylization. Apollon Maikov......Page 28 II. The Forum of Forgotten Thoughts. Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov......Page 32 III. And a Fourth Shall Never Be...Vladimir Solovyov......Page 38 IV. The Contradictions of the Northern Pilgrim. Dmitry Merezhkovsky......Page 50 V. Julius Caesar, Antony and Sulla. Valery Bryusov......Page 62 VI. The God-Loving Roman. Vyacheslav Ivanov......Page 98 VII. From Prophecy to Transubstantiation. Maksimilian Voloshin......Page 126 VIII. The Quest for Pax Romana as a Quest for Peace of Mind. Vasily Komarovsky......Page 146 IX. The Distant Eternal City. Mikhail Kuzmin......Page 166 «Как сделан Рим»? (How Is Rome Made?). Conclusion......Page 190 Primary Sources......Page 196 Works Cited......Page 197 Index......Page 208 Annotation ?This thoughtful and well-researched manuscript is an important contribution to several fields: 19th- and 20th-century Russian literature and philosophy, Classics and literary history. Many 20th-century Russian writers employ comparisons between 20th-century Russia and the Roman Empire, but this study is the first in-depth look at the basis for this all pervasive theme. Since the end of the Soviet Union the Symbolist period has become one of primary interest for Russians as they attempt to investigate elements of their pre-Soviet identity. The writers whose works are included here represent some of the most sophisticated and erudite in the whole of Russian literature, but many of them were, until recently little studied or looked at through a distorting political prism.?Carol Ueland, Professor of Russian Literature, Drew University The legacy of ancient Rome has always constituted an important component of the Russian cultural consciousness. This book analyzes the forms involved in creating the Roman image and explores its functionality within the given poetic system. It explores the background and the stimulus leading up to the composition of a particular poem. Anna Frajlich. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.