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Document Details : Title: 'Salve atque vale, aselle' Subtitle: Satire and Consolation in Laura Cereta's In asinarium funus oratio Author(s): GRIFFIN, Quinn Journal: Humanistica Lovaniensia Volume: 67 Issue: 1 Date: 2018 Pages: 69-89 DOI: 10.2143/HLO.67.1.3292339 Abstract : The humanist Laura Cereta of Brescia (1469-1499) produced during her lifetime one collection of letters and a Latin dialogue entitled In asinarium funus oratio (Oration on the Funeral of a Donkey). In this dialogue, Cereta herself appears as the chief interlocutor, consoling the donkey’s owners with a blend of ancient philosophies. This paper will further the understanding of Cereta’s Oratio in three ways: first, by placing it in the context of the humanist and classical genres of dialogue, consolation, and satirical encomium; second, by considering the relevance of the donkey to the work as a whole; and finally, by exploring Cereta’s reception of classical authors in the context of her consolation. The paper argues that Cereta’s blending of genres and use of a donkey as the subject of her oration work to create a safe space for the humanist woman to showcase her rhetorical talents. |
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