To understand the concept of Translatio Imperii et Studii, it is important to first break down exactly what the latin phrase means. Imperii, first and foremost, refers to political power and legitimacy while Studii refers to knowledge and culture, specifically in writing. Translatio literally means transfer or movement. Together these elements refer to the geographical and chronological movement of knowledge, culture, political power, and political legitimacy between one civilization and another. The concept of this transfer begins in the Middle Ages with the struggle between nations for European supremacy. Nations called upon their Roman ancestry, as in the cases of France and England, to legitimize their claims to power. This declaration of power in the name of the Roman empire serves as a prime example of Translatio Imperii, as political power is transferred from the previous Roman empire to give legitimacy to the political power of both France and England.
Simultaneously, as political power transferred from culture to culture, so too did knowledge and ideas. When looking at the emerging literature before and after the Medieval period, for example, there are many correlations between the romantic motiffs of Anglo-Norman text and the later writings of Sir Thomas Malory(Schwartz).
Translatio Studii becomes increasingly important when considering the scope of this class. Look no further than the direct correlations between the stories and settings presented in Boccaccio's The Decameron and Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. In fact, these two works, with the addition of John Gower's Confessio Amantis, provide us with important examples of knowledge and ideas in literature transferring between cultures and times periods. For instance, let us consider the Wife of Bath's Tale as presented by Chaucer. This particular tale correlates directly with many of the story elements and themes in Gower's Tale of Florent, which was written around the same time. For instance, the idea of woman's sovereignty, as well as chivalry amongst men, contributes heavily to both stories, as well as many shared plot and setting elements. This case provides a great example as to how certain motifs can transfer between authors of the same period, while The Decameron, which shares a very similar structure and purpose with Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, provides a great example as to how idea transfer between cultures and times. In regards to the scope of this class, Translatio Studii is a primary explanation as to how literature is adapted over time and space.
Think and Respond!!:
Can you think of any contemporary trends in which Tranlsatio Imperii et Studii takes place?
How can Translatio Imperii et Studii be applied to domestic sovereignty, as in the Tale of the Wife of Bath?
At what point does Translatio Studii deviate from a new system of thought, using old ideas, to a simple recasting of the original text?
Citations:
Schwarts, Deborah. "Translatio Studii et Imperii." 1999-2002.
http://cla.calpoly.edu/~schwart/eng513/courtly/translat.htm.
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. "Translatio Imperii." Wikipedia(2009).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Translatio_imperii.
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One contemporary example of Translatio Imperii et Studii taking place would be immigration. When people immigrate from one country to another, they bring different ideas and culture to the new society they settle in. There is an exchange of culture and a diversity of ideas, which could ultimately influences the politics of the country too. As nations are increasingly working together to improve their government and economy, they learn from each other and adjust their own government structure to strike the most beneficial balance. In addition, researchers from all around the world work together and share the knowledge they have collected and put their minds together in making a new discovery.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the idea of domestic sovereignty, both women over men and men over women, has spread to several countries. There is a world-wide shift in people's idea of the rights and roles of men and women, whereas in the past, the role of the man was almost always dominant over the woman.
For an idea to deviate so much, as it travels from system to system, mutating each time it shifts, that it essentially becomes the original text again would take multiple transfers. It would have exhaust every possible result before deviating back to its original thought. However, I would not believe this is very common, since there are basically an infinite number of results after the idea deviates each time from one new system to another. Furthermore, although there are exceptions to this, people do tend to progress and improve upon existing ideas and would rarely revert back to an old way of thinking.
In regards to Translatio Imperii et Studii being similar to recasting, I think there is a definite line between translating or modifying ideas and simply copying them. For example, William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet has been translated to many different screen plays, including one that is a very modern translation. (I am referring to the one most students see in high school with Leonardo DiCaprio.) This is an example of a recasting. The ideas and script are basically the same, except the film represents a very modern version of Shakespeare. An example of Translatio Imperii et Studii might be "The Decameron" compared to "The Canterbury Tales". Both of these works have very different sequences of events and the characters are extremely different. However, some of the underlying concepts such as going on quests to find knowledge or a place (like Canterbury) are the same. The idea that Boccaccio invented is suspected to have influenced Chaucer’s idea, but the ideas are not the same.
ReplyDeleteIn the same way that literature can be influenced and recreated in a different era, political ideals such as sovereignty can be translated. In the 20th century, many reforms took place to give people rights. Women fought for the right to vote in the early 1900s and African Americans fought for equality and freedom that they were really granted after the Civil War. Even today there are countries in which people are trying to get freedom and equality. The ideals of most modern countries are somewhat leaking into developing nations and some nations that are developed but are run by religions which do not allow for women to have any freedom from their husband, father, or political framework. One example is Africa. Even after apartheid was abolished, men and women are discriminated against. (Oldfield) This is an example of Translatio Imperii et Studii, because people are fighting the oppression of rights for people just like the citizens of the US did in the 20th century.
Oldfield, Sophie, Elaine Salo, and Ann Schlyter. “Body Politics and Citizenship.” Feminist Africa. Issue: 13: December 2009. 3 Feb. 2010. .
Another example Translatio Emperii et Studii is the spread of democratic ideals over the planet. Some of the characteristics of democracy have been adopted by nations that once had dictators like Russia or monarchs. This largely stems from American presence in other nations with the installment of troops and visitations by ambassadors. America is trying to spread American influence to other nations of the world that are in political devastation.
ReplyDeleteDomestic sovereignty is and always has been an issue. Who is considered the head of the household husband or wife or who is supreme over the relationship. In recent years, especially in well-developed countries, women have gained more rights so that they can be considered man's equal. However, these ideas still haven't reached some nations of the world. For example in many Middle Eastern countries, women are heavily oppressed, in some nations forced to cover their whole bodies. But with the spreading of the ideals of well-developed countries, domestic sovereignty is becoming less and less of an issue.
Many of the societal issues of today have been repeats of those in the past although in a different situation; however as time progresses, we learn how to deal with these issues in more efficient ways for the betterment of society as a whole. This issues are old ideas however the more they are dealt with, the more we learn about coping with them in the future.
The immediate thought that comes to my head when I think about a contemporary example of Translatio Imperii et Studii is my own country, Trinidad and Tobago. We are a very cosmopolitan country and this is due to our rich history. We have been under the rule of the French, Spanish and English at points in our history, with each country relinquishing power to the other, starting with the Spanish and then eventually to the English. The influence of each country has remained and we have assimilated aspects of all and shaped it into our own. This is essentially the translation of political power, idealogies and culture among countries. Furthermore, when England granted us independence, this could also be seen as Translatio Imperii et Studii as it also deals with legitimizing powers from one coutnry to another, as in the case with France and England and the Roman Empire.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, as deals with domestic sovereignty, whilst I do acknowledge that the majority of the world have recognized and come to respect the place of women in society as equal to men, for example more women are now breadwinners in their households than their male counterparts, I do also concede that some societies have not. For instance in Middle-Eastern countries, the role of women has still been relegated to being less than men. For instance, in some countries women are still separated from men during worship. Hence although there has been significant improvement in terms of women having a major role as society determines, I think there is still a way to go before a balance of sovereignty is reached.
And finally, I do not think that an idea can ever be completely lost or made into something brand new. The underlying themes will still exist and so any new idea will have some semblance to the original idea. There will always be similarities no matter how altered the new idea may seem. However, as Pharan stated above, I think this can be a good thing in certain circumstances in that repeats of situations help us deal with new problems in a more efficient manner.
The first thing that came to mind when I read this was that whenever anyone travels, it is an example of translatio imperii et studii. By bringing in new culture, new ideas, and new technology, there is a mixing between the new and old, creating something different. That is how the world evolves and progresses.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is a great thing because it creates a bridge between people, translatio imperii et studii can have negative effects as well. Any war where one country invades another is an example. ie. crusades, world war II, and don't forget America's war on Terror. The crusades was an attack on other religions by Christianity. A form of forced translatio imperii et studii. Word war II is Hitler's beliefs forced on Europe. The war on Terror began with terrorists acting on their beliefs. Now America is turning around and now forcing democracy on Iraq. Another example would be Europeans driving out the Native Americans. The natives had European cultures forced on them with the choice of accept a foreign power or die. While I do believe that spreading of cultures is an important aspect of growth in the world and understand its worth and importance, I do believe that forced subjugation is still wrong.
Hmm...I feel like I've ranted enough about that.
Now about recasting. I believe that is what copy right laws are for. Using previous ideas to help create a new idea is translatio studii but just taking something and rewriting it is just simple stealing.
I think that the way the law is interpreted is a modern example of Translatio Imperii et Studii. Actions done to others that walk the line of the law are brought to court to argue the integrity of the action. Referring to the United States in general, we have the Supreme Court to lay down a final analysis of how the law is interpreted. As time goes on, culture evolves along with ethical view. This provides new minds to interpret the law in a different way. It has been argued that our judicial system of government is held together because of the many interpretations of The Declaration of Independence. We can see how Translatio Imperii et Studii acts in the preamble of The Declaration of Independence," We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equally..." These lines were originally written with the word men referring to white men of proper ager that owned property. Today this saying has evolved to encompass every gender, every race, and every age. To give less serious example of how law interpretation evolves, in Georgia it is a law that "No one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday." Not that any of us have every broken this law, but I doubt a police man would consult you if he saw you carrying an ice cream cone in your back pocket just because it was a Sunday. These example shows how the deciphering of the law is a prime example of Translatio Imperii et Studii. As the culture changes, so do the ways the culture thinks and furthermore alters the way legislation is read.
ReplyDeleteThis may digress from the original focus of our English class discussions, but a relevant contemporary example of Translatio Imperii et Studii is not so much the present but the past. The whole idea of how America started is the most accessible example. When the first Europeans landed in the New World, they introduced new ideas and concepts of living and techniques for survival. The Columbian Exchange consisted of Old World animals and goods, such as pigs, dogs, wheat, and barley, introduced to the Native Americans. The exchange allowed the new and the old to adapt each others lifestyle techniques to better their survival. The Europeans introduced guns and advanced weaponry to the Indians, and the Natives taught the Europeans how to farm and hunt the land. Even though the Europeans brought many diseases and slaves with them to the New World, the Natives were able to take the good from the Spaniards and adapt it to their own survival. My understanding of Translatio Imperii et Studii is that different cultures and techniques are spread out among the world voulntary and involuntary to better shape the world around us. We can only progress and prosper in life by adapting new and improved ways to survive and thrive.
ReplyDeleteEven the music industry can be viewed as an example of Translatio Imperii et Studii. Recently, there has been a trend amongst the hip hop industry for main stream artists to release albums which encompass many of the elements you would find in rock or alternative genre. Hip hop beats in general contains edited samples of songs from the past. Like the Canterbury Tales, hip hop is a derivative of work from the past.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of discussion in the music industry over whether sampled beats are original pieces or just the reuse of published material. Some songs released by artists on free mixtapes have been disallowed from being sold for profit because the original artists did not authorize their use. I believe that the line between original and copied work is very vague and varies between case, media, and purpose.
The issue of drawing the line between using old ideas to form new ones versus recasting the original text is crucial to discussing Translatio Imperii et Studii. Because this is such a subjective conundrum, it is important to define the important factors. Some reasonable delineation must be made between a similar work and an identical work. To give direct credit increases the chances of legitimacy but we cannot rely on this in general. There are key questions then, which help make the line more clear. Is there a new purpose for this new work? Does the new work alter important defining factors from the old work? Does the new work utilize the same perspective as the old work? Does the new work introduce entirely new elements into the old work?
ReplyDeleteAgain, none of these questions are definitive identifiers as the true answer is undeniably subjective, but they help. In general, I would use modern parody and satire as a contemporary example. Satirical works may mimic and/or exaggerate an old work, but they represent T.I.S. because the viewpoint may have been changed, or the purpose may have been changed (oftentimes the purpose is reversed). Conversely, a virtually unchanged re-make of an old film is not an example of T.I.S. because it has not introduced any new elements to the old work or changed any important defining elements from the old work.
The most prominent example of Translatio Imperii et Studii can be seen by the United States as a world super power. Calling on their ancestry, manifest destiny, the United States has climbed to the top of the list for policing the world. Now at the top, the culture of America has evolved as father figures to the world.
ReplyDeleteIt was only recently that women starting becoming the primary sources of income in some families. It has become common to also see women in the armed forces as their husbands stay home. The problem now lies in seeing more girls seeking science majors.
As time goes on ideas and culture shift but to a certain keep their roots. Each event changes when looking at details. There have been many leaders of who attempt for world domination, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, or Hitler. Their reasons for power all differed.
After looking at all the ideas presented here, I've come to assume that Translation Imperri et Studii is an intergral part of our lives. There isn't one facet of our lives that isn't somehow affected by the assimilation of cultures. Here in the United States we have such a rich and colorful history, one that was only achieved through people bringing together new ideas and concepts. No culture is just isolated and fully self contained. Our ideas are affected by so many people and that's what makes it so unique. Even war spreads our ideas further into other nations, all while we retain some of the cultural aspects of other countries.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the copyright versus recasting argument, there is a fine line between passing someone else's work off as your own and integrating their ideas into your own. Again, every part of our culture is in some way affected by this. The music we listen to, the movies we watch, the literature we read, most all notable works have at one time or another been accused of plagiarism. But are they really plagiarizing or just sampling one another's work and growing off of it? A good example happened this week in Australia. The 80's band Men At Work lost a lawsuit when a judge decided to rule in favor of the man holding the rights to the song Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree. A background musician for Men At Work unpurposefully sampled a few bars of the song and it was recorded into their smash hit Land Down Under. While the original author of Kookaburra was alive during the height of Men At Work and never cried foul over it, the new rights owner did and is now receiving 60% of the royalties from this popular song. Has plagiarism been reduced from fighting for your rights to own your own ideas to opportunistic greed?
Maybe this isn't exactly where the group was headed with Translatio Imperii et Studii, but I think its definitely something to think about...
The idea of Translatio Imperii et Studii could be applied to the situation in which today's developing countries often find themselves. As medieval political regimes sought to legitimize their leadership by making reference to the power of the Roman Empire, contemporary leaders of the developing world often call upon their connections to the United States to use as a mandate for their authority. Columbian President Alvaro Uribe maintains his administration by drawing upon his good past relations with the United States and his Harvard education. South Korea's President Myung-Bak won the 2008 election on the basis of strengthening relations with the US, with implications that only he could do it. This phenomenon occurs frequently and the connections drawn to the US are much stronger than those drawn to the Roman Empire in the past (Charlemagne, the Normans, Napoleon, Mussolini).
ReplyDeleteThis idea can also be applied domestically, but more by referring to past knowledge rather than declaring legitimacy through historical precedence. This would be the point where the old ideas might lose their content, only leaving their significance only as an undeniable authority.
Translatio Imperii et Studii is a natural process that occurs because of the way humans work. We pass on ideas to our children; we learn from watching our parents. The culture around us molds us into who we are. Often times I note that I would tell someone a good idea and months later they would come brag to me about having come up with the same exact idea. It's not because they are copying it's because I planted a seed that became part of them. The ideas of democracy and republics have been passed down from antiquity and are still today being molded into ideas that will be passed on in the future.
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