Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Casper · 01-30-2007, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

I can't think of any text that has survived for which I cannot think of some such reason; not even a cookbook! Can anyone?

Newton's Principea de Mathematica?

Tigers! · 01-30-2007, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MortalWombat

And also explain away the details of Caesars life contained in the writings of his contemporaries such as Cicero, Catullus, and Sallust.

Interpolations?

Chris Weimer · 01-30-2007, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Pearse

Of course there will have been damage in transmission, although probably not significant from a historian's point of view; who cares whether Caesar wrote 'et' or 'ac' or 'atque' when we translate them all as 'and'?

Roger, you of all should know that there is substantial difference between et, ac, -que, and atque. :Cheeky:

Chris Weimer · 01-30-2007, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casper

Newton's Principea de Mathematica?

Leibniz.

spin · 01-30-2007, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bannedOTW

The earliest manuscript of the Gallic Wars is separated from the original by roughtly 10 centuries, and there are only 10 manuscripts. Given that weak evidence it would seem that we should conclude a rather large part of what we know about the Roman Empire at the onset of the Imperial period maybe false and Julius Caesar never existed. Thoughts opinions?

Literary texts are only one source of history. They in themselves can make no historical claims whatsoever. It is only with the other evidence that literary texts can provide historical indications. You need say the statues of Julius Caesar and his coins to hang any literature on. Once the literature starts getting physical evidence to back it up, its historical content can start to be adjudged. Validated historical texts can provide a certain validation for other literary texts.

If you read the Gallic wars, you will find descriptions of battles which we are told took place in certain places which require certain geographical forms to give sense to the battles as described. You can go to the sites and use them to make sense of the battles. You can also go to museums which contain artefacts from those battles which reflect the historical context of those battles in those times.

Physical evidence supports both the person behind the writing and the battles described, as does the inception of Roman political dominance over Gaul.

History is not just texts, it is texts in context.

spin

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