The Classics in the Medieval and Renaissance Classroom: The Role of Ancient Texts in the Arts Curriculum as Revealed by Surviving Manuscripts and Early Printed Books ed. by Juanita Feros Ruys, John O. Ward, and Melanie Heyworth (review)

This book is the result of a conference held at The University of Sydney in July 2006 on the use of classical literature in the medieval classroom. The volume has been dedicated to the late Virginia Brown, a conference attendee who is recognised for her editorial, palaeographic, and teaching expertise. The quality of the research and the erudition of the essays are a fitting tribute. Contributors are well-recognised experts, including Rita Copeland, Robert Brown, Martin Comargo, and Birger Munk Olsen, to name but a few. The temporal scope of the book, from early medieval manuscripts to the introduction of printed texts, makes for a fascinating exploration of the potential changes in pedagogic techniques.

One of the remarkable characteristics of this collection is the depth of material on offer. Each essay comes with its own list of cited works, including manuscripts and archival documents, primary sources, and secondary studies. Several essays also include detailed appendices, including translations of primary source material, providing easy access to evidence. The inclusion of such material gives the reader excellent support for the various arguments regarding pedagogic styles in medieval and Renaissance education. The thoroughness of production is admirable and the contents of the book live up to the subtitle exceptionally well.

One of the key considerations underpinning this collection is the issue of canonicity. As Ralph Hexter has pointed out in The Oxford Handbook of Medieval Latin Literature (Oxford University Press, 2011), what is considered to be the classical canon was not consistent over the centuries. The essays here consider well-recognised classical authors, like Cicero and Aristotle, along with less familiar names. Several essays approach classical texts via the educational introductions and commentaries, so the classical Latin texts we might expect to find are muted, perhaps even distorted. This is one of the brilliant aspects of the collection: its engagement with the topic of medieval and Renaissance education, based on material evidence, grounds Latin literature into a clearly defined but ‘other’ social milieu.

The overwhelming characteristic of this collection is its thoroughness and detail. The provision of so much detail with each essay – including bibliographic details and primary source materials, sometimes in Latin – means that the reader is able to follow the arguments closely. This is especially important as so much of the original material pertaining to medieval education, dependent as it was on manuscripts, is largely inaccessible. Footnoting, too, is also very detailed. The index is thorough and a blessing so often missing from edited collections.

There is a lot of required knowledge for this book. It is certainly not designed for the undergraduate student, as much of the material is complex. Having said that, the inclusion of primary source material for most of the essays offers an ideal teaching model. This book marries the fields of literature and social history in a most productive manner.