‘Augustus Caesar to Livia Drusilla’ : théorie(s) de l’Histoire dans le Female Spectator
| Title: | ‘Augustus Caesar to Livia Drusilla’ : théorie(s) de l’Histoire dans le Female Spectator |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Claire Boulard-Jouslin |
| Source: | Etudes Epistémè, Vol 17 (2010) |
| Publisher Information: | Institut du Monde Anglophone, 2010. |
| Publication Year: | 2010 |
| Collection: | LCC:History (General) and history of Europe LCC:French literature - Italian literature - Spanish literature - Portuguese literature |
| Subject Terms: | History (General) and history of Europe, French literature - Italian literature - Spanish literature - Portuguese literature, PQ1-3999 |
| More Details: | In his essay entitled « Of the Study of History » (1741) David Hume adopted an ambiguous stand on women’s relationship to history. On the one hand he put the blame on their ignorance in historical matters to explain their inability to participate in polite conversation. On the other hand, he was deeply critical of their attraction for modern secret histories and wished the ladies read the serious histories written by the ancient historians instead. He was therefore denigrating the only historical genre which female readers were familiar with but also a genre which was produced by female writers. No reaction to this text from a female author has been traced until today. Yet four years later, Eliza Haywood who had published several successful secret histories, issued her monthly magazine The Female Spectator. She too advised them to read histories and provided her female readers with a reading list made of the great works of the main Greek and Roman ancient historians. She thus seems to answer David Hume since she defines history not simply as a means to improve women’s conversation but also as a tool for intellectual emancipation and political analysis. She also suggests that the function of history is not dissimilar to that of secret histories. She then endeavours to prove this through the publication of the amorous correspondence of Livia and Augustus. The letters which are based on true historical facts work as a coded criticism of George II’s policies. But she also shows that the line between fact and fiction in historical matters is so thin indeed that it is absurd to oppose history and secret history. Both prove to be morally as well as intellectually instructive. |
| Document Type: | article |
| File Description: | electronic resource |
| Language: | English French |
| ISSN: | 1634-0450 |
| Relation: | http://journals.openedition.org/episteme/664; https://doaj.org/toc/1634-0450 |
| DOI: | 10.4000/episteme.664 |
| Access URL: | https://doaj.org/article/b96e383d59e146c0a87c145e50740ef3 |
| Accession Number: | edsdoj.b96e383d59e146c0a87c145e50740ef3 |
| Database: | Directory of Open Access Journals |
| ISSN: | 16340450 |
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| DOI: | 10.4000/episteme.664 |
| Published in: | Etudes Epistémè |
| Language: | English French |