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Momiglinao - Ancient History and The Antiquarian PDF
Momiglinao - Ancient History and The Antiquarian PDF
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By Arnaldo Momigliano
Per gli ottant'anni del mio maestroGaetanoDe Sanctis
Introduction
Such, if I am not mistaken, is the conventional view of the Age of the Anti-
quaries: a view which, though it is incomplete, I have no reason to challenge.
This is a very provisional map of a field Caen, 93 x ; K. Clark, The Gothic Revival, An
that needs much detailed exploration. Essay in the History of Taste, 2nd ed., London,
1J. Addison, "Dialogues upon the useful- 1950; H. R. Steeves, Learned Societies and
ness of Ancient Medals," Miscellaneous Works, English Scholarship, New York, 19 13
III, 1830, pp. 59-199. Essential documents: Comte de Caylus,
2 See, for instance, C.
Justi, Winckelmann Recueil d'Antiquites, 1752-67; G. B. Piranesi,
und seine Zeitgenossen, 3rd ed. 1923 (ist ed. Antichita romane, 1756; R. Wood, Ruins of
1866); L. Hautecoeur, Rome et la Renaissance Palmyra, 1753; Idem, Ruins of Baalbec, 1757;
de l'Antiquitda lajin du XVIII siecle, 1912 (Bibl. R. Chandler, Marmora Oxoniensia, 1763; A.
t?coles Athhnes et Rome, 105); L. Cust and S. Gori, Symbolaelitterariae, Florence and Rome,
Colvin, History of the Society of Dilettanti, 1748-51. Baudelot de Dairval, De l'utilite' des
second issue 1914 (1898), pp. i-xli; E. D. voyages et de l'avantage que la recherchedes anti-
Snyder, The Celtic Revival in English Literature, quitez procure aux sfavans, I, 1686, pp. 1-70 is
Cambridge, Mass., 1923; P. Yvon, Le an invaluable document for the "ethics" of
Gothiqueet la Renaissance Gothiqueen Angleterre, the antiquarians.
285
I
The Originsof AntiquarianResearch
First of all we must ask ourselves who the antiquaries were. I wish I
could simply refer to a History of Antiquarian Studies. But none exists.' All
I can do here is to enumerate a few elementary facts.
I assume that to many of us the word "antiquary" suggests the notion of
a student of the past who is not quite a historian because: (I) historians write
in a chronological order; antiquaries write in a systematic order: (2) historians
produce those facts which serve to illustrate or explain a certain situation;
antiquaries collect all the items that are connected with a certain subject,
whether they help to solve a problem or not. The subject-matter contributes
1 The best is in C. B. Stark, Systematik und For England cf. H. B. Walters, The English
Geschichte der Archdologie der Kunst, Leipzig, Antiquaries of the Sixteenth, Seventeenth, and
I88o. Much information also in J. W. Eighteenth Centuries, London, 1934. For
Thompson and B. J. Holm, A History of France, S. Reinach, "Esquisse d'une histoire
Historical Writing, II, 1942, and of course in de l'archeologie gauloise," Revue Celtique,
J. Sandys, A History of Classical Scholarship, XIX, 1898, pp. 101-17, 292-307 (see below,
Cambridge, I-III, 1906-08; Ch.-V. Langlois, p. 314, note I).
Manuel de Bibliographie Historique, Paris, 19o0.
method of the first Camden Praelector, D. fully) to overcome the classical objection to
Whear, is clearly expounded in his Relectiones any utilitarian defence of Ancient History:
Hyemales, De Ratione et Methodo legendi utrasque "why may not our modern Histories suffice
Historias civiles et ecclesiasticas, Oxford, I637. for accomplishing Gentlemen, which are
The purpose of his teaching can be easily generally written in Tongues more intelligible
gathered from the Introductory Oration by Gentlemen?" (VIII). Invaluable evi-
which in the English translation of 1685 dence for the teaching in Oxford is also pro-
reads: "History is the Register and Explica- vided by the lectures delivered by D. Whear
tion of particular affairs, undertaken to the and preserved in MS (Auct. F. 5. IO-II) in
end that the memory of them may be pre- Bodley's Library. I hope to publish a
served, and so Universals may be the more specimen of them.
evidently confirmed, by which we may be 1J.* B. Mullinger, The University of Cam-
instructed how to live well and happily." bridge, 1911, III, pp. 87-9.
The Ciceronian inspiration is, of course, 2 For instance P. Beni, De Historia, Venice,
indicated by Whear. The second edition of 1622, I, pp. 26-7, recognizes the value as
the English translation (1694) contains also historical sources of coins, inscriptions, etc.,
Dodwell's Invitation to Gentlemen to acquaint but "verae et germanae historiae laus lit-
themselveswith Ancient History which is written terarum monumentis ac narrationi sit reser-
in the same spirit and tries (not very success- vanda."
II
The Controversyof the 17th and i8th Centurieson the Value
of HistoricalEvidence
(a) The Termsof the Controversy
In the seventeenth century religious and political disputations had per-
vaded history and discredited the historian. Bias was easily scented every-
where, and the natural conclusion was to distrust the whole tribe of historians.
At the same time attempts were made to put historical knowledge on a safer
basis by analysing the sources thoroughly and drawing, if possible, on other
evidence than that provided by past historians. A sceptical attitude prevailed,
but this scepticism did not always imply complete pessimism as to the possi-
bility of sound historical knowledge.'
Critical minds emphasized how little was known. La Mothe Le Vayer
formulated what was to become known as historical Pyrrhonism in his essay
of 1668: Du peu de certitudequ'ily a dans l'histoire. R. Simon and Bentley
showed to what lengths thorough criticism could go both on sacred and
profane history. In 1682 Bayle began to show his hand in the Critiquegindrale
de 1'histoiredu calvinisme,where he declared: "il est bien mal aise de parvenir
jusqu'i l'dvidence"; and also: "en un mot, il n'y a point de Filouterie plus
grande que celle qui se peut exercer sur les monumens historiques." In the
next decades intellectual Europe was overpowered by the massive erudition
and searching criticism of the Dictionnairehistoriqueet critique,a best seller,
notwithstanding its dimensions. Ernst Cassirer once took Bayle as the proto-
type of the modern irudit who has no other concern than the increase of
knowledge.2 To contemporaries he was Bayle the sceptic, "l'illustre Bayle
qui apprend si bien & douter," as Baron Holbach sympathetically noted.3
His historical Pyrrhonism was most obviously related to his distrust of dogmas
and pious beliefs. In another Pyrrhonist, Daniel Huet, the bishop and tutor
of the Dauphin, who in 1722 made posthumous scandal by his treatise on the
weakness of human understanding, absolute scepticism definitely prevails
over scepticism on the subject of historical sources. Two circumstances are
relevant here. First Huet had arrived at scepticism by way of his long career
of pioneer work in the comparative study of religion, of which the most
important product is the Demonstratio evangelicaof 1672.4 Secondly, a refuta-
tion of his Pyrrhonism, next in importance to the classic one by J. P. de
1 Besides the well-known works by P. 3 B. de Holbach, Systimede la Nature, II,
Hazard and B. Willey, The Seventeenth Century ch. 12 (ed. 1821, p. 354, n. i), already quoted
Background,1934, cf. for instance: R. Pintard, by P. Hazard, La pensie europienne au XVIIIe
Le libertinagedruditdans la premieremoitie du siecle,III, p.
XVII Siecle,1943, I, p. 45; M. Rossi, Allefonti 33.
4 A. Dupront, P. D. Huet et l'exegisecom-
del deismoe del materialismo moderno,Florence, paratisteau XVII Siecle,Paris, 1930. I cannot
1942 ;J. V. Rice, GabrielNaudi (John Hopkins enter into the more theological discussionson
Studies in Romance Literatures, XXXV), the relations between historical truth and
1939; F. L. Wickelgren, La Mothe Le Vayer, religious beliefs, but see at least Jean Le
these, Paris, I934; H. Robinson, Bayle the Clerc, La veriti de la religionchritienne,in De
Sceptic,New York, 1931. l'increduliti,Amsterdam, 1696, for the refer-
2 Die derAuflairung,
Philosophie I932, p. 269. ences to historical method (p. 327).
J'ay donc avanc6 que l'antiquit6 n'est pas est6 si depourvfi^ qu'on
l'a voulu dire des secours necessaires A l'histoire, et qu'outre les Memoires
qui en ont est6 conservez, ce qu'il y a d'obscur et de confus a este suppl66
par des monuments authentiques, qui en ont fait foy .... 1
Idssigkeit der menschlichenErkenntnis, Leipzig, Historicus Falso Suspectus,diss. Halle I706. The
1747, P. 1041i f. "Von der historischen dissertation which can be said to have started
Wahrscheinlichkeit." all the discussion in Germany is J. Eisenhart,
1 M. De Pouilly, Nouveaux essais de critique De fide historica commentarius,accessit Oratio de
sur la fidelitd de l'histoire, pp. 71-I 4, and coniungendisiurisprudentiaeet historiarumstudiis,
Sallier's answer, pp. I15- 146, are especially Helmstedt, 1679. Eisenhart discusses the
worth noticing in this volume. Another meaning of "fides," "auctoritas," "notorium
1
The best catalogue of works is in O. sur les mysthresdu paganisme); P. F. Hugues
Gruppe, Geschichte der KlassischenMythologie, d'Hancarville (alias Ancarville) Recherches sur
quoted p, 58 ff. Among recent works notice l'origine,I'Ispritet le progresdes arts de la Grace,
A. W. Evans, Warburton andthe Warburtonians,London, 1785; R. Payne Knight, The Sym-
Oxford, 1932; F. Venturi, L'AntichitaSvelatae bolicalLanguageof AncientArt and Mythology,
I'ideadelprogressoinN. A. Boulanger, Bari, 1947; 1818 (reprint New York, 1876); [T. Black-
S. Piggott, W. Stukeley, Oxford, 1950. The well] Letters ConcerningMythology, London,
titles of the books mentioned in the text are: 1748; N. S. Bergier, L'originedes dieux du
Ch. de Brosses,Du cultedesdieuxfitiches, I 760; paganisme,1767, and J. Bryant, A New System
A. Court de Gebelin, Mondeprimitif analysi, or an Analysisof AncientMythology,1774, are
1773 ff.; Ch. Fr. Dupuis, Originede tous les equally typical. A good introduction to all
Cultes,1794; N. A. Boulanger,Antiquitidivoilie, this literature is provided by the critical
1766: Baron de Sainte-Croix, Mimoirespour bibliography appended to the anonymous
servira l'histoirede la religionsecretedes anciens Essai sur la religiondes anciensgrecs, Geneva,
peuples,with an appendix by J-B. G. d'Ansse 1787, pp. 183-223 (the author is said to be
de Villoison, 1784 (cf. also the edition of N. Leclerc de Sept Chenes).
under the title Recherches I8I7
historiqueset critiques
APPENDIX I1
(Lelandi) industriam perquam laudabilem annua pensione e fisco Regio soluta favore
suo fovit Rex Henricus VIII illumque Antiquarii quo merito gloriatus est Lelandus
titulo insignivit. Munus istud, quod dolendum est, ab isto tempore omnino desiit: licet
unus et alter (vix enim plures numerantur) superbum illud HistoriographiRegii, nescio
an satis pro dignitate, nomen sustinuerint.
T. Smith did not quote any evidence, and A. Hall in the Vita Auctoriswith which he pre-
faced his edition of Leland's Commentarii de scriptoribus britannicis (1709), gave T. Smith as
his evidence for the same statement:
ut illum non modo bibliothecae suae praefecit, verum etiam magnifico Antiquarii titulo
liberalissime donavit. Unus est inter Anglicae scholae Proceres, virorum eruditorum
semper feracissimae, qui ad tanti nominis fastigium conscenderit
-Habeat secum, servetque sepulchro.
W. Huddesford's Life of Leland (1772), p. 9, is even more precise: "by a commission under
the Broad-Seal, Ann. Dom. 1533, in the 25th of his reign, he was appointed the King's
Antiquary; the first and indeed the last, that bore that honourable office." But he gives as
evidence Wood's AthenaeOxonienses, and Wood (ed. Bliss), I, p. 198, says something different:
"(Leland) had a commission from him under the broad seal, an. reg. 25, Dom. I533, whereby
he was impowered to make a search after England's antiquities, etc."
Leland, in his "Newe Yeares Gyfte to King Henry the VIII," called The Laboriouse
Journey and Searchefor Englandes Antiquitees (ed. Huddesford, no page number), stated that in
1 I am grateful to Miss M. McKisack for having discussed with me the subject of this Appendix.
APPENDIX II2
A SelectList of Studieson Pre-RomanItaly
(about 1740-1840)