Historia Calamitatum

Historia Calamitatum (A history of my calamities), also known as "Abaelardi ad Amicum Suum Consolatoria," is an autobiographical work in Latin by Peter Abelard, one of medieval France's most important intellectuals and a pioneer of scholastic philosophy. It is one of the first autobiographicalworks in medieval Western Europe, written in the form of a letter. It is clearly influenced by Augustine of Hippo's Confessions. The "Historia" is exceptionally readable, and presents a remarkably honest self-portrait of a man who could be arrogant and often felt persecuted. It provides a clear and fascinating picture of intellectual life in Paris before the formalization of the University, of the intellectual excitement of the period, of monastic life, and of his affair with Heloise, one of history's most famous love stories.

Trivia

"Historia Calamitatum" is the name of a track off of the upcoming album Appeal to Reason by the melodic/hardcore band Rise Against

External links

* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/basis/abelard-histcal.html English translation of Historia Calamitatum on the Internet Medieval Sourcebook]
* [http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/abelard/historia.html Latin text of Historia Calamitatum from the Latin Library]