Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim c. 935 – c. 1002
Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim (c. 935 – c. 1002) was a Saxon philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Christian Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy.
Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was a tenth-century Saxon canoness, poet, and philosopher in the imperial abbey of Gandersheim, the first known dramatist of the post-classical Latin West, and the first major woman writer in medieval Christian Europe. Her six Latin plays, modeled on the comedies of Terence but turned to the praise of Christian virgin martyrs, fused classical philosophical dialogue with hagiography, while her Gesta Ottonis and her Primordia Coenobii Gandeshemensis treated the deeds of the Ottonian dynasty and the foundation of her own house. Her writings exerted a small but real influence on the Carolingian and Ottonian intellectual revival.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Saxon
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Christian Philosophy, Medieval Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim:
“What Terence wrote for the world, I write for the cloister.”
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Attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim:
“Virgins of Christ may speak the Latin of philosophers; the language is not the property of the impious.”
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Attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim:
“The proper task of the religious woman of letters is to put her gifts to the service of holiness.”
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Attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim:
“Comedy may be a vehicle of truth as readily as tragedy.”
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Attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim:
“He who fears that women will write should remember that the wisest woman in heaven was once an unknown girl in Galilee.”
Frequently asked about Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim
- When did Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim live?
- Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was born in c. 935 and died in c. 1002.
- Where was Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim from?
- Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was a Saxon philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim associated with?
- Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was associated with Christian Philosophy and Medieval Philosophy.
- What was Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim known for?
- Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim was a tenth-century Saxon canoness, poet, and philosopher in the imperial abbey of Gandersheim, the first known dramatist of the post-classical Latin West, and the first major woman writer in medieval Christian Europe.
- How many quotes are attributed to Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Hrotsvitha of Gandersheim in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.