Defining ‘Europe’ in Medieval European Geographical Discourse

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Translatio and Translation

New article: Natalia Petrovskaia, “Translatio and Translation: The Duality of the Concept from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period”Doshisha studies in English 99 (2018), pp. 115-136

Translatio studii et imperii (translation/movement of learning and empire), a medieval theory describing the westward movement of civilization, is intricately connected to geography. Texts refering to the concept of translatio often do so within a geographical framework provided by mappae mundi (world maps), particularly maps of the T-O type, which represent the known inhabited section of the Earth as a circle, oriented towards the East, and divided into three continents (see picture). Natalia Petrovskaia’s new article “Translatio and Translation: The Duality of the Concept from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period”, Doshisha studies in English 99 (2018), pp. 115-136, discusses the medieval idea of translatio and its relation to our modern idea of translation. The article can be read online here. For English, see pp. 119-136.