Historia Calamitatum
1132
Historia Calamitatum
1132
''Historia Calamitatum'' (1132) is an autobiographical work by Peter Abelard, a prominent medieval philosopher and theologian. Written in the form of a letter, it recounts his life, including his intellectual achievements and his infamous love affair with Héloïse, which led to personal tragedy and scandal. This work is notable for being one of the first autobiographies in medieval Western Europe, offering insights into the social and philosophical climate of the 12th century, as well as Abelard's views on women, learning, and his own persecution by peers.
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“For my part, the more I went forward in the study of letters, and ever more easily, the greater became the ardour of my devotion to them, until in truth I was so enthralled by my passion for learning that, gladly leaving to my brothers the pomp of glory in arms, the right of heritage and all the honours that should have been mine as the eldest born, I fled utterly from the court of Mars that I might win learning in the bosom of Minerva. And -- since I found the armory of logical reasoning more to my liking than the other forms of philosophy, I exchanged all other weapons for these, and to the prizes of victory in war I preferred the battle of minds in disputation.””
— Peter Abelard
