Autore: Sullivan, Mary Elizabeth
Titolo: Verbal Swordplay: The Two Swords as a Linguistic Tool in Medieval Political Writing
Periodico: Storia del pensiero politico
Anno: 2013 - Fascicolo: 3 - Pagina iniziale: 385 - Pagina finale: 406

This paper examines the use of the «two swords» analogy in medieval political writing,from the early Christian period through the fourteenth century. Throughout theMiddle Ages, writers used swords, and particularly the discussion of the two swordsin Luke 22:38, to stand for authority, both religious and temporal. In some casessword analogies were used to argue for the separate origins of political and religiousauthority; in other cases writers used swords to defend the papacy's involvement intemporal politics. Although there is no correct interpretation of the «two swords»,examining these writings can provide valuable insight into the ways in which medievalwriters were able to reconfigure, and in some cases manipulate, source material toserve their own political ends. Thus, the «two swords» is itself not a theory, but rathera linguistic trope that could be deployed for a variety of interesting purposes.




SICI: 2279-9818(2013)3<385:VSTTSA>2.0.ZU;2-2
Testo completo: http://www.mulino.it/download/article/10.4479/75153
Testo completo alternativo: http://www.mulino.it/doi/10.4479/75153

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