Uma memória de papel: retórica, comunidade e cânone na epistolografia latina goisiana (1528-1545)

Abstract

This research aims at understanding the epistolary written by the Portuguese humanist Damião de Góis in the construction of his social prestige and selfrepresentation for the future. In the first chapter, I try to place Góis in the context of his diplomatic activities under the service of king d. João III, moment in which he decided to initiate a humanistic carreer. I also try to reconstruct the genealogy of his first contacts with humanists like Grapheus Cornelius, his tutor in Latin, and formulas that were important to his later epistolary activity. I conclude this chapter with a description and analysis of the Brief art of letter writing, by Erasmus - possibly read by Gois - observing the rules of the genre. In the second chapter, the actions taken by Góis in his relationship with the Republic of Letters are studied. I Relate the question of the Republic of Letters to the prevalence of the rhetoric in the writings of several characters connected directly and indirectly to Gois, trying to trace this network through the study of letters. The background of these relations is the Ciceronian quarrel, one of the most important literary quarrels of the century in chapter started with the publication by Erasmus of a dialogue named Ciceronianus, and also the religious controversy surrounding the attempts of Cardinal Jacopo Sadoleto reconnect Melanchthon to the Catholics. I analyse Gois’ positions in relation to these circumstances, trying to say whether they would have impacted on his production of letters. In the third chapter, I discuss the themes of Latin letters divided according to some topics concerning the problem of self-representation and search for the canon and prestige. Thus, I consider the formation of friendships and enmities through the letters as essential forms of bonding in the Republic of Letters. I also describe his attempts regarding the making of his reputation among humanists by editing the complete works of Erasmus after his death. Finally, I discuss the various letters focused on the dissemination of texts written by Gois and the publication of a collection of his most distinguished correspondence in 1544. I try to thereby synchronize the relevant letters and this letter-writing project that was produced towards the preservation of his own memory.