68- Identity: the
building blocks of
2. Literature
and philosophy
3. Art and
architecture
4. Performing
arts
5. Cinema
and fashion
6. Media and
communications
7. Food and drink 8. Living culture:
the details of
True ‘Spanish literature’, written in a Romance language,
only began to surface in the 11 thcentury, but Iberia’s
ancient tenants had already gifted the peninsula a
literary heritage of sorts. So, when homegrown
literature finally began to make an impact it did so under
the influence of Latin, Visigothic and Moorish texts.Silver Age: the writers of Roman Spain
The Celtiberians may have written their best sagas
down but none have survived into the modern era.
For the earliest remnants of literature from Spain we
must look instead to the Romans. Hispania produced
a significant clique of writers born on the peninsula but
living it up among the higher ranks of Roman society.
They were key figures in the so-called ‘silver age’ of
Latin literature in the first century AD. Martial wrote
poetry and satire on life in the Roman Empire, Mela
completed a kind of geography of the known world
and Quintilian penned a 12-volume book on the use of
rhetoric. However, the biggest literary cheese of
Roman Spain was Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca
theYounger) of Córdoba, renowned tragedian, political
theorist, Stoic philosopher and tutor to Nero (see
section 2.2.1. for more on Seneca). His interpretations
of Greek tragedy, notablyMedeaandAgamemnon,
would have a big impact on the Renaissance.
Some have even made it through to modern theatre.
The political writings of his father, Marcus Annaeus
Seneca (Seneca the Elder) also made waves.2.1.2 Rising stars: Seneca,El CidandLa Celestina
Seneca leaves under
his own steam
Aged 65 and recently
retired from service to
Nero, Seneca was
accused of involvement
in a failed plot to kill the
emperor. In punishment,
Nero instructed him to
commit suicide. It didn’t
go as smoothly as it
might: a mixture of wrist
slashing, poisoning and
suffocation in a steam
bath saw noble Seneca
fumbling through his
final hours.
“I DON’T CONSIDER
MYSELF BALD,
I’M JUST TALLER
THAN MY HAIR”
Seneca the Younger