Historia and fabula : : myths and legends in historical thought from antiquity to the modern age / / by Peter G. Bietenholz.

• Superior document: Brill's Studies in Intellectual History, Volume 59
• VerfasserIn: Bietenholz, Peter G.,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, Netherlands : : Brill,, 1994.; ©1994
• Year of Publication: 1994
• Language: English
• Series: Brill's studies in intellectual history ; Volume 59.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (456 pages) :; illustrations.
• Notes: Includes index.
• Other title: Myths and legends in historical thought from antiquity to the modern age.
• Bibliography: Includes bibliographical references and index.
• ISBN: 9004247130
• ISSN: 0920-8607
• Hierarchical level: Monograph
• Statement of Responsibility: by Peter G. Bietenholz.

Historical thought, whether it is expressed in writing or through works of art, inevitably contains elements of fiction. Thus in every phase of the development of historical thinking the question arises: were these fictional elements recognized and if so, how was their function perceived? Was any effort made to distinguish between a documented fact and any assumptions or deductions related to it? In examining the past, was it deemed important to curb the free play of imagination or was it thought that any explanation, no matter how fanciful and irrational, was better than none? This is the question that this book attempts to answer. In doing so, it examines a rich variety of texts and also some works of art ranging from the Ancient Near East to the nineteenth century.