The Vanity Theme and Critical Wisdom in Mesopotamian Literature
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21486120 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maurizio Viano (Università degli Studi di Torino , Dipartimento di Studi Storici , Via Sant’Ottavio 20, 10124 Torino , Italy Italy, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 237-256 |
| Publication date | 2023-11-24 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Altorientalische Forschungen (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0232-8461 • E-ISSN: 2196-6761 |
| Publisher | Walter de Gruyter GmbH (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1515/aofo-2023-0016 |
| OpenAlex | W4389336066 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 20 |
The heading “vanity theme” has been attributed to various Sumerian and Akkadian literary compositions that would represent a form of wisdom critical of traditional values. The present article revises those compositions arguing that they do not propound a critical view of traditional wisdom but simply reflect on the finitude of human nature. Critical wisdom only surfaces in a limited number of compositions mostly attested in Middle Babylonian sources. The vanity theme is not only tied to critical views of traditional values but is a flexible literary motif that was adapted to different contexts and compositions
Aesthetics · Akkadian · Ancient history · Art · Literature · Mesopotamia · Sumerian · Ancient Near East History · Eurasian Exchange Networks · Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies · History · Philosophy
| Citations per year | 0.5 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2024 - 2024 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |