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The Context of the Fragmenta Tebestina

The Context of the Fragmenta Tebestina Al-Masa ¯q, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2003 JACQUELINE GODFREY The libraries are full of books; there is nothing lacking to the church; the divine call sounds everywhere through each locality; the mouths of readers are not silent; the hands of all are full of codices; nothing is lacking to those people who desire to be taught. Optatus of Milevis: ‘Against the Donatists’ The words of Optatus, Catholic North African bishop, written in about 363 CE, convey an idea of the abundance of the written word in Africa at this time. They point to a culture eager for book wisdom and book religions, with blossoming archives, people keen to copy and disseminate, and a significant proportion of its public if not actually literate, then at least actively participating in the promotion of a literate culture. In the oral society of the fourth century in which a trained memory was valued as one of man’s most powerful tools, illiteracy was no bar to book culture and nor did it lessen its attractions. This North Africa into which Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) was born, was sophisticated and text-oriented; indeed had it not been we might almost never have heard of http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Al-Masaq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean Taylor & Francis

The Context of the Fragmenta Tebestina

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The Context of the Fragmenta Tebestina

Abstract

Al-Masa ¯q, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2003 JACQUELINE GODFREY The libraries are full of books; there is nothing lacking to the church; the divine call sounds everywhere through each locality; the mouths of readers are not silent; the hands of all are full of codices; nothing is lacking to those people who desire to be taught. Optatus of Milevis: ‘Against the Donatists’ The words of Optatus, Catholic North African bishop, written in about 363 CE, convey an idea of the abundance of...
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Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Copyright
Copyright Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
ISSN
1473-348X
eISSN
0950-3110
DOI
10.1080/0950311032000057095
Publisher site
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Abstract

Al-Masa ¯q, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 2003 JACQUELINE GODFREY The libraries are full of books; there is nothing lacking to the church; the divine call sounds everywhere through each locality; the mouths of readers are not silent; the hands of all are full of codices; nothing is lacking to those people who desire to be taught. Optatus of Milevis: ‘Against the Donatists’ The words of Optatus, Catholic North African bishop, written in about 363 CE, convey an idea of the abundance of the written word in Africa at this time. They point to a culture eager for book wisdom and book religions, with blossoming archives, people keen to copy and disseminate, and a significant proportion of its public if not actually literate, then at least actively participating in the promotion of a literate culture. In the oral society of the fourth century in which a trained memory was valued as one of man’s most powerful tools, illiteracy was no bar to book culture and nor did it lessen its attractions. This North Africa into which Augustine of Hippo (354–430 CE) was born, was sophisticated and text-oriented; indeed had it not been we might almost never have heard of

Journal

Al-Masaq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean – Taylor & Francis

Published: Mar 1, 2003

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