Historia Calamitatum

is an autobiographical work written in 1132 or soon after. One of the first autobiographies in me dieval Western Europe, this Latin letter offers an extensive self-analysis of the pioneering scholastic philosopher's first fifty-four years. Abelard chron icles his sense of persecution by peers while reflecting on women, learning, monastic life, and the relationship between Church and State. Through out, he draws parallels between his struggles and those of saints, apostles, and even Christ himself then, that I am come from a certain town which was built on the way into lesser Brittany, distant some eight miles, as I think, eastward from the city of Nantes, and in its own tongue called Palets. Such is the nature of that country, or, it may be, of them who dwell there-for in truth they are quick infancy-thatmymindbent itself easilytothestudyofletters. Yet more, I had a father who had won some smattering of letters before he had girded on the soldier's belt. And so it came about that long afterwards his love thereof was so strong that he saw to it that each son of his should be taught in letters even earlier than in the management of arms. Thus indeed did it come to pass. And because I was his first born, and for that reason the more dear to him, he sought with double diligence to have me wisely taught. For my part, the more I went forward in the study of letters, and evermore easily, thegreaterbecametheardourofmydevotiontothem, until in truth I was so enthralled by my passion for learning that, gladly leaving to my brothers the pomp of glory in arms, the right of heritage and all the honours that should have been mine as the eldest born, I fled utterly from the court of Mars that I might win learning in the bosom of Minerva. And since I found the armory of logical reasoning more to my liking than the other forms of philosophy, I exchanged all other weapons for these, and to the prizes of victory in war I preferred the battle of minds in disputation. Thenceforth, journeying through many provinces, and debating as I went, goingwhithersoeverIheardthatthestudyofmychosen artmostflourished, I became such an one as the Peripatetics