Acceso usuarios
This article analyses the question of authorship in the Dit d'Aristote by Rutebeuf. While the medieval poet claims to have been inspired by Aristote, his actual source was not any of the Greek philosopher's words, but a medieval Latin poem: Walter of Châtillon's Alexandreis. By disregarding his medieval Latin inspiration in order to place himself under the direct tutelage of the ancient Greek philosopher, the French writer aspires to endow his clergy with an even greater authority vis-a-vis his princely addressee. Yet Rutebeuf himself will fall prey to a similar manoeuvre, since, in tum, his poem will be anonymised by a scribe at the end of the 13th century. In sum, this specific example highlights a cultural context in which every instance of authorship results from a complicated negotiation with those who authorise, transmit, and receive any given work.
