Christine Bénévent presents Erasmus’s work, “Dialogue on the Correct Pronunciation of Latin and Greek”, which she recently co-edited, published by Droz. Lecture in French.
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“Ah, if only all of humanity could speak just two languages!” sigh the two interlocutors in *De recta pronuntiatione*, a learned lion and bear.
Under the guise of an animal dialogue, Erasmus addresses crucial issues: how can Latin and Greek remain living languages, languages of communication among people?
First and foremost, they must be pronounced correctly!
The dialogue between Leo and Ursus serves as a pretext for reflection on education, as well as an overview of contemporary national pronunciations. Beyond ethical issues, this text offers an exceptional testimony to oral practices during the Renaissance.