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What subjects are included in De genealogia deorum gentilium?
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Giovanni Boccaccio
Italian poet and scholar Giovanni Boccaccio, detail of a fresco by Andrea del Castagno; in the Cenacolo di Sant'Apollonia, Florence.
De genealogia deorum gentilium, written by Giovanni Boccaccio between approximately 1350 and 1375, is a scholarly, interpretive compendium focused on Classical mythology.1
Beyond its cataloging of myths, the work is notable for including a celebrated defense of poetry. In this defense, Boccaccio argues that poetry serves as:1
- A medium for conveying hidden truth1
- A stimulant to virtue1
- A source of mental health1
The text also serves as a foundational example of Renaissance mythography and provides a framework for the interpretive scrutiny of literature, which Boccaccio suggests should be applied to other works, such as his own Decameron.1