Letters of Abelard and Heloise

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Abelard and Heloise are nearly as famous a pair of tragic lovers as the fictional Romeo and Juliet; their shared passion for knowledge, religious faith, and one another sealed their destiny. Abelard was a well-respected, 12th-century Parisian scholar and teacher, and Heloise was his talented young student. The two relate their story through a set of letters to one another and intimate acquaintances. Their ardor is unmistakable; as Abelard writes to his love, "So intense were the fires of lust which bound me to you that I set those wretched, obscene pleasures, which we blush even to name, above God as above myself..." This forbidden lust resulted in a pregnancy and secret marriage, and when their union could no longer withstand the challenges in its path, each lover sought refuge in the church--Abelard became a monk and Heloise an abbess. Their correspondence continued as both achieved success in their new careers but continued to struggle with their feelings for one another; the set of letters powerfully articulates the wide range of emotions they experienced. So timeless is their love story that--after eight centuries--their passion, their devotion, and their struggle still resonate with readers.





Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Latin


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Author Biography: Peter Abelard (1079-1142) was the greatest logician of the twelfth century. He taught in Paris, where Heloise (1101-1164) was his pupil when they met. Betty Radice was editor of the Penguin Classics during the 1960-70s and an acclaimed translator from Latin, Greek, and Italian.M. T. Clanchy researches at the Institute of Historical Research at the University of London.


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