Confluences spirituelles helléno-roumaines à partir de la deuxième moitié du XIXe siècle

Abstract

Did there actually exist a Hellenic influence in modern Romanian literature after the thirties of the 19th century? Under the impulse of two converging directions which made themselves known beginning with the year 1840: the discovery and primordial turning to account of the national specific character set off by folk lyrical poetry on the one hand, and an ever growing interest in the outlooks of western culture on the other—did the Greek spirituality still continue the influence it had exerted till then in Romanian culture? In circumstances when the number of Greek institutions (academies, schools, theatres) was decreasing while they oriented themselves at the same rate as the Romanian ones—obviously a hasty rate, more especially at the beginning of the 19th century—
towardsWestern culture which started being an educative factor and an
artistic landmark, how did the Hellenic spirit make itself felt in modern
Romanian culture ? The first ascertained fact compelling recognition refers to the reality that, if in the period around the year 1848, that is in full revolutionary ebullition, Hellenism was turned to good account by Romanian writers particularly through its heroic dimension, later another image became
visible, namely that of the ideals of the Greek antiquity viewed as an
embodiment of perfection, harmony, equilibrium. More precisely, we witness in modern Romanian culture a transfer of the mode of viewing the Hellenic antiquity which, after having been a didactic and socio-political value, changes ever more manifestly into an aesthetic value, into an ethic, philosophic ideal.
This change occurred beginning with the forties of the present century. At the same time there was another change of perspective: even when the Greek antiquity was apprehended through a direct knowledge of its vestiges, it did not constitute an object for contemplation only, but underwent a subtle intellectual purifying process and passed into the domain of significances. The present study is aimed at «the Hellenism after Hellenism», from the viewpoint of philosophic and aesthetic implications. The Romanian writers and thinkers found in the Hellenic antiquity a stay for their aspirations after perfection, harmony, equilibrium, the three coordinates which were prevalent in the searching of Romanian culture embodied to the highest degree by Mihai Eminescu. With Eminescu, Hellas was an intellectual figment viewed with the eyes of the soul and, particularly, with the eyes of the mind.With other poets, such as Ion Pillât,
Hellas represented a revelation transfigured into an art symbol and into
philosophic significances. The prevalent impression is one of permanence,
immortality. But more especially after World War I—within the compass of a
more general dispute between the West and the East. There took shape
an obvious orientation towards the ancient spiritual values, towards what Tudor Vianu called «the classical ideal of man» which he considered: «an eternal structure, a permanent human model capable of being restored and capable of guiding human culture, at any tilme». A minute analysis of the classical ideal of man in the philosophy of Tudor Vianu, Vasile Pârvan or Petru Comarnescu, will reveal that it asserts itself in a direct or indirect polemic with the modern conceptions of man, more especially with those related to the «violent outbreaks» of the Freudian unconscious or the «anarchic man» André Gide suggests as model. This ideal represents one of the spiritual correspondences between the Romanian soul and the Hellenic one. This can be demonstrated by
following up the mode in which the myths of Greek antiquity have been embodied in the artistic creation of the great Romanian writers and composers.