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RafałBorysławski
UNIVERSITYOFSILESIA
TheCityThatIsNot:
ApophasisandAnglo-SaxonUrbanism
ABSTRACT:
TearticlediscussestwoOldEnglishcasesofwalkingthroughcities
thatnolongerexistandtheimplicationsthatsuchvisionsentailforearlymedieval
philosophicalperspectives.Tefirstpartproposesaconjecturalvisionofthecity
ofRomefromaroundthetimeofthevisitsofyoungPrinceAlfredofWessex,fu-
tureKingAlfredtheGreat,in853andin855A.D.Tesecondpartisconstructed
uponanunderstandingofoneoftheExeterBookelegies,TeRuin,presenting
musingsonwhateverremainedfromanotherRomancity,conceivablyidentifiable
withAquaSulis,thatis,Bath.Tereflectionsoftheformerencounterwiththecity
maybe,perhaps,foundintheMetersthataccompanyAlfred-inspiredtranslation
ofBoethius)sDeconsolationephilosophiae,andthecitypresentinTeRuinis
anotherexampleoftheexcidiourbistheme.Together,thetwovisionsconfirmthe
OldEnglishmetaphysicalvalueofthecitythatbecomesitsnegative,thatis,the
citythatisformedbyabsences,lacunae,andvestigesofitspast.Seeninthislight,
theucitiesthatarenot”arepresentedhereasinstancesofapophaticthinking,akin
tothatofPseudo-Dionysius,wherebymorecanbeexpressedbyquestionsand
negativestatementsthanbyfactualtestimonials.TeproposedAnglo-Saxonwalks
throughruinedcitiesparadoxicallyoferanaugmentationofrealityandanexisten-
tialpracticeintheelusivenessofsignificationextendingbeyondurbanboundaries.
KEYWORDS:
OldEnglish,KingAlfredtheGreat,Boethius,Rome,TeRuin,apophasis
TepointofdepartureforthispaperisfurnishedbytwoOldEnglish
instancesofwalkingthroughcitiesthat,atthetimeswhichareinteresting
forus,werebothcitiesthatwerenolonger,thatis,forcenturiesalready,
theybothwerelargelyruined.Tattheyamazedthosewhoencountered
