Abstract
The author examines Utopia in the light of antiquarian exchanges between More and Jerome Busleyden. More visited Busleyden at his home in Mechlin during the weeks when enforced leisure allowed him to write Utopia. More praised Busleyden’s collection of ancient Roman coins in an epigram, and he celebrated the antiquities of the house in a letter to Erasmus. Busleyden in turn alludes to his and More’s shared antiquarian interests in his prefatory letter to Utopia. The two humanists’ ruminations on the ruins of past empires highlight the paradox of Utopia being an antiquity without ruins, and they provide an oblique commentary on the imperial aspirations of sixteenth-century monarchs.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
