That would explain a lot. Perhaps Scurr doesn't like those kind of techniques, but I certainly don't think that holds for the rest of them. And I have to say, it didn't really seem like a paterno-filial relationship to me. For one thing, what was Saint-Just doing all those times in Robespierre's bedroom when he was sleeping? At any rate, the phenomenon seems to have cropped up in this manner: 1) Thermidorians and anti-Robespierriste 19th century writers accuse Robespierre of having orgies, 2) Robespierriste 19th century writers assure us that he was a model of chastity, 3) 20th century historians, for whom chastity is far from the ideal reply to the previous group with, "you said it, he was chaste--there must have been something wrong with him."
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Well, that was *subtle*...
Date: 2009-07-14 05:45 am (UTC)Perhaps Scurr doesn't like those kind of techniques, but I certainly don't think that holds for the rest of them. And I have to say, it didn't really seem like a paterno-filial relationship to me. For one thing, what was Saint-Just doing all those times in Robespierre's bedroom when he was sleeping? At any rate, the phenomenon seems to have cropped up in this manner:
1) Thermidorians and anti-Robespierriste 19th century writers accuse Robespierre of having orgies,
2) Robespierriste 19th century writers assure us that he was a model of chastity,
3) 20th century historians, for whom chastity is far from the ideal reply to the previous group with, "you said it, he was chaste--there must have been something wrong with him."