Karl Jones: Created page with "An '''excursus''' (from Latin ''excurrere'', "to run out of") is a short episode or anecdote in a work of literature. == Description == Often excursuses have nothing to..."

2016-04-15T12:28:53Z

Created page with "An '''excursus''' (from Latin ''excurrere'', "to run out of") is a short episode or anecdote in a work of literature. == Description == Often excursuses have nothing to..."

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An '''excursus''' (from Latin ''excurrere'', "to run out of") is a short episode or anecdote in a work of [[literature]].

== Description ==

Often excursuses have nothing to do with the matter being discussed by the work, and are used to lighten the atmosphere in a tragic story, a similar function to that of satyr plays in Greek theatre.

Sometimes they are used to provide backstory to the matter being discussed at hand, as in Pseudo-Apollodorus' ''[[Bibliotheke]]''.

Furthermore, an excursus is often applied to a piece of academic writing to provide digressive information, which does not contribute directly to the line of argument, but can still be linked with the overall topic of the text.

== See also ==

* [[Literature]]

== External links ==

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excursus Excursus] @ Wikipedia

[[Category:Literature]]

Excursus - Revision history

Karl Jones: Created page with "An '''excursus''' (from Latin ''excurrere'', "to run out of") is a short episode or anecdote in a work of literature. == Description == Often excursuses have nothing to..."