Godfrey of Viterbo and his Readers

Imperial Tradition and Universal History in Late Medieval Europe

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Reference, History, Medieval
Cover of the book Godfrey of Viterbo and his Readers by , Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: ISBN: 9781317126270
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 9, 2016
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author:
ISBN: 9781317126270
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 9, 2016
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This collection provides a systematic survey of the wide readership the works of Godfrey of Viterbo enjoyed in the late Middle Ages. In the last years of the twelfth century this chronicler and imperial notary wrote a series of historical collections that gained considerable and lasting popularity: between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, his works were copied in elaborate manuscripts in almost all of Latin Europe. This wide distribution is particularly surprising for an author like Godfrey whom modern historians have never credited with any importance at all, as they considered his works chaotic and historically unreliable. Yet Godfrey was certainly one of the most daring historiographers of his time. In his works, the lineage of the Hohenstaufen emperors Frederick Barbarossa and Henry VI is traced directly to Charlemagne and Augustus, to the kings of Troy and of the Old Testament, and to Jupiter and everyone who, in his view, wielded imperial power in the past. Godfrey was a herald of the new political ideas the Hohenstaufen developed after the years of defeat against the papacy and the Italian communes, but also a universal chronicler whose interests reached far beyond the political issues of his day. Bringing together a group of specialists on manuscripts and historical writing in late medieval England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Bohemia and Poland, this volume aims to revive Godfrey’s reputation by demonstrating how his works were understood by medieval readers.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This collection provides a systematic survey of the wide readership the works of Godfrey of Viterbo enjoyed in the late Middle Ages. In the last years of the twelfth century this chronicler and imperial notary wrote a series of historical collections that gained considerable and lasting popularity: between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, his works were copied in elaborate manuscripts in almost all of Latin Europe. This wide distribution is particularly surprising for an author like Godfrey whom modern historians have never credited with any importance at all, as they considered his works chaotic and historically unreliable. Yet Godfrey was certainly one of the most daring historiographers of his time. In his works, the lineage of the Hohenstaufen emperors Frederick Barbarossa and Henry VI is traced directly to Charlemagne and Augustus, to the kings of Troy and of the Old Testament, and to Jupiter and everyone who, in his view, wielded imperial power in the past. Godfrey was a herald of the new political ideas the Hohenstaufen developed after the years of defeat against the papacy and the Italian communes, but also a universal chronicler whose interests reached far beyond the political issues of his day. Bringing together a group of specialists on manuscripts and historical writing in late medieval England, Spain, Italy, Germany, Bohemia and Poland, this volume aims to revive Godfrey’s reputation by demonstrating how his works were understood by medieval readers.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book The Routledge Research Companion to Law and Humanities in Nineteenth-Century America by
Cover of the book Community Visioning Programs by
Cover of the book Literature and International Relations by
Cover of the book Psychology and the Social Pattern by
Cover of the book Cultivating Moral Character and Virtue in Professional Practice by
Cover of the book Information First by
Cover of the book Routledge Handbook of Primary Elections by
Cover of the book The Age of the Crusades by
Cover of the book Spain's 'Second Transition'? by
Cover of the book Encyclopedia of Contemporary Russian Culture by
Cover of the book Oliver Holden (1765-1844) by
Cover of the book Meta-Emotion by
Cover of the book History Of The Rod by
Cover of the book Asylum-Seeker and Refugee Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa by
Cover of the book Katherine Chidley by
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy