The Apocalypse in the Early Middle AgesThis groundbreaking study reveals the distinctive impact of apocalyptic ideas about time, evil and power on church and society in the Latin West, c.400-c.1050. Drawing on evidence from late antiquity, the Frankish kingdoms, Anglo-Saxon England, Spain and Byzantium and sociological models, James Palmer shows that apocalyptic thought was a more powerful part of mainstream political ideologies and religious reform than many historians believe. Moving beyond the standard 'Terrors of the Year 1000', The Apocalypse in the Early Middle Ages opens up broader perspectives on heresy, the Antichrist and Last World Emperor legends, chronography, and the relationship between eschatology and apocalypticism. In the process, it offers reassessments of the worlds of Augustine, Gregory of Tours, Bede, Charlemagne and the Ottonians, providing a wide-ranging and up-to-date survey of medieval apocalyptic thought. This is the first full-length English-language treatment of a fundamental and controversial part of medieval religion and society. |
Contents
how the world ends | 1 |
The end of civilisation c 380c 575 | 25 |
The new urgency c 550c 604 | 55 |
de France lat 17644 f 2r page | 69 |
The ends of time and space c 600c 735 | 79 |
Musées | 106 |
Petrus Monachuss Preface to PseudoMethodius | 120 |
Charlemagne pater Europae c 750c 820 | 130 |
A Golden Age in danger c 820 c 911 | 159 |
Munich Bayerische Staatsbibliothek | 175 |
The Year 1000 and other apocalypticisms c 911c 1033 | 189 |
Bamberg | 204 |
the end c 400c 1033 | 227 |
| 236 | |
| 248 | |
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Common terms and phrases
Admonitio generalis Adso’s Alcuin Annales Antichrist anxiety apoca apocalyptic apocalyptic thought apocalyptic tradition apocalypticism argued Augustine Augustine’s authority Beatus Bede Bede’s Berlin bishops Byzantine Caesarius Cambridge Carolingian Carozzi CCSL century Chapter Charlemagne Christ Christian chronicles Church Columbanus Commentary Computus context Early Medieval early Middle Ages Easter tables ecclesia Elipandus emperor empire Epistola eschatology Exegesis Expositio Francorum Frankish Fredegar G. H. Pertz Gog and Magog Greek Gregory of Tours Gregory’s Haimo Hanover heresy heretics homilies ideas imminence imperial interpretation Jerome Jerome’s Jerusalem Judgement king kingdom Krusch l’an Landes Last Late Antiquity Latin Lest the Millennium letter Liudprand manuscript Markus MGH AA MGH SRM millenarian millennial Otto Otto III Oxford pagans Paris Peace political Pope prophecy Pseudo-Methodius Ralph Glaber reform resonance Revelation rhetoric Roman Rome scripture sense sermon St Gall Studies things trans Turnhout Tyconius Verhelst vision Vita West Wulfstan