Aethicus Ister
Encyclopedia
Aethicus Ister was the protagonist of the 7th/8th-century Cosmographia written by a man of church Hieronymus
. It describes the travels of Aethicus around the world, and includes descriptions of foreign peoples in usually less than favourable terms. There are also numerous passages which deal directly with the legends of Alexander the Great.
(d. 636) form the lion's share of Pseudo-Jerome's allusions. It was once argued that Hieronymus work had provided source material for Isidore, but this was disproven by Dalche (1984). These sources, and the others, are presented in a very paraphrased form and are rarely made reference to directly. The work is also filled with many fictional sources, which makes Hieronymus similar to Virgilius Maro Grammaticus
, an Irish pseudo-grammarian of the 7th century. Whether there is any relationship between the two has been considered by Herren (1994) but the evidence is not conclusive in proving a certain, direct connexion between the authors.
The title "Aethici Cosmographia" was first incorrectly given a work published 1575 by Josias Simmler and later by Grovonis 1696. The text has some identical geographic observations but the framing is completely different, in this case more of name in lists.
It has been supposed that the writer is Julius Honores (even later called Psudeo-Aethicus) mentioned by Cassiodorus in "Institutiones divinarum et saecularium litterarum(25)" as Julius Honorius Crator.
of the work is sometimes vulgar and facile, other times cryptic and opaque, owing in part to Hieronymus's extremely difficult vocabulary of Graecisms and Latin/Greek compounds. (See Herren, 2001). Anagram
games, and etymological 'jokes' (e.g. using the verb 'monstrare' followed by the noun 'monstrum', then the verb 'demonstrare') and other ludic elements are found throughout. The Latin spelling of the work seems to suggest also that the author was a Merovingian Frank
(Prinz, 1993), but the idea of "Merovingian" spellings has recently been attacked as an unreliable measure of origin. Furthermore, only one manuscript of the work appears to have been written in Tours, while the majority can been traced to centres in what is now Germany (Prinz, 1993).
Hieronymus may have been associated with the Frankish translator of Pseudo-Methodius
(? Petrus Monachus). There are several passages which seem to be borrowed one way or another, suggesting perhaps a parallel relationship rather than one of dependence. Nevertheless, Hieronymus knowledge of Greek
(a rare feat in Western Europe
at the time) may indicate an association with the Canterbury school of Archbishop Theodore
in the late 7th century. See a recent article by Michael Herren (in Nova de Veteribus) on a possible Anglo-Saxon connection for Hieronymus. What seems clear is that Hieronymus was not limited to a single locale throughout his working lifetime.
Hieronymus
Hieronymus, pronounced , the Greek and Latin form of the name Jerome, means "sacred name."It may refer to several people:* Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus, better known as Saint Jerome * Hiëronymus Emiliani, better known as St...
. It describes the travels of Aethicus around the world, and includes descriptions of foreign peoples in usually less than favourable terms. There are also numerous passages which deal directly with the legends of Alexander the Great.
Sources
In terms of sources, the Bible and Isidore of SevilleIsidore of Seville
Saint Isidore of Seville served as Archbishop of Seville for more than three decades and is considered, as the historian Montalembert put it in an oft-quoted phrase, "le dernier savant du monde ancien"...
(d. 636) form the lion's share of Pseudo-Jerome's allusions. It was once argued that Hieronymus work had provided source material for Isidore, but this was disproven by Dalche (1984). These sources, and the others, are presented in a very paraphrased form and are rarely made reference to directly. The work is also filled with many fictional sources, which makes Hieronymus similar to Virgilius Maro Grammaticus
Virgilius Maro Grammaticus
Virgilius Maro Grammaticus is one of the most enigmatic of all medieval writers, author of two pseudo-grammatical texts known as the Epitomae and the Epistolae.-Biographical:...
, an Irish pseudo-grammarian of the 7th century. Whether there is any relationship between the two has been considered by Herren (1994) but the evidence is not conclusive in proving a certain, direct connexion between the authors.
The title "Aethici Cosmographia" was first incorrectly given a work published 1575 by Josias Simmler and later by Grovonis 1696. The text has some identical geographic observations but the framing is completely different, in this case more of name in lists.
It has been supposed that the writer is Julius Honores (even later called Psudeo-Aethicus) mentioned by Cassiodorus in "Institutiones divinarum et saecularium litterarum(25)" as Julius Honorius Crator.
Criticisms
The LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
of the work is sometimes vulgar and facile, other times cryptic and opaque, owing in part to Hieronymus's extremely difficult vocabulary of Graecisms and Latin/Greek compounds. (See Herren, 2001). Anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
games, and etymological 'jokes' (e.g. using the verb 'monstrare' followed by the noun 'monstrum', then the verb 'demonstrare') and other ludic elements are found throughout. The Latin spelling of the work seems to suggest also that the author was a Merovingian Frank
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
(Prinz, 1993), but the idea of "Merovingian" spellings has recently been attacked as an unreliable measure of origin. Furthermore, only one manuscript of the work appears to have been written in Tours, while the majority can been traced to centres in what is now Germany (Prinz, 1993).
Hieronymus may have been associated with the Frankish translator of Pseudo-Methodius
Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius
The Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius is a 7th-century apocalypse that shaped the eschatological imagination of Christendom throughout the Middle Ages. The work was written in Syriac in the late 7th century, in reaction to the Islamic conquest of the Near East, and is falsely attributed to the...
(? Petrus Monachus). There are several passages which seem to be borrowed one way or another, suggesting perhaps a parallel relationship rather than one of dependence. Nevertheless, Hieronymus knowledge of Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
(a rare feat in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
at the time) may indicate an association with the Canterbury school of Archbishop Theodore
Theodore of Tarsus
Theodore was the eighth Archbishop of Canterbury, best known for his reform of the English Church and establishment of a school in Canterbury....
in the late 7th century. See a recent article by Michael Herren (in Nova de Veteribus) on a possible Anglo-Saxon connection for Hieronymus. What seems clear is that Hieronymus was not limited to a single locale throughout his working lifetime.
Editions
- The Cosmograpahy of Aethicus Ister: Text, Translation, and Commentary, ed. Michael W. Herren, Publications of the Journal of Medieval Latin 8 (Turnhout: Brepols, 2011).
- Die Kosmographie des Aethicus, ed. O. Prinz, MGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
(Munich: 1993). - Aethici Istrici Cosmographia ab Hieronymo ex Graeco Latinum breviarium redacta, ed. H. Wuttke (Leipzig: 1854).
- Éthicus et les ouvrages cosmographiques intitulés de ce nom, ed. A. d'Averzac (Paris: 1852).
- (Partial) Aethici Istri Cosmographi Origo Francorum, ed. B. Krusch, in MGH SS rer. Merv. VII (Hanover: 1919).
Studies
- J.G. Dalché, "Du nouveau sur Aethicus Ister? A propos d'une théorie récente", Journal des savants, 3-4 (1984), pp. 175-186.
- G. Hays, "'Important if True': Lucan's Orpheus and Aethicus Ister', in Notes and Queries, (2010) [contra the interpretation by R. Pollard "'Lucan' and 'Aethicus Ister'", Notes and Queries, 53 (2006), pp. 7-10].
- M. Herren, "Aethicus Ister and Virgil the Grammarian", in Mélanges François Kerlouégan (Paris: 1994), pp. 285-288.
- M. Herren, "The ‘Greek Element’ in the Cosmography of Aethicus Ister", Journal of Medieval Latin, 11 (2001), pp. 184-200.
- M. Herren, "The ‘Cosmography’ of Aethicus Ister: Speculations about its date, provenance, and audience", in Nova de Veteribus, eds. A. Bihrer and E. Stein (Munich: 2004), pp. 79–102.
- K. Hillkowitz, Zur Kosmographie des Aethicus, I (Bonn: 1934); II (Frankfurt: 1973).
- H. Löwe, Ein literarischer Widersacher des Bonifatius. Virgil von Salzburg und die Kosmographie des Aethicus Ister (Wiesbaden: 1952).
- I. Wood, "Aethicus Ister: An exercise in difference", in Grenze und Differenz im frühen Mittelalter, eds. W. Pohl und H. Reimitz (Vienna: 2000), pp. 197-208.