Chronica Prophetica
Encyclopedia
The Chronica Prophetica is an anonymous medieval Latin
chronicle
written by a Christian
in April 883 at or near the court of Alfonso III of Asturias in Oviedo
. It uses the dating system of the Spanish Era
and is essentially an interpretation of the prophecy concerning the fate of Gog
found in the biblical Book of Ezekiel
. To the anonymous Asturian, the destruction of the Emirate of Córdoba is closely linked with the end times
. This optimism was likely fostered by the political weakness of the Umayyad
s of Córdoba at the time, and the consequent success of Christian raiding and Repoblación
. The Chronica is divided into six sections:
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the liturgical language of the medieval Roman Catholic Church, but also as a language of science, literature, law, and administration. Despite the clerical origin of many of its authors,...
chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
written by a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
in April 883 at or near the court of Alfonso III of Asturias in Oviedo
Oviedo
Oviedo is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city....
. It uses the dating system of the Spanish Era
Spanish era
The Spanish era, Hispanic era or Caesar era refers to the dating system used in Hispania until the 14th century, when the Anno Domini system was adopted. It began with year one in what is 38 BC, probably the date of a new tax imposed by the Roman Republic on the subdued population of Iberia....
and is essentially an interpretation of the prophecy concerning the fate of Gog
Gog and Magog
Gog and Magog are names that appear primarily in various Jewish, Christian and Muslim scriptures, as well as numerous subsequent references in other works. Their context can be either genealogical or eschatological and apocalyptic, as in Ezekiel and Revelation...
found in the biblical Book of Ezekiel
Book of Ezekiel
The Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
. To the anonymous Asturian, the destruction of the Emirate of Córdoba is closely linked with the end times
End times
The end time, end times, or end of days is a time period described in the eschatological writings in the three Abrahamic religions and in doomsday scenarios in various other non-Abrahamic religions...
. This optimism was likely fostered by the political weakness of the Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
s of Córdoba at the time, and the consequent success of Christian raiding and Repoblación
Repoblación
The Repoblación was the ninth-century repopulating of a large region between the River Duero and the Cantabrian Cordillera which had been depopulated in the early years of the Reconquista....
. The Chronica is divided into six sections:
- Dicta Execielis profete, quod invenimus in libro pariticino (Sayings of Ezekiel the prophet, which we find in the Libro pariticino)
- It is here that the author gives his interpretation of Ezekiel and also dates himiself to "era 921, the seventeenth year of Alfonso's rule in Oviedo". Gog is identified with the Goths, who will be defeated by "IshmaelIshmaelIshmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
", identified with the Muslims, in his own land before defeating them in LibyaLibyaLibya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
after 170 years of oppression (which the author believes elapses on 11 November 883). The libro pariticino is probably to be identified with the Chronicon Ovetense.
- It is here that the author gives his interpretation of Ezekiel and also dates himiself to "era 921, the seventeenth year of Alfonso's rule in Oviedo". Gog is identified with the Goths, who will be defeated by "Ishmael
- Genealogia Sarracenorum (Genealogy of the Saracens)
- This is a genealogy of the contemporary emir of Córdoba, Muhammad IMuhammad I of CórdobaMuhammad I was the Umayyad emir of Córdoba from 852 to 886 in the Al-Andalus .-Biography:Muhammad was born in Córdoba...
, from AbrahamAbrahamAbraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and HagarHagar (Bible)Hagar , according to the Abrahamic faiths, was the second wife of Abraham, and the mother of his first son, Ishmael. Her story is recorded in the Book of Genesis, mentioned in Hadith, and alluded to in the Qur'an...
. The author mistakenly believes the Arabs claim descent from SarahSarahSarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
.
- This is a genealogy of the contemporary emir of Córdoba, Muhammad I
- Storia de Mameth (History of Muhammad)
- This is one of the earliest Latin lives of Muhammad. Three other versions that were then circulating have survived, and one other is known to have been kept in the library of the monastery at Leyre in NavarreKingdom of NavarreThe Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
in 850. The clear intention of the author of this tract, written for a Christian audience, was to denigrate Islam's founder as a false prophetFalse prophetIn religion, a false prophet is one who falsely claims the gift of prophecy, or who uses that gift for evil ends. Often, someone who is considered a "true prophet" by some people is simultaneously considered a "false prophet" by others....
and a wicked man. Probably it was included in the Chronica to add justification to the war against Córdoba.
- This is one of the earliest Latin lives of Muhammad. Three other versions that were then circulating have survived, and one other is known to have been kept in the library of the monastery at Leyre in Navarre
- Ratio Sarracenorum de sua ingressione in Spania (Reason for the incursion of the Saracens into Spain)
- The author dates RodericRodericRuderic was the Visigothic King of Hispania for a brief period between 710 and 712. He is famous in legend as "the last king of the Goths"...
's defeat at the Battle of GuadaleteBattle of GuadaleteThe Battle of Guadalete was fought in 711 or 712 at an unidentified location between the Christian Visigoths of Hispania under their king, Roderic, and an invading force of Muslim Arabs and Berbers under Ṭāriq ibn Ziyad. The battle was significant as the culmination of a series of Arab-Berber...
to "the Ides of November in the year 752 era", that is, 11 November 714. He also identified two invasions, the first by Abu Zubra and the second, a year later, by Tarik; probably he has divided the historical figure Ṭāriq ibn Ziyad into two persons. He blames the Goths' defeat on their lack of penance for their sins: "The city of Toledo, victor of all peoples, succombed as a victim to the triumphant Ishmaelites, and deserved to be subjected to them. Thus Spain was ruined for its disgusting sins, in the 380th year of the Goths."
- The author dates Roderic
- De Goti, qui remanserint civitates Ispaniensis (Of the Goths, who remained in the cities of the Spaniards)
- Here the author explains how the Goths, after Roderic's defeat, remained at war with the Saracens for seven years before concluding a pact with them whereby their fortifications were dismantled and they became "servants of arms" (servi armis). He then lists the rulers of Muslim Spain. Finally, he predicts its demise. He also mentions briefly two VikingVikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raids: the "Lothomani" (Northmen) attacked the Kalends of August era 880 (AD 842) and again in July 858 (era 896), when "there was killing in LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
".
- Here the author explains how the Goths, after Roderic's defeat, remained at war with the Saracens for seven years before concluding a pact with them whereby their fortifications were dismantled and they became "servants of arms" (servi armis). He then lists the rulers of Muslim Spain. Finally, he predicts its demise. He also mentions briefly two Viking
- Reges que regnaberunt in Spania ex origine Ismaelitarum Beniumele (Kings who reigned in Spain from the beginning of the Umayyad Ishmaelites)
- This is a regnal list of the kings of Asturias beginning with Pelagius.
Translations
- Wolf, Kenneth Baxter (ed.). 2008. Chronica Prophetica. Medieval Texts in Translation.