Codex Epistolaris Carolinus
Letters from the popes to the Frankish rulers, 739-791
Richard Price author Rosamond McKitterick author Dorine van Espelo author Richard Matthew Pollard author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Liverpool University Press
Published:1st May '21
Should be back in stock very soon
This book offers an insightful collection of letters from the popes to Charlemagne, providing a unique historical perspective on their correspondence.
The Codex Epistolaris Carolinus is a remarkable collection that preserves ninety-nine letters sent by the popes to Charlemagne and his predecessors, dated between 739 and 791. Commissioned by Charlemagne himself in 791, this compilation provides a unique glimpse into the communication between the papacy and the Frankish kingdom during a pivotal era in European history. The sole surviving manuscript, created in Cologne in the late ninth century, is currently housed in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna.
Each letter in the Codex Epistolaris Carolinus is accompanied by headings or lemmata, which offer a distinctive Frankish commentary on the political and religious events occurring in Rome and Italy during the latter half of the eighth century. This book not only presents the first full English translation of the letters and their accompanying lemmata but also aims to re-establish the original Carolingian order of presentation as found in the manuscript.
In addition to the translations, the book features a substantial introduction that delves into the historical significance of the collection, the context of the Vienna manuscript, and the peculiarities of the Latin used in the papal letters. Each letter is further augmented with introductions and a comprehensive historical commentary and glossary, making the Codex Epistolaris Carolinus an invaluable resource for understanding this critical period in history.
'This volume will be welcomed equally by established scholars and should ensure that this valuable resource appears even more in future research.'
Geoffrey D. Dunn, Journal of the Australian Early Medieval Association
‘The volume under review presents excellent translations accompanied by helpful notes, a substantial introduction… and an Index that is full enough to be really valuable. Given its core text and all these resources and tools, this book will be immensely useful for years to come.’
Thomas F. X. Noble, The Medieval Review
‘Simply to have these translated letters collected into one volume will allow, even propel, deeper engagement of these letters as vital witnesses to the complexities of the Italian and Frankish realities of the eighth century. It will further invigorate, the already flourishing world of Carolingian studies and will no doubt stand the test of time as the first port of call for the translated text... this work will be invaluable for students, teachers and researchers.’ Christopher Heath, Al-Masāq
‘Rosamond McKitterick has spent most of her illustrious career building our knowledge of the Carolingian Empire, its sophisticated textual culture, and its relationship with Rome… this volume makes an important body of textual evidence much more accessible and will appeal to anyone interested in medieval scribal cultures and Latin literature, as well the more general history of eighth-century Europe. The authors are to be congratulated on their superb contribution to the study of the early Carolingian period, its key players, and its epistolary legacy.’ Bronwen Neil, Early Medieval Europe
ISBN: 9781800348714
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
546 pages