Isidore of Seville

Juan Pablo Rodriguez (Yale University)

Ed. by Duncan Wheeler, University of Leeds
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.6.2.01: Spanish Literature and Culture from the Beginning to the Golden Age.
Vol. editors: Andrew M. Beresford (University of Durham), Stuart Green (University of Leeds), Juan Pablo Rodriguez (Yale University), Duncan Wheeler (University of Leeds)

Dates

Born 570
Died 636
Activity c. 610-636

Places

Born in Spain
Active in Spain

Resources

Isidore of Seville was one of the most important scholars and ecclesiastical figures who lived during the Visigoth rule of Hispania (507-711). He is considered a liminal figure between the classical era and the Middle Ages, as his works were crucial in transmitting knowledge of Greek and Roman authors to their medieval successors. Isidore of Seville’s influence is apparent in the conservation of close to one thousand manuscripts of his Etymologies – an encyclopedic compilation of the teachings of classical authorities and early Christian authors – making this work second only to the Bible in its popularity. Isidore of Seville was recently appointed the patron saint of programmers and the Internet.

Biography

W…

Please log in to consult the article in its entirety. If you are a member (student of staff) of a subscribing institution (see List), you should be able to access the LE on campus directly (without the need to log in), and off-campus either via the institutional log in we offer, or via your institution's remote access facilities, or by creating a personal user account with your institutional email address. If you are not a member of a subscribing institution, you will need to purchase a personal subscription. For more information on how to subscribe as an individual user, please see under Individual Subcriptions.

1277 words

Citation: Rodriguez, Juan Pablo. "Isidore of Seville". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 May 2015 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2319, accessed 22 November 2024.]

Save this article