Visions of the End

395 Pages·2012·11.79 MB·English

Visions of the End
Apocalyptic Traditions
in the Middle Ages
BERNARD MCGINN
Columbia University Press
New York ••• 1979
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Main entry under title:
Visions of the end.
(Records of civilization, sources and studies; no. 96)
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. End of the world-History of doctrines.
2. Millennialism-History of doctrines.
3. Apocalyptic literature. 4. Church history
Middle Ages, 500-1500. I. McGinn, Bernard, 1937-
11. Series.
BT876. V58 236 79-4303
ISBN 0-231-04594-8
Columbia University Press
New York Guildford, Surrey
Copyright © 1979 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
To Daniel and John
Records of Civilization: Sources and Studies
EDITED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE
DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
GENERAL EDITOR
W. T. H. Jackson, Villard Professor ofG ermanic and Comparative Literature
PAST EDITORS
191~1926
James T. Shotwell, Bryce Professor of the
History of International Relations
1926--1953
Austin P. Evans, Professor of History
1953-1962
Jacques Barzun, Seth Low Professor of History
EDITOR: EUROPEAN RECORDS
W. T. H. Jackson, Villard Professor ofG ermanic and Comparative Literature
CONSULTING EDITORS: EUROPEAN RECORDS.
Alan Cameron, Anthon Professor of the Latin Language and Literature
Gerson D. Cohen, Adjunct Professor of History
Joan M. Ferrante, Professor of English and Comparative Literature
William V. Harris, Associate Professor of History
Paul 0. Kristeller, Frederick J. E. Woodbridge Professor Emeritus of
Philosophy
Gerhart B. Ladner, Professor ofH istory, University ofC alifornia, Los Angeles
Walther Ludwig, Professor of Greek and Latin
John H. Mundy, Professor of History
Jacob W. Smit, Queen Wilhelmina Professor of the History,
Language, and Literature of the Netherlands
EDITOR: ORIENTAL RECORDS
Wm. Theodore de Bary, John Mitchell Mason Professor of the University
CONSULTING EDITORS: ORIENTAL RECORDS
Ainslie T. Embree, Professor of History
Chih-tsing Hsia, Professor of Chinese
Donald Keene, Professor of Japanese
John T. Meskill, Professor of Chinese and Japanese
H. Paul Varley, Professor of Japanese History
Burton Watson, Adjunct Professor of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Contents
Preface I X.l.l.l
Introduction I
Classical Apocalypticism 2
Patristic Apocalypticism 14
Messianism, Millenarianism, and Apocalypticism 28
Part One A.D. 400-1200 37
Introduction 39
1. The Tiburtine Sibyl 43
The Oracle of Baalbek 45
The Latin Tiburtine Sibyl 49
2. Antichrist in the Fifth Century 51
Sulpicius Severus, Dialogues 1: 41 52
The Progress of Time 52
The Book of the Promises and Predictions of God 53
The Revelation of the Holy Theologian John 54
3. The Legend of Alexander 56
The Discourse of Jacob of Serugh 57
4. Pseudo-Ephraem 60
Sermon on the End of the World 61
5. Gregory the Great 62
Homily on Ezekiel 2:6 62
Two Letters 64
6. Byzantine Apocalyptic 66
Procopius, Secret History 67
Vision of the Prophet Daniel 68
vii
viii Contents
7. Pseudo-Methodius 70
The Alexander Legend 73
The Moslem Crisis 74
The Last World Emperor 75
8. Beatus of Liebana 77
Commentary, Book IV 77
Commentary, Book XI 78
9. Muspilli 80
Lines 37-59 80
10. Adso's Letter on the Antichrist 82
The Origin of the Antichrist 84
The Last Emperor 85
The Destruction of the Antichrist 87
11. Apocalyptic and Non-Apocalyptic Themes
of the Eleventh Century 88
The Year 1000 89
Abbo of Fleury; Ralph Glaber
Apocalypse and the Origin of the Crusade 90
Benzo of Alba; Guibert of Nogent; Ekkehard of Aura
12. Apocalypticism and the Great Reform 94
''The Calamities of the Church of Liege'' 97
Otto of Freising, The Two Cities 98
Gerhoh of Reichersberg, The Investigation of the
Antichrist 99
Hildegard of Bingen, Scivias 100
13. Gerhoh of Reichersberg 103
The Fourth Watch of the Night 104
14. The Ages of the Church 108
Rupert of Deutz, The Holy Trinity, Prologue 110
Hugh of St. Victor, The Mystical Ark of Noah Ill
Bernard of Clairvaux, On the Song of Songs 112
The Letter of Gerard to Evermord 113
Anselm of Havelberg, Dialogues 114
15. Imperial Apocillyptic 117
Contents ix
Otto of Freising, The Deeds of Frederick Barbarossa 118
The Play of Antichrist 119
16. The Erythraean Sibyl 122
Selections from Parts I and III 123
17. Joachim of Fiore 126
Joachim's Vision of the Meaning of Revelation 130
Commentary on an Unknown Prophecy 130
The Three Status 133
The Papacy and the Spiritual Men 134
The Antichrist 137
The New People of God 138
Joachim's Testament 140
Part Two A.D. 1200-1500 143
Introduction 145
~
18. Moslems, Mongols, and the Last Days 149
The Toledo Letter !52
The Prophecy of the Son of Agap !53
William of Tripoli, Treatise on the Condition of the
Saracens 154
Roger Bacon, The Longer Work !55
19. The Joachite Movement before 1260 158
The Letter Explaining the Figures 161
The Commentary on Jeremiah 161
The Joint Encyclical of 1255 164
The Protocol of Anagni 165
Salimbene of Parma, Chronicle 166
20. Frederick n VS. the Papacy 168
Nicholas of Bari, Sermon 172
Gregory IX, Letter, "Ascendit de marl bestia" 173
Frederick II, Letter, ''In exordio nascentis rnundi'' 174
Innocent IV as Antichrist 175
Frederick and his Seed in the Joachite Tradition l76
A Curial Version of the Last Emperor 179
X Contents
21. Merlin, the British Seer 180
Geoffrey of Monmouth, History of the Kings of Britain 182
Merlin in Italy 183
22. The Angelic Pope 186
The Commentary on Jeremiah 189
Roger Bacon on the Corning Holy Pope 190
Salimbene on Gregory X 191
The Angelic Oracle of Cyril and Pseudo-Joachim's
Commetlfary 192'
I
Robert of Uzes on the Papal Crisis 193
The Papal Prophecies. First Set 194
23. Bonaventure's Apocalyptic Theology of History 196
Bonaventure's Joachite Exegesis 197
The Ages of the Church 198
St. Francis and the Contemplative Orders 200
24. The Franciscan Spirituals 203
Peter Olivi, Commentary on Revelation 208
Ubertino of Casale, The Tree of the Crucified Life 212
Angelo of Clareno, History of Seven Tribulations 215
Jacopone da Todi, Lauda 50: The Great Battle of the
Antichrist 217
Bernard Gui, The Inquisitor's Manual 218
25. Arnald of Villanova 222
The Time of the Coming of the Antichrist 223
The Sword That Swallows the Thomatists 224
26. Fra Dolcino and the Apostolic Brethren 226
Bernard Gui, The Sect of the Apostolic Brethren 227
27. John of Rupescissa 230
The Companion in Tribulation 231
28. The Fraticelli 234
The Papal Prophecies. Second Set 235
Letter to the Citizens of Nami 237
29. Rome and Av ignon during the Captivity 239
Cola di Rienzo 241
Com ems xi
Petrarch, Sonnet 137 244
Bridget of Sweden, Revelations 244
30. Political Prophecies: French versus German Imperial
Legends 246
Telesphorus of Cosenza 249
The Second Charlemagne Prophecy 250
John of Winterthur 251
The Prophecy of Gamaleon 251
31. Apocalypticism, the Great Schism, and the Conciliar
Movement 253
"In That Day the Eagle Will Come" 255
St. Vincent Ferrer 256
32. The Hussite Movement 259
John Hus 263
The Beginnings of Tabor: Jakoubek of Sti'fbro; Bzi Hora;
Lawrence of Bi'ezova; John of Pi'fbram 263
Taborite Views 266
33. Germany on the Eve of the Reformation 270
John Lichtenberger, Pronosticatio 272
Wolfgang Aytinger, Commentary on Methodius 274
34. Savonarola and Late Medieval Italian Apocalypticism 277
Renovation Sermon 279
Compendium of Revelations 280
Marsilio Ficino on Savonarola as Antichrist 282
35. Christopher Columbus 284
Account of the Fourth Voyage 285
Notes 287
Bibliography 347
Name Index 365
Subject Index 370