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The ''Chronica Majora'' is the seminal work of
Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris ( la, Matthæus Parisiensis, lit=Matthew the Parisian; c. 1200 – 1259), was an English Benedictine monk, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey i ...
, a member of the English
Benedictine , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...
community of St Albans and long-celebrated historian. The work begins with Creation and contains annals down to the year of Paris' death of 1259. The ''Chronica'' has long been considered a contemporary attempt to present a universal history of the world. Written in Latin, the illustrated autograph copy of the ''Chronica Majora'' survives in three volumes. The first two parts, covering Creation up to 1188 as well as the years 1189 to 1253 (MS 26 and MS 16), are contained in the
Parker Library The Parker Library is a library within Corpus Christi College, Cambridge which contains rare books and manuscripts. It is known throughout the world due to its invaluable collection of over 600 manuscripts, particularly medieval texts, the ...
at
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge Corpus Christi College (full name: "The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary", often shortened to "Corpus"), is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. From the late 14th century through to the early 19th century ...
.Parker Library on the web: MS 26, MS 16I, MS 16II 362 x 244/248 mm. ff 141 + 281 The remainder of the ''Chronica'', from 1254 until Matthew's death in 1259, is in the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...
, bound as Royal MS 14 C VII folios 157–218, following Matthew's ''Historia Anglorum'' (an abridgement of the ''Chronica'' covering the period from 1070 to 1253). The ''Chronica'' is also renowned for its author's unprecedented use of archival and documentary material. These sources, amounting to over 200 items, include charters dating back to the eighth century,''Chronica Majora'', vol. 6, pp. 1–62 the rights of St Albans, a dossier relating to the canonisation of St Edmund of Canterbury and even a documented list of precious gems and artefacts in possession of St Albans. This exhaustive list of material required its own appendix which later became a separate volume, the ''Liber Additamentorum.'' The ''Chronica'' is one of the most important surviving documents for the history of Latin Europe.Bjorn Weiler, 'Matthew Paris on the Writing of History', ''Journal of Medieval History'' 35:3 (2006), p. 255. Despite its focus on England, Matthew's work extends to regions as far afield as Norway, Hungary, and Sicily as well as the crusader states. It continues to be mined for its coverage of the Mongol invasions, its detailed report of the conflict between Frederick II and successive popes, as well as its commentary on the outbreak of the Second Barons’ War of 1258–1267. In addition to Matthew's literary abilities, he was an accomplished draughtsman. The surviving manuscripts are considered to be the foremost examples of English Gothic Manuscript, and they include some of the earliest surviving maps of
Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...
and the Holy Land.


Methodology

During the late twelfth century, historians sought to differentiate between their own work and that of the monastic annal-writers.
Gervase of Canterbury Gervase of Canterbury (; Latin: Gervasus Cantuariensis or Gervasius Dorobornensis) (c. 1141 – c. 1210) was an English chronicler. Life If Gervase's brother Thomas, who like himself was a monk of Christ Church, Canterbury, was Thomas of ...
, whose work influenced Matthew Paris's writing, wrote the following in 1188:
"The historian proceeds diffusely and elegantly, whereas the chronicler proceeds simply, gradually and briefly. The Chronicler computes the years ''Anno Domini'' and months kalends, and briefly describes the actions of kings and princes which occurred at those times; he also commemorates events, portents and wonders."
Although Matthew stands alone in the breadth of his research and in his illustrations, his writing is characteristic of thirteenth-century attempts to synthesize and consolidate historical writing, by broadening the annalistic genre into a more universal form of expression.Lewis, ''The Art of Matthew Paris'', p.10. This process of evolution helps to account for the quasi-journalistic structure of the ''Chronica''. Matthew set out to shape the work in a chronological order, but it developed into a multi-layered pastiche because he continued the monastic practices of revising and augmenting entries retrospectively. Suzanne Lewis claims that
Roger of Wendover Roger of Wendover (died 6 May 1236), probably a native of Wendover in Buckinghamshire, was an English chronicler of the 13th century. At an uncertain date he became a monk at St Albans Abbey; afterwards he was appointed prior of the cell of B ...
, Matthew's predecessor, had a resounding influence on Matthew's works.Lewis, ''The Art of Matthew Paris'', p. 12. Matthew's ''Chronica'' was largely a continuation of Roger's annals up to 1235 with the occasional addition of phrases and anecdotes for dramatic effect.Lewis, ''The Art of Matthew Paris'', p.13. However, Matthew went beyond what was customary by his very extensive inclusion of sources and evidences. Although it had long been usual to include the texts of documents in Christian historical narratives, the ''Chronica'' incorporated a hitherto unparalleled amount of such material. In addition, the number of changes made to the ''Chronica'' suggests that Matthew adapted and reworked much of his material, and in so molding it he enlarged both his own role as author and the historiographical nature of his writing.


Historiography

Matthew's status as an historian has long been the subject of academic debate. While many maintain that Matthew never intended to be a "humble compiler of dated events" (as Lewis explains), some still regard his work as a cumbersome annalistic production.Lewis, ''The Art of Matthew Paris'', p.11. Lewis observed that, in the ''Chronica'', "the downfall of a great king must compete for attention with the birth of a two-headed calf." Matthew placed great importance on reference to portents and marvels, notably in his preface and in the closing pages of the ''Chronica''. The latter contained a list of marvels which he claimed to have occurred over a fifty-year period.Weiler, 'Matthew Paris', p. 259. Such reporting was undoubtedly rooted in the Latin models, such as
Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...
, who influenced both Matthew and his contemporaries. In Classical writings a moral polemic was often achieved by presenting narratives exemplifying good and evil for the edification of the reader. This convention is woven into the ''Chronica'' with great dexterity by Matthew. He posed rhetorical questions concerning the deeds and actions of people and why such things warranted being written down. In the eyes of Matthew, who was a conservative Benedictine monk, signs and portents forewarned of famine and other miseries that would befall humanity in retribution for their sins. In essence Matthew believed that history, and the sinful actions that forged it, would prompt sinners to hasten quickly to seek God's forgiveness. To Matthew, history was a matter of moral instruction and a means to provide guidance to the earthly and celestial well-being of God's people. Matthew saw the reporting of history as a platform through which the mistakes of men could be presented as a lesson from which to learn. From his treatment of the Jews to his coverage of the Mongol invasion, Matthew wrote from a position of self-interest. He tended to distort history and his source material in order to preserve the integrity of his abbey and kingdom. What has been agreed upon is that the ''Chronica'', at the very least, provides insight into what history meant to contemporaries and how they used it to reconcile their place within their world. It provides an encyclopedic history of the affairs of his community and an unprecedented number of insightful sources and documents which would never otherwise have survived.


The Wandering Jew

Matthew Paris's ''Chronica Majora'' contains one of the first extant descriptions and images of the
Wandering Jew The Wandering Jew is a mythical immortal man whose legend began to spread in Europe in the 13th century. In the original legend, a Jew who taunted Jesus on the way to the Crucifixion was then cursed to walk the Earth until the Second Coming. Th ...
, a legendary figure who struck and scolded Jesus on his way to the crucifixion, thereby becoming doomed to walk the earth until the
Second Coming The Second Coming (sometimes called the Second Advent or the Parousia) is a Christian (as well as Islamic and Baha'i) belief that Jesus will return again after his ascension to heaven about two thousand years ago. The idea is based on messia ...
. The drawing of the Wandering Jew, likely done by Matthew Paris himself, embodies the paradoxical theological position of Jews in early and medieval Christianity as espoused by
Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; la, Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430), also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Afr ...
.  Standing hunched over with a mattock (a symbol associated with
Cain Cain ''Káïn''; ar, قابيل/قايين, Qābīl/Qāyīn is a Biblical figure in the Book of Genesis within Abrahamic religions. He is the elder brother of Abel, and the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, the first couple within the Bible. He wa ...
) behind Jesus as he progresses to
Calvary Calvary ( la, Calvariae or ) or Golgotha ( grc-gre, Γολγοθᾶ, ''Golgothâ'') was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where Jesus was said to have been crucified according to the canonical Gospels. Since at least the early mediev ...
, the depiction of the Wandering Jew represents the idea of Jewish sinfulness fixed throughout time as a contrast to Christ's upright moral progression. The drawing also visualizes the notion of Christian supersessionism.Lampert-Weissig, Lisa. "The Time of the Wandering Jew in the Chronica Majora and the De Brailes Hours." ''Philological Quarterly'', vol. 96, no. 2, pp. 171-202.


Editions

*
Matthew Parker Matthew Parker (6 August 1504 – 17 May 1575) was an English bishop. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England from 1559 until his death in 1575. He was also an influential theologian and arguably the co-founder (with a ...
(1571); 1589 Zurich Edition a
(Bayerische StaatsBibliothek digital)(Google)
(1606) * William Wats (1641); 1644 Paris Edition a
(Google)
1684 edition a
(Hathi Trust)
*
Henry Richards Luard Henry Richards Luard (25 August 1825 – 1 May 1891) was a British medieval historian and antiquary. Biography Luard was born on 25 August 1825 in London, the son of Henry Luard. He received his early education at Cheam School, Surrey. He gradua ...
, for the Rolls series (1872–80)
vol 1vol 2vol 3vol 4vol 5vol 6
(the ''Additamenta'')
vol 7
(Index and Glossary) * Felix Liebermann, for the MGH (1888) (Excerpts
Link


Translations

* English translation by
John Allen Giles John Allen Giles (1808–1884) was an English historian. He was primarily known as a scholar of Anglo-Saxon language and history. He revised Stevens' translation of the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'' and Bede's ''Ecclesiastical History of the English ...
(1852–54)
vol 1vol 2vol 3
235 to 1259 only, from Wats, with the continuation to 1273


Further reading

* Richard Vaughan: ''Matthew Paris'', Cambridge Studies in Medieval Life and Thought, New ser. 6 (Cambridge, 1958),
(Internet Archive)
* Richard Vaughan (ed. and tr): ''The Chronicles of Matthew Paris: Monastic Life in the Thirteenth Century'' (Gloucester, 1984). * Richard Vaughan: ''The Illustrated Chronicles of Matthew Paris''. Stroud: Alan Sutton, 1993. * Suzanne Lewis: ''The Art of Matthew Paris in the Chronica Majora''. University of California Press, 1987 (California Studies in the History of Art)
online excerpt
about the elephant)


References

{{Authority control 13th-century history books 13th-century illuminated manuscripts Illuminated histories Manuscripts of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge 13th-century Latin books English chronicles Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor