Craft of History. Turning History into a Discipline in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries

Hardback, 298 pages, Size:156 x 234 mm, Language: English. *new ISBN 9782503611044. Summary History is today an established academic discipline, characterized by the use of footnotes and references to support claims. However, attempts to codify history and impose disciplinary rigour were made in the Middle Ages, even before the introduction of the modern apparatus. One such attempt was the use of the source mark, a precursor of the modern footnote. Initially used in the works of lawyers and theologians, the source mark indicated that a text and its ideas belonged to a named authority. The application of the source mark to historical writings marked a change in the way history was perceived. This volume explores how history was transformed into a discipline by focusing on four key twelfth-and thirteenth-century sources: the anonymous Status Imperii Iudaici, the Chronicle of H linand of Froidmont, the Chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, and Vincent of Beauvais's Speculum Historiale. By focusing on these four texts and examining the influences of surrounding disciplines such as law and theology, the author explores how these historical writers drew on a wide range of different sources of information to provide a truthful account of the past. Furthermore, the aim of producing a reliable narrative was combined with an awareness of the status of the author. Through these case studies, this volume offers a fascinating reassessment of our modern understanding of the origins of the study of history. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1. Compiling History Chapter 2. Marginal Scholoarship Chapter 3. Directory of Authorities Chapter 4. The Conundrum of Auctor Chapter 5. The Truth is Out There Conclusions Appendix. The Use of Source Marks in the Early and High Middle Ages Works Cited Index