3RD GALWAY COMPUTUS CONFERENCE

ABSTRACTS OF CONFERENCE PAPERS WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES: THE 8TH DAY OF THE WEEK IN RABANUS MAURUS DE RERUM NATURIS LIBER X Lisa Lynn Chen In Book Ten of his encyclopedic work De rerum naturis, Raban s !a r s "c#$%& ' %()* wri+es abo + +i,e and how +o calc la+e i+# -e incl des +opics s ch as +he di.ision of +i,e in+o a/es, years, ,on+hs, weeks, days, ho rs and ,in +es0 +he par+s of days and ni/h+s0 +he si/nificance of feas+ days0 and +he i,por+ance of +he sabba+h and +he 1ord2s 3ay# A+ leas+ one 4 ar+er of +he e5+an+ ,an scrip+s con+ain so,e addi+ional sec+ions of +e5+, incl din/ appro5i,a+ely 6&& words inser+ed a+ +he end of +he las+ chap+er concernin/ +he 1ord2s 3ay# This added end7sec+ion +alks abo + +he %+h day of +he week and +he differen+ +radi+ions of obser.in/ +he 1ord2s 3ay wi+hin +he sched le of +he week# This paper will a++e,p+ +o iden+ify +he so rce"s* for +hese addi+ional sec+ions, as well as ,ake so,e /eneral obser.a+ions abo + +he /ro p of ,an scrip+s which con+ain +he addi+ions, +heir place wi+hin +he co,ple+e ,an scrip+ +radi+ion of De rerum naturis, and +heir correspondence +o +he bipar+i+e di.ision of ,an scrip+s based on +he +wo recensions of +he +e5+#
FELIX OF SQUILLACE AND THE DIONYSIAC COMPUTUS II: VIVARIUM, BURGUNDY, AND THE BRITISH ISLES

Luciana Cuppo By prolon/in/ +he cycles of 3ionysi s E5i/ s for an addi+ional nine+y7fi.e years, Feli5 of S4 illace affir,ed +he con+in i+y be+ween 3ionysi s, Cassiodor s, and hi,self, and con+rib +ed +o +he disse,ina+ion of +he 3ionysiac cycles in +he 1a+in 8es+# Feli52s pers asion in ,a++ers of co,p + s was no+ shared by all his confreres a+ 9i.ari ,: +he co,piler of !S# BA9, Re/# la+# ;&$$ "a 9i.arian prod c+* no+ only con+in ed +he <Ro,an2 co,p + s of 9ic+ori s of A4 i+aine, b + +ook e5cep+ion +o 3ionysi s2 .iews# The ,an scrip+ +radi+ion of Feli52s work shows +ha+ i+ was disse,ina+ed +hro /ho + E rope# In addi+ion +o +he Irish line of +rans,ission a++es+ed in A,br# - =(& inf#, fols# =&%7=&%., +here is a differen+ recension of +he +e5+, a++es+ed in f ll in +he !SS 3i/by )> and A,br# - =(& inf#, fols# (&7(&.# F r+her wi+nesses are +he !SS ?@ln %> ;, Bern )==, and BA9, Re/# la+# =;># There are /ood reasons +o loca+e +he e5e,plar of +he Ale5andrian dossier in 3i/by )> in an as ye+ niden+ified cen+re in B r/ ndy in +he year )$( A#3# 8hile +he scrip+ is ins lar, layo + and ,ar/inalia show +races of a la+e an+i4 e, so +hern I+alian arche+ype# !y paper will e5a,ine so,e possible reasons for +he presence of Feli52s cycles in areas s+ill fai+hf l +o +he co,p + s of 9ic+ori s of A4 i+aine# A,on/ s ch reasons are +he s ppor+ len+ by Pope 9i+alian +o +he Ale5andrian calc la+ion of Eas+er, and +he disse,ina+ion of +he 3ionysiac dossier in France +hro /h !elli+ s of 1ondon# In ei+her case +he 3ionysiac dossier "and Feli5 wi+h i+* wo ld ha.e been re/arded as a +hori+a+i.e0 +his fac+ wo ld e5plain i+s disse,ina+ion, and +he archaic +rai+s deri.ed fro, +he arche+ype s+ill presen+ in 3i/by )>#

WHAT IS AN EPICYCLE? EARLY MEDIEVAL SPECULATIONS, CONCEPTUALI ATIONS, AND DIAGRAMS IN THE MANUSCRIPTS OF MARTIANUS CAPELLA AND CALCIDIUS Bruce S. Eastwood A ,odern his+orian of ,edie.al science ,ay .ery well s ppose A indeed, a+ leas+ one has recen+ly asser+ed wi+ho + 4 alifica+ion A +ha+ +he defini+ion and nders+andin/ of +he +er, <epicycle2 co ld no+ ha.e been in 4 es+ion for any nin+h7cen+ ry scholar wi+h basic knowled/e of +he 4 adri.i ,# Af+er all, +his +echnical +ool was f nda,en+al in as+rono,y for cen+ ries before P+ole,y, and was sed by hi, a/ain and a/ain in +he ,a+he,a+ical cons+r c+ion of plane+ary orbi+s in +he Almagest# Any+hin/ o+her +han a P+ole,aic defini+ion of +he word see,s hardly i,a/inable A and if s ch occ reed, i+ is no+ wor+hy of serio s his+orical considera+ion# I propose +o show +ha+, fro, +he Carolin/ians +o +he ele.en+h cen+ ry, +here was e5+ensi.e and .aried descrip+ion of wha+ was ,ean+ by +he word <epicycle2# These .aria+ions appeared in +he ,an scrip+s of !ar+ian s Capella and Calcidi s d rin/ +hose +hree cen+ ries# The acco n+s are s fficien+ly n ,ero s in scholarly +e5+s +hro /h +he ele.en+h cen+ ry A and e.en beyond A +o ,ake i+ clear +ha+ <epicycle2 was a +er, for serio s disc ssion and .aried defini+ion, n+il +he Breek as+rono,ical +radi+ion "ei+her direc+ly or by way of Arabic so rces* pro.ided clear ,a+he,a+ical defini+ion# Finally, i+ see,s reasonable for a his+orian +o ask: <Sho ld we ass ,e no connec+ion be+ween +he prior 1a+in +radi+ion of in+eres+ in +his as+rono,ical +er, and +he s bse4 en+ 8es+ern in+eres+ in i+s f lly ,a+he,a+ical for, re.ealed by +he +ransla+ions of Breco7Arabic as+rono,y in +he +welf+h cen+ ryC2 THE DISPUTATIO CORI ET PRAETEXTATI, OR THE ROMAN CALENDAR FOR BEGINNERS Leofranc Holford-Strevens The firs+ book of !acrobi s2 Saturnalia, wri++en in +he firs+ half of +he fif+h cen+ ry, con+ains an e5posi+ion of +he Ro,an calendar p + in +he ,o +h of +he aris+ocra+ic in+ellec+ al 9e++i s A/ori s Prae+e5+a+ s "d# >%6*, who is in+err p+ed by an E/yp+ian / es+ "appropria+ely na,ed -or s* wi+h a re4 es+ for infor,a+ion abo + ?alends, Nones, Ides, and nundinae# Par+ of +his e5posi+ion A wi+h so,e, b + no+ all of i+s pa/an +heolo/y re,o.ed A was e5cerp+ed, probably in si5+h7 or se.en+h7cen+ ry Ireland, as a separa+e +e5+ +ha+ ser.ed as a his+orical so rce known +o +he a +hor of De ratione conputandi, and also, by way of +he Sir,ond Collec+ion, +o Bede, who s+yles i+ +he Disputatio Cori et raete!tati# Al+ho /h i+ has no+hin/ +o say abo + +he Chris+ian co,p + s, i+ is +rans,i++ed in se.eral co,p +is+ic ,an scrip+s, b + has no+ +ill recen+ly been s+ died as +he oldes+ wi+ness +o !acrobi s2 +e5+, and ne.er in i+s own ri/h+# -a.in/ nder+aken +o edi+ i+, in +his paper I shall presen+ ,y findin/s concernin/ i+s na+ re and +rans,ission# ANNUS SOLIS CONTINETUR: AN ADDITION TO THE HIBERNO!LATIN CANON David Howlett This paper offers an edi+ion, +ransla+ion, and analysis of +he co,p +is+ic poe, be/innin/

Annus solis continetur "De ratione temporum* in which in+ernal e.idence, incl din/ phonolo/y, rhy,e, and alli+era+ion, s+r c+ ral +echni4 es, and a co,ple+e .erse 4 o+ed in a la+er poe, of a differen+ ,e+re, s //es+ co,posi+ion in a -iberno71a+in ,ilie d rin/ +he se.en+h cen+ ry# THE PASCHAL CYCLES OF CUMMIAN AND ST PATRICK Dan "cCarthy No+wi+hs+andin/ +he s bs+an+ial corp s of early ,ediae.al references +o S+ Pa+rick and his works, +he only acco n+ we ha.e of a Paschal cycle associa+ed wi+h hi, is +ha+ pro.ided by C ,,ian in his le++er +o SD/Dne and BDcEn of Iona circa )>;# In +his le++er C ,,ian conspic o sly iden+ified hi,self wi+h Pa+rick2s cycle, b +, nfor+ na+ely for s, he f rnished only li,i+ed +echnical de+ails for bo+h Pa+rick2s cycle and +he cycle which he s+a+ed he hi,self had recen+ly adop+ed# In +he preface +o +heir in.al able edi+ion of C ,,ian2s le++er, 8alsh and F CrGinHn s //es+ed +ha+ C ,,ian had adop+ed an adap+a+ion of +he cycle of 9ic+ori s, and +his paper will e5plore +ha+ hypo+hesis, +akin/ in+o acco n+ +he s+r c+ re of +he 9ic+orian Paschal +able and +he chronolo/y of Pa+rick2s ,ission +o Ireland# EASTER CYCLES USING THE VAGUE YEAR Stephen "cClus#ey This paper disc sses, fro, a +heore+ical ra+her +han a his+orical perspec+i.e, wha+ an Eas+er co,p + s wo ld look like in +he E/yp+ian, Iranian, or Ar,enian calendars +ha+ sed +he >)(7day .a/ e year# I raise +his 4 es+ion beca se, al+ho /h i+ is well known +ha+ +he =I7year l ni7solar cycle works .ery well wi+h +he J lian calendar, i+ is less well known +ha+ i+ doesnK+ work a+ all wi+h a calendar based on +he .a/ e year# Ins+ead, as O++o Ne /eba er once poin+ed o +, in +his con+e5+ a ;(7year cycle +akes +he role of +he =I7year cycle# 8hen we +ry +o apply +his ;(7year cycle +o +he proble, of +he Paschal F ll !oon, f r+her proble,s arise beca se +he e4 ino5es A and hence +he da+e of Eas+er A wander +hro /h all +he ,on+hs of +he .a/ e year# In +his paper I will resol.e, or a+ leas+ define, +hose proble,s, and disc ss wha+ principles wo ld nderlie co,p +is+ical +ables sin/ +he ;(7year cycle# I will +hen + rn +o so,e his+orical spec la+ions, for which +here is no known +e5+ al e.idence, considerin/ +ha+ +his ;(7year cycle s //es+s a ra+ionale for +he Ar,enian ;&&7 year Eas+er 1is+ "A3 >(>7((;* a++rib +ed +o Andreas of ByLan+i ,#

THE COMPUTUS OF "#3 Alden "osshammer The Pse do7Cyprianic De ascha Computus, co,posed in +he year ;6>, is +he earlies+ e5+an+ Paschal Co,p + s "+ha+ a++rib +ed +o -ippoly+ s bein/ a lis+ of da+es, ra+her +han a

co,p +is+ical +e5+*# This paper disc sses +he ,an scrip+s and a few special proble,s, s ch as +he antecessores, +he reference in one of +he ,an scrip+s +o co,p +a+ions <accordin/ +o +he epac+s2, +he calc la+ion of <+he firs+ day of +he new ,on+h2, +he in+er.al of == M ho rs be+ween +he crea+ion of +he s n and +ha+ of +he ,oon, and +he recons+r c+ion of +he ==;7year Paschal Period appended +o +he now los+ Code5 Re,ensis# CHRONOLOGICALLY CONFUSED: CLAUDIUS OF TURIN AND THE DATE OF CHRISTS PASSION Carl hilipp Emanuel $othaft The Chronicle, wri++en c# %=6 by Cla di s of T rin "d# %;$*, is no+ewor+hy for i+s per.asi.e se of co,p +is+ical argumenta in order +o es+ablish J lian calendar da+es for +he principal e.en+s in +he Old Tes+a,en+, s ch as Noah2s flood, +he E5od s, and +he des+r c+ion of Solo,on2s Te,ple# Cla di s2s a++e,p+s +o f se chrono/raphy and computus in+o a coheren+ sys+e, were recen+ly hi/hli/h+ed by +he la+e Arno Bors+, who clai,ed +ha+ +he Chronicle proposed an nor+hodo5 and con+ro.ersial da+in/ of Chris+2s Passion ";> !arch A3 >=*# -owe.er, a closer look a+ Cla di s2s ,e+hods of calc la+ion shows +ha+ Bors+2s ass ,p+ions were ,is/ ided, and +ha+ +he ac+ al Passion7da+e in+ended by Cla di s was +he chronolo/ically i,possible ;= !arch A3 >6# In ,y +alk, I will e5plain +he ra+ionale behind +hese calc la+ions, and si+ a+e +he, wi+hin +he broader con+e5+ of early ,edie.al co,p +is+ical scholarship, which was faced wi+h +he diffic l+ies of acco,,oda+in/ an inconsis+en+ se+ of chronolo/ical da+a on +he life of Jes s Chris+, inheri+ed fro, 1a+e An+i4 i+y# ARCHBISHOP $AMES USSHER AND THE SOURCES FOR THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE PASCHAL CONTROVERSY D%i&h' ( Cr)in'n Born in =(%=, Nssher was a,on/ +he firs+ cohor+ of s+ den+s +o en+er +he newly7fo nded Trini+y Colle/e 3 blin# Af+er a brillian+ acade,ic career he beca,e Professor of 3i.ini+y in TC3, +hen An/lican Bishop of !ea+h, and s bse4 en+ly Archbishop of Ar,a/h# -e is perhaps bes+ known in +he p blic sphere for his calc la+ion +ha+ +he Crea+ion had +aken place a+ ):&& p#,# on +he ni/h+ of ;; Oc+#, 6&&6 BC, a reckonin/ +ha+ ,ade i+s way in+o ,any edi+ions of +he ?in/ Ja,es Bible# -is lifelon/ in+eres+ in biblical chronolo/y is reflec+ed bo+h in his scholarly correspondence and in his p blished works, s+ar+in/ wi+h +he *ravissimae +uaestionis de Christianarum Ecclesiarum statu "=)=>*# -is ,eterum epistolarum Hi&ernicarum sylloge of =)>; incl ded +he editio princeps of C ,,ian2s Paschal le++er "A3 )>>*, while his Britannicarum ecclesiarum anti-uitates "=)>I* showed his ,as+ery of +he ,a+erials rela+in/ +o +he early his+ory of +he ch rches in +he Bri+ish Isles, de,ons+ra+in/, e#/#, "fro, na+i.e Irish so rces* +ha+ +he da+e of > !ay which Bede had +hree +i,es /i.en for +he solar eclipse aro nd +he +i,e of +he Synod of 8hi+by in A3 ))6 was, in fac+, wron/# I+ has ne.er been 4 i+e clear how , ch Nssher knew of +he early Paschal con+ro.ersies in +he wider Ch rch, b + +he disco.ery of a ,an scrip+ "O5ford#, Bodl# 1ibr#, !S# S,i+h >=*, wi+h a collec+ion of ,eterum Scripta aschalia asse,bled by hi,, now re.eals +he as+onishin/ bread+h of his knowled/e# This paper will describe and

disc ss +he con+en+s of +ha+ O5ford collec+ion# BEDES USE OF VICTOR OF CAPUAS COMPUTISTICAL WRITINGS "asa#o .hashi Bishop 9ic+or of Cap a was one of +he a +hori+ies for Bede# Accordin/ +o C#8# Jones2s edi+ion, Bede 4 o+ed fro, a sin/le work on Eas+er, De ascha li&er deperditus in his De temporum ratione and +he Epistola ad ,,icthedum# This paper will s //es+ +ha+ Bede ac+ ally 4 o+ed fro, +wo works of 9ic+or, who enco n+ered +he Paschal Con+ro.ersy in +he ,id7si5+h cen+ ry, as Bede hi,self did c# $&&# CHANGING PARADIGMS: CONTEXTS FOR THE FRAGMENTARY COMPUTI OF %#3 AND %&' /ames 0. almer The firs+ half of +he ei/h+h cen+ ry wi+nessed a profo nd paradi/, shif+ in co,p + s in +he Frankish kin/do,s# The +ables of 9ic+ori s of A4 i+aine ca,e nder in+ense scr +iny and were abandoned so,e+i,e af+er +he <dis+ rbance2 of $6& in fa.o r of 3ionysiac co,p +i# In a pre.io s paper, I o +lined how +he fra/,en+ary co,p + s fro, $6> in Bri+ish 1ibrary, Co++on Cali/ la, A 5., showed e.idence of a++e,p+s +o asser+ +he a +hori+y of +he new paradi/, nder Pippin III# In +his paper, I will + rn +o +he e.idence of S+ Ball, S+if+sbiblio+hek, Cod# San/# ;;( "S+ Ball, s# 9III>* ' a co,pendi , of .ario s didac+ic, ha/io/raphical and +heolo/ical +e5+s which incl des li++le7s+ died ar/ ,en+a fro, $6> and $(=# A s+ dy of +hese ar/ ,en+a and +heir con+e5+s wi+hin +he in+ellec+ al world of +he ,id7ei/h+h cen+ ry helps +o show +he principal concerns of co,p +is+s nder Pippin III# 8hile 3ionysiac +ables 4 ickly beca,e s+andard, +here re,ained iss es abo + how +o synchronise differen+ ,odels of linear +i,e, e#/#, +hro /h +he incorpora+ion of anni mundi in+o 3ionysiac ,odels# Nnders+andin/ Eas+er +ables +he,sel.es appears secondary# The S+ Ball ,an scrip+ also raises 4 es+ions abo + +he reso rces a.ailable for +he s+ dy of co,p + s in so,e cen+res, al+ho /h +he ar/ ,en+ , of $(= ,i/h+ also represen+ an early adap+a+ion of Bede2s De temporum ratione# ONCE IN FOUR: EARLY MEDIEVAL THOUGHTS ON THE LEAP YEAR "arina Smyth 3 rin/ +he early ,iddle a/es in wes+ern E rope, +he in+ercala+ed day in +he leap year was a so rce of p LLle,en+ and spec la+ion# Tho /h i+ f r+her co,plica+ed +he de+er,ina+ion of +he da+e of Eas+er, +here was /eneral reco/ni+ion a,on/ scholars +ha+ +he added day e.ery fo r years was a necessary fea+ re of +he calendar +o pre.en+ a drif+ in +he seasons# 8hile ,any were aware +ha+ o+her c l+ res deal+ wi+h +his proble, in o+her ways, i+ was co,,on knowled/e +ha+ J li s Cesar had se+ +he con.en+ional da+e for +he in+ercalary day in +he Ro,an calendar# The pre.ailin/ .iew of +he ni.erse ,ade i+ diffic l+, none+heless, +o acco n+ for +his addi+ional day: 8here did +his e5+ra +i,e co,e fro, e.ery fo r yearsC -ad +his pa++ern always e5is+edC Co,p +is+ical +e5+s co ld no+ i/nore +hese 4 es+ions#

WALAHFRID STRABO(S STUDY OF COMPUTUS 1esley Stevens The personal no+ebook of 8alahfrid S+rabo "S+ Ballen, !S# %$%* con+ains +he earlies+ knowncopy of -raban s !a r s2 Co,p + s and early copies of +wo books by Bede, De naturarerum and De tempori&us# As he +ra.elled, +ha+ book was always wi+h hi,#To i+ he added ,any selec+ions fro, Bede, De temporum ratione, and ,orefro, o+her co,p +is+ical works in la+er s+a/es of his in+eres+in/ life#Ns ally, 8alafrid is reco/nised now as a poe+, li+ r/is+, and wri+er of +hesecond 4 ar+er of +he nin+h cen+ ry, whose 1a+in s+yle is of hi/h 4 ali+y#B + he is also known as an abbo+ on +he Reichena , who ob+ained his abbacyonly by +he force of1o is +he Pio s, and who died in +he diplo,a+ic ser.ice of 1o is2 son, Charles +he Bald# -owe.er, +here is ,ore# 8alahfridKs vademecum de,ons+a+es +ha+,d rin/ + , l+ o s +i,es, +he na+ ral sciences and co,p + s were ano+her sideof his life, and , s+ ha.e always been i,por+an+ +o hi,# A NEW EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND THE )&!YEAR TABLE OF RAVENNA 2lrich ,oigt In +er,s of basic defini+ions, ,edie.al computus paschalis and pre7,edie.al Ale5andrian co,p + s are iden+ical, b + +here is a difference in respec+ +o +he or/aniLa+ion of Eas+er +ables# Ale5andrian Eas+er +ables follow +he I(7year period, whereas +he ,edie.al Eas+er +able r ns o.er (>; years# As +he (>;7year period cons+i+ +es +he shor+es+ "f ll* cycle of Eas+er da+es, his+orians ha.e concl ded +ha+ +he I(7year period , s+ be an incorrec+ pse do7cycle# The ,edie.al (>;7year Eas+er +able +h s beca,e a +es+a,en+ +o s perior co,p +is+ical +hinkin/, a ,on ,en+ of pro/ress# This concl sion is false, howe.er, and +he /eneral e.al a+ion of his+orical pro/ress which s+e,s fro, i+ is erroneo s# On +he con+rary, +he si5+h7cen+ ry I(7year Eas+er +able e5hibi+ed in +he "useo Arcivescovile di 3avenna can reasonably be considered a pre7 ,edie.al ,on ,en+ +o +he s perior +echnical knowled/e of earlier +i,es# *FLEETING TIME AND *THE EVERLASTING DAY: REASSESSING BEDE(S ON TIMES 4aith 1allis Aro nd $&>, Bede co,ple+ed +wo works: .n the $ature of 0hings and .n 0imes. There is a,ple e.idence +ha+ he concei.ed of +he +wo books as a dip+ych, and ye+, a+ +he sa,e +i,e, as dis+inc+ +rea+ises# Indeed, +hey were +he prod c+s of an ac+ of li+erary separa+ion: Bede e5+rac+ed +he he,erolo/y fro, IsidoreKs .n the $ature of 0hings +o re7deploy i+ as +he fra,ework for .n 0imes, while re.isin/ +he re,ainder of IsidoreKs book as +he basis of his own .n the $ature of 0hings. -owe.er, in 0he 3ec#oning of 0ime "$;(*, Bede iss ed a re.ised and enlar/ed edi+ion of bo+h works, and re7in+e/ra+ed , ch of +he ,a+erial of his .n the $ature of 0hings in+o +he e5panded +rea+ise. In conse4 ence, .n the $ature of 0hings and .n 0imes +ended +o drif+ apar+, and while .n the $ature of 0hings enOoyed considerable s ccess "i+ ranks fo r+h a,on/s+ BedeKs wri+in/s in +er,s of

n ,bers of ,an scrip+s*, .n 0imes was co,para+i.ely ne/lec+ed "rankin/ +hir+een+h* in fa.o r of 0he 3ec#oning of 0ime# -is+orians of computus and Bede specialis+s ha.e +herefore paid li++le a++en+ion +o .n 0imes# Bede hi,self bears so,e of +he responsibili+y for +his ne/lec+, for in +he prolo/ e of 0he 3ec#oning of 0ime he ci+es his s+ den+sK dissa+isfac+ion wi+h +he earlier work as a ,o+i.e for co,posin/ +he new book# This paper will rehabili+a+e +he i,por+ance and ori/inali+y of .n 0imes, and e5plain why Bede bo+h yoked i+ +o, ye+ dis+in/ ished i+ fro,, .n the $ature of 0hings. The ori/inali+y of +he work lies in +he fac+ +ha+ i+ is +he firs+ +rea+,en+ of Chris+ian +i,e7 reckonin/ +o in+e/ra+e a synopsis of +he s+r c+ re of +i,e wi+h a +echnical and +heolo/ical e5plana+ion of Paschal co,p +a+ion, and a s r.ey of ni.ersal his+ory# The si/nificance of +his syn+hesis, howe.er, can only be apprecia+ed if +he work is analysed as +he co n+erpar+ of .n the $ature of 0hings. BedeKs proOec+ +o Chris+ianiLe Isidore2s cos,olo/y by foc sin/ on +he di.ine ac+ of creation, ra+her +han on +he universe, is paralleled by his +ransfor,a+ion of he,erolo/y in+o +he archi+ec+ re of a Chris+ian science of +i,e in .n 0imes, and i+s c l,ina+ion in +he alle/orical in+erpre+a+ion of co,p +is+ical cri+eria for Eas+er# As well, .n 0imes, par+ic larly when read in parallel wi+h .n the $ature of 0hings, anno nces a par+ic lar .oca+ion for computus: deflec+in/ spec la+ion abo + +he end of +he world# IRISH COMPUTISTICS BETWEEN ISIDORE OF SEVILLE AND THE VENERABLE BEDE 5mmo 1arnt6es By analysin/ +he Irish con+rib +ion +o +he s+ dy of co,p + s in +he la+e se.en+h, early ei/h+h cen+ ry in i+s wes+ern E ropean con+e5+, +his paper pro.ides a s r.ey of co,p +is+ical +e5+s in +he ro /hly =&& years be+ween Isidore of Se.ille and +he 9enerable Bede, classified by re/ion# The foc s lies ,ainly on +he +hree ,aOor Irish co,p +is+ical +e5+books, +heir in+erdependence and especially chronolo/ical rela+ion# -owe.er, so,e i,por+an+ b + ne/lec+ed or hi+her+o nknown shor+er Irish +rea+ises on specific co,p +is+ical iss es are also considered, which re.eal +ha+ +he year )%I wi+nessed a ,aOor Eas+er con+ro.ersy in +he regiones Scottorum# Besides +hese Irish +e5+s A and especially +heir +e5+book di,ension A +he second i,por+an+ s+rand of se.en+h7cen+ ry co,p +is+ics consis+s of +wo for, laries "bo+h essen+ially e5panded .ersions of +he 3ionysiac argumenta*, which can be ascribed +o An/lo7Sa5on ,onas+eries in Ireland# On +he Con+inen+, howe.er, only a sin/le se.en+h7 cen+ ry +e5+ dealin/ in de+ail wi+h +his science is known, +o be fo nd in a Bern ,an scrip+#

THE INITIAL YEAR OF DE RATIONE PASCHALI AND THE RELEVANCE OF ITS PASCHAL DATES /an 7uidhoe# The ,e+onically s+r c+ red se4 ence "hereaf+er ,e+onical se4 ence* of epac+s +ha+ is par+ of De ratione paschali "3RP*, +he ,edie.al +e5+ +ha+ A accordin/ +o !cCar+hy and

Breen A is essen+ially Ana+oli s2 Paschal cycle cons+r c+ed aro nd +he year ;$&, , s+ ha.e had a ,e+onically s+r c+ red prec rsor# Tha+ i,plies +ha+ i+ , s+ ha.e been aro nd +he year ;)& +ha+ Ale5andrian co,p +is+s "a,on/ +he, possibly Ana+oli s hi,self, no+ lon/ before his episcopal consecra+ion aro nd +he year ;$&* cons+r c+ed +heir firs+ ,e+onical se4 ence of da+es of Paschal f ll7,oon "PF!*, which da+es we call da+es of pre7ana+olian Paschal f ll7,oon# Nnfor+ na+ely, +he ori/inal ,e+onical se4 ence of +hese pre7ana+olian PF! is nknown, as is +he posi+ion of i+s sal+ s# -owe.er, i+ is wi+h +he help of a cer+ain ,e+onically s+r c+ red appro5i,a+ion of +he ori/inal ,e+onical se4 ence of da+es of pre7ana+olian PF! A ob+ained by a cer+ain ro /h and s+rai/h+forward ,e+hod on +he basis of NASAKs official webpa/e of phases of +he ,oon 7 +ha+ I will de,ons+ra+e +he /rea+ rele.ance of +he se4 ence of Paschal da+es of 3RP# The Paschal da+es of 3RP, each pro.ided wi+h a l nar phase n ,ber bein/ a+ leas+ =6 b + a+ ,os+ ;&, if in+erpre+ed as special Ana+olian calendar da+es "in which case we call +he, da+es of Ana+olian Paschal S nday*, did indeed all fall on a S nday# 8hen defined "by way of <firs+ appro5i,a+ion2* as if +hey were J lian calendar da+es, i+ is preferable +o speak of da+es of Ana+olian Paschal day, beca se in +his case by no ,eans all of +he, fell on a S nday# -owe.er, i+ is +he correspondin/ "J lian calendar* da+es of so called Ana+olian Paschal f ll7,oon pro.ided wi+h a l nar phase n ,ber bein/ =6 which enable s, in co,bina+ion wi+h ,y ,e+onical se4 ence of firs+ appro5i,a+ion da+es of pre7 ana+olian PF!, +o pro.e ,y firs+ proposi+ion, na,ely "=* +he year ;$= is +he ini+ial year of 3RP# Once +ha+ has been done, i+ is easy +o pro.e ,y re,ainin/ fi.e proposi+ions "which are, in fac+, only ob.io s conse4 ences of ,y firs+ proposi+ion*, na,ely: ";* +here is ra+her li++le difference be+ween +he ,e+onical se4 ence of da+es of pre7ana+olian PF! and +he se4 ence of da+es of Ana+olian PF!0 ">* in a space of so,e si5+y years +he ,e+onical se4 ence of da+es of pre7ana+olian PF! was l+i,a+ely +ransfor,ed in+o +he classical ,e+onical se4 ence of da+es of Ale5andrian PF!, by ad.ancin/ +he da+es of pre7 ana+olian PF! by ro /hly +wo days0 "6* i+ is only in +he years fro, ;)6 p +o and incl din/ ;$= +ha+ +he Ana+olian Paschal day was a S nday0 "(* res+ric+in/ +he se4 ence of da+es of Ana+olian Paschal S nday and +he classical se4 ence of da+es of Ale5andrian Eas+er S nday +o +he +i,e in+er.al be+ween +he years ;)& and ;I&, we ,ay es+ablish +ha+ +here is li++le difference be+ween +he, "despi+e +he fac+ +ha+ +he la++er was no+ e.en defined in +he +hird cen+ ry*0 ")* +he ,e+onical se4 ence of <Ana+olian da+es2 of PF! s //es+ed by Schwar+L, and +he one s //es+ed by !ossha,,er, con+rary +o +he se4 ence of da+es of Ana+olian PF!, canno+ possibly ha.e nderlain Ana+oli s2 Paschal cycle# The b lk of +he ar/ ,en+ for pro.in/ ,y proposi+ions will be ,ade by ,eans of si5 s ccessi.e +ables, which for, +o/e+her so,e+hin/ like a s+rip7car+oon of ,y ar/ ,en+, and e,phasise +he rele.ance of bo+h +he se4 ence of Paschal da+es of 3RP and ,y ,e+onical se4 ence of firs+ appro5i,a+ion da+es of pre7ana+olian PF! "which se4 ences for, +he core of ,y ar/ ,en+*#