PHILIP JOSHUA F. LEE 12-STEM 2 ST.

ADELOGA

THEOLOGY
THE CHURCH FATHERS

ISIDORE OF SEVILLE
WRITE ABOUT HIS LIFE

Saint Isidore of Seville (c. 560 – April 4, 636) was a

theologian, the last of the Western Latin Fathers, and
an encyclopaedist who served as Archbishop of Seville
for more than three decades. Isidore of Hippo is
regarded as one of the most outstanding scholars of
the early Middle Ages.

He championed education to protect the purity of the

Christian religion and create harmony among the
different cultural elements that made up the populace
of medieval Spain during a time of dissolution of
classical culture, aristocratic violence, and illiteracy.

Many pieces of classical learning would not have

remained if it hadn't been for his Etymologies, an
immense encyclopedia of classical and modern
CHILDHOOD
information. It encapsulated all that western Did you know?
Europeans knew of Aristotle and other Greeks until the
Isidore’s family originated in Cartagena;
twelfth century brought translations from Arabic
they were orthodox Catholic and probably
sources. It was an essential reference book for many
Roman and probably held some power
centuries. During the Renaissance, it remained popular.
and influence. His parents were
Severianus and Theodora, his elder
Isidore's Historia de regibus Gothorum, Vandalorum et
brother, Leander of Seville, a younger
Suevorum provided the foundation for all subsequent
brother, Fulgentius, and his sister,
medieval Spanish history literature.
Florentina.
ETYMOLOGIAE
Etymologiae offered much
of Antiquity's information
that Christians considered
was worth preserving in a
condensed manner. But,
unfortunately, etymologies,
a favourite trope (theme) of
Antiquity and frequently
exceedingly-educated and
far-fetched, were the
subject of only one of the
encyclopedia's twenty
books.
REFERENCES
Thayer, Bill. Isidore of
Seville: The Etymologies
(or Origins) The Latin
text is that of the critical
edition by W. M. Lindsay,
published by Oxford
University Press, Oxford,
1911.
Isidore of Seville. Cod.
Sang. 237 (9th c.)
Manuscripts of
Etymologiae, St. Gall
Abbey library, 2005.
IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTONS
Isidore of Seville
Long before Arab intellectuals came to understand early Greek
philosophy, Isidore taught Aristotle to his countrymen. His most
famous work, the Etymologiae, was the first Christian attempt at
compiling a summa of universal knowledge. Isidore's Latin style in
the "Etymologiae," as well as other works, was influenced by local
Visigothic traditions and cannot be considered classical.
It had most of the flaws typical of transitional periods. Still, it also
indicated a growing Visigothic influence, with hundreds of
recognizably Spanish terms (his eighteenth-century editor, Faustino
Arévalo, recognized 1,640 of them). Isidore could be considered the
world's last native Latin speaker and possibly the world's first native
Spanish speaker. His extensive knowledge and defence of education
against the rising tide of Gothic barbarism were significant in
forming Spanish culture.
what are the values
we can learn from isidore of
seville
"In the light of the values exhibited by the divine teacher, Isidore, we
can learn the value of being a follower of God. As taught by isidore,
let the servant of God, imitate Christ, dedicate himself to
contemplation without denying himself active life. It would be
inappropriate to act in any other way. Indeed, we must love our
neighbor with action, just as we must love God with devotion. It is
consequently impossible to survive without both the one and the
other type of life present, nor can we live without feeling both of
them. This, I believe, is the synthesis of a life that seeks God's
contemplation, discourse with God in prayer and the reading of
Sacred Scripture, as well as service to the human community and
our neighbors. This is the message that the great Bishop of Seville
has left for us, today's Christians, called to witness to Christ at the
dawn of a new millennium.