The genre de viris illustribus from Jerome to Ildephonsus of Toledo: its purpose

Abstract

From Jerome to Ildephonse, the purpose and intention of the biographies about illustrious men have changed according to the interests of the respective moments in which these biographies are written: in the fourth century, when the contrast between the Christian culture and the Pagan Culture is ardent, Jerome insists chiefly on writers; he lets the literary criterion prevail. In the fifth century, when monastic life flourishes and heresies centring the christologic problems arise, Gennadius insists particularly on monks who write monastic texts and authors of heresiological writings. In the beginning of the seventh century, when, on the one hand, the memory of Arianism is still vivid in Visigothic Hispania and, on the other hand, the consciousness of an Hispania important for the concordance of the Roman and Latin Western world already emerges, Isidore still insists on authors of heresiological writings. But he already adds the theme of the bishops and authors of Visigothic Spain. And in the middle of the seventh century, finally, when the power of the Visigothic Monarchy in Spain has been consolidated, with seat in Toledo, Ildephonse is only interested in the bishops with seat in Spain and especially in Toledo.