Mereminskii S.G. The Construction of the Image of Antiquity in the Historiography of the «12th-Century Renaissance» (Ralph de Diceto’s «Abbreviationes chronicarum»). [Digital Resource] // Vox medii aevi. 2025. Vol. 2 (13). P. 13–40. URL: https://voxmediiaevi.com/2025-2-mereminskii/
DOI: 10.24412/2587-6619-2025-13-13-40
Stanislav Mereminskii
Candidate of Sciences (History), independent scholar
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4513-7329
mereminskiy@gmail.com
The Construction of the Image of Antiquity in the Historiography of the «12th-Century Renaissance» (Ralph de Diceto’s «Abbreviationes chronicarum»)
The Abbreviationes chronicarum, the first part of a major historical work by Ralph de Diceto, the Dean of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London from 1180 to 1199/1200, might be considered as prime example of the growing interest in the classical past during the 12th century, which for medieval historians became not only a stylistic model but also a way to contextualize contemporary events.
The central part of the study focuses on the analysis of the section of the chronicle covering the history before the birth of Christ. Unlike the authors of traditional Christian chronicles, Ralph de Diceto uses biblical chronology merely as a formal framework. Into this structure, he inserts numerous, loosely connected excerpts from ancient authors, mainly dedicated to the history of Greece and Rome.
The article analyzes in detail the composition and structure of these fragments, comparing the three main manuscript versions of the work, which were created under Ralph’s personal supervision. It is noted that the number, sequence, and arrangement of the excerpts differ radically among them, which indicates deliberate changes in the author’s design.
Ralph’s main sources were the Attic Nights of Aulus Gellius, the Roman History of Paul the Deacon (which Ralph cited as the work of Eutropius), and the Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius. The subject matter of the fragments is extremely diverse, ranging from notes on Greek philosophers and Roman emperors to moralizing parables and simply entertaining stories whose didactic purpose is not altogether clear.
Ralph de Diceto’s eclectic and unsystematic approach to depicting antiquity sharply distinguishes him from his contemporaries and predecessors. Although Ralph’s ultimate goals remain not entirely clear, his work is a testament to the lively and multifaceted interest of 12th-century intellectuals in the classical heritage, which went beyond the standard models of medieval historical writing.
Keywords: Aulus Gellius; image of the antiquity; historical writing; Paul the Deacon; Ralph de Diceto; Renaissance of the twelfth century; Suetonius Tranquillus; temporality.