Godfrey of Viterbo

Godfrey of Viterbo, Latin Godefridus Viterbiensis (* 1125 in Viterbo; † around 1191/1192 or shortly thereafter ) was an Italian historian and Latin poets of the Middle Ages.

Life

Godfrey of Viterbo in 1133 came under Lothar III. at the Bamberg Cathedral School and Conrad III. He served the Royal Chapel. He was a notary and court chaplain at the court of the Hohenstaufen under the emperors Frederick Barbarossa and Henry VI. and was instrumental in that capacity at the signing of the Treaty of Constance between Emperor Barbarossa and Pope Eugene III. involved ( March 1153 ). He undertook extensive tours throughout Europe, which took him more than forty times to Rome. In addition, he was cathedral canons in Lucca and Pisa.

Reception

The historical and literary value of the works of Godfrey is often considered to be low, since his historical research is deemed not carefully and partially incorrect. On the other hand, Gottfried was much to report from personal experience, as he moved to the part now lost sources zoom. His poeticizing, anecdotal reports he mixed with elements of myths and fables, which made it more entertaining and popular with a relatively wide layer. For example, his pantheon has been preserved in more than forty manuscripts.

Gottfried proves in his writings as followers of Staufen and supports their goal of a comprehensive empire, but it remains a balancing between church and Empire.

The historian Friedrich Hausmann identifies the notary of the royal chancery Arnold II C with Godfrey of Viterbo.

Works

  • Speculum regum 1183rd
  • Memoria saeculorum seu liber memoriale ( memory of centuries or memoir ), 1185 ( attempt at a complete history of the world ).
  • Liber universalis, about 1187th
  • Gesta Frederici ( deeds of Frederick ), 1155-1180.
  • Pantheon 1187-1190.
  • Pantheon, Sive Vniuersitatis [ Universitatis ] Libri. Qui chronici appellantur, XX, omnes omnium seculoru [m ] & Gentium tam sacrasquam prophanas historias cpmplectentes ... Iam in lucem primum editi, acc. rerum & verborum ... ind. Oporinus / Parcus, Basel 1559 ( Digitized edition of the University and State Library Dusseldorf ).

Edition

  • Georg Heinrich Pertz (ed.): Scriptores rerum Germanicarum in usum scholarum separatim editi 22: Cnutonis Gesta regis immersive Encomium Emmae reginae auctore SWM S. Bertini. Hannover 1865 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae; digitized )
House of Hohenstaufen Hubert Mordek Neue Deutsche Biographie Wilhelm Wattenbach Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie Catholic Encyclopedia Integrated Authority File
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