De duodecim abusivis saeculi

De duodecim abusivis saeculi "On the Twelve Abuses of the World" is a treatise on social and political morality written by an anonymous Irish author between 630 and 700. During the Middle Ages the work was very popular throughout Europe.

Background

The work was first propagated throughout Europe by Irish missionaries in the 8th century. Its authorship was attributed at different times to Saint Patrick, Saint Augustine, but mainly Saint Cyprian of Carthage – men of such authority that it explains its acceptance and popularity. It was not until 1909 that Siegmund Hellmann revealed its Pseudo-Cyprian origins to an anonymous Irish author of the 7th century.

Duodecim abusivis saeculi

De duodecim condemns the following twelve abuses:

Abusivis Abuse
sapiens sine operibus the wise man without works
senex sine religione the old man without religion
adolescens sine oboedientia the young man without obedience
dives sine elemosyna the rich man without charity
femina sine pudicitia the woman without modesty
dominus sine virtute the nobleman without virtue
Christianius contentiosus the argumentative Christian
pauper superbus the proud pauper
rex iniquus the unjust king
episcopus neglegens the neglectful bishop
plebs sine disciplina the community without order
populus sine lege the people without a law

Influence

Hellmann points out the extensive influence of the work upon Carolingian writings, such as the mirrors for princes, and later political literature.

There is some direct evidence for the text's popularity in tenth-century England. Bishop Æthelwold of Winchester is known to have donated a copy to the Peterborough house.[1] Ælfric of Eynsham drew on a version included in Abbo of Fleury's Collectio canonum for his Old English treatise De octo vitiis et de duodecim abusivis gradus, in which the section on the rex iniquus was translated whole.

Notes

  1. Sawyer no. 1448. See Michael Lapidge, "Surviving booklists in Anglo-Saxon England." Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts. Basic Readings, ed. Mary P. Richards. London, 1994. 87–167: 117–9.

Further reading

See also

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