Wala, abbot of Corbie, played a major role in the rebellions against Emperor Louis the Pious, esp... more Wala, abbot of Corbie, played a major role in the rebellions against Emperor Louis the Pious, especially in 830, for which he was exiled. Radbert defended his beloved abbot, known to his monks as Arsenius, against accusations of infidelity in an 'epitaph' (funeral oration), composed as a two-book conversation between himself and other monks of Corbie. Whereas the restrained first book of Radbert's Epitaphium Arsenii was written not long after Wala's death in 836, the polemical second book was added some twenty years later. This outspoken sequel covers the events of the early 830s, but it mostly addresses the political issues of the 850s, as well as Radbert's own contemporary predicament. In Epitaph for an Era, an absorbing study of this fascinating text, Mayke de Jong examines the context of the Epitaphium's two books, the use of hindsight as a rhetorical strategy, and the articulation of notions of the public good in the mid-ninth century.
... controversial. Why did parents give away their children? Were they driven by economic necessi... more ... controversial. Why did parents give away their children? Were they driven by economic necessity? This book argues that child oblation was anything but a religious disguise for aban-doning superfluous offspring. Instead, it ...
My contribution to 'Rural riches & royal rags?
Studies on medieval and modern
archaeology, presen... more My contribution to 'Rural riches & royal rags? Studies on medieval and modern archaeology, presented to Frans Theuws’ (29 June 2018). Also contains the bibliography of the entire volume.
Paschasius Radbertus's Epitaphium Arsenii is a lively and polemical dialogue that takes us straig... more Paschasius Radbertus's Epitaphium Arsenii is a lively and polemical dialogue that takes us straight into the controversies within the court-connected and competitive elite of the 850s. The latter's membership, ecclesiastical as well as secular, measured each other against the yardstick of public service, and used failure to live up to this as a means of attack. On the one hand, the Epitaphium is a highly personal text, aimed at a restricted audience; on the other, it addresses the shared values of the Carolingian political leadership. This was not a world dominated by 'the Church', but one in which many 'churches' (monasteries) and their abbots actively participated in the political arena.
Please note, these are the second proofs of my most recent book, issued as a paperback in 2011, s... more Please note, these are the second proofs of my most recent book, issued as a paperback in 2011, so there are some errors that were corrected for the published version.
Wala, abbot of Corbie, played a major role in the rebellions against Emperor Louis the Pious, esp... more Wala, abbot of Corbie, played a major role in the rebellions against Emperor Louis the Pious, especially in 830, for which he was exiled. Radbert defended his beloved abbot, known to his monks as Arsenius, against accusations of infidelity in an 'epitaph' (funeral oration), composed as a two-book conversation between himself and other monks of Corbie. Whereas the restrained first book of Radbert's Epitaphium Arsenii was written not long after Wala's death in 836, the polemical second book was added some twenty years later. This outspoken sequel covers the events of the early 830s, but it mostly addresses the political issues of the 850s, as well as Radbert's own contemporary predicament. In Epitaph for an Era, an absorbing study of this fascinating text, Mayke de Jong examines the context of the Epitaphium's two books, the use of hindsight as a rhetorical strategy, and the articulation of notions of the public good in the mid-ninth century.
... controversial. Why did parents give away their children? Were they driven by economic necessi... more ... controversial. Why did parents give away their children? Were they driven by economic necessity? This book argues that child oblation was anything but a religious disguise for aban-doning superfluous offspring. Instead, it ...
My contribution to 'Rural riches & royal rags?
Studies on medieval and modern
archaeology, presen... more My contribution to 'Rural riches & royal rags? Studies on medieval and modern archaeology, presented to Frans Theuws’ (29 June 2018). Also contains the bibliography of the entire volume.
Paschasius Radbertus's Epitaphium Arsenii is a lively and polemical dialogue that takes us straig... more Paschasius Radbertus's Epitaphium Arsenii is a lively and polemical dialogue that takes us straight into the controversies within the court-connected and competitive elite of the 850s. The latter's membership, ecclesiastical as well as secular, measured each other against the yardstick of public service, and used failure to live up to this as a means of attack. On the one hand, the Epitaphium is a highly personal text, aimed at a restricted audience; on the other, it addresses the shared values of the Carolingian political leadership. This was not a world dominated by 'the Church', but one in which many 'churches' (monasteries) and their abbots actively participated in the political arena.
Please note, these are the second proofs of my most recent book, issued as a paperback in 2011, s... more Please note, these are the second proofs of my most recent book, issued as a paperback in 2011, so there are some errors that were corrected for the published version.
This paper explores the impact of the Astronomer's Life of Louis the Pious on our understanding o... more This paper explores the impact of the Astronomer's Life of Louis the Pious on our understanding of Charlemagne's relation with his daughters. This is the typescript I completed and sent to the editors on 30 June 2015. No changes have been made since, except to the format of the footnotes.
This how in the summer of 2011 I saw the context of the second book of Paschasius Radbertus' Epit... more This how in the summer of 2011 I saw the context of the second book of Paschasius Radbertus' Epitaphium Arsenii. I have changed my mind in some respects (e.g. I think the second book dates to the mid-850s or afterwards) but basically I am still OK with my own text, which has not yet been published. So it is time to share it via Academia.
This book presents a new and accessible translation of a well-known yet enigmatic text: the 'Epit... more This book presents a new and accessible translation of a well-known yet enigmatic text: the 'Epitaph for Arsenius' by the monk and scholar Paschasius Radbertus (Radbert) of Corbie. This monastic dialogue, with the author in the role of narrator, plunges the reader directly into the turmoil of ninth-century religion and politics. 'Arsenius' was the nickname of Wala, a member of the Carolingian family who in the 830s became involved in the rebellions against Louis the Pious. Exiled from the court, Wala/Arsenius died in Italy in 836. Casting both Wala and himself in the role of the prophet Jeremiah, Radbert chose the medium of the epitaph (funeral oration) to deliver a polemical attack, not just on Wala's enemies, but also on his own.
The Israeli Forum of Early Medieval Studies is proud to share the 2022 spring semester plan:
Mar... more The Israeli Forum of Early Medieval Studies is proud to share the 2022 spring semester plan:
March 30th, 18:30 Jerusalem Raymond Van Dam (University of Michigan) The Funeral and Deification of Constantine
April 12th, 19:00 Jerusalem Stefan Esders (Freie Universität Berlin) Early Medieval Wergild: Personal Status, Conflict Resolution, and the Barbarian Law Codes
May 18th, 18:30 Jerusalem Mayke de Jong (Utrecht University) Epitaph for an Era Three Years Later: Audiences and Allegiances Revisited
June 15th, 18:30 Jerusalem Jonathan P. Conant (Brown University) Bishops and the Liberation of Roman Captives in the Fifth Century
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Papers by Mayke de Jong
Studies on medieval and modern
archaeology, presented to Frans Theuws’ (29 June 2018). Also contains the bibliography of the entire volume.
Studies on medieval and modern
archaeology, presented to Frans Theuws’ (29 June 2018). Also contains the bibliography of the entire volume.
March 30th, 18:30 Jerusalem
Raymond Van Dam (University of Michigan)
The Funeral and Deification of Constantine
April 12th, 19:00 Jerusalem
Stefan Esders (Freie Universität Berlin)
Early Medieval Wergild: Personal Status, Conflict Resolution, and the Barbarian Law Codes
May 18th, 18:30 Jerusalem
Mayke de Jong (Utrecht University)
Epitaph for an Era Three Years Later: Audiences and Allegiances Revisited
June 15th, 18:30 Jerusalem
Jonathan P. Conant (Brown University)
Bishops and the Liberation of Roman Captives in the Fifth Century
Register here:
https://forms.gle/RjiMdcJbqzbAxGM57
*Zoom links will be sent a week prior to each lecture*
We hope to see you there.
Best Wishes,
Mor Hajbi and Shachar F. Orlinski