Relics, Apocalypse, and the Deceits of History

Richard A. Landes is Senior Fellow at the Center for International Communication, Bar-Ilan University.

Relics, Apocalypse, and the Deceits of History is an intelligent and imaginative study of an author who accounts for a large proportion of the surviving narrative sources for Aquitaine in the first third of the eleventh century and is consequently central to our understanding of important movements such as the Peace of God, pilgrimage, and the cult of saints. Ademar left a substantial corpus, much of it autograph. This provides the cornerstone of Landes's challenging methodology whereby he calibrates shifts in Ademar's literary identity--as copyist, historian, liturgist, and mythographer--against a detailed biographical reconstruction which is in turn interwoven with the religious, social, and political currents affecting the 'millennial generation'. Landes excels in applying skilled palaeographical, codicological, and textual analysis to wider issues...This is an ambitious, original, methodologically exciting, and closely argued work of great interest.

• Acknowledgments Abbreviations I. Ademar and Aquitaine at the Turn of the Millennium 1. An Embarrassment of Riches: Ademar's Autograph Corpus 2. The Social and Political Climate of Aquitaine at the Turn of the Millennium 3. The Politics of Popular Enthusiasm and the Origins of the Vita Prolixior II. Early Career: The Formation of a Monastic Historian, 989-1028 4. Ademar's Youth: Monastic Withdrawal from a Turbulent World 5. A Monk in Church Politics: From Copyist to Historian 6. Writing History in an Apocalyptic Age: Alpha 7. Jerusalem Pilgrimage, Abbacy Lost, History Gained: Beta 8. Assassination, Witchcraft, and the Crucible of Ambition III. The Apostolic Controversy: From Apostolic Impresario to Master Forger, 1028-1031 9. The Consecration of the Basilica Regalis and Ademar's Conversion to the Cult of Saint Martial 10. The Year of the Apostolic Liturgy: Gamma 11. Impresario on the Ropes: The Debates with Benedict of Chiusa 12. Dilemmas of a Masterful Failure: The Circular Apology 13. Birth of a Solitary Forger: Confection of the Apostolic Corpus IV. The Millennial Generation 14. The Terrible Hopes of the Millennial Generation and the Weeping Crucifix 15. Ademar and the Millennial Generation: Apostolic Relics and Apocalyptic Pilgrimages 16. Epilogue: On Timing, Editing, and Forgery Appendices A. Chronology, 987-1034 B. Manuscripts in Ademar's Corpus C. Identifying Ademar's Handwriting D. Manuscript Descriptions D1. BN lat. 5239 D2. BN lat. 3784: A Monastic Compendium D3. Leiden, Vossianus Oct. 15: A Liberal Arts Florilegium D4. BN lat. 2400: An Ecclesiastical Miscellany D5. BN lat. 6190, folios S3-57: First Draft of the History D6. BN lat. 5943A: Historical Works E. Apocalyptic Signs and Ademar's Description of I009-1010 F. Ademar's Trips to Limoges, 1024-1034 G. Length of Simneon's Stay in Angouleme H. Poisonings in Beta I. Analysis of the Sources on Witchcraft Bibliography Index