THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
sliding, repentance, sin, conscience, virtue and vice. The last book discusses the estates of the Christian life, divine judgments, temptation, prayer, asceticism, temporal authorities, the brevity of human life, and similar topics. (7) Contra Judaeos libn duo, or De fide catholica adversus Judaeos, written at the request of his sister Florentina, and establishing the truth of the Christian religion from the prophecies of the Old Testament with special reference to the Jewish question in Spain. (8) Monasticae regulae liber, a system not differing essentially from the Benedictine rule, although in no way related to it. (9) Quaestionum in Vetus Testamentum libri duo, a mystical and allegorical interpretation of the Old Testament, consisting entirely of excerpts from Origen, Victorinus, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Fulgentius, Cassian, and especially from Gregory the Great. (10) De viris illustribus sive de scriptoribus ecclesiasticis, a continuation of the works of Jerome and Gennadius. It contains the biographies of fourteen Spaniards and thirty-two non-Spaniards, but is written for the most part in a superficial manner and composed in great measure of excerpts (which are frequently incorrect) from Rufinus, Cassiodorus, and Victor of Tunnuna, or from the works of the authors whom Isidore discusses. (11) Chronicorum a principio mundi usque ad tempus suum liber, from the creation to the Emperor Heraclius and King Sisebut (616), based on Julius Africanus, Eusebius-Jerome, and Victor of Tunnuna, while its division according to the " six ages of the world " was taken from Augustine's City of God. The work is extant in two recensions, as well as in an abridgment forming the fifth chapter of the Etymologiae. (12) Historia Gothorum, Vandalorum et Suevorum, also in two redactions, and containing a brief, but valuable, account of these three peoples, especially of the Goths from the earliest times to the fifth year of King Swintila (626). (13) Libri differentiarum duo, the first an alphabetical list of synonymous or homonymous words with their meanings, and the second an elucidation of various concepts. (14) Synonymorum libri duo, or according to Ildefonsus, Libri lamentationum, a collection of words and phrases in the form of a dialogue between the sinful soul and comforting " reason," which points it to penance and the forgiveness of sins. (15) De natura rerum, written at the request of King Sisebut and dedicated to him. In its fortyfive chapters it contains the most noteworthy facts concerning the elements, the heavenly bodies, the weather, the divisions of the earth, and the like, the material being drawn in great part from Suetonius, Ambrose, the pseudo-Clementine writings, and Augustine (16) De numeris liber, a mystic interpretation of the numbers from one to sixty and their significance in Scripture, nature, and history. The work is important for the history of the symbolism of figures. (17) Etymologiarum sive originum libri viginti, the culmination of all the works of its author, his other writings being either preparations or extensions of individual parts of this book. It formed the great encyclopedia of Isidore's period, and derived its name from the etymology prefixed to each article. The work is divided into twenty books treating of the following subjects: i. grammar; ii. rhetoric and
dialectics; iii. arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy; iv. medicine; v. jurisprudence and chronology, with a brief universal history; vi. Bible, inspiration, the canon, sacraments, liturgy, Easter, feasts, libraries, manuscripts, beoks, writing-material, and the like; vii. a compend of theology, God, the Trinity, angels and men, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, clerks, and monks; viii. church and synagogue, religion and faith, heresy and schism, Jewish and Christian heretics, gentile philosophers, poets, sibyls, magicians, and gods; ix. various peoples and languages, offices and forms of government, marriages and relationships; x. Latin lexicon, with an explanation of about 500 words in alphabetical order; xi. mankind; xii. animals; xiii. the composition and motion of the world; xiv. divisions of the earth, lands, and mountains; xv. cities; xvi. earth and stone, gems and metals, weights and measures; xvii. agriculture, plants, and grain; xviii. war, weapons, games; xix. ships, buildings, clothing, adornment; xx. food, drink, furniture, and agricultural implements. Isidore's chief sources were Cassiodorus, Boethius, Varro, Solinus, Pliny, Hyginus, Servius, Lactantius, Tertullian, and especially the Prata of Suetonius, but much was written from memory, thus accounting for many of the inaccuracies of the work. The Etymologiae remained the great work of reference for hundreds of years, and was practically copied by Rabanus in his encyclopedic De universo (844), while it was profoundly admired by John of Salisbury in the twelfth century. Compiler and plagiarist though he may have been, it has been well said that centuries would have remained in darkness if Isidore had not let his light shine.
In addition to the works already enumerated, Isidore is said to have written many smaller treatises, and others still have been ascribed to him, such as the Quaestiones de Veteri et Novo Testamento and the De ordine creaturarum, De contemptu mundi, and an interpretation of the Song of Solomon. A number of Latin poems are ascribed to him, but with little warrant, and hymns to Agatha and other martyrs are included among the Mozarabic hymns. Several of his letters are still extant, and contain much of biographical and contemporary interest.
(R. Schmid.) Bibliography: Lists of literature are given in C. U. J. Chevalier, Sources historiques du moyen-&ge, p. 1127, Paris, 1877 sqq.; J. E. B. Mayor, Bibliographical Clue to Latin Literature, p. 212, London, 1875; Potthast, Wegweiser, pp. 687-689. The best edition of his works is by F. Arevali, 7 vols., Rome, 1797-1803, reproduced in MPL, lxxxi.-lxxxiv. Others are by M. de la Bigne, Paris, 1580; J. de Breul and J. Grial, Paris, 1601; by Grial and Gomez, Madrid, 1778. Consult: N. Antonio, Bibliotheca Hispana vetus, ed. P. Bayer, Madrid, 1788; J. C. F. Bahr, Geschichte der romischen IAteratur, supplement, i. 111-113, Carlsruhe, 1836; C. E. Bourret, L'Ecole chrelienne de Seville, pp. 59- 193, Paris, 1855; C. F. Montalembert, Les Moines de V Occident, ii. 200-218, 5 vols., Paris, 1860-67, Eng. transl., i. 421-424, Boston, 1872; P. Gams, Kirchengeschichle Spaniens, ii. 2, pp. 102-113, Regensburg, 1874; H. Hertzberg, Die Historien und Chroniken des Isidorus von Sevilla, Gottingen, 1874; Wattenbach, DGQ, i (1885), 81-83, i (1893), 84-86; A. Ebert, Geschichte der Literatur des Mittelalters, i. 588-602, Leipsic, 1889; W. Smith, Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology, ii. 627- 630, London, 1890; W. S. Teuffel, Geschichte der romischen Literatur, pp. 1292-1295, Leipsic, 1890; C. Canal, San Isidoro, Seville, 1897; Ceillier, Auteurs sacrcs, xi. 710-728'