Chapter II: Isidore’s Relation to Previous Culture

1. Dependance on the past 35

2. Ignorance of Greek 35

3. Relation to Latin writers 37
a. The function of the Christian writers 37
b. The development of the pagan thought 37
(1) The encyclopædias 38
(a) Characteristics 38
Decay of thought 38
Epitomizing tendency 39
Literary scholarship 39
Scientific scholarship 40
(b) Method of production 40
(c) Acceptability of encyclopædias to the
church fathers 41
(d) Debt of Isidore to them 41
(2) The encyclopædias of education 43

4. The personal element contributed by Isidore 44

5. Sources used by Isidore 45
a. Confusion of the tradition 45
b. Investigations and their results 45