Chapter LXIII: Introduction

To the early and medieval Christian chronology was a subject of absorbing interest. For him the course of the world’s history was authoritatively laid down in the Biblical account, and looking back over it he thought he saw that it was passing by well-marked stages to an end that was to be as sharply defined as its beginning had been. It was inevitable that there should be an attempt to plot its progress and even to form some general notion as to its end. For this purpose the Greek chronology was accepted in its entirety and extended by a set of extravagant assumptions, acceptable to the uncritical minds of the time, back to the beginning of the world. By this means an authoritative chronological exposition of past time was secured, such as under wise interpretation would disclose more clearly the rate and manner in which God’s purpose was working itself out.[300]

[300] At the same time chronology was incidentally made to show
in a statistical way what a great priority Hebrew civilization
had over its pagan rivals. _Cf._ pp. 79, 80.

The chronology presented by Isidore traces the course of time along the line of the Roman emperors from Heraclius back to Julius Caesar, and then by way of the Ptolemaic dynasty to Alexander the Great. Here a transition is made to the Persian kings, who are followed back to Darius near the beginning of the fifth age. The four ages between the captivity of the Jews and the creation are marked by Biblical personages only.

There are two matters of importance to be noted in connection with the _De Temporibus_.[301] Isidore is the first to introduce into formal chronology the division of the world’s history into six ages. The idea was not his, however; he was merely putting into practice a suggestion given repeatedly in Augustine’s writings,[302] and used by Orosius in his _History Against the Pagans_. In the second place, it should be remarked that Isidore shows no signs of being aware of the proposal of Dionysius Exiguus for an era beginning with the birth of Christ. It is true that Isidore’s sixth age is supposed to begin at that time,—although as a matter of fact it begins at the death of Julius Caesar,[303]—but his era is a world era beginning at the creation.

[301] In some respects Isidore’s chronology is peculiar, and
differs from any known chronology of world-history of the time.
For example, where Hieronymus gives the time from the flood to
Abraham as 1072 years, Isidore gives it as 942 years; and where
Africanus put the birth of Christ in the year 5500 of the world,
Isidore put it in 5197. See Hertzberg, p. 376. Again, only the
full years are noticed, the fractions of the older chronologies
being either counted as integers or ignored, though this is not
done according to any system. For table showing irregularities
here, see _ibid._, p. 325, notes 3 and 4.

[302] E.g. _De Civitate Dei_, xxii, 30.

[303] 5, 38, 5.

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