Saint Isidore of Seville

c. 560-636 Philosopher & Theologian Saint Writer

Iberia

St. Isadora de Sevilla, known in Latin as Isidorus Hispalensis, was the last of the western Fathers of the Church and was proclaimed Doctor of the Church in 1722. He served as Archbishop of Seville from about 600 C.E. until his death in 636, and presided at the second Council of Seville and at the fourth national Council of Toledo.

An author of many treatises, including works on linguistics, history, science and cosmology as well as on theology, he is best known as an encyclopaedist for his extraordinary work, Etymologiae ("Etymologies"), which stands as the first known encyclopedia in western history. Isidore also wrote biographies of 86 biblical figures. His other works include:

De natura rerum ("On the Nature of Things")

De officiis ecclesiasticis ("On Church Duties")

De ordine creaturarum ("On the Order of Creatures")

De ortu et obitu patrum ("On the Origin and Death of the Fathers")

Differentiarum libri ("Books of Differences")

Sententiarum libri tres ("Three Books of Sentences")

Synonima ("Synonyms")

Today Isidore is the patron saint of schoolchildren, students, computer technicians, computer users, computers, and the Internet.

Important Dates

Died: April 4, 636

On the Web

General

Catholic Encyclopedia: St. Isidore of Seville
An extensive examination of Isidore's life and works by John B. O'Connor.

Isidore of Seville
A heavily-hyperlinked list of data at the Patron Saints Index.

Works by Isidore

Etymologiae
More than half of the 20 books are currently available, in Latin, at George Mason University.

Sites of Interest

Isidore of Seville's tripartite world map, 1472
Though reproduced in this 15th-century publication, Isidore created this map for Etymologiarum sive Originum libri XX. More info can be found in the accompanying monograph at the Cartographic Images site.

In Print

The links below will take you to mySimon, where you can compare prices at booksellers across the web. More in-depth info about the book may be found by clicking on to the book's page at one of the online merchants.

An Encyclopedist of the Dark Ages: Isidore of Seville
by Ernest Brehaut

Tradition et Actualite Chez Isidore de Seville
by Jaques Fontaine

Related Resources

Hagiography
Indices, primary sources, and general sites focusing on the study of Saints' lives.

Philosophy & Theology
A multi-page index of philosophical and theological theories and the individuals who contributed them, from the early Middle Ages to the early Modern Age.

Medieval Iberia
A multi-page index of sites concerning people, places and events in medieval Spain and Portugal.

More at the Medieval History Site

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