Isidore of Seville Isidorus Hispalensis C

ISIDORE OF SEVILLE (ISIDORUS HISPALENSIS) (C. 570— 636), Spanish encyclopaedist and historian, was born of a noble family from Cartagena. Distinguishing himself in controversies with the Arians, in 6o9 he was chosen to succeed his brother Leander as archbishop of Seville. In the provincial and national councils he played an important part, notably at Toledo in 610, at Seville in 619 and in 633 at Toledo, which profoundly modified the organization of the Church in Spain. His great work, how ever, was the preservation of the remnants of Greek and Roman culture against the barbarians. His chief writing, the Originum sive etymologiarum libri xx, written between 622 and 633 (last ed. by W. M. Lindsay, Oxford, 1911) condenses the fruit of his With Isidore of Alexandria has been confused an Isidore of Gaza, mentioned by Photius. The latter accompanied Damascius to the Per sian court when Justinian closed the schools in Athens in 529. Suidas says that Hypatia was the wife of Isidore of Alexandria but this is chronologically impossible.

extensive reading in the seven liberal arts, the sciences, architec ture, war, political theory, the nature of spiritual beings, etc. It was much cited by the Schoolmen, and though not original, is inter esting for the history of thought.

Of the Libri differentiarum sive de proprietate sermonum, the first book is a collection of synonyms and the second of explana tions of metaphysical and religious ideas. The De scriptoribus ecclesiasticus or De viris illustribus, was a continuation of the work of St. Jerome and of Gennadius. The De natura rerum, ed. G. Becker (Berlin, 1857), a treatise on astronomy and meteor ology, contained the sum of physical philosophy during the early middle ages. His Regula monachorum was adopted by many of the monasteries in Spain during the seventh and eighth cen turies. The De Fide Catholica contra Iudaeos was edited by K. Weinhold (Paderborn 1874). The collection of canons known as the Isidoriana or Hispalensis is not by him, and the following are also of doubtful authenticity : De ortu ac obitu patrum qui in Scriptura laudibus efferuntur; Allegoriae scripturae sacrae et liber numerorum; De ordine creaturarum.

Isidore's works were edited by F. Orevalo (Rome, 1797-1803, 7 vols.), and reproduced in Migne, Patrol. Lat. 81-84. Mommsen has edited the valuable historical works, Chronica maiora or Chronicon de sex aetatibus (from the creation to A.D. 615) and the "Historia Goth orum, Wandalorum, Sueborum" in the Monum. Germ. hist., auctores antiquissimi; Chronica minora II. See also C. Canal, San Isidoro (Seville, 1897) ; E. Brehaut, An Encyclopaedist of the Dark Ages, Isi dore of Seville (New York, 1912) ; C. H. Beeson, Isidor-Studien (Munich, 1913) ; A. Schmekel, I. von Sevilla (Berlin, igi4) and Mani tius, Gesch. d. latein. Lit. (r9II).

ISIN

(modern Ishan Bahriyat). The identification of the ancient Isin with this site, which lies 14 miles due south of Afaj, in 31° 51' N. and 45° 17' E., is due to Col. Stevenson. The city of Isin was of late foundation and does not appear in inscriptions until the last years of the Ur-Engur dynasty of Ur. After the final overthrow of the Sumerians of that city state the two dominant principalities in Babylonia were Larsa and Isin, which were of Semitic origin. From 2357 B.C. these two states had each a syn chronous dynasty. In spite of various changes and the growth of the first dynasty of Babylon Isin managed to maintain itself, until in 2126 B.C. when it was conquered by the Elamites who had previously made themselves masters of Larsa. Finally both cities were united to the Babylonian empire under Hammurabi.

The site consists of a low mound of about 200 acres, extending from north-east to north-west. On the summit is a large building. Such scanty excavation as has been done by Langdon shows that the site was occupied in Neo-Babylonian times. There is a fur ther mound which has not yet been explored.