Historiography in the Middle Ages

Historiography in the Middle Ages (in Russian: Средневековая историография, in German: Mittelalterliche Geschichtsschreibung, in French: Historiographie médiévale) is an intentional preservation of the memory of the past in the works of Western European writers of the 4th-15th centuries, which is a direct continuation of Ancient historiography [ru], but unlike it, organizes events by chronology rather than cause-and-effect relationships, and is poorly localized in space.^[1] History as an independent discipline did not exist in the Middle Ages, nor did the profession of historian; nevertheless, writers on historical subjects understood the peculiarities of the historical genre. The creation of historical texts was primarily the work of the clergy, then of statesmen, and even of troubadours and minstrels, representatives of the populace and the burghers.^[2] A significant part of the texts was written in Latin, a series of texts in national languages of the epoch appears only from the High Middle Ages.

While the rhetorical method inherited from antiquity remained unchanged, medieval historiography was the realization of a number of Christian concepts,^[3] primarily universalism and eschatology.^[4] Almost all medieval historians developed a universalist point of view, since history was perceived as an act of God, which did not exclude local patriotism and xenophobia. R. Collingwood emphasized that "history, as the will of God, predetermines itself, and its natural course does not depend on man's desire to control it. Purposes arise and are realized in it which are not planned by any man. Even those who think they oppose them actually contribute to their fulfillment".^[5]

Medieval historians tried to tell about the past and describe the events of their time in a strict chronological order.^[6] This approach led to the realization that humanity passed through a number of stages in its development. One of the first variants of periodization was the four-part concept of Hippolytus of Rome and Julius Africanus. It combined the ancient concept of the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Iron Ages with Christian providentialism; each century was associated with a great empire: Chaldean (Babylonian), Persian, Macedonian, Roman. Another tradition was established in the twelfth century by Joachim of Fiore, who divided history into three periods: the reign of God the Father, or the incarnate God, the pre-Christian era; the reign of God the Son, or the Christian era; and the reign of the Holy Spirit, which was to begin in the future. The key to history was Revelation, which allowed us to understand the past acts of the Creator and showed us His future intentions, but the historian's business is only the past, and the future is the province of the prophet.^[7][8]