Isidore

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Spanish by birth, Isidore hailed from Cartagena. Isidore or Saint Isidore of Seville belonged to an influential family. From a young age he excelled in academics and within a very…


World Map of Ancient time

Spanish by birth, Isidore hailed from Cartagena. Isidore or Saint Isidore of Seville belonged to an influential family. From a young age he excelled in academics and within a very short time mastered three languages – Latin, Greek and Spanish.

One of the renowned scholars of the early Middle Ages, was the Archbishop of Seville for more than thirty years. He was also an expert cartographer and an eminent researcher and writer. Much of his research works were later used in structuring the medieval history of Spain.

Works of Isidore

  • Chronica Majora
  • Sententiae libri tres
  • On the Nature of Things
  • De differentiis verborum
  • A number of brief letters.
  • Vandalorum et Suevorum
  • Historia de regibus Gothorum
  • Questions on the Old Testament.
  • A mystical treatise on the allegorical meanings of numbers

Among the cartographic works of Isidore, the most famous is the Map of World published during the 11th century. Isidore upgraded the existing 7th century World Map into a more elaborated and informative one.

In one of his greatest works – Etymologiae, he stated and proved that the earth is round in shape which was a great achievement at the time. He was honored with saint hood in the last decade of 16th century.

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