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Isidore of Seville, or Isidorus Hispaliensis

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Isidore, St.

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surnamed also "the young" to distinguish him from Isidore of Cordova, one of the most distinguished ecclesiastics of the 7th century, was born at Carthagena about the year 560 or 570. He was a son of Severianus and Theodora, and brother of St. Leander, his predecessor in the bishopric of Seville, and of St. Fulgentius, bishop of Carthage. He was brought up by his brother Leander, and it was therefore natural that he should have been favored in the selection of a successor for the bishopric of Seville, but it was not principally owing to his relationship to Leander that he was honored with this distinguished position. His abilities fully entitled him to this distinction. When he ascended to the bishopric the Goths had been masters of Spain for a century and a half. The north and west of Europe were shrouded in moral darkness. Germany, occupied by a number of adverse tribes, was yet given to idolatry; Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Scotland, were almost unknown; England and Ireland had just received the first faint glimpse of Christianity; France was torn by the dissensions of petty monarchs, and the East itself was on the eve of the inroads of Mohammedanism.

To counteract these influences, and to build up the Christian faith among his countrymen, was his first care. To this end he established schools to properly train the young, entered into closer relations with the bishop of Rome (Gregory the Great), and made every effort. to bring the doctrinal and moral system of Christianity into harmony with the habits and institutions of those various races and nationalities which at that time composed the Hispano-Gothic kingdom; and so successful was he in his efforts that he is considered one of the brightest ornaments of the Church of Spain. His abilities were further recognized by his contemporaries in permitting him to preside over the two Councils-half ecclesiastical, half civil of Seville (619) and Toledo (Dec., 633). On both occasions he showed great zeal for the orthodox side, and strict opposition to all heretical manifestations; especially, however, was he opposed to Arianism. So able was the conduct of Isidore at these councils that the canons of them may be said to have served as a basis even for the constitutional law of the Spanish kingdom, both in Church and State, down to the time of the great constitutional changes of the 15th century. Isidore of Seville died at Seville April 4, 636, and was canonized by the Church soon after his death. We have but few particulars of his life from his writings, except that in a letter, about the authenticity of which there is much doubt, he invites some bishop to join him in a synod to depose the bishop of Cordova for luxuriousness and worldliness.

The great reputation which Isidore enjoyed among his colleagues may be best inferred from the fathers of the 8th Council of Toledo, who call him Doctor egregius, ecclesiae catholicae novissimum, decus, praecedentibus cetate postremus, doctrilae comparatione non imfimus, atque, et quod majus esf,jan saeculorum finiforum doctissimus, cum reverentia nominandus, Isidorus. According to the testimony of his disciple, St. Ildefonse, he was a man of wonderful eloquence. The same authority names him as the author of De Genere Oficiorum (generally called De Offciis ecclesiasticis), Liber Proemiorum: — De Ortu et Obitu Patrum (sanctorum): — Liber Synonymormums (sive lamentationis): — De Natura rerum: — Liber Sententiarum Liber Etymologiarum (Origines), probably the last work of Isidore. The first edition of his works, which display very extensive learning, and cover the various departments of literature-theological, ascetical, liturgical, scriptural, historical, philosophical, and even philological-and thus amply account for the admiration of his contemporaries, was published by Michael Somnius (Paris, 1580, folio); another, very complete, was taken principally from the MSS. of Alvar. Gomez, and augmented by notes by J. B. Perez and Grial (Madrid, 1599, 2 vols. fol.). The edition of James Dubreuil (Paris, 1601, folio) and that of Cologne (1667) are taken from that of Madrid. The latest, which is also considered the best, is due to Arevoli (Rome, 1797-1803, 7 vols. 4to). See St. Ildefonse, De Viris Illustribus; Sigebert de Gembloux, De Script. Ecclesiast. (c. 55); Tritheim, De Script. Eccles.; M'Crie, Reformation in Spain, p. 52; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gezer. 26:57 sq.; Chambers, Cyclop. s.v.; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. 7:89 sq.; Smith, Dict. of Class. Biography, 2, 627 sq. ‘(J. H.W.)