The paper analyses two specific sources, Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum and Erchempert's Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium, regarding the presence of the Saracens in Langobardia minor and Sicily. The evolution of the role played by the Muslims, between the seventh and the ninth centuries, in the convulsive events of the southern regions of the Italian peninsula can be clearly seen from a reading of these two sources, which record the growing importance of what Paul defines as gens infidelis and Deo inimica. The Historia, in fact, presents the Saracens in an ominous light, considering them a serious military threat in a broad Mediterranean context, without being able to explain (due to the death of Paul at the end of the 8th century) the intensification of Muslim expeditions in the Italian peninsula after the landing of the Aghlabids in Sicily in 827. It is therefore necessary to integrate the testimony of the Historia with that of the Ystoriola, the plot of which focuses on Langobardia minor. Within this area Erchempert reconstructs the events concerning the Saracens, highlighting the decisive role played by divine intervention, which by no means fell exclusively on the infidels, but sometimes even used the Saracens themselves to strike those Christians who were guilty of serious sins. Therefore, in the light of recent historiography, this paper proposes to focus on the image of the Saracens that emerges from the comparison between the Mediterranean dimension of Paul the Deacon and the regional one of Erchempert, in particular the religious perspective with which these two authors observe the progressive Muslim expansion in southern Italy.
L’articolo analizza due specifiche fonti, l’Historia Langobardorum di Paolo Diacono e l’Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium di Erchemperto, relativamente alla presenza dei Saraceni nella Langobardia minor e in Sicilia. L’evoluzione del ruolo avuto dai musulmani, tra i secoli VII e IX, nelle convulse vicende delle regioni meridionali della penisola italiana emerge in maniera significativa dalla lettura di queste due fonti, in cui si registra il crescente protagonismo di quella che Paolo Diacono definisce una gens infidelis e Deo inimica. L’Historia, infatti, presenta i Saraceni sotto una luce sinistra, considerandoli una grave minaccia militare all’interno di un ampio contesto mediterraneo, senza però poter dar conto (per la morte di Paolo sul finire dell’VIII secolo) dell’intensificarsi delle spedizioni musulmane nella penisola italiana successivamente allo sbarco degli Aghlabiti in Sicilia nell’827. Si rende pertanto necessario integrare la testimonianza dell’Historia con quella dell’Ystoriola, la cui trama è focalizzata sulla Langobardia minor. All’interno di questa area Erchemperto ricostruisce le vicende riguardanti i Saraceni evidenziando come in esse giochi un ruolo determinante l’intervento divino, che in maniera niente affatto esclusiva si abbatteva sugli infedeli, talvolta anzi sfruttava gli stessi Saraceni per colpire quei cristiani che si erano macchiati di gravi colpe. La relazione, pertanto, alla luce delle indicazioni fornite dalla più recente storiografia di riferimento, si propone di mettere a fuoco l’immagine dei Saraceni così come essa emerge dal raffronto tra la dimensione mediterranea di Paolo Diacono e quella regionale di Erchemperto, cogliendo nello specifico l’ottica religiosa con cui questi due autori osservano la progressiva espansione musulmana nel sud Italia.
Gens infidelis, nefanda gens: A Look at the Saracens between Langobardia Minor and Sicily
Emanuele Piazza
2022-01-01
Abstract
The paper analyses two specific sources, Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum and Erchempert's Ystoriola Langobardorum Beneventum degentium, regarding the presence of the Saracens in Langobardia minor and Sicily. The evolution of the role played by the Muslims, between the seventh and the ninth centuries, in the convulsive events of the southern regions of the Italian peninsula can be clearly seen from a reading of these two sources, which record the growing importance of what Paul defines as gens infidelis and Deo inimica. The Historia, in fact, presents the Saracens in an ominous light, considering them a serious military threat in a broad Mediterranean context, without being able to explain (due to the death of Paul at the end of the 8th century) the intensification of Muslim expeditions in the Italian peninsula after the landing of the Aghlabids in Sicily in 827. It is therefore necessary to integrate the testimony of the Historia with that of the Ystoriola, the plot of which focuses on Langobardia minor. Within this area Erchempert reconstructs the events concerning the Saracens, highlighting the decisive role played by divine intervention, which by no means fell exclusively on the infidels, but sometimes even used the Saracens themselves to strike those Christians who were guilty of serious sins. Therefore, in the light of recent historiography, this paper proposes to focus on the image of the Saracens that emerges from the comparison between the Mediterranean dimension of Paul the Deacon and the regional one of Erchempert, in particular the religious perspective with which these two authors observe the progressive Muslim expansion in southern Italy.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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