The World of Kosmas
The World of Kosmas
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GBPThe Christian Topography is the only extant Greek treatise both written and illustrated in the sixth century, although known only through later copies. Taking inspiration from East Syrian exegesis, the treatise transforms the heritage of classical cosmography into a new, Christian image of the universe. Because images are an inherent part of the argument, the Christian Topography offers a unique insight into how the relationship between word and image was constructed and how the potential of these two media was understood. Until now, however, the text and illustrations have almost always been discussed separately. Consequently the unity of the work has been disrupted and our understanding of the treatise distorted. Taking into consideration both the text and the miniatures, this book seeks to further our understanding of the Christian Topography and its intellectual milieu, and to clarify the role of the images in late antique polemics.
- Proposes a new holistic approach to this important text, considering text and image together
- Investigates in full the intellectual milieu in which it was created, and in particular its marriage of ancient science and Biblical exegesis to create a new Christian image of the universe
- Examines the history of text illustration in late antiquity and of the transmission of illustrated manuscripts into the Middle Ages
Product details
May 2020Paperback
9781108816373
423 pages
170 × 245 × 20 mm
0.74kg
201 b/w illus. 33 colour illus. 1 map 1 table
Available
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. The author and the context of the creation of the Christian Topography
- 2. Miniatures of book II: what Kosmas saw and what he read
- 3. Miniatures of book IV – the cosmos of Kosmas
- 4. Book V: the universe revealed
- 5. Miniatures of books VI-IX
- 6. The image of God, the image of the whole world
- Codicological description of manuscripts.
