Images of Biblical Conflict in Castile, c.1150–c.1240: A Comparison of the Chronica Adefonsi Imperatoris and the Chronica Latina Regum Castellae

Abstract

This article explores themes of violence and conflict linking two Hispano-Latin chronicles of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: the Chronica Adefonsi Imperatoris and the Chronica Latina Regum Castellae. There are striking contrasts in their tone and presentation of events but a remarkable similarity in the authors’ understanding of conquest as a biblical epic, often with violent images derived from Old Testament sources. The historical narrative demonstrates an awareness of scripture that conditioned the authors’ worlds. No evidence exists that the author of the Latin Chronicle knew about the earlier work, though the convergence of theme and allusion make a comparison of the two texts plausible. First, they were reasonably short chronicles dealing with specific periods rather than with the general scope of history. Second, they were written when Christian victories over the Muslims were recently celebrated events. Third, they were written to eulogise monarchs whose lives they witnessed.