Oxford Notitia Dignitatum
A unique historical treasure is known today under the title Notitia Dignitatum: a Roman state registry from the 5th century containing extremely exciting information about the military and civil organization of the Late Roman Empire. The original is lost today but has been recorded in four medieval transcripts, the oldest and most important of which is stored in Oxfordβs Bodleian Library and grants a wonderful inside view into the Roman Empire of late antiquity. The work was commissioned by Pietro Donato and Savoy miniaturist Perronet Lamy served as the illuminator of the manuscript, which he created in 1436. Working in Basel, Switzerland, he furnished it with 109 gorgeous miniatures based on classical examples including detailed depictions of the armaments, clothing, and armor of the army at the end of the 4th century as well as illustrations of stylized cityscapes, tables with shield patterns of the various military units, insignias, and images of ancient coins.
Oxford Notitia Dignitatum
Manuscript Canon. Misc. 378 of Oxfordβs Bodleian Library counts among the most precious pieces of evidence of the Late Roman Empire. The historic specimen was made in the year 1436 for Pietro Donato, the Bishop of Padua (1428.1447), who inter alia chaired the Council of Basel in 1436. This manuscript was copied from a now-lost 9th century Carolingian manuscript from the Speyer Cathedral treasury and is considered to be the oldest surviving manuscript of the Notitia Dignitatum.
Grandiose Medieval Illumination for a Roman State Registry
Pietro Donato presumably contracted the Savoy miniaturist Perronet Lamy as the illuminator of the manuscript. In the last quarter of the 15th century, Perronet Lamy was active for the House of Savoy above all, but also stood in the service of the Bishop of Padua on occasion. It was for him that the transcript at hand of the Notitia Dignitatum, a true gem of illumination and history, was created! In doing so, Perronet Lamy partially copied the example, but also appended it through his own visual inventions and presented all his ability in the wonderful and detailed depictions of the armaments, clothing, and armor of the warriors or a figurative depiction of an enthroned Hadrian in conversation with the philosopher Epictetus standing before him.
How Did the Roman Empire Function
The manuscript of the Notitia Dignitatum presents itself both as an important source for knowledge about the administrative organization of the Late Roman Empire as well as for the rediscovery of Greek antiquity during the Renaissance period. In the notitia dignitatum omnium tam civilium quam militarium, the administrative and military organization of both the Western and Eastern Roman Empires recorded. For example, one finds a register of all civil and military dignities, offices, and troops organized according to the ranks of the hierarchy. The script is gorgeously illustrated with illustrations of stylized cityscapes, tables with shield patterns of the various military units, insignias, and images of ancient coins.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- List of Offices
Il codice Notitia Dignitatum
Notitia Dignitatum et Administrationum Omnium tam Civilium quam Militarium
Notitia Dignitatum by Peronet Lamy
Notitia Dignitatum von Peronet Lamy - Size / Format
- 348 pages / 27.5 Γ 19.7 cm
- Origin
- Italy
- Date
- 1436
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Script
- Humanistic minuscule
- Illustrations
- 109 miniatures
- Content
- Presentation of the administrative and military structures of the Roman Empire in Late Antiquity
- Patron
- Pietro Donato (1380β1447), Bishop of Padua
- Artist / School
- Peronet Lamy
Oxford Notitia Dignitatum
The Debate of Emperor Hadrian and Epictetus
A fictitious dialogue between the Roman Emperor Hadrian and the Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus was written during the 2nd or 3rd century, which continued to be popular during the Middle Ages. Nonetheless, Hadrian was supposedly friendly with Epictetus and may have heard him speak at his school in Nicopolis. As one of the βFive Good Emperorsβ, Hadrian was praised by medieval authors for his learnedness and even the staunchly republican Machiavelli described him as an ideal princeps.
Oxford Notitia Dignitatum
Magister Officiorum West
The production of arms, armor, and other equipment was centralized in the 4th century and here we see the helmets, shields, mail coats, cuirasses, laminated greaves, swords, spears, axes, hammers, and other tools that were produced by the fabricae or βarms factoriesβ for the Late Roman Army.
The caption at the top of the page also informs us that these shields have the insignia of the Western units of the Scholae Palatinae, an elite military guard created by Emperor Constantine the Great as a replacement for the Praetorian Guard, which continued to function in the Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire until the 11th century. They were largely recruited from the Franks and Alemanni, but native Romans also served, especially as officers.
#1 Notitia Dignitatum
Languages: Italian
(3,000β¬ - 7,000β¬)
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