이시도루스의 『어원』에 나타난 고대 지식의 중세적 수용

초록

This paper aims to systematically analyze the internal structure of Etymologiae, an encyclopedic work written by Isidore of Seville (Isidorus Hispalensis, 560–636), and to examine how the ancient system of knowledge was assimilated and integrated into the early medieval Christian worldview. Etymologiae is a vast work comprising 20 volumes that played a decisive role in the intellectual formation of medieval Europe. According to J. Fontaine, Isidore’s Etymologiae embodies a theological logic that begins with God the Creator and proceeds according to the hierarchy of creation. Volumes 1–5 cover the liberal arts and general education; volumes 6–8, the Bible and Christianity; volumes 9–11, humanity; volume 12, animals; volumes 13–17, nature; and volumes 18–20, the products of human activity. The goal of this work is to annotate the Bible by mastering the disciplines covered in Books 1–5. It examines how the world created by God is structured in the order of humans, animals, and nature, and finally synthesizes knowledge of the created world by listing human products. Ultimately, the structure of Isidore’s Etymologiae can be seen as a reorganization of the ancient body of knowledge with God at its apex. Furthermore, Isidore’s method of utilizing ancient sources demonstrates that Etymologiae is not merely a compilation but a product of creative reorganization of knowledge grounded in a Christian worldview. In other words, Isidore reorganized and adopted ancient knowledge from a Christian perspective in the realms of God and humanity, while largely accepting ancient views of nature as they were in the realm of nature.

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