3 - Denis Bethell Prize Essay: Frutolf of Michelsberg's Chronicle, the Schools of Bamberg, and the Transmission of Imperial Polemic

Summary

Frutolf of Michelsberg's Chronicle is best known to historians as a classic example of universal history. In this vast and erudite work, Frutolf traces history from the creation of the world through the empires of antiquity up to the German empire of his own day by means of a skilful assemblage of late-antique and medieval historical writings. His interest in chronology, and in particular his new calculation for the creation of the world, has earned the admiration of modern historians, who have seen Frutolf's Chronicle as a high point in the genre of universal history before the work of Otto of Freising in the twelfth century. The Chronicle, however, is significant not only because of the attention that Frutolf paid to ancient chronology, but also because it provides a valuable pro-imperial account of the conflict between Empire and Papacy during the eleventh century. The purpose of this article is to examine the form of Frutolf's portrayal of the upheavals of his lifetime and their broader implications.

Frutolf completed the Chronicle in 1099 and thus had sufficient perspective to survey the history of the conflict between Henry IV of Germany and successive popes. From that vantage point, Henry seemed triumphant, and there were only occasional hints of the problems that would beset the last six years of his reign.