Introduzione alla mitografia isidoriana

This study aims to illustrate an aspect of the problematic relations of the Christians writers on the pagan classics, namely the attitude in front of the mythology. They at first decidedly reject the mythological contents, but soon began to use them variously, considering elements of repertoire and literary symbol, as the exemplary case of Augustine shows. In the Christian encyclopedic tradition, the writers treated the myths, because they were significant element to the knowledge of the ancient world: for this reason we propose here an analysis of the mythological inserts in the Isidore’s Etymologies (in particular of the section De dis gentium in VIII 11) and an interpretation both in the light of the patristic and classical sources and traditions and within writer’s more general reflection on the mythology. In this way, also from this point of view, Isidore may appear a most interesting writer in the cultural and literary history of his time