“Italia… Longe Ante Tempora Diluvii Habitata Creditur”: The Most Ancient Past of Italy in the Latin Treatise “De Origine Urbium Italie” (from the Late 14th Century)

Abstract

The author analyzes information on the first settlement of Italy by the grandchildren of Adam in the unedited Latin work “De origine urbium Italie” dated from 1391. The appearance of the text is due to the transformation of ethnogenetic myths during the Late Middle Ages and, in particular, to the regular attempts of historians to connect the exploration of various Italian regions with activities of the biblical heroes or such mythic persons who are equally correlated with the Greco-Roman tradition and the Bible. From this point of view the key specific feature of “De origine…” is the interest of its anonymous compiler in presenting as old as possible the past of Italy in whole, not of distinct cities or areas.