In 'An encyclopedist of the dark ages: Isidore of Seville', Ernest Brehaut delves into the life and work of Isidore of Seville, a prominent figure in early medieval scholarship. Brehaut meticulously explores Isidore's contributions as an encyclopedist, focusing on his most famous work, the 'Etymologiae'. The book provides a thorough analysis of Isidore's literary style and the historical context in which he wrote, shedding light on his influence on later scholars and the preservation of knowledge in the dark ages. Brehaut's scholarly approach offers a deep understanding of Isidore's significance in the intellectual history of the early medieval period. By examining Isidore's work in detail, Brehaut demonstrates the importance of studying the writings of lesser-known figures in shaping our understanding of the past. 'An encyclopedist of the dark ages: Isidore of Seville' is a must-read for those interested in medieval scholarship, intellectual history, and the preservation of knowledge in challenging times.

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The development of European thought as we know it from the dawn of history down to the Dark Ages is marked by the successive secularization and de-secularization of knowledge. From the beginning Greek secular science can be seen painfully disengaging itself from superstition. For some centuries it succeeded in maintaining its separate existence and made wonderful advances; then it was obliged to give way before a new and stronger set of superstitions which may be roughly called Oriental. In the following centuries all those branches of thought which had separated themselves from superstition again returned completely to its cover; knowledge was completely de-secularized, the final influence in this process being the victory of Neoplatonized Christianity. The sciences disappeared as living realities, their names and a few lifeless and scattered fragments being all that remained. They did not reappear as realities until the medieval period ended. This process of de-secularization was marked by two leading characteristics; on the one hand, by the loss of that contact with physical reality through systematic observation which alone had given life to Greek natural science, and on the other, by a concentration of attention upon what were believed to be the superior realities of the spiritual world. The consideration of these latter became so intense, so detailed and systematic, that there was little energy left among thinking men for anything else.