HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE MIDDLE AGES - Julian Emperor

WORLD HISTORIOGRAPHY IN THE LATE MIDDLE AGES 173nal form, one could view Thomas Ebendorfer as continuing Martinof Troppau. As regards content, one can confirm partly that bothhistories of Thomas Ebendorfer belong to world history, more forthe imperial history and less so for the papal history. In the papalhistory, Ebendorfer repeatedly laments the times and the machinamundi, which is being shaken. 52 At the same time, this work differsin several respects from a world history. It is written at a temporaldistance to imperial history and has had a separate history of transmission.The papal history stands, by virtue of the reliance on theLiber pontificalis, in a tradition of church historiography. Finally, it isplaced in this tradition by virtue of its content, even if in a newspirit. The curia is criticized. A church without a papacy becomesconceivable. In contrast to his imperial history, Thomas Ebendorfer’spapal history in the whole cannot be considered a world history.For imperial history after 1273, Thomas combines Johann ofViktring, Andreas of Regensburg, and Heinrich Taube with AustrianLandesgeschichte. 53 Thomas Ebendorfer’s imperial history is world historybecause it reaches back to the Assyrians, is organized accordingto four world empires, and is occupied with the High Middle Agesonly in the sixth book (the seventh book constitutes an amendmentof the whole with new material). The directiones, which are attachedwith a certain pedantry to every reign of an emperor, lend the booka moralistic tone, which Thomas emphasizes expressly in prefacesas well. By dedicating the work to Frederick III, it takes on almostthe character of a royal mirror, which represses the heilsgeschichtlichencharacter. It remains world history because it is intended to educatean emperor. Only a world history could offer historical educationfor an emperor.In Nuremberg, Platterberger and Truchseß write a chronicle thatis organized according to popes and emperors. 54 In the section organizedaccording to emperors, Nuremberg histories are included underspecial headings. The chronicle goes back to the creation of the52Thomas Ebendorfer, Chronica pontificum Romanorum, ed. Zimmermann, 22, 53.53Thomas Ebendorfer, Chronica regum Romanorum, 1346–1458 (= Annales imperatorumRomanorum), ed. A. F. Pribram, Mitteilungen des Instituts für Österreichische GeschichtsforschungErg.bd. 3 (Wien, 1890/1894), 96–112; 150–213.54Johannes Platterberger and Theoderich Truchseß, Eine deutsche Weltchronik, bis1409, ed. D. Kerler, Chroniken der fränkischen Städte, Nürnberg 3, Die Chroniken der deutschenStädte 3 (Leipzig, 1864), 268–305.