Opening page, with table of signs - Diceto's historical works (c

Ralph de Diceto (or Ralph of Diss; c. 1120c. 1202) was archdeacon of Middlesex,

dean of St Paul's The dean of St Paul's is a member of, and chair of the Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral in London in the Church of England. The dean of St Paul's is also ''ex officio'' dean of the Order of the British Empire. The current dean is Andrew Tremlett, ...

Cathedral (from c. 1180), and author of two chronicles, the ''Abbreviationes chronicorum'' and the ''Ymagines historiarum''.

Early career

Ralph is first mentioned in 1152, when he received the archdeaconry of

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

. He was probably born between 1120 and 1130; of his parentage and nationality we know nothing. The common statement that he derived his surname from Diss in Norfolk is a mere conjecture. ''Dicetum'' may equally well be a Latinized form of

Dissay Dissay () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. The main landmark is the castle, built in the 15th century by Pierre d'Amboise, bishop of Poitiers. History Human settlement in the territor ...

, Dicy, or Dizy, place names in Maine, Picardy, Burgundy, and Champagne. In 1152 Ralph was already a master of arts and, presumably, had studied at Paris. His reputation for learning and integrity stood high. He was regarded with respect and favor by Arnulf of Lisieux and Gilbert Foliot, two of the most eminent bishops of their time. Quite naturally, the archdeacon assumed the same side, that of King Henry II, on the

Becket controversy The Becket controversy or Becket dispute was the quarrel between Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket and King Henry II of England from 1163 to 1170.Bartlett ''England Under the Norman and Angevin Kings'' pp. 401–402 The controversy culminated ...

as did his friends. By 1164 Ralph had acquired the livings of Aynho, Northamptonshire, and Finchingfield, Essex, and served them both by vicars. Although Ralph's narrative is colourless and although he was one of those who showed some sympathy for Becket at the

council of Northampton A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

in 1164, his correspondence shows that he regarded the archbishop's conduct as ill-considered and that he gave advice to those whom Becket regarded as his chief enemies. Ralph was selected in 1166 as the envoy of the English bishops when they protested against the excommunications launched by Becket. But, apart from this episode, which he characteristically neglects to record, he remained in the background. The natural impartiality of his intellect was accentuated by a certain timidity, which is apparent in his writings no less than in his life.

Dean of St Paul's

About 1180 Ralph became dean of St Paul's. In this office, he distinguished himself by careful management of the estates, by restoring the discipline of the chapter, and by building at his own expense a deanery house. A scholar and a man of considerable erudition, he evinced a strong preference for historical studies; and about the time when he was preferred to the deanery he began to collect materials for the history of his own times. Ralph's friendships with Richard Fitz Nigel, who succeeded Foliot in the see of London, with

William Longchamp William de Longchamp (died 1197) was a medieval Lord Chancellor, Chief Justiciar, and Bishop of Ely in England. Born to a humble family in Normandy, he owed his advancement to royal favour. Although contemporary writers accused Longchamp's fa ...

, the chancellor of

Richard I Richard I (8 September 1157 – 6 April 1199) was King of England from 1189 until his death in 1199. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Aquitaine and Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, and Count of Poitiers, Anjou, Maine, and Nantes, and was ...

, and with

Walter de Coutances Walter may refer to: People * Walter (name), both a surname and a given name * Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968) * Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 1 ...

, the

Archbishop of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Arch ...

, gave him excellent opportunities of collecting information.

Writings

Ralph's two chief works, the ''Abbreviationes chronicorum'' and the ''Ymagines historiarum'', cover the history of the world from the birth of

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

to the year 1202. The former, which ends in 1147, is a work of learning and industry, but is almost entirely based upon extant sources. The latter, beginning as a compilation from Robert de Monte and the letters of Foliot, becomes an original authority c. 1172 and a contemporary record c. 1181. In precision and fullness of detail the ''Ymagines'' are inferior to the chronicles of

Roger of Hoveden Roger is a given name, usually masculine, and a surname. The given name is derived from the Old French personal names ' and '. These names are of Germanic origin, derived from the elements ', ''χrōþi'' ("fame", "renown", "honour") and ', ' ( ...

.Roger's two ''Gesta'' were formerly attributed to

Benedictus Abbas Benedict, sometimes known as Benedictus Abbas (Latin for "Benedict the Abbot"; died 29 September 1193), was abbot of Peterborough. His name was formerly erroneously associated with the ''Gesta Henrici Regis Secundi'' and ''Gesta Regis Ricardi'', Eng ...

. Though an annalist, Ralph is careless in his chronology. The documents which he incorporates, while often important, are selected on no principle. He has little sense of style but displays considerable insight when he ventures to discuss a political situation. For this reason, and on account of the details with which they supplement the more important chronicles of the period, the ''Ymagines'' are a valuable though secondary source.

Editions of Diceto's writings

* Stubbs, William (ed.). ''Radulfi de Diceto decani Lundoniensis opera historica. The Historical Works of Master Ralph de Diceto, Dean of London''. 2 vols.

Rolls Series ''The Chronicles and Memorials of Great Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages'' ( la, Rerum Britannicarum medii aevi scriptores), widely known as the is a major collection of British and Irish historical materials and primary sources publish ...

68. 1876. The first volume contains editions of the ''Abbreviationes chronicorum'', ''Capitula ymaginum historiarum'' and the ''Ymagines historiarum'', with introduction. The second volume (''Ymagines, continued, 1180–1202, minor works, and miscellaneous documents appended to the preface'') contains minor works which are the barest compendia of facts taken from well-known sources. :Online copy o
Volume 1
on Google Books :Online copy o
Volume 2 (1876)
at Internet Archive. * Hale, W. H. (ed.). ''The Domesday of St Pauls''.

Camden Society The Camden Society was a text publication society founded in London in 1838 to publish early historical and literary materials, both unpublished manuscripts and new editions of rare printed books. It was named after the 16th-century antiquary a ...

, 1858. pp. 109 ff. Diceto's fragmentary Domesday of the capitular estates. :Online copy o
''The Domesday of St Pauls''
at Internet Archive.

References

External links