Western Mediterranean Prophecy

The apocalyptic writings of the Calabrian abbot Joachim of Fiore were of fundamental importance in forming the world-view and shaping the historical consciousness of the later Middle Ages. His view of history proved particularly attractive to the Mendicants and their supporters. They considered Joachim to be a prophet, ensured a wide audience for his works, and reshaped the abbot's prophecies into tracts that could speak more directly to their times and concerns. The Breviloquium, an anonymus work composed in Catalonia, issued from the circles of Beguines and Third Order Franciscans. The Introduction and the edition of the Breviloquium together form an interesting instrument for an approach to apocalyptic and prophetic literature of the fourteenth century, especially as it tookplace in Catalonia.