Landulphus Sagax and Universal History

Abstract

This chapter re-examines the Historia Romana of Landulphus Sagax in the context of southern Italian historiography and political culture between Byzantium and the Latin West. Drawing on manuscript evidence and early medieval compilatory practices, it argues that Landulphus conceived Roman history as universal history. His work integrates moral exempla, natural prodigies, and political lessons, culminating in a vision of the Roman Empire—continued through Byzantium—as the only legitimate universal monarchy. The study defines Landulphus’ place within local geopolitical dynamics and sheds light on the ideological functions of historical writing in a contested imperial borderland.