Philip of Navara

This article delves into the portrayal of old age in a renowned treatise on the stages of life, which had a significant influence on subsequent literary tradition. Philip of Novara’s essay, dating from the mid-13th century, is widely recognized as a moralizing tract that reflects abstract moralistic views on old age, characteristic of the Middle Ages. However, there are also elements of service and charity that are expected from people, especially knights, to make their old age ‘honorable’ in God’s eyes. The knightly service, wealth accumulation, and wise counsel are some of the ways to prepare for death and a “good end” (bone fin). Upon closer examination, the work is revealed to be based substantially on empirical evidence, especially when compared with the author’s legal treatise and other writings. Being a work of a Crusader, the text bears the imprint of knightly mentality and reflects prevailing ideas about old age within this aristocratic society.

Empirical research · Middle Ages · Byzantine Studies and History · History of Medicine Studies · Medieval Literature and History