Dr Noémi Farkas

Completed PhD: Dr Noémi Farkas (2022)

Constructing the Good King: Biblical Exempla in Sedulius Scottus' De Rectoribus Christianis

De Rectoribus Christianis (DRC) is a mid-ninth century political treatise, written by the Irish scholar Sedulius Scottus. The text is an example of the specula principum (‘mirrors for princes’) genre, and it instructs a Carolingian ruler (or rulers) on Christian conduct and governance. This thesis aims to provide the first comprehensive study on the two principal themes of the treatise: the character of
the ideal king and the nature of his rulership. Investigating DRC’s ideology of kingship, it examines the ways Sedulius mobilises biblical models mediated through Patristic sources in instituting the virtues and responsibilities of the good king.

Supervisor: Dr Pádraic Moran
Funding: Galway Doctoral Fellowship (2017–2021)

Research areas: the Latin tradition