A letter from Peter Damian (c.1062)

Translated letter:

To (my) sweetest most illustrious sister, Peter, sinner, monk, in humble service to the Lord. Dearest sister, because you seek to know from me what existed before the creation of the world, and you discuss what (will be) after the future judgment of the world, and you also inquire skillfully about the judgment itself, certainly you act both piously and prudently, but you drag me to unknown matters, and you compel me to teach what I have not yet learned. Clearly you seek what I do not know; you demand that of which I am ignorant. For Isaiah also says: Tell me what the former things and the most recent things, what the future things are and I will say that you are gods and wish to express clearly that no one can recount what existed before the world or what the future will be after it [Isaiah 41:22-23]. Nonetheless it is fruitful to inquire, although the matter cannot be explained absolutely. Indeed the human mind is of such nature that it cannot be free from thoughts, for either it exercises itself in serious things or it is enticed by empty things, and unless it ponders useful matters, it is checked by an invasion of assailing thoughts. Nor does depravity have an opportunity for whispering, where the mind intent on useful things maintains close deliberation with sober thought. Therefore it is a reward for the trouble and very useful to think of how brief the span of earthly time is in comparison to the everlasting age. For if we want to compare that interval of immense magnitude in which God existed before the beginning of this world, and also that in which he will remain after the end of this same world, with this time so small that is from the beginning to the end of the world, the comparison is smaller than if you were to throw a handful of water into the sea or if you were to try to compare the measure of a cubit with the whole length of the earth. For both the immensity of the sea and the length of the earth are finite, as are the handful of water or the measure of a cubit, although the former are larger than the latter incomparably very small things. For that reason finite things may be compared more easily to finite things, (rather than to compare) that which is finite with that which can be shown to be infinite. For because God is alpha and omega, beginning and end [Apoc. 22:13] just as he has always existed without beginning, so he cannot have an end. Yet we know that this world from the very beginning of its creation has not yet completed seven thousand years. And who knows how brief the future span of time may be until God will judge the world. Therefore how can seven or even ten thousand years be compared to infinite eternal divinity, which could have no beginning or end. Therefore while we discuss things of this sort with ever-watchful contemplation, while we consider these things carefully in (our) thought, we gain no small profit for our mind, because while it contemplates eternal things it clearly sees how contemptible temporal things are. Thus while the rational mind discovers these things, in addition it also ponders that it will not pass away with time, but it will live without end. Therefore it perceives that it is of such nature that necessarily it either acquires perpetual rewards or is tortured by eternal humiliation. Therefore the benefit is not small in discussing these things with careful contemplation, but also in carefully taking precaution against judgment day, namely the day when for whoever will have risen, he will not fall again, and for whomever the event turns out unfavorably, he will not rise henceforth. So for what you ask concerning judgment day and the Antichrist, read the book of blessed Augustine on the city of God and the exposition of St. Jerome on the prophet Daniel, also the Apocalypse with its commentaries, where certainly you will be able to find knowledge of this topic sufficiently. For as authentic scripture first indicates and the glossing pen of the interpreters subsequently clarifies, the Antichrist will rule for three-and-a-half years, and when Helia and Enoch are killed by him the archangel Michael will slay the Antichrist himself and a very great part of his followers. What the apostle says about him is not contrary, that the Lord Jesus Christ will kill him with the spirit of his mouth and will destroy him with the brightness of his coming [2. Thess. 2:8]. For let Christ annihilate him either by himself, or through his angelic servant; by him the wicked plague is chiefly destroyed, by his strength and power it is overcome. For as the doctors recount, the Lord will destroy him on the Mount of Olives, in a pavilion and on his throne, namely in that place from which the vanquisher ascended to heaven as the apostles witnessed. Thus Isaiah also says: The Lord will cast down on the sacred mountain the face of the lord of darkness and him, who rules over all people [Isai. 25:7]. Concerning this Daniel also says: And he will speak slanders against the high one and will crush the saints of the most high, and he will think himself able to change laws and times, and they will be delivered into his hand until a time, and times, and half a time [Dan. 7:25]. From this it is concluded that the Antichrist will rule for three-and-a-half years. For a “time” is a year; “times” are two years. Therefore he will rule for three-and-a-half years; then he will be destroyed by the sword of divine fury, so that the tyrant will be utterly undone and all creation will surrender itself to the true king. Whence the same Daniel: A judgment, he says, will sit so that (his) power may be taken away and crushed and perish even to the end. And let the kingdom, and power and greatness of the kingdom, which is above all of heaven, be given to the people of the saints of the most high, whose kingdom is everlasting, and all kings will serve and obey him [Dan. 7:26-27]. Further, after the death of the Antichrist there will be forty-five days remaining until the coming of Christ, in which both persecution will cease and there will be great peace and tranquility, so that within the span of this time, both the just, if they wavered in a moment of persecution, will do penance, and the servants of the devil will release (themselves) into the safety of sluggishness and idleness, for as in the days of Noah they will plant and buil1d, celebrate banquets, carry out marriages, and suddenly destruction will overcome those bent on desire for trifling vanity. Moreover, what you ask, whether this world will burn first and then the judgment will occur, is related by the clear opinion of our masters, that the judgment will precede and thus the burning of the world will follow. Indeed when the judgment has been carried out, suddenly fire bursting forth will seize the space of air by as much as the water rose when the flood had enveloped or purged [it]. Indeed the fire will burn the earth and the density of the air and thus will purge the elect. But since we have compiled some testimonies of the scriptures about the day of judgment in the letter that we wrote to the countess Blanche [ep.66], and also so many of the same topics are found in the interpreters of sacred eloquence, such that the epistolary compendium cannot contain them, we direct you to their flowing exuberance so that from the founts of the Israelites we urge you to drink, from those withering rivulets that we have omitted. Nonetheless we think it not superfluous to include in these same words here what we have learned that blessed Jerome relates about the fifteen signs in as many days preceding judgment day. Assuredly just as we do not ascribe the strength of authority to those words, so we do not completely deny (their) credibility. Therefore let us include the matter simply in this document as it has come to us, so that it may also be known to the ancient people of the Hebrews from their pages, whereby fear of divine judgment grew. He states the sign of the first day: All the seas will be raised up to the height of fifteen cubits over the high mountains; they will not dash against the surface of the earth, but the waters will stand as walls. Sign of the second day: All the waters will be cast down to the lowest depth of the sea such that they can scarcely be seen by human eyes. Sign of the third day: All the seas will be restored to their ancient state, as they were created in the beginning. Sign of the fourth day: All beasts and everything that moves in ocean waters will be herded together and raised above the sea in the manner of a contest, alternately bellowing and roaring and men will not know what they sing or think, but only God knows, for whom all things live for the service of the one ruling. These are the four signs of the sea and the three following are of the air and the ether. Sign of the fifth day: All winged creatures of heaven will be convened in the fields, every species in its order, (and) those same winged creatures will be alternately conversing and wailing, not eating, not drinking, (but) fearing the coming of judgment. Sign of the sixth day: From the setting of the sun up to its rising fiery rivers will rise against the face of the sky. Sign of the seventh day: Wandering and immobile stars will scatter fiery tails, as in comets a sign of the world appears to its inhabitants. Sign of the eighth day: There will be a great earthquake such that no person or any animal may stand, but all will be leveled to the ground. Sign of the ninth day: All stones both great and small will be broken into four parts, and each part will strike the other part and no man will recognize the sound, except God alone. Sign of the tenth day: All the wood of the forests and plants of vegetation will drip red blood. Sign of the eleventh day: All the mountains and hills and all human buildings will be reduced to dust as before they were constructed. Sign of the twelfth day: All animals of the land will come from the woods and the mountains to the fields, roaring and bellowing, not eating and not drinking. Sign of the thirteenth day: From the sun’s rising to its setting all the graves will open with the corpses rising up to the edge of the grave. Sign of the fourteenth day: All the human race which will be found in dwelling-places and locations in which they existed will descend quickly, not understanding or speaking, but as insane ones they will run to and fro. Sign of the fifteenth day: All the living will die and rise again with the dead who were long since defunct.(1)

Original letter:

Dulcissimae sorori illustrissimae, Petrus peccator monachus humilem in Domino servitutem. Quod a me, soror karissima, petis, notum fieri tibi, quid ante mundi creationem fuerit, quid post iuditium futurum de mundo discutis de ipso quoque iuditio sollerter inquiris, tu quidem et religiose et prudenter agis, verum me ad incognita pertrahis et quae necdum didici, docere compellis. Quaeris plane, quod nescio, exigis, quod ignoro. Nam et Esayas ait: Priora annuntiate mihi et novissima, quae futura sunt et dicam, quia dii estis, aperte volens exprimere neminem posse, quid ante mundum fuerit vel quid post eum futurum sit, enarrare [Isa.41:22-23]. Fructuosum est tamen inquiri, licet absolute nequeat res explicari. Humana quippe mens huiusmodi naturae est, ut a cogitationibus vacare non possit, aut enim se exercet in seriis aut delectatur in vanis, et donec utilia meditatur, ab ingruentium cogitationum irruptione defenditur. Nec pravitas habet insusurrandi locum, ubi mens utilibus rebus intenta strictum tenet cum sobria cogitatione consilium. Igitur opere pretium est et satis utile cogitare, quam breve sit spatium transitorii temporis ad comparationem evi iugiter permanentis. Nam si conferre volumus illud immensae magnitudinis spatium, quo Deus extitit ante mundi huius originem, illud quoque, quo post eiusdem mundi permansurus est finem, cum hoc tantillo tempore, quod est ab initio mundi usque ad finem, minor est haec comparatio, quam si pugillum aquae in mare proicias vel si mensuram cubiti cum toto terrarum spatio conferre contendas. Nam et inmensitas maris et spatium terrae finita sunt, sicut et pugillus aquae vel mensura cubiti, quamvis illa maiora ista sint incomparabiliter minima. Ideoque facilius comparari possunt finita finitis, quam ea, quae finem habent his, quae nullo possunt fine concludi. Nam quia Deus est alpha et omega, principium et finis [Apoc.22:13], sicut sine initio semper extitit, ita finem habere non poterit. Mundus autem iste ab ipso suae creationis exordio necdum septem milia annorum implesse cognoscitur. Et quis sciat, quam breve futurum sit temporis spatium, usque quo Deus iudicaturus est mundum. Quomodo ergo comparari possunt septem vel etiam decem milia annorum interminabili divinitati aeternae, quae nec ariginem potuit habere nec finem. Cum haec igitur et huiusmodi pervigili meditatione discutimus, dum haec subtiliter in cogitatione versamus, non parvus nostrae menti profectus acquiritur, quia, dum meditatur aeterna, liquido conspicit, quam despicienda sunt temporalia. Dum haec igitur mens rationalis excogitat, additur etiam, ut semetipsam non cum tempore transituram, sed sine fine victuram esse perpendat. Considerat itaque se huiusmodi esse naturae, ut necessario aut perpetuis potiatur praemiis aut suppliciis crucietur aeternis. Haec itaque sedula meditatione discutere, sed et diem iuditii sollicite praecavere, non parvus est fructus, in quo videlicet die, cui semel successerit, ultra non curruet et cui se res in sinistrum verterit, de caetero non consurget. Quod itaque de die iuditii quaeris et Antichristo, lege librum beati Augustini de civitate Dei et expositionem sancti Hyeronimi in Danihelem prophetam, Apocalipsin quoque cum commentariis suis, in quibus utique sufficienter noticiam huius materiae poteris invenire. Sicut enim autentica prius scriptura designat et postmodum superveniens expositorum stilus elucidat, tribus annis et semis Antichristus regnabit et interfectis ab eo Helia et Enoch ipsum Antichristum et maximam membrorum eius partem Michahel archangelus interficiet. Cui non est contrarium, quod per apostolum dicitur, quia Dominus Iesus Christus interficiet illum spiritu oris sui et destruet illustratione adventus sui [2Thess.2:8]. Nam sive per se, sive per angelicum Christus eum perimat ministerium, ab eo potissimum pestis iniqua destruitur, cuius virtute ac potentia superatur. Enimvero sicut a doctoribus traditur, in monte Oliveti in papilione ac solio suo Dominus eum perimet, in illo videlicet loco, contra quem videntibus apostolis in caelum victor ascendit. Unde et Isaias ait: Precipitabit Dominus in monte sancto faciem dominatoris tenebrarum et eum, qui dominatur cunctis populis [Isa.25:7]. De quo et per Danihelem dicitur: Sermones contra excelsum loquetur et sanctos altissimi conteret et putabit, quod possit mutare leges et tempora et tradentur in manu eius usque ad tempus et tempora et dimidium tempus [Dan.7:25]. Unde colligitur Antichristum tribus annis et dimidio regnaturum. Tempus enim annus est, tempora duo anni sunt. Tribus annis igitur et dimidio regnaturus deinde divini furoris gladio perimendus, ut et tyrannus omnino dispereat et vero regi creatura se universa substernat. Unde et idem Danihel: Iuditium, inquit, sedebit, ut auferatur potentia et conteratur et dispereat usque in finem. Regnum autem et potestas et magnitudo regni, quae est supra omne caelum, detur populo sanctorum altissimi, cuius regnum sempiternum est et omnes reges servient ei atque obedient. Porro post mortem Antichristi quadraginta quinque dies erunt residui usque ad adventum Christi in quibus et persecutio cessabit et magna pax et tranquillitas erit, ut intra huius temporis spatium et iusti quique, si quod persecutionis articulo titubaverant, paenitentiam agant et ministri diaboli in torporis atque desidiae securitate resolvant, sicut enim in diebus Noae plantabunt et aedificabunt celebrabunt convivia, contrahent matrimonia eisque studio frivolae vanitatis intentis subitus superveniet interitus. Quod autem quaeris, utrum hic mundus prius ardeat et post iuditium fiat, evidenti maiorum sententia adfinitum est, iuditium praecedere et sic mundi conflagrationem subsequi. Peracto quippe iuditio repente ignis erumpens tanto enim aeris spatium occupabit, quantum aqua, dum cataclismus induerat vel mundaret, ascendit. Qui videlicei ignis ardebit terram et crassitudinem aeris et sic purgabit electos. Sed quoniam de die iuditii in epistola, quam ad Blancam scripsimus comitissam, testimonia scripturarum nonnulla congessimus, tanta quoque eiusdem themmatis apud expositores sacri repperiuntur eloquii, ut intra epistolare compendium nequeant cohartari, ad eorum te exuberantia fluenta dirigimus, ut obmissis arentibus rivulis de fontibus Israhelite bibere suademus. Illud tamen, quod de quindecim signis totidem dierum diem iuditii praecedentium beatum Hieronimum referre didicimus, hic eisdem verbis inserere non superfluum iudicamus. Quibus profecto verbis sicut non auctoritatis robur adscribimus, ita nec fidem paenitus denegamus. Res ergo sicut ad nos pervenit, huic stilo se simpliciter inserat, ut antiquis etiam Hebreorum populis, qui divini iuditii terror increverit, ex eorum paginis innotescat. Signum, inquit, primi diei: Maria omnia in altitudinem exaltabuntur quindecim cubitorum super montes excelsos, orbem terrae non affligent, sed sicut muri stabunt aequora. Signum secundi diei: Omnia aequora prosternentur in imum profundi ita, ut vix quaeant humanis obtutibus conspici. Signum tercii diei: Maria omnia redigentur in antiquum statum, qualiter ab exordio creata fuerunt. Signum quarti diei: Belue omnes et omnia, quae moventur in aquis maritimis, congregabuntur et levabuntur supra pelagus more contentionis invicem mugientes et rugientes nescientesque homines, quid cantent vel quid cogitent, sed tantum scit Deus, cui omnia vivunt offitio regendi. Haec quattuor signa pelagi sunt et tria sequentia aeris et aetheris sunt. Signum quinti diei: Omnia volatilia caeli concionabuntur in campis, unumquodque genus in ordine suo, eaedem volucres invicem colloquentes et plorantes erunt, non gustantes non bibentes adventum iudicis timentes. Signum sexti diei: Flumina ignea ab occasu solis surgent contra faciem firmamenti usque ad ortum currentia. Signum septimi diei: Errantia sidera et stationaria spargent ex se igneas comas, qualiter in commetis apparet signum orbis et eius habitatoribus. Signum octavi diei: Terremotus erit magnus ita, ut nullus hominum stare possit aut ullum animal, sed solo sternentur omnia. Signum noni diei: Omnes lapides tam magni quam parvi scindentur in quattuor partes, unaquaeque pars collidet alteram partem nesciensque ullus homo sonum illum, nisi solus Deus. Signum decimi diei: Omnia ligna silvarum et olera herbarum sanguineum fluent rorem. Signum undecimi diei: Omnes montes et colles et omnia haedificia humana antea constructa in pulverem redigentur. Signum duodecimi diei: Omnia animalia terrae de silvis et de montibus venient ad campos rugientia et mugientia non gustantia et non bibentia. Signum terciidecimi diei: Omnia sepulchra ab ortu solis usque ad occasum patebunt cadaveribus surgentibus usque ad oram sepulchri. Signum quartidecimi diei: Omne humanum genus, quod inventum fuerit de habitaculis et de locis, in quibus erunt, velociter descendent, non intellegentes neque loquentes, sed discurrent ut amentes. Signum quintidecimi diei: Vivi omnes morientur et resurgent cum mortuis longe ante defunctis.

Historical context:

It is likely that the sister addressed in this letter is Rodelinda, one of the two widowed sisters he addresses in ep.94 and the one who brought him up after their mother had died. The letter, answering her question about the end of the world, is similar to one he sent to Adam, a hermit (ep.92). Peter finesses his sister’s question about what came before with a comparison of eternity and the finite.

Scholarly notes:

1 This translation was provided by Ashleigh Imus.

Printed source:

MGH BDKz, Die Briefe des Petrus Damiani, ep.93, 3.26-30.

Date:

c.1062