Historical interpretations of "Fifth Empire" : dynamics of periodization from Daniel to António Vieira, S.J.-

Tese de doutoramento em História (História Antiga), apresentada à Universidade de Lisboa através da Faculdade de Letras, 2008The main purpose of this study is to observe how a 17th century theory about the Fifth Empire and the succession of empires was similar to or different from the 2nd century BCE theory introduced by the Book of Daniel. This study focuses on the book of the Jesuit António Vieira named Clavis Prophetarum - De Regno Christi In Terris Consummato. The first step is to observe and analyze the main texts where these theories were presented since the 2nd century BCE and the models were created. In this section the models of the four empires, the seventy weeks, and the millennium are analyzed based in the descriptions provided by Daniel, Revelation and Paul, and by texts that may have influenced them such as Hesiod and Enoch. In the second part, the history of the exegesis is analyzed and then the main texts and authors are described (Josephus, Hippolytus, Jerome, Augustine, and Joachim of Fiore). Our purpose is to establish the main tendencies of interpretation, and how they influenced later thinkers. Itis then possible in the third part to contextualize Vieira's work within the main intellectual and religious tendencies of the 17th century. However, the schema introduced by this Jesuit has revealed itself to be original in the way that it introduces a new reading/interpretation of the succession of historical periods. Vieira does not forget the Church's philosophy of history or the main names that had before him provided the most important interpretations of the schema. However, in a subtle way he transfers the main characters from within the Church's realm into the secular power, i.e., he stresses the importance of the Last Emperor in the process of reaching the desired end.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT), POCI 201