Pseudoisidore, False Decretals

The False Decretals are the most famous part of the Pseudo-Isidorian forgeries. Despite its name, the collection is actually a combination of decretals and conciliar canons, mixing genuine, forged, and interpolated materials. The material is largely arranged chronologically. The most complete version (Hinschius' "A1") contains:

• Preface
• Decretals from Cleemnt I to Melchiades
  • Correspondence between Aurelius of Carthage and Damasus I
  • A conciliar ordo
  • table of contents
  • 50 Canones Apostolorum
  • 60 Decretals dfrom Clement/Anaclete to Meclhiades
• Councils
  • De primitiva ecclesia
  • Constitutum Constantini
  • Quo tempore actuum sit Nicenum concilium
  • Epistola vel praefatio Niceni concilii
  • Canons of 54 councils from the Greek councils up to and including Toledo XIII of 683
  • The Capitula of Martin of Braga are found in between the conciliar canons
• Decretals (and conciliar canons) from Silvester I to Gregory II
• Some 25 decretals and other pieces (pre-Pseudoisidorian forgeries, Pseudoisidorian forgeries, genuine materials)

Versions

Since Hinschius' editions, scholarship refers to six versions of the forgeries which emerged very early in the tradition of the False Decretals. A1, A2, A/B, B, C, and the Cluny version. A1, A/B, B and C contain all three major parts (decretals, councils, decretals)

Manuscripts

According to Fuhrmann, there are "at least" 115 manuscripts, not counting excerpts. 80 copies are listed in Schafer-Williams' guide.

Literature

Kéry p. 100; Fuhrmann in Fuhrmann/Jasper pp. 137-195