Real History/Time Patrol Timeline
Constance, posthumous daughter of King Roger II of Sicily, married Frederick Barbarossa's younger son who thus became King of Sicily and also became Emperor Henry VI. Their son was Emperor Frederick II.
Altered History/The Beta Timeline
Frederick II faces weak Pope Celestine instead of strong Pope Gregory, surrounds the papal states, ignores his excommunication by Celestine and, after the latter's death, gets the puppet Pope Lucius IV, who does not exist in our timeline, elected. In fact, it is far more complicated than that. Anderson summarizes many details of both timelines. We need to read about them in parallel texts and I have come to the end of posting for today.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I have to disagree with this blog piece of yours, esp, the first paragraph. It's plain Poul Anderson disapproves of BOTH the Alpha and Beta 1245 timelines we see in "Amazement of the World." The Beta timeline ends not merely with domination of the Church by the state, but also with that domination logically suppressing ideas about freedom and liberty, in both political and economic matters, and preventing as well the rise of a true science.
No, I agree with Poul Anderson that the better alternative was what actually occurred in our timeline, neither Church or State became dominant one over the other. It was the interplay of ideas arising from this mutual interplay of opposing demands or claims which eventually led to ideas about the limited state and the Church not holding political power. To say nothing of the role this also played in the rise of a true science.
Not that anything ever stays the same! Today, alas, we see the state making ever more arrogant claims about its alleged rights. Caesar is not content with what is properly his but insists on encroaching on God's sphere.
Sean
Sean,
Of course the Time Patrol timeline is preferable to either alpha or beta. My point was only that I think that despotism enforcing religious intolerance (alpha) is even worse than just plain despotism (beta).
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I still have to disagree, regretfully. The despotism I see in both the Alpha and Beta timelines in "Amazement of the World" is AS BAD as the other. And it's worth pointing out, however, that both Arch-cardinal Albin and Frederick II are not painted as monsters. Poul Anderson shows them as having decent qualities, in somewhat different ways.
Sean
Post a Comment