Empire and Caliphate in the Life of John of Gorze

The Life of John of Gorze tells the story of a monk who served as an envoy from Otto I to ʿAbd al-Raḥmān III in the 950s. It reflects the turbulent political context in which it was written during the 970s and fits into the imperial program initiated by Emperor Otto I nearly a decade after John's mission. The text's engagement with Arabic literary motifs positions John and the Ottonian emperors as significant figures in Mediterranean politics and reveals the Latin author's knowledge of these Arabic sources.