Anger in the Crónica de Alfonso X*

Abstract

Abstract By the thirteenth century, it had become widely maintained that rulers had an ethical obligation to restrain their anger. Perceived violation of this “emotional regime” might be used to justify political regime change. A number of passages in the Crónica de Alfonso X depict the king of Castile-León, Alfonso X el Sabio (r. 1252–1284), as having repeatedly violated the norms governing the expression of anger, in order to legitimise the rebellion led by his eldest surviving son, Sancho. However, the more reliable passages in the chronicle suggest a different emotional narrative, implying that the king had behaved with restraint in the political realm, even at moments of high political tension. In these passages, Alfonso emerges as a ruler philosophically inclined towards conciliation rather than to conflict. This case study provides new historical material for thinking about the relationship between cognition and emotion.