Psalterium decem chordarum

work by Joachim of Fiore

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July 13, 2026

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The Psalterium decem chordarum (Psaltery of Ten Strings) is a significant work by Joachim of Fiore, an Italian mystic and theologian who lived from approximately 1130 to 1201/02. This work expounds his doctrine of the Trinity, drawing inspiration from a vision of a ten-stringed, triangular psaltery.1

Joachim developed a philosophy of history structured into three ages: the age of the Father, the age of the Son, and the age of the Holy Spirit. He believed that spiritual understanding was achieved by delving into the "spirit" of the Scriptures. The Psalterium decem chordarum also served as a critique of Peter Lombard's theological emphasis on the "quaternity" of the Godhead, which Joachim felt diminished the distinctness of the three Persons of the Trinity. His ideas, though controversial and partially condemned, profoundly influenced various religious movements and thinkers throughout the Middle Ages.12

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Joachim Of Fiore
His third main work, the Psalterium decem chordarum (“Psaltery of Ten Strings”), expounds his doctrine of the Trinity through the symbol of his vision of the 10-stringed psaltery. Here and in a lost tract he attacked the doctrine of “quaternity” (an overemphasis on the “one essence” of the Godhead that…
Read More
His third main work, the Psalterium decem chordarum (“Psaltery of Ten Strings”), expounds his doctrine of the Trinity through the symbol of his vision of the 10-stringed psaltery. Here and in a lost tract he attacked the doctrine of “quaternity” (an overemphasis on the “one essence” of the Godhead that…
Read More