Who Snitched on Whom? 13th Century Style

In the 13th century, the inquisition in Bologna relied heavily on people ratting each other out. Testimonies were key to these trials, and who people chose to incriminate wasn't always straightforward. Several factors played a role: the social circles of the accused, the choices made by investigators, the pressure on witnesses, and personal decisions to favor some over others. This study looked at who got accused and why during the years 1291-1310 in Bologna. Researchers dug into social network analysis and used a model called Exponential Random Graph Model (ERGM). They focused on four main factors: gender, religious roles, social class, and family ties. They wanted to see how these factors influenced who got reported and who didn't.

To ensure their findings were solid, they accounted for various trial conditions and how the accusations were structured. So, what did they find? They saw a trend of women snitching on other women. But, men didn't show a clear pattern of accusing other men. Religion didn't seem to matter, but among the accused Cathars, people from the middle class were more likely to be fingered. Family ties also played a major role in who got accused. This study shows that in medieval times, social and demographic factors were crucial in heresy trials. However, it made the process complicated. It's a reminder that history wasn't always black and white. It adds more detail to our understanding of how people were accused and why.

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