Alcuin

Alcuin, Anglo-Saxon Ealhwine, also Alhwin, Alchoin, inscriptions ALCHVVINVS, Albinus Latinized surnamed Flaccus (* 735 near York, † May 19 804 in Tours? ) Was an early medieval scholar and main advisor of Charlemagne.

Life

Alcuin was the son of a noble family and grew up in Yorkshire. He was a student reaches far beyond the British Isles also recognized cathedral school in York and later its director. At this he taught among others, the holy Liudger, the " Apostle of the Frisians ". In the year 781, he met Charlemagne at Parma and accepted his invitation to come to him at the palace school in Aachen, of which he took from 782, which he exerted great influence on the elite of the Frankish Empire.

In this role, Alcuin, who was considered the greatest scholar of his time advanced, the most influential adviser of Charlemagne in government and church affairs, though he could not always prevail with his ideas. So he turned in vain against the use of force in the missionary work of the Saxons. In contrast to Charlemagne 's biographer Einhard about Alcuin developed the conception of a sacred king or imperial (Karl as the new king David or Constantine the Great) and saw Karl in the back of the church and ruler of a Christian universal empire. Between 789 and 793 he made ​​several trips to England.

On the question of iconoclasm he seems to have taken a moderate position, as it is also observed in Rabanus Maurus his pupil, who referred to his character poem cycle De laudibus sanctae crucis for pictures as media of revelation and preaching position. As a writer of fine critical Libri Carolini sees the recent research due to Visigothic spelling and influence Mozarabic liturgy as well as the absence of Alcuin during the formation period of not more this man, but originating from Spain Theodulf of Orleans.

As an opponent of the Adoptionism he significantly contributed to the fact that this doctrine was to the synods of Frankfurt ( 794 ) and Aachen ( 799 ) condemned as heresy. In the year 796 he left the court and was, even though he was not a priest, but only a deacon, named the Great Abbot of Saint -Martin de Tours by Charles, possibly to him by because of his outspoken criticism of the approach of Charles in the Saxon Wars remove yard.

Work

Alcuin was an important mediator of in England and Ireland by the time of the great migration through rescued Latin education in the Frankish Empire, which he as a teacher many students, including Rabanus Maurus and Charlemagne himself, mediated. He is considered one of the founders of the Carolingian Renaissance and is responsible for the dissemination of Carolingian minuscule, one consisting of lowercase font that was from the 9th to the 12th century and in use due to its revival by the humanists as a model for today Small letters used applies.

His work was characterized by comprehensive performance in all areas of early medieval science. Besides theological treatises, in which he himself the three books on the Trinity ( De fide sanctae et individuae Trinity ) as his main work and regarded one may view as the beginning of medieval theology by Albert Hauck, many other of his works have been preserved, including 311 letters, which reflect the range of its various relations as a scholar and advisor to the royal family, courtiers, religious leaders and communities. The oldest collection of mathematical problems in Latin To deny that Propositions ad acuendos Juvenes Alcuin is attributed. One whose solutions is named after him Alcuin sequence.

Receive Furthermore, poems, sermons, historiographical, biographical, theological works and treatises on rhetoric, dialectic, and astronomy. The largest contemporary width effect is likely to have developed the revision begun by Alcuin the Vulgate. In his pen Saint -Martin de Tours originated at his suggestion, the so-called Alkuinbibeln, Bibelpandekten with the revised Vulgatatext and elaborate Illumination ( Illumination ). De fide et sanctae individuae Trinity did not last a political dimension by the Emperor zusprach alongside the secular and ecclesiastical teaching authority.

A page dedicated to him plaque was taken in in the Walhalla near Regensburg.

Remembrance

• Evangelical: May 19, in the Protestant calendar name (as teachers of the Church )
• Anglican: May 20
• Roman Catholic: May 19 ( as Seliger )

Swell

• Paul Dräger (ed.): Alcuini Vita sancti Willibrordi. = Life of St. Willibrord. Latin / German edited, translated and annotated. Kliomedia, Trier 2008, ISBN 978-3-89890-127-7.
• Sven Günther, Michael Pahlke (ed.): Alcuin. Propositions ad acuendos iuvenes / tasks to raise the spirit of youth. Lindauer -Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-87488-222-4 ( Lindauers Latin readings ).
• Christiane Veyrard -Cosme: L 'oeuvre hagiographique en prose d' Alcuin. Vitae Willibrordi, Vedasti, Richarii. Édition, traduction, études narratologiques. Edizioni del Galluzzo, Florence 2003, ISBN 88-8450-062-1 (per verba 21).