Erchempert

Erchempert of Monte Cassino was a Lombard chronicler of the second half of the 9th century monk at Montecassino.

Life and writings

In his Langobardengeschichte he makes scant notices of his life and other sources are not available. On August 23, he was 881 of Pandenulf of Capua in the castle Pilano (near Conca della Campania, Caserta, Campania) captured and lost all his possessions. In Capua he joined the community of Monte Cassino, which was then emigrated to the destruction of the monastery by the Saracens 883 first to Teano and to Capua.

In Capua, the Historia Langobardorum Beneventi degentium was that grips against the princes of Capua ruler for Beneventaner party in respect of the division of the Dukat Benevento. Erchempert deals with the history of his people from Duke Arechis to 888 / 889th Whether the abrupt end was brought about by his death or other reasons has, can not be clarified. His presentation is based initially on Paul the Deacon and then increasingly on their own memory, but it stood him well as other sources, such as shows its report on the Treaty Frankish- Lombard. Even if only a single manuscript from around 1300, which was written in Salerno, his work on supplies ( Vat Lat 5001), it is still used by the Chronicon Salernitanum, by Leo of Ostia in the Chronicle of Montecassino and in the Chronicon Vulturnense been. Outside of Southern Italy, the text was hardly known.

Erchempert is also considered the author of a poem in 34 verses, which is transmitted in the same handwriting as the Langobardengeschichte. Handed common is the martyrology Erchemperti, a metric Calendar in 116 hexameters. It is already attributed to him in the manuscripts.

Edition

• Georg Waitz, Erchemperti Historia Langobardorum Beneventanorum, in MGH Scriptores rerum et Langobardicarum Italicarum SAEC. VI - IX, Hannover 1878, pp. 231 - 264 the beginning of the preface, the beginning of the text in the Digital Monumenta.