Peter the Deacon
Peter the Deacon (also called Bibliothecarius and in other languages Peter the Deacon, Peter the Deacon, Pietro Diacano, Pierre le Diacre; * 1107 or 1110 in Rome; † after 1159 in the Monte Cassino monastery) was a deacon (not the Lateran -enforcement but the cassinensischen Church ), ecclesiastical biographer, general writer and librarian of the monastery of Montecassino.
Life
His father Giles from the family of the Counts of Tusculum, the five -year-old Peter, about 1115 were as Oblate at the Abbey of Monte Cassino. He was educated by Guido, who continued the chronicle of Leo marsicanus (also Ostiensis ) by the year 1127.
1127/28 had Peter as a follower and supporter of forced to abdicate Oderisius II (Abt 1123-1126 ) left the monastery and retreat as a monk at first to the neighboring abbey Atina and later to the monastery of San Giovanni Incarico daughter. In 1130 Seniorectus brought him (Abt 1127-1137 ) after Monte Cassino back and made him the Librarian and Archivist of the monastery.
1137 Peter the Deacon had his publikumswirksamsten appearance. Emperor Lothair II had come on his Italian campaign even after Montecassino and wanted to clarify the allegations of Pope Innocent II against the line of the Benedictine monastery, in a debate and simple. Peter acted as one of the main defenders of the 1137 newly elected abbot Reinald (Feb - September 1137 ) the interests of Monte Cassino in a religious disputation so skillfully that Lothar was then bind him as secretary and chaplain to himself. Wibald (Abt September-November 1137 ) but kept Peters return to the monastery necessary.
Temporal and political environment
The main activity of Peter the Deacon fell in the final phase of the investiture controversy with a strengthened papacy and weakened German Empire. The Roman Pope led power political disputes with the Benedictine monasteries of Cluny (France) and Montecassino ( Southern Italy). Montecassino was also the conflict between the Normans ( Rogers ) in Sicily and southern Italy and the sensitivity to the balance German Emperor Lothar III.
Work
In Monte Cassino was Peter librarian and administrator of the archive, from which he drew up a list. In addition to continuing the original by Leo marsicanus ( Leo of Ostia), written and discontinued by Guido to 1127 monastery chronicle of Monte Cassino ( Chronicon Casinense ) for the years to 1138 he wrote several historical works: De viris illustribus Casinensibus, De ortu et obitu iustorum Casinensium, de Sanctis Locis, Disciplina Casinensis, rhythm de novissimis Diebus. His works are in the Patrologia Latina ( CLXXIII, 763-1144 ) listed.
Assessment
Peter the Deacon is considered in retrospect as highly educated literary person with a strong interest in the Middle Ages the ancient world. His main ambition in times of decline was to maintain the shine of their own monastery.
Chalandon Ferdinand and John Julius Norwich hold it against the superior Leo of Ostia as poorer historian and writer. His works ... have a strong political impetus, and are partly falsified or embellished. Peter forged under the pseudonym Gordian (see Gordian Knot ) the Passion of Saint Placidus. He is a vain, sometimes the truth is not as accurate participating, but entertaining writer.