Rabanus Maurus
Rabanus (or Hrabanus or Reabanus) Maurus, also called Maurus Magnentius Rabanus or Hrabanus Magnentius, was a renowned writer, teacher, and theologian. He became a Benedictine monk rather young, studied with Alcuin, and after his fame as a teacher spread throughout Europe, he was ordained a priest. He was also a political consultant to Lothair I, playing an important role in ninth-century Europe.
In 803 Maurus moved to the abbey at Fulda, which he helped develop into a leading center of learning. He collected an extraordinary corpus of manuscripts and works of art there, and was elected Abbot in 822. When King Louis the German overthrew Lothair, Maurus fled into exile, but he eventually reconciled with Louis and was made Archbishop of Mainz. In this post he gained a reputation for social concerns, and was responsible for keeping hundreds of people from starving during the famine of 850.
So significantly did Maurus's works contribute to German literature and language that he was given the title Praeceptor Germaniae ("Teacher of Germany").
Important Dates
Died: Feb. 4, 856
On the Web
Biographical
Catholic Encyclopedia: Blessed Maurus Magnentius Rabanus
Brief biography by Michael Ott.
Primary Sources
De rerum naturis
Two prefaces and 22 books of the De rerum naturis, also known as De universo, online at the Memorial University of Newfoundland.
In Print
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De institutione clericorum libri tres
by Rabanus Maurus
Related Resources
Early Europe
Directory of sites that offer useful resources for the study of Europe in Late Antiquty, or shortly after the fall of Rome.Monasticism
Monastic life, rules, orders and contributions to medieval culture.Philosophy & Theology
A multi-page index of philosophical and theological theories and the individuals who contributed them, from the early Middle Ages to the early Modern Age.
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