Richbod
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Richbod | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | October 1, 804 Trier, buried in the abbey at Lorsch |
| Other names | Richbodus, 'Macarius' |
| Occupations | Abbot, Archbishop |
| Known for | Student of Alcuin, Advisor to Charlemagne, and help draw up a response to the adoptionist heresy of Felix of Urgel. |
Richbod was a Frankish monk and prelate who was the Abbot of Lorsch from 784 and Abbot of Mettlach and Archbishop of Trier from around 792, holding all three of these positions concurrently. He is first documented as a monk in the Lorsch monastery, where he worked as a document clerk. After, he would be noticed and picked up as a student of Alcuin at the court of Charlemagne. Whilst under king he would rise to role of advisor and be awarded the titles of:[1]
It would be in the court's inner circle, where the learned assumed ancient names associated with wise men, he was Macarius. He was regarded as a man wise before God and popular with men. According to Alcuin, he was a great admirer of Vergil, whose Aeneid he was reputed to know better than the Gospels.
In the recovered 'Letters of Alcuin' we see that the teacher would try and contact his student often however, Richbod would rarely reply:
"Lo, a whole year has passed," he writes, "and I have had no letter from you. Ah, if only my name were Vergil, then wouldst thou never forget me, but have my face ever before thee; then should I be 'felix nimium, quo non felicior ullus.' And," he concludes, "would that the four Gospels rather than the twelve Aeneids filled your heart."[2]
The idea of Richbod showing clear preference towards Vergil over the Gospel or even his friends, was a controversial point as the stories of the Aeneid revolved around pagan gods and unsophisticated cultures (according to the Franks). This gave the impression that sympathising with the works of Vergil would be like sympathising with the pagans and barbarians, which was a very heretical accusation.[citation needed]
It is also plausible that Richbod would contribute to the schools in Trier and in the court with this vast knowledge of Greek and Latin classics.[citation needed]
