Ado (archbishop)
Encyclopedia
Ado (died 875), archbishop of Vienne in Lotharingia
, belonged to a famous Frank
ish house, and spent much of his middle life in Italy
. He held his archiepiscopal seat from 850 till his death on the 16 December 874. Several of his letters are extant and reveal their writer as an energetic man of wide sympathies and considerable influence. Ado's principal works are a Martyrologium, and a chronicle, Chronicon sive Breviarium chronicorum de sex mundi aetatibus de Adamo usque ad annum 869.
Ado's chronicle is based on that of Bede
, with which he combines extracts from the ordinary sources, forming the whole into a consecutive narrative founded on the conception of the unity of the Roman Empire
, which he traces in the succession of the emperors, Charlemagne
and his heirs following immediately after Constantine VI and Irene
. "It is," says Wattenbach, "history from the point of view of authority and preconceived opinion, which exclude any independent judgment of events."
Ado wrote also a book on the miracle
s (Miracula) of St. Bernard
, archbishop of Vienne (9th century), published in the Bollandist
Acta Sanctorum
; a life or Martyrium of St. Desiderius
, bishop of Vienne (d. 608); and a life of St. Theudericus, abbot
of Vienne (563).
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
, belonged to a famous Frank
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
ish house, and spent much of his middle life in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. He held his archiepiscopal seat from 850 till his death on the 16 December 874. Several of his letters are extant and reveal their writer as an energetic man of wide sympathies and considerable influence. Ado's principal works are a Martyrologium, and a chronicle, Chronicon sive Breviarium chronicorum de sex mundi aetatibus de Adamo usque ad annum 869.
Ado's chronicle is based on that of Bede
Bede
Bede , also referred to as Saint Bede or the Venerable Bede , was a monk at the Northumbrian monastery of Saint Peter at Monkwearmouth, today part of Sunderland, England, and of its companion monastery, Saint Paul's, in modern Jarrow , both in the Kingdom of Northumbria...
, with which he combines extracts from the ordinary sources, forming the whole into a consecutive narrative founded on the conception of the unity of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, which he traces in the succession of the emperors, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
and his heirs following immediately after Constantine VI and Irene
Irene (empress)
Irene Sarantapechaina , known as Irene of Athens or Irene the Athenian was a Byzantine empress regnant from 797 to 802, having previously been empress consort from 775 to 780, and empress dowager and regent from 780 to 797. It is often claimed she called herself "basileus" , 'emperor'...
. "It is," says Wattenbach, "history from the point of view of authority and preconceived opinion, which exclude any independent judgment of events."
Ado wrote also a book on the miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
s (Miracula) of St. Bernard
Bernard of Vienne
Saint Bernard was bishop of Vienne from 810 until his death.Before his monastic career, Bernard was a soldier under Charlemagne. Death of his mother and father after 7 years of his military service had deep impact on Bernard and caused him to spent all his wealth on charity purposes, dividing it...
, archbishop of Vienne (9th century), published in the Bollandist
Bollandist
The Bollandists are an association of scholars, philologists, and historians who since the early seventeenth century have studied hagiography and the cult of the saints in Christianity. Their most important publication has been the Acta Sanctorum...
Acta Sanctorum
Acta Sanctorum
Acta Sanctorum is an encyclopedic text in 68 folio volumes of documents examining the lives of Christian saints, in essence a critical hagiography, which is organised according to each saint's feast day. It begins with two January volumes, published in 1643, and ended with the Propylaeum to...
; a life or Martyrium of St. Desiderius
Desiderius of Vienne
Desiderius of Vienne was archbishop of Vienne and a chronicler.In conflict with Brunhilda of Austrasia, the legitimacy of whose children he had attacked, he was deposed in 603 when she combined forces with Aridius, bishop of Lyon...
, bishop of Vienne (d. 608); and a life of St. Theudericus, abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Vienne (563).