Bernard Silvestris
Encyclopedia
Bernard Silvestris, also known as Bernardus Silvestris, was a Medieval Platonist
philosopher
and poet
of the 12th century.
, believed that he lived from 1085 to 1178; the only certain date in his life is 1147, when the Cosmographia was supposedly presented to Pope Eugene III
. Other sources place the writing of the Cosmographia
sometime between 1143 and 1148. There is some evidence that he was connected to Spanish
schools of philosophy, but it seems likely that he was born in Tours
, due to the intimate descriptions of the city and the surrounding area found in the Cosmographia. Later medieval authors also associated him with that city.
Wherever he was born, he certainly studied and taught at Tours
. Here he likely taught in the humanities department. There is little evidence connecting Silvestris to Chartres
- this is supported by Poole - even though there was a letter of dedication to Thierry
, who became Chancellor of Chartres in 1141. It is most likely that Silvestris wrote the letter in order to win the favour of a powerful figure, known for his interest in science. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was assumed that Bernard was the same person as Bernard of Chartres
, although this identification has been challenged by more recent scholars such as Julian Ward Jones. Most notably, a contemporary of Bernard, John of Salisbury
, who was bishop of Chartres, quotes from works attributed to Bernard but does not know the author by name. He also quotes from Bernard of Chartres and knows him as a separate author.
on the creation of the world, told from a 12th-century Platonist perspective. The poem influenced Chaucer and others with its pioneering use of allegory
to discuss metaphyscial and scientific questions. Bernard also wrote the poem Mathematicus and probably the poem Experimentarius as well as some minor poems.
Among the works attributed to Bernard later in the Middle Ages were a commentary on Virgil
's Aeneid
(Bernard's authorship of which has been questioned by modern scholars) and a commentary on Martianus Capella
's De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii. The commentary on the Aeneid is the longest medieval commentary on that work, although it is incomplete, ending about two-thirds of the way through book six.
E.R. Smits, like André Vernet (1938), hypothesizes that Carnotensis (the pen-name of the commentary) is Bernard of Chartres
- the individual who Silvestris is most confused for. Vernet says that Silvestris, for whom this confusion was normally detrimental, probably gained from this particular confusion as he is most often credited for the commentary in Vergil’s Aeneid. Smits and Vernet attribute Bernard of Chartes authorship of the Aeneid commentary to a number of similarities and differences between this work and other texts. What needs to be asked here though is why is Vernet still turned to for answers on Silvestris, when he wrote on the subject in 1938? It seems as though we do not have a choice, because even more modern writers, such as Ward Jones Jr., continue to cite him because there is no one else to look to. Vernet still has authority on the subject matter.
On the other hand, Christopher Baswell attempts to interpret the Aeneid commentary through the Peterhouse, seeing this as an important link between manuscripts of the commentary and the Silvestris commentary. By placing the passages in two columns it is clear to the reader as it is to Baswell that the interpretations are congruent, although the notes in Peterhouse appear to be shortened and simpler versions of notes in the Silvestris commentary. Baswell wants here to conclude that the Peterhouse represents the earlier works of Silvestris. Ward Jones Jr. sets this conclusion aside to continue to exhibit differences that occur - which in his opinion are more important than the striking similarities. By pointing to differences in organization among other things, Ward Jones Jr. casts doubt on Baswell’s earlier hypothesis. What becomes clear is that there is agreement between Baswell and Ward Jones Jr. in that they both see Silvestris as the Aeneid commentator, but Ward Jones Jr. cannot agree with the connection to the Peterhouse. The commentary on the Aeneid is the longest medieval commentary on that work, although it is incomplete, ending about two-thirds of the way through book six. It is also viewed as the most elaborate commentary from the middle ages
.
and others with its pioneering use of allegory
to discuss metaphyscial and scientific questions. Theodore Silverstein praises Silvestris’ poems for their imaginative prose, as well as for positioning himself well in literature based on the time and place—particularly in the writing of the Cosmographia during the 12th-century controversies of evolution
.
There is evidence of influence in the works of medieval and renaissance authors, including Hildegard of Bingen
, Vincent of Beauvais
, Dante
, Chaucer, Nicolas of Cusa
, and Boccaccio
.
Platonism
Platonism is the philosophy of Plato or the name of other philosophical systems considered closely derived from it. In a narrower sense the term might indicate the doctrine of Platonic realism...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and poet
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
of the 12th century.
Biography
Little is known about his life. André Vernet, who edited Bernard's CosmographiaCosmographia (Bernard Silvestris)
Cosmographia is a Latin philosophical allegory, dealing with the creation of the universe, by the twelfth-century author Bernard Silvestris. In form, it is a prosimetrum, in which passages of prose alternate with verse passages in various classical meters...
, believed that he lived from 1085 to 1178; the only certain date in his life is 1147, when the Cosmographia was supposedly presented to Pope Eugene III
Pope Eugene III
Pope Blessed Eugene III , born Bernardo da Pisa, was Pope from 1145 to 1153. He was the first Cistercian to become Pope.-Early life:...
. Other sources place the writing of the Cosmographia
Cosmographia (Bernard Silvestris)
Cosmographia is a Latin philosophical allegory, dealing with the creation of the universe, by the twelfth-century author Bernard Silvestris. In form, it is a prosimetrum, in which passages of prose alternate with verse passages in various classical meters...
sometime between 1143 and 1148. There is some evidence that he was connected to Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
schools of philosophy, but it seems likely that he was born in Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
, due to the intimate descriptions of the city and the surrounding area found in the Cosmographia. Later medieval authors also associated him with that city.
Wherever he was born, he certainly studied and taught at Tours
Tours
Tours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
. Here he likely taught in the humanities department. There is little evidence connecting Silvestris to Chartres
Chartres
Chartres is a commune and capital of the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France. It is located southwest of Paris.-Geography:Chartres is built on the left bank of the Eure River, on a hill crowned by its famous cathedral, the spires of which are a landmark in the surrounding country...
- this is supported by Poole - even though there was a letter of dedication to Thierry
Thierry of Chartres
Thierry of Chartres or Theodoric the Breton was a twelfth-century philosopher working at Chartres and Paris, France....
, who became Chancellor of Chartres in 1141. It is most likely that Silvestris wrote the letter in order to win the favour of a powerful figure, known for his interest in science. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was assumed that Bernard was the same person as Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres was a twelfth-century French Neo-Platonist philosopher, scholar, and administrator.- Life :...
, although this identification has been challenged by more recent scholars such as Julian Ward Jones. Most notably, a contemporary of Bernard, John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury
John of Salisbury , who described himself as Johannes Parvus , was an English author, educationalist, diplomat and bishop of Chartres, and was born at Salisbury.-Early life and education:...
, who was bishop of Chartres, quotes from works attributed to Bernard but does not know the author by name. He also quotes from Bernard of Chartres and knows him as a separate author.
Works
Bernard's greatest work is the aforementioned Cosmographia, a prosimetrumProsimetrum
A prosimetrum is a literary piece that is made up of alternating passages of prose and poetry.-Examples:*De nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii by Martianus Capella*Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius*Cosmographia by Bernard Silvestris...
on the creation of the world, told from a 12th-century Platonist perspective. The poem influenced Chaucer and others with its pioneering use of allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
to discuss metaphyscial and scientific questions. Bernard also wrote the poem Mathematicus and probably the poem Experimentarius as well as some minor poems.
Among the works attributed to Bernard later in the Middle Ages were a commentary on Virgil
Virgil
Publius Vergilius Maro, usually called Virgil or Vergil in English , was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He is known for three major works of Latin literature, the Eclogues , the Georgics, and the epic Aeneid...
's Aeneid
Aeneid
The Aeneid is a Latin epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans. It is composed of roughly 10,000 lines in dactylic hexameter...
(Bernard's authorship of which has been questioned by modern scholars) and a commentary on Martianus Capella
Martianus Capella
Martianus Minneus Felix Capella was a pagan writer of Late Antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education...
's De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii. The commentary on the Aeneid is the longest medieval commentary on that work, although it is incomplete, ending about two-thirds of the way through book six.
So-Called Silvestris Commentary
Julian Ward Jones Jr. in his article “The So-Called Silvestris Commentary on the Aeneid and Two Other Interpretation” attempts to clear up the issue of authorship in the Aeneid commentary by interpreting two distinct positions, the first by E.R. Smits, and the second by Christopher Baswell. Smits’ account is rejected by Ward Jones Jr., while saying Baswell’s account is mostly correct but requires some modification.E.R. Smits, like André Vernet (1938), hypothesizes that Carnotensis (the pen-name of the commentary) is Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres
Bernard of Chartres was a twelfth-century French Neo-Platonist philosopher, scholar, and administrator.- Life :...
- the individual who Silvestris is most confused for. Vernet says that Silvestris, for whom this confusion was normally detrimental, probably gained from this particular confusion as he is most often credited for the commentary in Vergil’s Aeneid. Smits and Vernet attribute Bernard of Chartes authorship of the Aeneid commentary to a number of similarities and differences between this work and other texts. What needs to be asked here though is why is Vernet still turned to for answers on Silvestris, when he wrote on the subject in 1938? It seems as though we do not have a choice, because even more modern writers, such as Ward Jones Jr., continue to cite him because there is no one else to look to. Vernet still has authority on the subject matter.
On the other hand, Christopher Baswell attempts to interpret the Aeneid commentary through the Peterhouse, seeing this as an important link between manuscripts of the commentary and the Silvestris commentary. By placing the passages in two columns it is clear to the reader as it is to Baswell that the interpretations are congruent, although the notes in Peterhouse appear to be shortened and simpler versions of notes in the Silvestris commentary. Baswell wants here to conclude that the Peterhouse represents the earlier works of Silvestris. Ward Jones Jr. sets this conclusion aside to continue to exhibit differences that occur - which in his opinion are more important than the striking similarities. By pointing to differences in organization among other things, Ward Jones Jr. casts doubt on Baswell’s earlier hypothesis. What becomes clear is that there is agreement between Baswell and Ward Jones Jr. in that they both see Silvestris as the Aeneid commentator, but Ward Jones Jr. cannot agree with the connection to the Peterhouse. The commentary on the Aeneid is the longest medieval commentary on that work, although it is incomplete, ending about two-thirds of the way through book six. It is also viewed as the most elaborate commentary from the middle ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
Impact and contributions
The Cosmographia influenced ChaucerGeoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer , known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to have been buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey...
and others with its pioneering use of allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
to discuss metaphyscial and scientific questions. Theodore Silverstein praises Silvestris’ poems for their imaginative prose, as well as for positioning himself well in literature based on the time and place—particularly in the writing of the Cosmographia during the 12th-century controversies of evolution
History of evolutionary thought
Evolutionary thought, the conception that species change over time, has roots in antiquity, in the ideas of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Chinese as well as in medieval Islamic science...
.
There is evidence of influence in the works of medieval and renaissance authors, including Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen
Blessed Hildegard of Bingen , also known as Saint Hildegard, and Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, visionary, and polymath. Elected a magistra by her fellow nuns in 1136, she founded the monasteries of Rupertsberg in 1150 and...
, Vincent of Beauvais
Vincent of Beauvais
The Dominican friar Vincent of Beauvais wrote the Speculum Maius, the main encyclopedia that was used in the Middle Ages.-Early life:...
, Dante
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
, Chaucer, Nicolas of Cusa
Nicholas of Cusa
Nicholas of Kues , also referred to as Nicolaus Cusanus and Nicholas of Cusa, was a cardinal of the Catholic Church from Germany , a philosopher, theologian, jurist, mathematician, and an astronomer. He is widely considered one of the great geniuses and polymaths of the 15th century...
, and Boccaccio
Giovanni Boccaccio
Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian author and poet, a friend, student, and correspondent of Petrarch, an important Renaissance humanist and the author of a number of notable works including the Decameron, On Famous Women, and his poetry in the Italian vernacular...
.
Editions and translations
-
- For editions and translations of the Cosmographia, see Cosmographia (Bernard Silvestris)#Editions and translations.
- Mathematicus, ed. and trans. Deirdre M. Stone, Archives d'histoire doctrinale et littéraire du moyen âge 63 (1996): 209–83.
- Experimentarius, ed. Charles Burnett, in "What Is the Experimentarius of Bernardus Silvestris?: A Preliminary Survey of the Material," Archives d'histoire doctrinale et littéraire du moyen âge 44 (1977): 62–108. Reprinted in Burnett, Magic and Divination in the Middle Ages (Aldershot: Variorum, 1996). ISBN 0-86078-615-3
- The Commentary on the First Six Books of the Aeneid of Virgil Commonly Attributed to Bernardus Silvestris, ed. Julian Ward Jones and Elizabeth Frances Jones (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1977). ISBN 0-8032-0898-7
- The Commentary on the First Six Books of Virgil's Aeneid, trans. Earl G. Schreiber and Thomas E. Maresca (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1979). ISBN 0-8032-4108-9
See also
- Allegory in the Middle AgesAllegory in the Middle AgesAllegory in the Middle Ages was a vital element in the synthesis of Biblical and Classical traditions into what would become recognizable as Medieval culture...