Ermoldus Nigellus
Encyclopedia
Ermoldus Nigellus or Niger, translated Ermold the Black, also Ermoald, was a monk of Aquitaine
, who accompanied King Pippin, son of the Emperor Louis I
, on a campaign into Brittany
in 824.
Subsequently he was banished from Pippin's court on a charge of inciting the king against his father, and retired to Strassburg, where he sought to regain the emperor's favour by writing a poem on his life and deeds. About 830 he obtained his recall, and has been identified with Hermoldus, who appears as Pippin's chancellor in 838.
Ermoldus was a cultured man with a knowledge of the Latin poets, and his poem, In honorem Hludovici imperatoris, has some historical value. It consists of four books and deals with the life and exploits of Louis from 781 to 826. He also wrote two poems in imitation of Ovid
, which were addressed to Pippin.
His Carmina in honorem Hludovici, edited by Edelestand Dümmler, and other writings are published in the Monumenta Germaniae historica
. Scriptores, Band 2 (Hanover, 1826 fol.); by JP Migne
in the Patrologia Latina, tome 105 (Paris, 1844); and by Ernst Dümmler
in the Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Band 2 (Berlin, 1881–1884).
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
, who accompanied King Pippin, son of the Emperor Louis I
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, on a campaign into Brittany
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
in 824.
Subsequently he was banished from Pippin's court on a charge of inciting the king against his father, and retired to Strassburg, where he sought to regain the emperor's favour by writing a poem on his life and deeds. About 830 he obtained his recall, and has been identified with Hermoldus, who appears as Pippin's chancellor in 838.
Ermoldus was a cultured man with a knowledge of the Latin poets, and his poem, In honorem Hludovici imperatoris, has some historical value. It consists of four books and deals with the life and exploits of Louis from 781 to 826. He also wrote two poems in imitation of Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
, which were addressed to Pippin.
His Carmina in honorem Hludovici, edited by Edelestand Dümmler, and other writings are published in the Monumenta Germaniae historica
Monumenta Germaniae Historica
The Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
. Scriptores, Band 2 (Hanover, 1826 fol.); by JP Migne
Jacques Paul Migne
Jacques Paul Migne was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely-distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a universal library for the Catholic priesthood.He was born at Saint-Flour, Cantal and studied...
in the Patrologia Latina, tome 105 (Paris, 1844); and by Ernst Dümmler
Ernst Dümmler
Ernst Ludwig Dümmler was a German historian.The son of Ferdinand Dümmler , a Berlin bookseller, Ernst Ludwig was born in Berlin...
in the Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Band 2 (Berlin, 1881–1884).
Authorities
- W. O. Henkel, Über den historischen Werth der Gedichte des Ermoldus Nigellus (Eilenburg, 1876)
- Wilhelm WattenbachWilhelm WattenbachWilhelm Wattenbach , was a German historian.He was born at Ranzau in Holstein. He studied philology at the universities of Bonn, Göttingen and Berlin, and in 1843 he began to work upon the Monumenta Germaniae Historica...
, Deutschlands Geschichtsquellen, Band I (Berlin, 1904) - August PotthastAugust PotthastAugust Potthast , German historian, was born at Höxter, and was educated at Paderborn, Münster and Berlin....
, Bibliotheca historica, pp. 430–431 (Berlin, 1896)