Recemundus was the Mozarab

Mozarab

The Mozarabs were Iberian Christians who lived under Arab Islamic rule in Al-Andalus. Their descendants remained unconverted to Islam, but did however adopt elements of Arabic language and culture...

ic bishop of Elvira and secretary of the caliph of Córdoba in the mid-tenth century.

In 953

953

Year 953 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Liudolf, Duke of Swabia and Conrad the Red rebel against German King Otto I....

, following a spate of undiplomatic letters between the two rulers, he served as ambassador for Abd al-Rahman III to Holy Roman Emperor

Holy Roman Emperor

The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...

, Otto I. In Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, he successfully normalised relations between the nominal rulers of Christendom

Christendom

Christendom, or the Christian world, has several meanings. In a cultural sense it refers to the worldwide community of Christians, adherents of Christianity...

 and Islam

Islam

Islam . The most common are and .   : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...

dom. It was while in Germany (956

956

Year 956 was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Events :* The Great Lighthouse at Alexandria was damaged by an earthquake.- Deaths :...

) that he met Liutprand of Cremona

Liutprand of Cremona

Liutprand, also Liudprand, Liuprand, Lioutio, Liucius, Liuzo, and Lioutsios was a Lombard historian and author, and Bishop of Cremona....

, the Italian bishop and diplomat, and convinced him to write a history of the times. The Antapodosis was dedicated to Recemundus.

Upon his return to Spain, he was rewarded with vacant see of Elvira. He continued his work as an ambassador to Christendom, going to the other European emperor in Constantinople

Constantinople

Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...

, and then to Jerusalem, the holiest city in the three great monotheistic faiths (Christianity, Islam, and Judaism).

In 961

961

Year 961 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Asia :* Ani becomes the capital of Armenia under the Bagratuni Dynasty....

, Recemundus presented an Arabic calendar of Christian holidays (including some commemorating the Martyrs of Córdoba

Martyrs of Córdoba

The Martyrs of Córdoba were forty-eight Christian martyrs living in the 9th century Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus, in what is now southern Spain; their hagiography describes in detail their executions for deliberately sought capital violations of Muslim law in Al-Andalus...

) to the new caliph, al-Hakim II

Al-Hakim II

-Bibliography:...

.

Sources

• Wintle, Justin. The Rough Guide History of Spain. Penguin Group, 2003.
• Gerli, E. Michael, ed. Routledge Encyclopedias of the Middle Ages: VIII Medieval Iberia, an Encyclopedia. "Recemund."
• Colbert, E. "The Martyrs of Córdoba (850–859): A Study of the Sources". Ph.D. Diss., Catholic University of America, 1962, 382–86.
• Dozy, R., ed. Le Calendrier de Cordoue. Trans. C. Pellat. 2d ed. Leiden, 1961.