Thomas of Ireland
Encyclopedia
Thomas of Ireland known as Thomas Hibernicus, not to be confused with the Franciscan friar Thomas de Hibernia
(d. c. 1270), was an Irish
writer. His claim to fame is not as an original author, but as an anthologist and indexer
.
and a Master of Arts by 1295, and referred to as a former fellow in the first manuscripts of his Manipulus in 1306. He is believed to have died before 1338.
, and the compiler of the Manipulus florum ('A Handful of Flowers'). The latter, a Latin florilegium
, has been described as a "collection of some 6,000 extracts from patristic and a few classical authors". Thomas compiled this collection from books in the library of the Sorbonne, "and at his death he bequeathed his books and sixteen pounds Parisian to the college".
The Manipulus florum survives in one hundred and ninety manuscripts, and was first printed in 1483. It was printed twenty-six times in the 16th century, eleven times in the 17th. As late as the 19th century editions were published in Vienna and Turin.
Although Thomas was apparently a member of the secular clergy
, his anthology was highly successful because it was "well suited to the needs of the new mendicant preaching orders ... [to] ... locate quotations ... relevant to any subject they might wish to touch on in their sermons." Indeed, Boyer has demonstrated that very soon after the Manipulus was completed a French Dominican used it to compose a series of surviving sermons. However, Nighman has argued that, although it was surely used by preachers, Thomas did not actually intend his anthology as a reference tool for sermon composition, as argued by the Rouses, but rather as a learning aid for university students, especially those intending on a clerical career involving pastoral care.
Thomas was also among the earliest pioneers of medieval information technology that included alphabetical subject indices
and cross-references. "In his selection, and in the various indexing techniques he invented or improved on, he revealed true originality and inventiveness." Those finding tools are preserved, and electronically enhanced, in Nighman's online critical edition of the Manipulus florum.
Thomas de Hibernia
Thomas de Hibernia, Irish theologian, fl. 1270.Said to be a native of Palmerstown, County Kildare. He became a Franciscan, and Fellow of Sorbonne, Paris...
(d. c. 1270), was an Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
writer. His claim to fame is not as an original author, but as an anthologist and indexer
Index (publishing)
An index is a list of words or phrases and associated pointers to where useful material relating to that heading can be found in a document...
.
Life
Thomas was a Fellow of the College of SorbonneCollège de Sorbonne
The Collège de Sorbonne was a theological college of the University of Paris, founded in 1257 by Robert de Sorbon, after whom it is named. With the rest of the Paris colleges, it was suppressed during the French Revolution. It was restored in 1808 but finally closed in 1882. The name Sorbonne...
and a Master of Arts by 1295, and referred to as a former fellow in the first manuscripts of his Manipulus in 1306. He is believed to have died before 1338.
Manipulus florum
Thomas was the author of three short works on theology and biblical exegesisExegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
, and the compiler of the Manipulus florum ('A Handful of Flowers'). The latter, a Latin florilegium
Florilegium
In medieval Latin a florilegium was a compilation of excerpts from other writings. The word is formed the Latin flos and legere : literally a gathering of flowers, or collection of fine extracts from the body of a larger work. It was adapted from the Greek anthologia "anthology", with the same...
, has been described as a "collection of some 6,000 extracts from patristic and a few classical authors". Thomas compiled this collection from books in the library of the Sorbonne, "and at his death he bequeathed his books and sixteen pounds Parisian to the college".
The Manipulus florum survives in one hundred and ninety manuscripts, and was first printed in 1483. It was printed twenty-six times in the 16th century, eleven times in the 17th. As late as the 19th century editions were published in Vienna and Turin.
Although Thomas was apparently a member of the secular clergy
Secular clergy
The term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious order...
, his anthology was highly successful because it was "well suited to the needs of the new mendicant preaching orders ... [to] ... locate quotations ... relevant to any subject they might wish to touch on in their sermons." Indeed, Boyer has demonstrated that very soon after the Manipulus was completed a French Dominican used it to compose a series of surviving sermons. However, Nighman has argued that, although it was surely used by preachers, Thomas did not actually intend his anthology as a reference tool for sermon composition, as argued by the Rouses, but rather as a learning aid for university students, especially those intending on a clerical career involving pastoral care.
Thomas was also among the earliest pioneers of medieval information technology that included alphabetical subject indices
Subject indexing
Subject indexing is the act of describing or classifying a document by index terms or other symbols in order to indicate what the document is about, to summarize its content or to increase its findability. In other words, it is about identifying and describing the subject of documents...
and cross-references. "In his selection, and in the various indexing techniques he invented or improved on, he revealed true originality and inventiveness." Those finding tools are preserved, and electronically enhanced, in Nighman's online critical edition of the Manipulus florum.
Other works
Thomas was also the author of three other works: De tribus punctis religionis Christiane ('On the three main points of the Christian religion'), on the duties of secular clergy; De tribus hierarchiis ('On the three hierarchies'), which develops ideas about hierarchy expressed at the end of De tribus punctis; and De tribus sensibus sacre scripture ('On the three senses of holy scripture'), on the four senses of Scripture. The last two works survive in three and eight manuscripts respectively.External links
- http://www.manipulusflorum.com
- http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/53/1/43?ijkey=Lza6abcveDHaj2C&keytype=ref