PERIPHYSEON

Charles the Bald, grandson of Charlemagne, became king in 840. By the time Eriugena arrived, the king was presiding over what is often called the Second Carolingian Renaissance. The great centers of culture were concentrated within his realm—Saint-Vaast, Saint-Riquier, Saint-Amand, Corbie, Saint-Denis, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, and Saint-Germain-d’Auxerre. At that time, these were more active than even Saint-Gall, Reichenau, or Fulda. The king himself had received a solid education in letters, greatly admired the monastic life, cherished and built an important collection of books, and was known as the “philosopher king” due to his interest in philosophy and his efforts to promote its study, particularly within a theological context.

In particular, Charles held a positive interest in all things Greek. He loved the grandeur of Greek liturgy and was pleased to be addressed with Greek titles—anax (king), archos (ruler), autokrator (emperor), kurios (lord), monarchos (monarch), agathos (good), orthodoxos (orthodox), and so on. An interesting question arises as to whether Eriugena stimulated this Greek interest in the king, or whether the king’s interest in Eriugena grew specifically because the latter was capable of translating Greek. In any case, it is clear that when Eriugena eventually gravitated toward Charles’ court, he knew he would find an atmosphere compatible with his intellectual interests. Nor was his interest in art ignored: there is evidence of a “Hofschule” (Court School) at the palace, an atelier for producing richly decorated books for the king's personal use.

There may be traces of Eriugena’s sojourn on the Continent before he joined Charles at what is known as the Palace School. It is thought that he may have been at Schuttern in the diocese of Strasbourg, though there is stronger evidence to suggest he was associated with Reims.

Eriugena finally emerges clearly into history around 851 as a member of Charles’ Palace School. Since the king’s court was itinerant, there is considerable difficulty in associating it with one single location; however, most scholars agree that the school is associated with Laon, Quierzy, or Compiègne, all located to the northeast of Paris. This school also had relations with the Cathedral school of Laon, where Irish scholars were prominent. At the Palace School, Eriugena began his career, initially as a teacher of the liberal arts. It should not be assumed that he was then—or indeed at any time—an ordained member of the clergy.

The purpose of schooling in the liberal arts had been established by Charlemagne and Alcuin: the achievement of Christian wisdom, and thereby, the binding together of the entire Carolingian community. A number of works of a grammatical or literary character attributed to Eriugena—though not yet universally accepted—may reflect his activities during this period. We know these activities also included commentary on the Bible and an interest in medicine. The primary evidence for his teaching, however, is available to us in his commentary on the Wedding of Philology and Mercury by the Carthaginian Martianus Capella, an extraordinary book written sometime between 410 and 439. The