[February 4] St. Rabanus Maurus, archbishop of Mainz

Rabanus Maurus (far left) presents his encyclopedia
to Archbishop Odgar of Mainz, his direct superior

True Name: Rabanus Maurus Magentius

Date of Birth: c. 1780

Reign: 848 – 856

Predecessor: Odgar

Summary: Little is known of Rabanus from his childhood except that he came from noble parents in Mainz. In 801, he became a deacon at Fulda, a patronage site of both the Carolingians and the Robertians, two prominent families in Francia. He finished his studies at Tours where he received the surname Maurus in honor of Saint Maurus. In the succeeding years, he became the headmaster of Fulda seminary which became a center of scholarship and book production in Francia. While there, he wrote the encyclopedia De rerum natures (On the Nature of Things), as well as numerous commentaries and treatises on the Bible and on education in Francia. In 814, Rabanus became a priest and left Fulda to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He returned to Fulda in 817 and became the abbot of the seminary in 822. He retired from his position at Fulda in 842 so that he could write more.

In 847, Rabanus returned to public life as the elected archbishop of Mainz. Within Germany, archbishops had the role of both clerical and secular leadership, and thus Rabanus for the first time became a prince of the realm within the Frankish Roman Empire. He came to the episcopate in a time of strife between the Holy Roman Emperor, Lothar, and his brother, Louis the German. In this conflict, Rabanus tended to side with Louis, who ruled the lands to the east of Mainz. Lothair died in 855 and Rabanus the year later. Louis, in his role as Carolingian overlord of the region, appointed his nephew, Charles, to the episcopal seat.

Date of Death: 4 February 856

Successor: Charles


Other Monarchs Who Died Today:

• Septimus Severus, emperor of Rome (211)
• Sisinnius, pope of Rome (708)
• Justo Takayama, daimyo of Japan (1615)