Alcuin

Alcuin of York

Alcuin was born Flaccus Albinus Alcuinus at around the year A. D. 735 near or in the city of York in England. He was born into nobility, and not much is known about his childhood except for that of his education. Alcuin was a renowned scholar and professor , who taught at the school of York . He then moved on to be one of the advisors of Holy Roman Emporer Charlemagne and was abbot of the monastery of Saint Martin of Tours (newadvent.org) .

Alcuin was very blessed that he was born into a family of nobility at the time and place that he was born. He attended school at the Cathedral School in York. This time period in York, is known to be the Golden Age of Egbert and Eadbert, two brothers that greatly changed and reformed York. Eadbert was the King of York and Egbert had studied under the venerable Bede. Both brothers strived for reform in the Church and learning systems of York (bartleby.com).

The tutor of Alcuin was Egbert, this is where Alcuin developed his love for classical poetry. The fact that classical poetry was written by non-Christians did bother Alcuin, but that did not stop his love for it. The school that Alcuin attended was renowned for two things; Rligious matters and teachings, and the liberal arts, which can be separated

into literature and science (brittanica.com).

Sometime in the A. D. 750's Alcuin graduated from a student in the school to teacher in the School. Alcuin drew up two codes that helped to further reform the school, these codes were the trivium and quadrivium. Alcuin taght at the School from the time of his gradutation until A. D. 767 when he was promoted and was headmaster of the School of York. The previous leader of the school had became archbishop of York. Also, at around this time, Alcuin became a deacon in the Catholic Church. He was never ordained a priest and also, he never became a monk, however, he lived his life just as strict, or maybe even more strict than that of any monk or priest combined (wikipedia).

In A.D. 781, Alcuin ran an errand that would change his life forever. King Elfwald sent Alcuin to Rome to petition for York so that York could continue its role within the Catholic Church. Along this journey, Alcuin met Charles, King of the Franks, future Holy Roman Emporer. King Charles,