Essays investigating the writings attributed to Columbanus, influential 0c founder of Luxeuil and Bobbio. Columbanus (d.615), the Irish monk and founder of such important centres as Luxeuil and Bobbio, was one of the most influential figures in early medieval Europe. His fiery personality led him into conflict with Gallic bishops andRoman popes, and he defended his position on such matters as monastic discipline in a substantial corpus of Latin writings marked by burning conviction and rhetorical skill. However, the polish of his style has raised questions about the nature of his early training in Ireland and even about the authenticity of the writings which have come down to us under his name. The studies in this volume attempt to address these questions: by treating each of the individual writings comprehensively, and drawing on recently-developed techniques of stylistic analysis new light is shed on Columbanus and his early education in Ireland. More importantly, doubts over the authenticity of certain writings attributed to Columbanus are here authoritatively resolved, so putting the study of this cardinal figure on a sound basis.Professor MICHAEL LAPIDGE teaches in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic, Universityof Cambridge. Contributors: DONALD BULLOUGH, NEIL WRIGHT, CLARE STANCLIFFE, JANE STEVENSON, T.M. CHARLES-EDWARDS, DIETER SCHALLER, MICHAEL LAPIDGE, DAIBHI O CROININ

In this major intellectual biography of Alcuin (d. 804), the most prominent Anglo-Saxon scholar at the court of Charlemagne, Donald Bullough deploys a lifetime's expertise in the study of early medieval manuscripts. Concentrating on Alcuin's early years in Northumbria and then his time at the Carolingian court, Bullough reassesses the chronology of Alcuin's career and writings, assesses his use of patristic and insular writings, and explores the contemporary significance of his large output. At the core of this book lies a fundamental reassessment of the dating of Alcuin's letters: in so doing, it reveals the patterns of intellectual exchange and textual community that characterised the first phase of the Carolingian Renaissance. It thus offers a uniquely detailed and nuanced exploration of the life and ideas of the most influential early medieval scholar.