Eriugena: An Introduction

The story of Iohannes Scottus Eriugena (c. 800–870), Ireland’s greatest philosopher, is told here for the newcomer. Educated in Ireland, Eriugena emigrated to France where he became a close friend of the Emperor, Charles the Bald, serving him as court poet and master of the palace school. He also became a translator and admirer of the theology of the Greek Church, leading eventually to his condemnation as a heretic. In recent times, however, he has become one of the most studied of all mediaeval intellectuals.