Lindsay Rudge PhD Thesis - University of St Andrews

CHAPTER 5
From Caesarius to Benedict: religious life and reform in the ninth century
From a codicological point of view, the history of Caesarius of Arles’ rule for
nuns can commence only at the beginning of the ninth century, three hundred years after
its composition. The earliest surviving manuscript containing the rule – now Munich,
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 28118 – is itself the only extant copy of Benedict of
Aniane’s Codex Regularum dated to circa 815. 1 Forming part of its collection of thirty-
six monastic rules and other normative texts, the Codex also contains a letter of Pope
Hormisdas (514-523) approving the foundation of the monastery of St John and a
collection of six prayers for deceased members of the community, neither of which are
found elsewhere. 2 Although the Regula itself would almost certainly be extant without its
inclusion in the Codex, its contents would be by no means as complete or as well
established as is now the case, nor would much of the monastery’s accompanying
documentation have survived. 3
The survival of several of the other Caesarian texts owes an equal debt to
Benedict of Aniane’s other main works concerned with monastic legislation, the
Concordia Regularum and the Institutio sanctimonialium. The former includes an
otherwise unknown sermon (now no. CLII), a fragment of Teridius’ letter O Profundum
to the second abbess Caesaria, and the so-called Dicta Caesariae, the same abbess’ brief
writings on prayer, thought and purity of heart. 4 The Institutio preserves extended
extracts from Caesarius’ letter to nuns, Vereor, although as has been noted in previous
chapters, the circulation of this work was sufficiently wide to ensure it was not dependent
on inclusion here for its survival.
1 P. Bonnerue Benedicti Anianensis Concordia Regularum CCCM 168 (Turnhout, 1999) 83.
2 Ibid 92; de Vogüé, Oeuvres pour les moniales, 136.
3 See the stemma established by de Vogüé, Oeuvres pour les moniales, 155, which shows that the tenth
century copy owned by the female community at Niedermünster (Bamberg, Königliche Bibliothek, ms. Lit.
142, fol. 62r – 83v) was drawn from a different exemplar from that of Benedict’s ninth century edition.
4 Concordia 5,11 (O Profundum); 25,11 (Serm. 152); 25,14-16 (Dicta Caesariae). The text of the
Concordia is most readily accessible in P. Bonnerue Benedicti Anianensis Concordia Regularum CCCM
168 A (Turnhout, 1999).
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