abbot, its founder Sturm (Sturmi, Sturmin), was his relative. There Eigil lived for many years as a
simple monk, beloved and respected for piety and learning. Sturm was succeeded on his death (779)
by Baugolf, and on Baugolf’s resignation Ratgar became abbot (802). Ratgar proved to be a tyrant,^1159
and expelled Eigil because he was too feeble to work. In 817, Ratgar was deposed, and the next
year (818) Eigil was elected abbot. A few months afterwards, Ratgar appeared as a suppliant for
readmission to the monastery. "It was not in Eigil’s power to grant this request, but his influence
was used to gain for it a favorable response at court [i.e. with Louis the Pious], and Ratgar for
thirteen years longer lived a submissive and penitent member of the community which had suffered
so much at his hands.^1160 This single incident in the life of Eigil goes far to prove his right to the
title of saint.
Loath as he had been to accept the responsible position of abbot in a monastery which was
in trouble, he discharged its duties with great assuiduity. He continued Ratgar’s building operations,
but without exciting the hatred and rebellion of his monks. On the contrary, Fulda once more
prospered, and when he died, June 15, 822, he was able to give over to his successor and intimate
friend, Rabanus Maurus, a well ordered community.
The only prose writing of Eigil extant is his valuable life of Sturm.^1161 It was written by
request of Angildruth, abbess of Bischofheim, and gives an authentic account of the founding of
Fulda. Every year on Sturm’s day (Dec. 17) it was read aloud to the monks while at dinner. Eigil’s
own biography was written by Candidus, properly Brunn, whom Ratgar had sent for instruction to
Einhard at Seligenstadt, and who was principal of the convent school under Rabanus Maurus. The
biography is in two parts, the second being substantially only a repetition in verse of the first.^1162
§ 163. Amalarius.
I. Symphosius Amalarius: Opera omnia in Migne, Tom. CV. col. 815–1340. His Carmina are in
Dümmler, Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, I.
II Du Pin, VII. 79, l58–160. Ceillier, XII. 221–223. Hist. Lit. de la France, IV. 531–546. Clarke,
II. 471–473. Bähr, 380–383. Hefele, IV. 10, 45, 87, 88. Ebert, II. 221, 222.
Amalarius was a deacon and priest in Metz, and died in 837, as abbot of Hornbach in the same
diocese. It is not known when or where he was born. During the deposition of Agobard (833–837),
Amalarius was head of the church at Lyons. He was one of the ecclesiastics who enjoyed the
friendship of Louis the Pious, and took part in the predestination controversy, but his work against
Gottschalk, undertaken at Hincmar’s request, is lost. He was prominent in councils. Thus he made
the patristic compilation from the Fathers (particularly from Isidore of Seville) and councils upon
the canonical life, which was presented at the Diet at Aix-la-Chapelle in 817,^1163 and partly that
upon image-worship in the theological congress of Paris, presented Dec. 6, 825. In 834, as
(^1159) See section on Rabanus Maurus.
(^1160) Mullinger, Schools of Charles the Great, London, 1877, pp. 141, 142.
(^1161) Migne, CV. col. 423-444.
(^1162) The second part is in Dümmler, Poetae, II. pp. 94-117.
(^1163) The Forma institutionis canonicorum et sanctimonialium in Migne, Tom. CV. 815-976, is the full collection in two
books, but Amalarius’ share was confined to the first book and probably only to a part of that. Cf. Hefele, IV. 10.