Medieval France. An Encyclopedia

(Darren Dugan) #1

tory of Virtue over Vice. The right arch shows the legend of St. Nicolas saving three
women from prostitution and representations of four Apostles. Historiated capitals
throughout the program depict single figures and biblical scenes.
Nina Rowe
Crozet, René. “Le décor sculpté de la façade de l’église de Civray.” Revue de l’art ancien et
moderne 66 (1934):97–110.
Seidel, Linda. Songs of Glory: The Romanesque Façades of Aquitaine. Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1981, pp. 27, 43, 48, 65.
Thirion, Jacques. “Civray.” Congrès archéologique (Poitiers) 109 (1951):331–55.


CLAREMBALD OF ARRAS


(ca. 1110-after 1170). A pupil of Thierry of Chartres and Hugh of Saint-Victor,
Clarembald was a Neoplatonist philosopher and theologian. His life centered on Arras,
where he was provost ca. 1152–56 and archdeacon until his death. Summoned ca. 1160 to
direct the school at Laon, he relinquished the post as soon as he decently could.
Clarembald taught philosophy but is best known as a theologian, especially for his
commentary on Boethius’s De Trinitate, written for the elucidation of young monks. He
also commented on Boethius’s De hebdomadibus (Opus. Sac. 3) and Genesis 1. Though
he was not an adventurous thinker—his ideas depend largely on Thierry of Chartres—his
polished, clear style and vast knowledge of sacred and secular tradition give his works a
personal stamp.
In the Chartrian mold, Clarembald got his Platonism from Chalcidius and was heavily
influenced by Boethius. He was a Realist, who viewed God as the Form of all being. God
is pure form, pure act, pure entity, pure and simple being; God is therefore a Unity to
which all other creation owes its being.
Lesley J.Smith
[See also: CHARTRES; HUGH OF SAINT-VICTOR; PHILOSOPHY; THEOLOGY;
THIERRY OF CHARTRES]


CLAUDIUS OF TURIN


. A biblical exegete and theologian during the reign of Louis the Pious, Claudius was
born near Seo de Urguel and studied in the school of Felix, one of the theologians
attacked by Alcuin as “Adoptionist,” before traveling to the classroom of Leidradus in
Lyon. He also spent some years in the palace school at Aix-la-Chapelle, where he
brought together catenae on earlier commentary on many books of the Bible, notably the
Heptateuch (of which Deuteronomy and Numbers do not survive), Matthew, and the
Pauline epistles. Most of these influential texts remain unedited. Claudius was appointed


The Encyclopedia 431
Free download pdf