Petrus Comestor

Depiction of Petrus Comestor in a later copy of the Historia Scholastica , ca.1470

Petrus (Peter) Comestor (* around 1100 in Troyes; † October 22, 1178 in Paris), also Petrus Manducator, was a French theologian .

He initially worked at the Church of Notre-Dame of Troyes and used to sign as Presbyter Trecensis . He had already become dean of the cathedral chapter before 1148 and received a benefit in 1148 . In Paris he was a student of Petrus Lombardus . Around 1160 he was part of the cathedral chapter of Notre-Dame de Paris and became chancellor in the same year. At the same time he directed the theological school there. In Paris, Petrus Comestor wrote his Historia Scholastica , he dedicated it to the Bishop of Sens , Guillaume aux Blanches Mains (1169–1176). In 1178 he retired to the Paris Monastery of St. Viktor and died there that same year.

The nickname Comestor (the eater) accompanied Peter during his lifetime because of his passion for reading books.

The Historia Scholastica is a kind of biblical textbook on world history and was widely used. The author begins his narrative with the story of creation and continues it through to the events of the book of Acts . Both the Bible and writings of secular authors, especially Flavius ​​Josephus regarding the beginning of the Gospels, served him as sources . References from geography, cosmology, philosophy, theology, etymology etc. form a commentary on the Holy Scriptures.

literature

• Monika Rappenecker:  Petrus Comestor. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 7, Bautz, Herzberg 1994, ISBN 3-88309-048-4 , Sp. 343-345.
• Mayumi Taguchi (Ed.): The historye of the patriarks. From Cambridge, St John's College, MS G. 31 with parallel texts of "The historia scholastica" and the "Bible historiale". (Middle English texts, Vol. 42), Heidelberg 2010, ISBN 978-3-8253-5750-4 .

Web links

• Article on Petrus Comestor in the Catholic Encyclopedia
• Archival science page about Petrus Comestor and a copy of his writings