Nithard
Nithard
Frankish historian, son of Angilbert and Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne; died about 843 or 844 in the wars against the Normans. Little is known about his early life, but in the quarrels between the sons of Louis the Pious he proved a zealous adherent of Charles the Bald, by whose command he went as ambassador to Lothair in 840, though without success. At the battle of Fontenoy, in 841, he fought bravely at the side of Charles, and afterwards wrote, at the request of that prince, the history of the period in order to establish the right of Charles the Bald. This work, which usually bears the title: “De dissensionibus filiorum Ludovici Pii ad annum usque 843, seu Historiarum libri quaattuor 841-843”, recites in rather uncouth language the causes of the quarrels and describes, minutely and clearly, the unjust behaviour of Lothair, sometimes a little partially, but with understanding and a clear insight into the conditions. He was the only layman of his time who devoted himself to the writing of a history, and he reported earnestly and truthfully what he himself had seen and heard. It is very probable that he was lay abbot of St. Riquier. His body was buried there, and when it was found, in the eleventh century, Mico, the poet of the abbey, composed a lengthy rhymed epitaph. Nithard’s historical work has been published by Migne in “P. L.”, CXVI, 45-76.
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PATRICIUS SCHLAGER Transcribed by Michael C. Tinkler
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XICopyright © 1911 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, February 1, 1911. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Nithard
a French antiquarian, noted as the historian of the 9th century, was the son of the celebrated Angilbert, chaplain of the palace, abbot of St. Riquier, etc., and of Bertha, the daughter of Charlemagne. After his father’s death Nithard succeeded him in the capacity of governor of the maritime provinces of the empire, and helped Charles the Bald to resist the attacks of his brothers, Lothaire and Louis. Nithard vainly sought to restore peace between them, every treater being broken on the first opportunity. He then left the court and went into retirement, where he died, according to Petau, in 853. The manner in which he spent the latter part of his life is unknown. Petau and Baluze state that he withdrew into the abbey of Prunt, where he was received by abbot Marcward; this, however, is contradicted by Mabillon. Hariulfe, historian of St. Riquier, states that he became abbot of that convent. The authors of the Hist. Litter. de la France, on the other hand, claim that he was neither a monk nor an’ abbot, for in exhuming his body it was proved that he died of a wound received in battle. Yet we must remember that at that time most abbots were at the same time counts, dukes, etc., and often better soldiers than monks; the authors of the Gallia Christiana grant therefore a place to Nithard among the abbots of St. Riquier. Nithard is especially known for his work entitled, De dissensionibus filiorum Ludovici Pii, repeatedly published, as by Pertz, under the title of Historiarum, libri iv, and vol. vii of the Recueil des Historiens des Gaules. The work is of great historical value, the writer having been an eye-witness and often an actor in the events he describes. See Vita Nithardi a Petavio, Recueil des Hist. des Gaules, vol. vii; Hist. Litter. de la France, v. 204; Gallia Christ. x, col. 1246; Pertz, Mon. Ger. Hist. 2:649-672; Scholle, De Lotharii I imp. cum, fratribus de monarchia facto certamine (Berol. 1855); Hausser, Deutsche Geschichtschreiber, p. 41-43; Bahr, Gesch. d. Romans Literatur im Karol. Zeitalter, p. 224 sq.; Gfrirer, Gesch. d. ost- u. westfrank. Karoling. 1:39, 51 62; Herzog,Real- Encyklopadie, 10:386; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog., Generale, 38:98. (J. N. P.)