SULIEN, ' Sulgenus ', surnamed ' The Wise '; 1011 - 1091, teacher and Bishop of St David's

Name: Sulien
Date of birth: 1011
Date of death: 1091
Gender: Male
Occupation: teacher and Bishop of St David's
Area of activity: Education; Religion; Scholarship and Languages
Author: William Hopkin Davies

Born at Llanbadarn-fawr of a good (and probably clerical) family. After lengthy instruction in Welsh, Scottish (for five years), and Irish (for thirteen years) schools, he returned to his native Ceredigion and won great fame for his teaching and learning (see below for the Latin manuscripts written under his inspiration). In later life he was chosen bishop of S. Davids from 1072/3 to 1078, and again from 1080 to 1085, being succeeded by Wilfrid, the last independent bishop of S. Davids. Sulien died in 1091, aged 80, renowned for his wisdom and scholarly attainments. He personally guided the education of his four sons, Rhygyfarch, ARTHEN, DANIEL, and IEUAN, and the literary importance and influence of what may be called the school of Sulien is well marked. Ieuan, archpresbyter of Llanbadarn, died in 1137, leaving, along with some illuminations in a manuscript of Jerome, an extant autograph of the ' De Trinitate ' of Augustine, which contains a short Latin poem by the copyist about Sulien and his family on the fly-leaves. Nothing is known of Arthen, but probably the scholar HENRY AB ARTHEN (died 1163) was his son, DANIEL (died 1127), became archdeacon of Powys, and his son CYDIFOR (died 1163) became archdeacon of Cardigan.

Author

Published date: 1959

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