Jonas of Orléans
Encyclopedia
Jonas was Bishop of Orléans and played a major political role during the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious
.
Jonas was born in Aquitaine
. Probably a cleric by the 780s, he served at the court of Louis the Pious, who ruled as King of Aquitaine
during the reign of his father, Charlemagne
. In 817, Louis established his son Pippin
as King of Aquitaine. Jonas served as an adviser to Pippin. The following year, Jonas was appointed Bishop of Orléans.
Jonas was a trusted servant of Emperor Louis, and a committed supporter of the Emperor in his conflicts with his sons. He also wrote to refute some of the teachings of Claudius of Turin
at the request of the emperor. At the ecclesiastical council held in Paris
in 825, Jonas presented the position of the Frankish clergy on Iconoclasm
to Pope Eugenius II. He later wrote the treatise De cultu imaginum on the question. At a council in 829, again at Paris, he was a supporter of the rights of the Emperor over the clergy. He participated in councils at Worms
in 833, Thionville
in 835, and Aachen
in 836.
Jonas's writings included De Institutione laicali, an early example of mirror-of-princes writing
, written for Matfrid
, Count of Orléans
. De Institutione regia, another mirror work, was written for Pippin of Aquitaine.
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
.
Jonas was born in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. Probably a cleric by the 780s, he served at the court of Louis the Pious, who ruled as King of Aquitaine
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
during the reign of his father, Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. In 817, Louis established his son Pippin
Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I was King of Aquitaine.-Biography:He was the second son of Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
as King of Aquitaine. Jonas served as an adviser to Pippin. The following year, Jonas was appointed Bishop of Orléans.
Jonas was a trusted servant of Emperor Louis, and a committed supporter of the Emperor in his conflicts with his sons. He also wrote to refute some of the teachings of Claudius of Turin
Claudius of Turin
Claudius of Turin was the Catholic bishop of Turin from 817 until his death. He was a courtier of Louis the Pious and was a writer during the Carolingian Renaissance. He is most noted for teaching iconoclasm, a radical idea at that time in Latin Church, and for some teachings that prefigured...
at the request of the emperor. At the ecclesiastical council held in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 825, Jonas presented the position of the Frankish clergy on Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm
Iconoclasm is the deliberate destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually with religious or political motives. It is a frequent component of major political or religious changes...
to Pope Eugenius II. He later wrote the treatise De cultu imaginum on the question. At a council in 829, again at Paris, he was a supporter of the rights of the Emperor over the clergy. He participated in councils at Worms
Worms, Germany
Worms is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, on the Rhine River. At the end of 2004, it had 85,829 inhabitants.Established by the Celts, who called it Borbetomagus, Worms today remains embattled with the cities Trier and Cologne over the title of "Oldest City in Germany." Worms is the only...
in 833, Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
in 835, and Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in 836.
Jonas's writings included De Institutione laicali, an early example of mirror-of-princes writing
Mirror-of-princes writing
The mirrors for princes refer to a genre – in the loose sense of the word – of political writing during the Early Middle Ages, Middle Ages and the Renaissance...
, written for Matfrid
Matfrid
Matfrid was Count of Orléans in the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious. Historians presume that he was the first of Frankish noble clan known as the Matfridings, Matfridinger or Matfriede.-Matfrid:...
, Count of Orléans
Count of Orléans
The Count of Orléans was the ruler of an area of modern France around the city of Orléans. The title was most commonly used in the Merovingian and Carolingian eras....
. De Institutione regia, another mirror work, was written for Pippin of Aquitaine.