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Augustine’s De musica and Its Recovery Between the Ninth and Thirteenth Centuries

by Constant J. Mews (Author)
18 Pages
Open Access
Journal: Mediaevistik Volume 39 Issue 1 Publication Year 2026 pp. 65 - 82

Summary

This paper explores the neglected importance of the De musica of Augustine, long overshadowed by his writings on Christian theology, as well as by the subsequent reputation of the De institutione musica of Boethius. It considers the rediscovery of Augustine’s De musica in the ninth century, not just through surviving manuscripts, but in the writing of Sedulius Scotus and John Scotus Eriugena, as well as in certain commentaries on both Augustine and Boethius on music that deserve exploration as transmitting his core ideas. The paper also explores the renewal of interest in the De musica in the thirteenth century, not just through scholastics like Robert Grosseteste and Alexander of Hales, but through various manuscripts from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, including one belonging to Richard of Fournival.

Details

Pages
18
DOI
10.3726/med.2026.01.03
Open Access
CC-BY
Publication date
2026 (August)
Keywords
Augustine music theory Boethius Eriugena Robert Grosseteste Alexander of Hales Richard of Fournival
Product Safety
Peter Lang Group AG

Biographical notes

Constant J. Mews (Author)

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Title: Augustine’s De musica and Its Recovery Between the Ninth and Thirteenth Centuries