Adalbéron de Laon

See also: Adalbéron

Adalbéron of Laon known as Ascelin (v. 947 - 1030 Abbey Saint-Vincent de Laon), bishop of Laon from 977 to 1030.

It is resulting from the big family lotharingienne of Ardenne, related with the Carolingiens. He is the son of Régnier of Bastogne, puîné brother of the count of Verdun, Godefroy the Prisoner and of the archbishop Adalbéron of Rheims.
After having begun its studies with Gorze, it is of 969 with 974 the pupil in Rheims of Gerbert d' Aurillac, the future pope Sylvestre II. Faithful of the Carolingian king Lothaire, this last does it chancellor into 974 then, after the death of Roricon occurred the December 20th 976, appoints it bishop of Laon the January 16th 977.
Shortly after its accession with the episcopal see, of the noises of adultery run about a connection which it maintains with the queen Emma Italy, wife of Lothaire. In order to know the truth, his/her uncle the archbishop of Rheims convenes a Synode which finally innocent the queen as well as the Ascelin bishop. The brother of king Lothaire, Charles de Lotharingie, which encouraged these rumors, is exilé.

After the death of Lothaire and its son Louis V, it however lines up as regards his uncle the archbishop of Rheims among the craftsmen of the change of dynasty. March 26th 991, in the night of the Maundy Thursday, it delivers in a perfidious manner Charles of Lorraine, the last representing and legitimate heir to the Carolingian dynasty, with Hugues Capet. Then plotting in 993 with Eudes Ier of Blois in order to deliver Hugues Capet and his son Robert Ier to Otton III, it is deposited with the Synode Pavia in 998. All its actions will be worth the reputation of " to him; Vetulus Traditor" (old traitor).
Author of the " Poem with king Robert" , Adalbéron de Laon takes there very hostile positions with the Monachisme clunisien and formulates there, one of the first before Gerard de Cambrai, the idea of a ternary structure for the medieval company (those which request, those which fight, those which work) with the image of the City of God at holy Augustin.

Its date of death is dubious: either the July 19th 1030, or, according to the nécrologe of Saint-Vincent de Laon, a January 27th, probably in 1031. It is buried in the abbey church of Saint-Vincent de Laon.

Adalbéron de Laon is especially known to have fixed the theory of process, i.e. the tripartition of the company according to the functions of each one: oratores (those which requests), pugnatores or bellatores (those which fight) and the laboratores (those which work or, more precisely, which plows the ground).

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