John of Salisbury (c. 1115-1180), English author, diplomatist and bishop of Chartres, was born at Salisbury between the years 1115 and 1120. Events Clairvaux Abbey is founded by St. ... Events April 13 - Frederick Barbarossa issues the Gelnhausen Charter November 18 - France Emperor Antoku succeds Emperor Takakura as emperor of Japan Afonso I of Portugal is taken prisoner by Ferdinand II of Leon Artois is annexed by France Prince Mochihito amasses a large army and instigates the Genpei War between... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Chartres is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Eure-et-Loir département. ... Salisbury Cathedral by Constable. ...

Beyond the fact that he was of Saxon, not of Norman extraction, and applies to himself the cognomen of Parvus, "short," or "small," few details are known regarding his early life; but from his own statements it is gathered that he crossed to France about 1136, and began regular studies in Paris under Pierre Abélard, who had there for a brief period re-opened his famous school on Mont St Genevieve. The Saxons were a large and powerful Germanic people located in what is now northwestern Germany and a small section of the eastern Netherlands. ... Norman may refer to: The Norman language The Norman people Norman architecture, the Romanesque architecture erected by the Normans. ... The Eiffel Tower has become the symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Abaelardus and Heloïse Pierre Abélard (in English, Peter Abelard) or Abailard (1079 – April 21, 1142) was a French scholastic philosopher. ...

After Abelard's retirement, John carried on his studies under Alberich of Reims and Robert of Melun. From 1138 to 1140 he studied grammar and the classics under William of Conches and Richard l'Evêque, the disciples of Bernard of Chartres, perhaps at Chartres. Alberich of Reims (c 1085 - 1141) studied with Anselm of Laon. ... A portrait of Robert of Melun from a frontispiece to his works. ... Grammar is the study of the rules governing the use of a language. ... William of Conches ( 1080 - 1154) was a philosopher who sought to expand the bounds of Christian humanism by studying secular works of the classics and fostering empirical science. ... Bernard of Chartres (Bernardus Carnotensis), 12th century scholar and administrator. ...

Bernard's teaching was distinguished partly by its pronounced Platonic tendency, partly by the stress laid upon literary study of the greater Latin writers; and the influence of the latter feature is noticeable in all John of Salisbury's works. Plato (Greek: Πλάτων Plátōn) (c. ...

About 1140 he was at Paris studying theology under Gilbert de la Porrée, then under Robert Pullus and Simon of Poissy. In 1148 he resided at Moutiers la Celle in the diocese of Troyes, with his friend Peter of Celle. He was present at the council of Reims, presided over by Pope Eugenius III, and was probably presented by Bernard of Clairvaux to Theobald, archbishop of Canterbury, under whose sponsorship he returned to England about 1150. Events Henry Jasomirgott was made count palatine of the Rhine. ... Gilbert de la Porrée, frequently known as Gilbertus Porretanus or Pictavieiisis (1070 - September 4, 1154), scholastic logician and theologian, was born at Poitiers. ... Troyes is a town in northeastern France. ... The Blessed Eugene III, né Bernardo Pignatelli (d. ... Bernard of Clairvaux, illustrated in A Short History of Monks and Monasteries by Alfred Wesley Wishart, 1900 Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (Fontaines, near Dijon, 1090 – August 21, 1153 in Clairvaux) was a French abbot and theologian who was the main voice of conservatism during the intellectual revival of Western Europe... Theobald (died April 18, 1161) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1138 to 1161. ... Arms of the Archbishop of Canterbury The Archbishop of Canterbury is the most senior bishop of the state Church of England and of the worldwide Anglican Communion, outranking the other English archbishop, the Archbishop of York. ... Events Åhus, Sweden gains city privileges City of Airdrie, Scotland founded King Sverker I of Sweden is deposed and succeeded by Eric IX of Sweden. ...

Appointed secretary to Theobald, he was frequently sent on missions to the papal see. During this time he composed his greatest works, published almost certainly in 1159, the Policraticus, sive de nugis curialium el de vestigiis philosophorum and the Metalogicus, writings invaluable as storehouses of information regarding the matter and form of scholastic education, and remarkable for their cultivated style and humanist tendency. After the death of Theobald in 1161, John continued as secretary to Thomas Becket, and took an active part in the long disputes between that primate and his sovereign, Henry II. Events Heiji Rebellion in Tunis is conquered by the Almohad caliphs. ... Events Bartholomew Iscanus becomes Bishop of Exeter. ... Saint Thomas à Becket (or Thomas Becket) (ca. ... Henry II of England, depicted in Cassells History of England, Century Edition, published circa 1902 Henry II (March 5, 1133 – July 6, 1189), ruled as Count of Anjou, Duke of Normandy, and as King of England (1154–1189) and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland, eastern Ireland...

His letters throw light on the constitutional struggle then agitating England. With Becket he withdrew to France during the king's displeasure; he returned with him in 1170, and was in Canterbury at the time of his assassination. In the following years, during which he continued in an influential situation in Canterbury, but at what precise date is unknown, he wrote a Life of Becket.

In 1176 he was made bishop of Chartres, where he passed the remainder of his life. In 1179 he took an active part in the third Lateran council. He died at or near Chartres on October 25 1180. Events May 22 - Murder attempt by the Hashshashin on Saladin near Aleppo Raynald of Chatillon released from prison in Aleppo May 29 - Frederick Barbarossa is defeated in the Battle of Legnano by the Lombard League leading to the pactum Anagninum (the Agreement of Anagni) September 17 - Seljuk Turks defeat Manuel... Chartres is a city and commune of France, préfecture (capital) of the Eure-et-Loir département. ... The Third Council of the Lateran met in March, 1179 as the 11th ecumenical council. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ...

John's writings enable us to understand with much completeness the literary and scientific position of the 12th century. His views imply a cultivated intelligence well versed in practical affairs, opposing to the extremes of both nominalism and realism a practical common sense. His doctrine is a kind of utilitarianism, with a strong leaning on the speculative side to the modified literary scepticism of Cicero, for whom he had unbounded admiration and on whose style he based his own. (11th century - 12th century - 13th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century was that century which lasted from 1101 to 1200. ... Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist. ...

Of Greek writers he appears to have known nothing at first hand, and very little in translations. The Timaeus of Plato in the Latin version of Chalcidius was known to him as to his contemporaries and predecessors, and probably he had access to translations of the Phaedo and Meno. Of Aristotle he possessed the whole of the Organon in Latin; he is, indeed, the first of the medieval writers of note to whom the whole was known. Aristotle (sculpture) Aristotle (Greek: Αριστοτέλης Aristotelēs) (384 BC – March 7, 322 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher. ...

Primary sources and further reading

• Latin text and English translations of John's works:
  • ISBN 0198222394 -- Letters (1153-1161)
  • ISBN 0198222408 -- Letters (1163-1180)
  • ISBN 0198222750 -- Historia Pontificalis

• English translations of John's works:
  • ISBN 0521367018 -- Policraticus
  • ISBN 0844601594 -- Metalogicon

• English excerpts of John's political theory:
  • Policraticus, IV, selections (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/salisbury-poli4.html)
  • Policraticus, VI, 24 (http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/salisbury-poli6-24.html)

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...