Pope Sylvester II. Information boom

Woland is a little cunning: Herbert was hardly a "warlock", although such a reputation accompanied him during his lifetime, and especially after his death; but he was definitely the Pope under the name of Sylvester II, about which, of course, the prince of darkness is prudently silent.

Herbert was born in the very middle of the 10th century ( exact date unknown) somewhere in central France, and in the early adolescence entered the service in a strict Benedictine monastery in the town of Aurillac. The young man showed either a zeal for science, or an obstinate disposition in any case, when the Barcelona Count Borrell drove into the monastery, the abbot asked him to take the young man with him for further education.

Catalonia of those times was the last outpost of the Christian world in the West of Europe then began the caliphate, Arab Andalusia. Herbert took full advantage of this position. Arab world then it was incomparably more enlightened and refined than the European one: if the largest European book collection hardly numbered a thousand books, in Cordoba, the capital of the caliphate, the library could boast of almost half a million manuscripts. Herbert studied albeit second hand Arabic advances in astronomy and mathematics; in particular, he mastered the Arabic-Indian numerals, and subsequently amazed his contemporaries with mental calculations. If you try to mentally perform arithmetic with Roman numerals, you will understand why Herbert's tricks seemed like miracles and magic.

In Spain, Herbert met with the abacus the prototype of accounts, the first calculating machine in the world and subsequently wrote a treatise on this instrument. He also wrote about complex astronomical instruments, including the astrolabe; about geometry trying to fill in the gaps caused by the poor acquaintance of the then Europeans with the works of Euclid; about music apparently, he designed the “monochord”, an instrument with one string in the Pythagorean spirit, and from it he studied the ratio of the length of the strings and the height of the sounds, that is, he laid the foundations of acoustics; he is also credited with the creation of the first hydraulic organ, in which air was forced into the pipes by means of a mechanism, and not by a church servant who was knocked out of strength.

Going on a pilgrimage to Rome with his Barcelona patron, Herbert made a favorable impression on the Holy Roman Emperor Otto I and allowed himself to be persuaded to work as a mentor to the young prince, the future Otto II. However, after several years, Herbert felt that he himself still needed to gain knowledge and, with the permission of the emperor, went to receive additional education to one of the most famous cathedral schools in Europe in the city of Reims in France.

In Reims, Herbert lingered for a long time (he is often called Herbert of Reims); it was there that he built an organ and arranged a giant abacus in one of the outbuildings cathedral. There he collected lists of learned books from all over Europe, offered the neighboring archbishop to exchange his own model of the celestial sphere for a complete copy of the ancient poem, and addressed the slow scribes in Cicero's quousque tandem , that is, "how long ?!" Teaching rhetoric at the Reims school, he advised his students not to show off the beauties of style, but to hide them, which went against the tastes of the time, which vacillated between barbaric primitiveness and learned flamboyance; but his main merit in this field is the transfer of the center of gravity of teaching from grammar to dialectics. From this subsequently grew the whole tradition of European scholasticism.

Legends tell about Herbert's dialectical abilities, however, more reliable than other stories about his life. The fame of the Reims scientist thundered throughout Europe; the best German dialectician, Otrich, challenged him, and the philosophers agreed to an open debate (the topic was the most abstract "of the classification of sciences") in the city of Ravenna. The dispute lasted for a whole day, until the listeners Otto II and his court were completely exhausted, and the emperor, by a strong-willed decision, stopped the discussion.

Herbert's ecclesiastical career was successful, and at the turn of the millennium, in 999, he was elected pope, becoming the first Frenchman on the throne of St. Peter. He took the name Sylvester II, in memory of the first Sylvester, adviser to Emperor Constantine. His papacy was restless , among other things, because of the mass unrest that forced both himself and his pupil, Emperor Otto III, to flee to Ravenna. Otto tried three times to reclaim the rebellious eternal city, but died during the third expedition. But Pope Sylvester II nevertheless returned there but did not survive his patron for long and died in May 1003.

So why is it still a warlock? But because learning, including Eastern, made Herbert a popular character in legends. According to one of them, he got his papacy by playing dice with Satan. According to another, in Spain, Herbert was a student of a powerful Islamic sorcerer and decided to steal the book in which the sorcerer kept all his secrets. The sorcerer suspected something was wrong, but the cunning Herbert seduced his teacher's daughter, who, mad with love, drugged her father, took out the key to the secret chest and handed the magic book to the cunning man.

Herbert immediately fled, taking the book with him. Waking up from his heavy sleep, the sorcerer discovered the loss and set off in pursuit. I must say, he had a horse that could gallop faster than the wind, and a dog that could smell everything that was above the ground, under the ground, above the water and under the water.

Near the town of Martorel, Herbert found a chase. He ran to the bridge and climbed under it, hanging on it from below, as if on a horizontal bar. So he ended up neither above the earth nor under the earth neither above the water nor under the water. Since the dog's senses were limited by the indicated limits, he lost the trail, and the sorcerer had to return with nothing, and Herbert safely took the spell book with him.

According to another legend, Herbert had a talking head, which was given to him by the so-called "Nine Unknowns" mystical and omnipotent secret society originally from India (whose existence is still talked about). She was able to answer general issues(that is, requiring a yes or no answer). After consulting with his head, Herbert found out that he would die while celebrating mass in Jerusalem so he postponed his already planned pilgrimage to the Holy Land. But one day, after a mass celebrated in one of the Roman churches, he became ill and then it turned out that this church was dedicated to St. Mary of Jerusalem, and the people simply called "Jerusalem". Since Herbert had a pact with the devil, he asked his cardinals to cut his body into pieces and scatter it in Roman wells, hoping that he would somehow win the immortal soul from Satan on his own.

Legends also shroud the posthumous fate of Sylvester II. He is buried in the Roman church of St. John on the Lateran Hill, and on his marble tombstone are inscribed bad Latin verses beginning with the words

ISTE LOCVS MVNDI SILVESTRI MEMBRA SEPVLTI VENTVRO DOMINO CONFERET AD SONITVM

That is, "Here lie the mortal members of Sylvester, who will rise at the sound of the coming of the Lord." That is: Pope Sylvester II will rise from the dead when the Lord comes in his glory, to the sound of the trumpet doomsday. But popular rumor reinterpreted these words in their own way: the coming Lord was rethought as new dad, and the sounds are like the roar of bones. Hence the legend: before the death of another pope in the tomb of Sylvester II, something quietly rumbles.

But why, according to Woland, were the manuscripts of this versatile person found in the Moscow State Library? Well, there is an explanation for this. It was at the turn of the first and second millennia that Eastern Europeans first appeared on the stage of the Christian world. Pope Sylvester II actively participated in their debut: he blessed Stephen I to the Hungarian throne and organized the first archiepiscopal diocese in Poland, although he opposed the idea of ​​Otto III to make Bolesław the Brave a full-fledged king. With Vladimir Svyatoslavich the one who is the "Red Sun" and the baptizer of Rus' he also communicated. So the legend of the foreign consultant was quite plausible.

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Sylvester II(Herbert d'Orillac (Avrilaksky), also Herbert of Reims) - Pope of Rome from April 2, 999 to May 12, 1003, a scientist and church leader who popularized Arab scientific achievements in mathematics and astronomy in Europe. As a scientist, he was way ahead of his time. Trying to find an explanation for Herbert's extraordinary learning, contemporaries accused him of witchcraft and witchcraft, believing that it was not without the intervention of superhuman forces. Greek language he did not know and got acquainted with the works of Greek thinkers through translations. His main scientific studies took place in the field of quadrivia (a course of higher sciences, which included music, arithmetic, geometry and astronomy), although he became famous not only in the field of mathematics, rhetoric, dialectics, astronomy, but even playing the organ. One of Herbert's main achievements was the study of the Arabic numeral system and its application. Based decimal system reckoning (albeit without using zero), he restored the abacus calculating machine (a prototype of the future computer) and improved it on the basis of Arabic mathematical achievements, the use of the armillary sphere and the astrolabe, improved later, on which the celestial equator, tropics, ecliptic and poles, forgotten after the fall of the Roman Empire, were indicated. His name was shrouded in legends. There is an unlikely legend that Herbert even studied the occult sciences at the Muslim University of Seville. He was credited with studying magic and astrology in the Islamic cities of the Caliphate of Cordoba, even communicating with the devil himself. They wrote that with the help of the daughter of an Arab philosopher, from whom he studied, he took possession of a book of spells, and that he hid from the philosopher who was pursuing him, becoming invisible. In the legend about the connection of the still young Herbert with a succubus (demonic), transmitted by the author of the XII century. Walter Mapes, it is said that once the future Pope met a girl of amazing beauty named Meridiana, who promised him wealth and her magical services if he agreed to be with her. The young man succumbed to the temptation and every night enjoyed the company of his mysterious mistress. It was also said that Herbert created a copper head - a teraphim (talisman). This magical head answered his questions: "Yes" or "No." It was believed that with copper head he managed to rise to the papal throne (another legend says that he won the papacy by playing dice with the devil). According to legend, the brass head informed Herbert that if he ever said mass in Jerusalem, the devil would seize him. Herbert canceled the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but when he said Mass in the Church of St. Mary of Jerusalem (also called the "Church of Jerusalem") in Rome, he became ill and, dying, he asked his cardinals to cut his body so that it would not go to the devil. According to another version, he was attacked by the devil while he was reading mass, and he tore him apart. The legendary image of Herbert was used by Mikhail Afanasyevich Bulgakov (1891–1940) in the novel The Master and Margarita (Woland explains his stay in Moscow by the need to sort out Herbert's papers). The image and life of Herbert is the subject of Thomas Mann's (1875–1955) late novel The Chosen One (1951). The plot is based on a 12th century poem. Hartmann von Aue "Gregory, or the Good Sinner", as well as the legend "Von der wundersamen Gnade Gottes und der Geburt des seligen Papstes Gregor" (chapter 81) from famous collection 14th century Gesta Romanorum. Herbert was the first pope of French origin. He was born around 946 in Avrilak (in modern reading Aurillac, province of Auvergne, France) in an illiterate family. Around 963 he entered the monastery of St. Herald (ibid.). In 967, the monastery was visited by Count Borrell II of Barcelona (earlier 934 - 992/993), and the abbot asked him to take a gifted monk with him so that he could continue his studies in mathematics and study Arabic in Spain. scientific works. With the consent of the count, Herbert was transferred to Vik, where he continued his studies under the guidance of Bishop Ato (Aton). Count Borrell II at that time equipped diplomatic mission to the Caliph of Cordoba al-Hakam II (961-976); The delegation was headed by Bishop Hato. From this trip, the bishop brought new documents and books. Thanks to the close ties between Christian Barcelona and Arab Córdoba, Herbert, diligently studying mathematics and astronomy, gained access to scientific information that no one in Europe at that time had. In particular, he was one of the first among Europeans to get acquainted with Arabic numerals, realized their convenience in comparison with Roman ones, and began in every possible way to promote their introduction into European arithmetic.

Pope Sylvester II, who was also known as Herbert, left behind a reputation as a magician for two reasons. First, he was an extremely educated and gifted man. Secondly, he, apparently, was trained in Spain, in Cordoba or in Toledo. And at that time Spain was under the control of the Moors or Saracens and was considered in Europe the heir of oriental magic and wisdom. This is what the legend is about.

In the service of the wizard-moor

The Spanish pagans were considered world-renowned masters of the art of magic. Herbert lived in the house of one of them. This magician had a magic book. She, as a means of subordinating the forces of the devil to the will of the owner of this book, had no analogues. Herbert really wanted to take possession of this relic, but the Arab philosopher did not part with it for a moment and even hid it under his pillow at night.

Herbert still managed to find a cache with a book during love joys with beautiful daughter Saracen. After that, Herbert got his master drunk, stole the book, and fled. But the magician was also not a bastard. He began to pursue the thief and, since the Saracen had a good knowledge of astrology, he could, with the help of star charts, know the location of Herbert both on land and at sea. For a while, Herbert nevertheless managed to deceive the sorcerer, hiding under the bridge in such a way that he did not touch either the ground or the water. As a result, the fugitive managed to safely reach the sea coast.

Sylvester II and the devil (medieval drawing)

Contract with the Devil: *Fear the Mass in Jerusalem*

To achieve his goal, Herbert sold his soul to the devil, and in return received the throne of the Pope. Now Pope Sylvester II shamelessly used his position for personal gain. Contemporaries claim that Herbert entered into a carnal union with the devil. He was accompanied everywhere by a spirit in the form of a black shaggy dog. Many believed that he was able to blind his enemies and use necromancy to find hidden treasures. It was considered dark side his activities.

But nothing lasts forever, and Sylvester really wanted to know how long he could hold such a high position. As it turned out, until he served a divine mass in Jerusalem. It was this event that he should have avoided in every possible way.

Who is warned is armed. Sylvester II immediately issued a decree that forbade him to visit the Holy Land. Well, then he took up his favorite pastime - he devoted himself to a vicious and luxurious life. But he who is on the same foot with the devil must always be on his guard. When Herbert - Sylvester II performed the rite of communion in some unfamiliar Roman church, he suddenly felt that his strength was rapidly fading away. And he immediately saw that demons surrounded him from all sides.

Devil serving Sylvester II (modern drawing)

When Sylvester II was on his deathbed, he left the following order to his followers: they would have to cut his body into pieces and place it on a stretcher made of green wood. These stretchers will have to be carried by two horses, black and white, who did not know stallions. The horses must be without a coachman, and the place where they stop, it was necessary to build a grave and bury his remains.

restless dead

However, the unthinkable happened at the Pope's funeral. It is difficult to even imagine what the witnesses of this event felt when a rather strange funeral procession approached the Lateran Church and when suddenly loud groans and screams were heard from the coffin. After that, there was dead silence, and Pope Sylvester II was buried in this cathedral.

Tomb of Pope Sylvester II in the Lateran Cathedral. On the eve of the death of the next Pontiff, it begins to ooze water

Warlock, or still a scientist and engineer?

What else is Sylvester II remembered for? According to researchers, he was the first to introduce Arabic numerals in Western and Northern Europe. Sylvester II contributed to the widespread distribution of mechanical watches. They say that the magnificent clock that he built in Magdeburg recorded not only all movements celestial bodies but also the time of sunrise and sunset. It remains obvious that, along with astronomy and its sister, astrology, there were precisely those sciences that young Herbert studied in Spain. At that time, these sciences especially flourished there.

Sylvester II returned to use the Roman abacus (counting device)

In addition, this unusual Pope is considered a direct descendant of Simon Magus. And he, apparently, was the very first of the medieval sorcerers who was able to make bronze talking heads. According to the stories, the heads could answer any questions and had the ability to predict the future.

But like the oracles that these heads were to replace, their prophecies were even more ambiguous. It was a similar bronze head that Herbert made that showed him the way to the church, which has the word "Jerusalem" in its name. And this is not surprising, since it was already made with the help of the devil.

Pope Sylvester II (950-1003), whose name in the world was Herbert, had a reputation as a magician for two reasons.

First, he was extraordinarily gifted and an educated person, and, secondly, he apparently studied in Spain, in Toledo or Cordoba, and Spain, then under the rule of the Saracens, or Moors, was considered the European heir to the wisdom and magic of the East. That is what the legend says.

Among the Spanish pagans, recognized masters of the magical arts, there was one man in whose house Herbert lived. This man owned a magic book, which was unrivaled in the field of subordinating the devil to the will of the owner. Herbert decided to take possession of this treasure, but the Arab philosopher did not want to part with it and hid the book under his pillow at night. Herbert discovered the cache while making love to the beautiful daughter of a Saracen. After that, he had only to get his master drunk, steal the book and run.

However, the magician began to pursue him and, being a connoisseur of astrology, was able to locate Herbert on land or at sea with the help of the stars. For a while, Herbert managed to confuse him by hiding under the bridge in such a way that he did not touch either land or water, and in the end the fugitive reached the seashore safely. Hastily opening the book, he summoned the main demon with the powerful spells contained in it, and the spirit easily transferred him to the opposite shore. From that moment on, Herbert never had to look back. He had won a victory over a strong rival and now set his sights on the papacy.

To achieve this goal, he sold his soul to the devil, and he made him pope. Sylvester, who was happy to use his powers for personal purposes, naturally wanted to know how long he could remain in his high post. It turned out that as long as he refrained from celebrating the Divine Mass in Jerusalem, he had nothing to fear. He who is warned is armed, and therefore Sylvester II did not have to issue a decree forbidding him to visit the Holy Land, after which he devoted himself completely to a luxurious and vicious life.

But he who dine with the devil needs a long spoon. While performing the rite of communion in an unfamiliar Roman church, the vicious pope suddenly felt that his strength was rapidly fading, and realized that he was surrounded on all sides by demons. When he learned that the church was called the Holy Cross of Jerusalem, he realized that he had been deceived, and his days were numbered.

The experience of shock seriously undermined his self-confidence. He began to publicly confess his sin and expressed the most solemn and touching warnings against the union with evil spirits. Then he ordered that his body be cut into pieces, and that after his death he was placed on a stretcher of green wood, which was to be drawn by two horses that did not know stallions, white and black. The horses were to be let go, and the place where they stopped should be made his grave. One can imagine what the feelings of those around were when such a strange funeral procession approached the Lutheran church and when loud cries and groans were heard from the coffin. Then there was dead silence, and Sylvester II was buried in this cathedral.

However, it cannot be said that his spirit rested in peace, since he was doomed to lead the life of a ghost whose moans portend death. When approaching last days of each successive pope, groans were heard from his grave, and at the same time his bones rattled, loudly hitting each other. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that he was condemned to eternal torment, because it was God's providence that led the horses with his remains to the holy place.

According to contemporaries, Herbert entered into a carnal union with the devil, and he was accompanied everywhere by a spirit in the form of a shaggy black dog. It was believed that he could blind his enemies and divine the location of hidden treasures with the help of necromancy. Such was dark side his activities.

According to tradition, he was also the first to introduce Arabic numerals in northern and Western Europe, and also took part in the widespread distribution of watches. It was said that the beautiful clock he built in Magdeburg recorded all the movements of the heavens, as well as the time of sunrise and sunset. It is clear that astronomy, along with its sister astrology, were among the sciences that Herbert studied at Córdoba, where they especially flourished.

This was a time of great discoveries in the field of mechanics, and Wilhelm of Malmesbury notes that Herbert also built wonderful hydraulic machines at Reims, which, with the help of water, performed symphonies and fascinating arias. This historian goes on to recount his own visit to a magical underground palace that looked just like it did when Herbert built it, but vanished at the slightest touch.

It was assumed that Herbert created a copper head - a teraphim. This magical head answered his questions: "yes" or "no". It was believed that with the help of a copper head, he managed to rise to the papal throne (another legend says that he won the papacy by playing dice with the devil).

According to legend, the bronze head told Herbert that if he ever said mass in Jerusalem, the devil would seize him. Herbert canceled the pilgrimage to Jerusalem, but when he said Mass in the Church of St. Mary of Jerusalem (also called the "Church of Jerusalem") in Rome, he became ill and, dying, he asked his cardinals to cut his body so that it would not go to the devil. According to another version, he was attacked by the devil while he was reading Mass, and he tore him apart.

The legendary image of Herbert was used by Mikhail Bulgakov in his The Master and Margarita. The need to sort through Herbert's papers explains Woland's stay in Moscow.

Sylvester II

Sylvester II.
Reproduction from the website http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Sylvester II (Herbert d "Orillac), 999.IV.2-1003.V.12

Sylvester II, Pope
Silvester Secundus
Worldly Name: Herbert of Aurillac
Origin: Aurillac (Auvergne, France)
Years of life: approx. 950 - May 12, 1003
Pontificate years: April 2, 999 - May 12, 1003

Herbert was born into a poor family who lived near the city of Aurillac. As a youth, he went to a local monastery. In 967, the monastery was visited by Count Borrell II of Barcelona, ​​and the abbot persuaded him to take the young monk with him to Spain. First in Barcelona, ​​and then with the Arabs, in Cordoba and Seville, Herbert studied mathematics and natural sciences, as well as magic, astrology and alchemy, achieving significant success. In 969, Count Borrell went on a pilgrimage to Rome, taking Herbert with him and presenting him to Pope John XIII. Appreciating the talents of the young monk, the pope recommended him to Emperor Otto I as a mentor for the heir. A few years later, Otto sent Herbert to Reims to Archbishop Adalbert, who made Herbert a teacher at the school at the cathedral.

In 983, Otto II appointed Herbert abbot of the abbey of Bobbio, but the monastery was so poor that Herbert chose to return to Reims. Adalbert saw him as his successor, but after the death of the archbishop in 988, King Hugo Capet gave the see to Arnulf of Lorraine. A few years later, however, Hugo deposed Arnulf, suspecting him of treason, and gave the chair to Herbert. This led to a conflict that required the intervention of the popes. As a result, in 995, John XV recognized the appointment of Herbert as illegal and returned the Archdiocese of Reims to Arnulf. Herbert went to the court of the young emperor Otto III, with whom he established close relations. In 998, Herbert was made archbishop of Ravenna, and a year after the death of Gregory V, on the initiative of Otto, he was elected pope, becoming the first Frenchman on the Holy See. Herbert praised Otto as the "new Constantine" and even took the name Sylvester II in memory of Pope Sylvester I, who occupied the Holy See under the Byzantine emperor Constantine the Great. At the same time, Otto declared the “Gift of Constantine” a fake, a letter allegedly granted by Constantine to Pope Sylvester I with the right to own the western provinces of the empire. Otto and Sylvester sought to create a unified Christian monarchy in Western Europe with the emperor as a secular sovereign and the pope as a religious leader, but the opposition of the kings of England and France, the princes and bishops of Germany prevented them from carrying out the plan.

Nevertheless, Sylvester II managed to implement many church reforms aimed at cleansing the moral character of the clergy. Simony and cohabitation of priests with women were condemned. Only people with an impeccable reputation could become bishops.

In 1001, the opponents of the emperor once again revolted and expelled the pope from Rome. Sylvester fled to Ravenna. Otto undertook two unsuccessful campaigns against the rebels. During the third campaign in 1002 he died. Despite this, Sylvester soon secured the opportunity to return to Rome, but died a year later and was buried in the chapel of St. John.

Pope Sylvester was known not only as a religious and political figure, but also as a prominent scientist of his time. He created a unique hydraulic unit, brought the abacus back to Europe and created a description of the astrolabe. For his success in the field of metalworking, some ill-wishers even suspected him of witchcraft and a connection with the devil. He was credited with the possession of an Arabic spell book and a bronze oracle in the form of a head, which could answer either "yes" or "no" to questions asked. It was also believed that Herbert entered into an agreement with the demoness Meridiana, who helped him take the papal throne (according to another version, he won the papal title in bones from the devil). According to the agreement, if Sylvester happened to celebrate mass in Jerusalem, the devil would come for him. For this reason, the pope canceled the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. However, after Sylvester served mass in the church of St. Mary of Jerusalem, he became very ill. Before his death, the pope allegedly asked the cardinals to cut his body into pieces and scatter it around the city. According to another version of the legend, the devil attacked the pope right in service time, scratched out his eyes and gave them to the demons for fun. Repentant, Sylvester ordered that his hand be cut off and his tongue torn out. The personality of Pope Sylvester II to some extent served as a prototype for the legendary doctor Faust.

Used materials from the site http://monarchy.nm.ru/

Herbert of Aurillac, Pope Sylvester II (c. 945, near Aurillac, Auvergne - May 12, 1003, Rome) - medieval scholar and church figure. Abbot Bobbio (982), Archbishop of Reims (991), Archbishop of Ravenna (998), Pope of Rome (999-1003). He spent three years (since 967) in northern Spain, where he became acquainted with Arabic science and studied quadrivia. Later he studied logic in Reims; from 972 he taught at the cathedral school in Reims. The program of school teaching of logic introduced by him included an analysis of Porfiry's Introduction to the Categories (Isagoge) (based on translations by Maria Victorina and Boethius), Aristotle's treatises "Categories", "On Interpretation" and " Topeka", as well as the commentary of Boethius to the Topeka; novelty were the writings of Boethius. An example of a school interpretation of a logical statement is contained in his essay “On Reason and on the Use of Reason” (De rationali et de ratione uti); special attention is paid to the definition and classification of knowledge.

Herbert was one of the first to make efforts to transfer knowledge from the Arabs to the medieval Latin world. He is credited with several mathematical works, including the widespread textbook "Rules for counting on the abacus" (Regula de abaco computi), as well as a presentation of the simplest geometric sentences (fragments of Euclid's "Beginnings") and land surveying rules. They were made study guides in astronomy, which made it possible to demonstrate the structure of the heavens, the location of the celestial equator and ecliptic, constellations and planetary orbits. He arranged a sundial in Magdeburg, described the use of the astrolabe ("Liber de astrolabio"). Apparently, he made several organs, as well as a monochord for the study of music theory.

Literature:

Picavet F. Gerbert, un pape philosophe d "apres l" histoire et d "apres la legende. P., 1897;

Fliche A. Un precurseur de l "humanisme au X-e siecle, le moin Gerbert (pape Silvestre II). P., 1943;

Darlington 0. G. Geibert, the Teacher. - American Historical Revue, 52 (1947), p. 456-467;

Chamberlin E. R. Pope Silvester II. 999-1003. - "History Today", 19 (1969), p. 115-12L