Ermoldus Nigellus

ERMOLDUS NIGELLUS, a monk of Aquitaine, accom panied King Pepin, son of the emperor Louis I., on a campaign into Brittany in 824. Banished from Pepin's court on a charge of inciting the king against his father, he retired to Strasbourg, where he sought to regain the emperor's favour by writing a poem on his life and deeds. About 83o he obtained his recall, and has been identified with Hermoldus, who appears as Pepin's chancellor in 838. His poem, In honorem Hludovici imperatoris, consists of four books and deals with the life and exploits of Louis from 781 to 826. He also wrote two poems in imitation of Ovid.

His

writings are published in the Monumenta Germaniae historica, Scriptores, Band 2 (Hanover, 1826 fol.) ; by J. P. Migne in the Patrologia Latina, tome 105 (Paris, 1844) ; and by E. Dummler in the Poetae Latini aevi Carolini, Band 2 (Berlin, 1881-1884). See W. O. Henkel, Uber den historischen Werth der Gedichte des Ermoldus Nigellus (Eilenburg, 1876) ; W. Wattenbach, Deutschlands Ge schichtsquellen, Band 1 (Berlin, 1904) ; and A. Potthast, Bibliotheca historica, pp. 430-431 (Berlin, 1896) .