BENEDICTINE, a follower of ST. BENEDICT (q. v.). In 529 St. Benedict transformed the temple of Apollo at Monte Cassino into a monastery, and be came its first abbot. He composed rules for its management, making every monk pledge himself to perfect chastity, absolute poverty, and implicit obedience in all respects to his superiors. These vows were irrevocable, whereas up to that time the monks had been allowed to alter the regulations of their founder at their pleasure. The rule here insti tuted was adopted at an early period by various other monastic communities; it was confirmed, about 52 years after the death of its founder, by Pope Gregory the Great, and was ultimately accepted by nearly all the monkish communities of the West.
As long as the Benedictines remained poor, they were a blessing to the coun tries in which they lived, and especially to Germany, spending, as they did, sev eral hours a day in gardening, agricul ture, and mechanical labor, and another portion of their time in reading, besides keeping school outside the walls of their convents. Science and literature are also
indebted to them for having copied many of the classical authors and preserved such knowledge as existed in their age. When at length their merits brought wealth, luxury and indolence sapped their virtues and diminished their influ ence for good. Afterward they became reformed, especially in France, in the 17th century. The Benedictine habit con sisted of a loose black coat, or a gown, reaching to their feet, and having large, wide sleeves. Under it was a flannel habit, white in color. The head-dress was a hood, or cowl, pointed at the tip. They were sometimes called Black Monks. The Benedictines control 16 colleges in the United States. There were Benedic tine nuns as well as monks. When they originated is uncertain.