ABBON OF

FLEURY, or ABBO FLORIACENSIS (c. 945-1004)  , a learned Frenchman, born near Orleans about 945 . He distinguished himself in the schools of Paris and Reims, and was especially proficient in science as known in his time . He spent two years in England, assisting Archbishop Oswald of York in restoring the monastic system, and was abbot of Romsey . After his return to France he was made abbot of Fleury on the Loire (988) . He was twice sent to Rome by King Robert the Pious (986, 996), and on each occasion succeeded in warding off a threatened papal interdict . He was killed at La Reole in 1004, in endeavouring to quell a monkish revolt . He wrote an Epitome de vitis Romanorum pontificum, besides controversial treatises, letters, &c . (see Migne, Patrologia Latina, vol . 139) . His life, written by his disciple Aimoin of Fleury, in which much of Abbon's correspondence was reproduced, is of great importance as a source for the reign of Robert II., especially with reference to the papacy (cf . Migne, op. cit. vol . 139) .

See Ch . Pfister, Etudes sur le regne de Robert le Pieux (1885) ; Cuissard-Gaucheron, " L'Ecole de Fleury-sur-Loire a la fin du io° siecle," in Memoires de la societe archiol. de l'

Orleanais, xiv . (Orleans, 1875) ; A . Molinier, Sources de l'histoire de France .