The Church’s Military Service in the Ninth Century: A Contemporary Comparative View?
Janet L. Nelson
‘Comparisons are odorous’. Modern historians, far from sharing Dogberry’s repugnance, have found the scent of comparative method irresistible. ‘Perhaps even future our discipline’ depended on its pursuit, wrote Marc Bloch in 1928. Since then, comparison has become fashionable enough, and hardly remarkable contemporaries’ work. Remarkable it certainly is, however, ninth century. I would like to begin by quoting a passage written 857 or 858 Archbishop Hincmar Rheims: In regions [of English] bishoprics monasteries not so endowed with ecclesiastical property as they these Gallic regions; for this reason, military services rendered those [English] regions, but [instead] costs rewarding who fight (stipendia militiae) allocated public resources (ex roga publica) . Here, other hand, clergy, instead being given fourth part bishopric’s income renders offerings, an appropriate share (pars congrua) assigned them; then another is lighting churches, goes hospices poor; fighting-men listed under name ‘housed ones’ (casati); finally bishop his direct command. Thus, at dictate necessity urging rulers provinces churches established customary arrangements respective qualities quantities church property.
Studies in Church History