Bernard Silvestris - Biography

Biography

Little is known about his life. André Vernet, who edited Bernard's Cosmographia, believed that he lived from 1085 to 1178; the only certain date in his life is 1147, when the Cosmographia was supposedly presented to Pope Eugene III. Other sources place the writing of the Cosmographia sometime between 1143 and 1148. There is some evidence that he was connected to Spanish schools of philosophy, but it seems likely that he was born in Tours, due to the intimate descriptions of the city and the surrounding area found in the Cosmographia. Later medieval authors also associated him with that city.

Wherever he was born, he certainly studied and taught at Tours. Here he likely taught in the humanities department. There is little evidence connecting Silvestris to Chartres - this is supported by Poole - even though there was a letter of dedication to Thierry, who became Chancellor of Chartres in 1141. It is most likely that Silvestris wrote the letter in order to win the favour of a powerful figure, known for his interest in science. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was assumed that Bernard was the same person as Bernard of Chartres, although this identification has been challenged by more recent scholars such as Julian Ward Jones. Most notably, a contemporary of Bernard, John of Salisbury, who was bishop of Chartres, quotes from works attributed to Bernard but does not know the author by name. He also quotes from Bernard of Chartres and knows him as a separate author.