HAIMO OF AUXERRE

An important medieval exegete; d. c. 855. A benedictine monk, he taught at his Abbey of Saint-Germain in auxerre, where his most outstanding student was heiric of auxerre. The 12th-century Anonymus Mellicensis, probably also a monk, noted (Patrologia Latina 213:977C) that Haimo wrote many works, especially a very large book (librum infinitae quantitatis ) on St. paul, excellent explanations of the Book of revelation and of the song of songs, as well as a treatise on the 12 Minor Prophets. Through an error in the Catalogus scriptorum ecclesiasticorum compiled by Abbot John trithemius in 1494, almost all the works of Haimo of Auxerre were attributed to Haimo, Bishop of Halberstadt (d. 853). Recent studies have tended to correct this longstanding error, and the following works are generally regarded as written by Haimo of Auxerre: In divi Pauli epistolas expositio (Patrologia Latina 117:361–938), Expositionis in Apocalypsim libri septem (Patrologia Latina 117:938–1220), Commentarium in Cantica Canticorum (Patrologia Latina 117:295–358), Homiliae de tempore (Patrologia Latina 118:11–746), and Homiliae de sanctis (Patrologia Latina 118:747–804). To this list may possibly yet be added the Homiliae in aliquot epistolas Pauli (Patrologia Latina 118:803C–816) and the Ennarratio in duodecim prophetas minores (Patrologia Latina 117:11–294).

Bibliography: b. heurtebize, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique 6.2:2068–69. c. spicq, Esquisse d'une histoire de l'exégèse latine au moyen âge (Paris 1944) 50–51. Clavis Patrum latinorum, ed. e. dekkers, 873, 902, 910, 1220. p. classen, Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart ³ 3:30. j. gross, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche 2 4:1325. g. mathon, Catholicisme 5:538–539. r. quadri, "Aimone di Auxerre alla luce Dei Collectanea di Heiric di Auxerre," Italia Medioevale e Umanistica 6 (1963) 1–48.

[h. dressler]