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Alcuin was an Englishman from York, born into a noble family about 730,
and educated by a pupil of Bede. Having become a deacon, he was made head of
the cathedral school at York aroung 770. In 781 he was asked by the Emperor
Charlemagne to become his minister of education. He accepted, and
established schools at many cathedrals and monasteries, and promoted
learning in every way he could. In the preceding years of constant wars and
invasions, many ancient writings had been lost. Alcuin established
scriptoria, dedicated to the copying and preservation of ancient
manuscripts, both pagan and Christian. That we have as much as we do of the
writings of classical Roman authors is largely due to Alcuin and his
scribes. (He is credited with the invention of cursive script, in which the
letters are connected for greater speed of writing.) To Alcuin, backed by
Charlemagne, belongs much of the credit for the revision and organisation of
the Latin liturgy, the preservation of many of the ancient prayers, and the
development of plainchant. He and his fellow theologians at Charlemagne's
capital of Aachen (or Aix-le-Chappelle) were important advocates of the
doctrine that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son jointly.
Unfortunately, the East, which regarded the Emperor at Byzantium as the sole
Emperor, resented Charlemagne's assumption of the title of Holy Roman
Emperor, and this hardened their opposition to the aforesaid doctrine, thus
contributing to the rift between East and West.
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