Thomas Tuscus or Thomas of PaviaLatin: ''Thomas de Papia'' (c. 1212 – c. 1282)Pierre Péano, "Thomas de Pavie", ''Dictionnaire de spiritualité ascetique e mystique'' XV (Paris: Beauchenes, 1991), col. 867–68. was a

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

friar and historian. Between 1279 and 1285 he wrote the ''Gesta imperatorum et pontificum'' ("Deeds of the Emperors and Popes"), a history of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

and

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 ...

from the reign of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

down to 1279. Auguste Molinier
"2769. Thomas Tuscus"
''Collections numériques de la Sorbonne'' 3 (1903): 166–67.Regis J. Armstrong, J. A. Wayne Hellmann, and William J. Short (eds.), ''Francis of Assisi – The Prophet, Vol. 3: Early Documents'' (New York: New City Press, 2001), pp. 791ff. In his work, Thomas claims to have travelled widely in Europe. In 1245, he was in the company of Saint

Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; it, Bonaventura ; la, Bonaventura de Balneoregio; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Catholic Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister G ...

at the

Council of Lyon The Council of Lyon may refer to a number of synods or councils of the Roman Catholic Church, held in Lyon, France or in nearby Anse. Previous to 1313, a certain Abbé Martin counted twenty-eight synods or councils held at Lyons or at Anse. Some ...

. Thomas's main sources are

Martin of Opava Martin of Opava, O.P. (died 1278) also known as Martin of Poland, was a 13th-century Dominican friar, bishop and chronicler. Life Known in Latin as ''Frater Martinus Ordinis Praedicatorum'' (Brother Martin of the Order of Preachers), he is bel ...

and

Vincent of Beauvais Vincent of Beauvais ( la, Vincentius Bellovacensis or ''Vincentius Burgundus''; c. 1264) was a Dominican friar at the Cistercian monastery of Royaumont Abbey, France. He is known mostly for his ''Speculum Maius'' (''Great mirror''), a major work ...

, but he adds much original material, most of it legendary. His account of the reign of Frederick Barbarossa is littered with popular anecdotes. In general, he expresses

Guelph Guelph ( ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Kitchener and west of Downtown Toronto, at the intersection of Highway 6, Highway 7 and Wel ...

sympathies: hostility to the

Staufer The Hohenstaufen dynasty (, , ), also known as the Staufer, was a noble family of unclear origin that rose to rule the Duchy of Swabia from 1079, and to royal rule in the Holy Roman Empire during the Middle Ages from 1138 until 1254. The dynasty ...

and partisanship for the Angevins.

Editions

*Ehrenfeuchter, Ernst. (ed.
''Thomae Tusci, Gesta imperatorum et pontificum''
Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores, 22 (1872): 483–528.

References

{{reflist 1210s births 1280s deaths Italian Friars Minor Franciscan scholars