Hamelin (bishop)

Hamelin
Seal of Bishop Hamelin, taken from the work of DOUET D'ARCQ L., Archives de l'Empire. Inventaires et documents publiés par ordre de l'Empereur. Collection de sceaux, Paris, 1865 ,  n° 6685
Bishop of Le Mans (1190-1214)

Hamelin, bishop of Le Mans from 1190 to 1214, was a pragmatic and opportunistic figure in the complex relations between the Plantagenet and Capetian dynasties.[1][2]

Biographical details

His episcopal career spanned a period of political transition marked by upheaval, where links with the kings were more the result of personal relationships than institutionalised loyalty.[1][3]

From the start of his episcopate, Hamelin was confronted with the turbulent succession of the Plantagenets, from Richard the Lionhearted to John Lackland.[4] His resolute attitude towards John, even as a loyal follower of his predecessors, demonstrated the esprit de corps within the episcopate, opposing the king's cruelty towards his nephew Arthur. When Philip Augustus took control of Maine in 1202, Hamelin initially refused to pay homage, but eventually bowed to the seizure of his revenues.[1][5]

Hamelin's relations with Rome were relatively peaceful, and he even received important missions from the Holy See, a sign of the trust placed in him by Rome. His episcopal government was in line with the Gregorian reform, where he worked alongside influential figures such as Adam de Perseigne and promoted ecclesiastical reforms.[1]

Despite the influence of the Plantagenets on Maine, Hamelin managed to maintain a degree of autonomy and pragmatic thinking in his relations with them, as well as with the Capetians. His middle-of-the-road attitude reflects the complexity of relations between bishops and temporal powers, where personal interests and political considerations often took precedence over institutional loyalties.[1][6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Ladurée, Jean-René (2022). "Les évêques du Mans, des relais du pouvoir pantagenêt dans le Maine (milieu XIIe-milieu XIIIe siècle)". Les Plantagenêts et le Maine. pp. 94–108.
  2. ^ Baldwin, John W. (1991-06-19). The Government of Philip Augustus: Foundations of French Royal Power in the Middle Ages. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-91111-6.
  3. ^ Reports and Papers of the Architectural and Archaeological Societies of the Counties of Lincoln and Northampton. 1881.
  4. ^ Kellermann, Karina; Plassmann, Alheydis; Schwermann, Christian (2019-12-09). Criticising the Ruler in Pre-Modern Societies - Possibilities, Chances and Methods: Kritik am Herrscher in vormodernen Gesellschaften – Möglichkeiten, Chancen, Methoden. V&R Unipress. ISBN 978-3-8470-1088-3.
  5. ^ Denis), Suger (Abbot of Saint (2018). Selected Works of Abbot Suger of Saint Denis. CUA Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-2997-3.
  6. ^ Harte, Bret (1868). The Overland Monthly. A. Roman & Company.