Peter of Auvergne

Peter of Auvergne

A philosopher and theologian; died after 1310. He was a canon of Paris; some biographers have thought that he was Bishop of Clermont (Gallia Christ., II, 283), because a Bull of Boniface VIII of the year 1296 names as canon of Paris, Peter of Croc (Cros), already canon of Clermont (Thomas, in "Mélanges d'arch. et d'hist.", Paris, 1882, II, 117-20); but it is more likely that they are distinct. Peter of Auvergne was in Paris in 1301 (Script. Prædicat., I, 489), and, according to several accounts, was a pupil of St. Thomas. In 1279, while the various nations of the University of Paris were quarrelling about the rectorship, Simon of Brion, papal legate, appointed Peter of Auvergne, to that office; in 1296 he was elected to it.

His published works are: "Supplementum Cornmentarii S. Thomæ in tertium et quartum librum de cælo etmundo" (in "Opera S. Thomæ", II, ad finem); commentaries on Aristotle's "Meteororum"; "De Juventute et senectute"; "De longitudine et brevitate vitæ"; "De motu animalium". He has been credited with a supplement to the "Summa" of St. Thomas, but there is no scientific warrant for this. Peter also left numerous treatises which are either at the Biblioth. National, or at l'Arsenal of Paris: "Sex quodlibeta" long discussions after the manner of St. Thomas; "Sophisma Determinatum"; "Quæstiones super totam logicam veterem Arist."; "Quæstiones super Perphyrium"; "In Arist. Metaphysicam"; "In libros Politicorum"; "De somno et vigilia"; "De veget. et plantis"; "De anima".

WADDING, Script. Minor. (1690), 279; DU BOULAY, Hist. Univ. de Paris, III (Paris, 1666), 709; Hist. ant. eccl. XIV (Paris, 1701), 214; QUÉTIF-ECHARD, Script. Prœd., I (Paris, 1719), 489; OUDIN, Comm. de script. eccl., III (Paris, 1722), 927; FABRICIUS, Bibl. med œt., V (Paris, 1736), 711; LAJARD in Hist. litt. de France, XXV (Paris, 1869), 93, 114; DENIFLE, Cart. Univ. Paris, I (Paris, 1889), 930; II, 69, 90; FÉRET, La Faculté de théologie de Paris, III (Paris, 1896), 221-7.

JOSEPH DEDIEU.