WEBVTT - Pope of Math and Dark Magic

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Noble Blood, A production of iHeartRadio and Grimm

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<v Speaker 1>and Mild from Aaron Manky listener discretion advised, shall I

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<v Speaker 1>die before I sing Mass in Jerusalem? That was the

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<v Speaker 1>key question that Gerbert of Arelac asked to his unnervingly

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<v Speaker 1>stoic companion. Gerbert was one of the most accomplished scholars

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<v Speaker 1>of his age, a teacher of emperors and a master

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<v Speaker 1>of sciences, yet he was never quite satisfied. His curiosity,

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<v Speaker 1>ambition and Hubrius had pushed him to seek power and

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<v Speaker 1>wealth through the dark arts, and in honing his sinister skills,

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<v Speaker 1>he had built a statue head that could speak. This

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<v Speaker 1>metallic automaton was magically bound to tell the truth and

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<v Speaker 1>could predict the future, but it only responded when asked

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<v Speaker 1>questions and only replied either yes or no. For instance,

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<v Speaker 1>one of Gerbert's first inquiries was will I be Pope?

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<v Speaker 1>His unholy statue prophet said yes. All of that is,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, according to legend, or rather a long history

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<v Speaker 1>of embellished stories that sought to explain and or tarnish

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<v Speaker 1>the unique life and unprecedented rise of a brilliant French

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<v Speaker 1>clergyman across the tenth century and start of the second millennium.

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<v Speaker 1>In some versions of that story, Gerbert consulted a wily

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<v Speaker 1>demon instead of a mechanical oracle. Some chroniclers insisted it

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<v Speaker 1>was a female demon named Murdana. Others were counted how

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert additionally made a pact with the devil and was

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<v Speaker 1>perhaps even the Antichrist himself. Juicy stuff amid all of

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<v Speaker 1>these vivid rumors, though several evidence backed details have endured,

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<v Speaker 1>as Gerbert's own letters and numerous contemporary accounts from his

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<v Speaker 1>time showed Gerbert was indeed motivated by a passion for knowledge.

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<v Speaker 1>He continually expanded his scientific expertise, and his ambitions did

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<v Speaker 1>very much push him to seek increasingly high posts. Per

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<v Speaker 1>his statue head's alleged prediction, Gerbert did eventually become pope,

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<v Speaker 1>choosing the name Sylvester the Second. Yet in summoning the

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<v Speaker 1>Catholic Church's hierarchical mountain, he and his scientific contributions faced

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<v Speaker 1>mounting disdain and danger. Modern historians disagree with many of

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<v Speaker 1>their centuries earlier counterparts about whether Gerbert's ultimate undoing was

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<v Speaker 1>the result of a complex web of ideological and geopolitical

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<v Speaker 1>factors or punishment for a life of supposed diabolical dealings,

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<v Speaker 1>but just about every account seems to agree that one

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<v Speaker 1>thing of vital importance was, in the words of the

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<v Speaker 1>classic real estate adage, location, location location. As the myth goes,

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert asked his mythical statue had that crucial question, if

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<v Speaker 1>you would die before singing Mass in Jerusalem. The head

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<v Speaker 1>replied no, easy, then Gerbert would live as long as

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<v Speaker 1>he could put off traveling to the ancient city. But

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<v Speaker 1>in avoiding Jerusalem, Gerbert apparently overlooked a crucial wrinkle. In Rome,

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<v Speaker 1>there was a church commonly called Jerusalem, and by giving

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<v Speaker 1>Mass there on May third, one thousand and three, in

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<v Speaker 1>both legend and reality, he finally sealed his fate. Got

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<v Speaker 1>to pay attention to the fine print. I'm Danas Schwartz

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<v Speaker 1>and this is noble blood. In nine hundred and sixty seven,

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert made a journey that would change his life. The

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<v Speaker 1>transition from a relatively small monastery in the Kingdom of

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<v Speaker 1>France to the humming metropolis of Barcelona would have been

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<v Speaker 1>enticing to any curious mind. For Gerbert, then a young,

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<v Speaker 1>opportunistic monk with a voracious appetite for knowledge, Spain was

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<v Speaker 1>basically and all you can learn buffet. Herbert was especially

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<v Speaker 1>interested in the four traditional liberal arts known as the quadrivium, arithmetic, geometry, music,

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<v Speaker 1>and astronomy. Along the border of the Muslim ruled region

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<v Speaker 1>of the Iberian Peninsula known as Al Andalus, Gerbert found

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<v Speaker 1>scholarly communities that not only prized learning in those areas,

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<v Speaker 1>but also reportedly showed tremendous levels of tolerance and collaboration

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<v Speaker 1>between Muslim, Christian, and Jewish intellectuals. Gerbert's exact whereabouts during

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<v Speaker 1>his three years in Spain have sparked a fair amount

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<v Speaker 1>of politically fueled controversy among historians of different eras. However,

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<v Speaker 1>it is no stretch to say that, regardless of whether

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert mostly stayed in Barcelona and at the Santa Maria

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<v Speaker 1>deir Pol monastery, or whether he crossed the border into

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<v Speaker 1>Islamic Spain, he absorbed significant wisdom and expertise that initially

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<v Speaker 1>came from Muslim scholars and Arabic educational centers. For instance,

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<v Speaker 1>the Royal Library in Cordoba, the then capital of l

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<v Speaker 1>and de Luce, was said to house between forty thousand

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<v Speaker 1>and four hundred thousand books, many of which were translated

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<v Speaker 1>from Persian, Indian, Greek, and African languages, and many of

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<v Speaker 1>those books had purportedly come from an acclaimed public academy

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<v Speaker 1>in Baghdad known as the House of Wisdom. So naturally,

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<v Speaker 1>given Gerbert's well documented love of reading and frequent letters

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<v Speaker 1>sent requesting tomes on topics of interest, Gerbert encountered plenty

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<v Speaker 1>of relevant texts and well informed scholars whose ideas had

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<v Speaker 1>originated or flourished in the spirited, incubating environment of Spain's

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<v Speaker 1>Islamic caes, whether or not he physically learned there himself

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<v Speaker 1>or not. Gerbert left for Rome in nine hundred and

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<v Speaker 1>seventy and used his Spanish education to distinguish himself as

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<v Speaker 1>a teacher and scientist. In fact, he impressed the Holy

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<v Speaker 1>Roman Emperor Otto the First so much that the ruler

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<v Speaker 1>hired Gerbert to tutor his son, Otto the Second. Gerbert

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<v Speaker 1>went on to run a cathedral school in Riim, near Paris,

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<v Speaker 1>and he became an extremely popular educator. Accounts from many

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<v Speaker 1>of Gerbert's colleagues and proteges were so glowing that it's

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<v Speaker 1>tempting to picture him as both an esteemed, erudite math

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<v Speaker 1>professor and a hip loves to sit on his chair

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<v Speaker 1>backwards youth pastor to inspire students. Gerbert reportedly infused lessons

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<v Speaker 1>with everything from rousing debates with famed philosophers to explanations

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<v Speaker 1>of fractions that involved showing how finger placement on a

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<v Speaker 1>simple instrument affected a string's vibrations. While teaching, Gerbert also

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<v Speaker 1>continued his own research. It would take too long to

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<v Speaker 1>cover all of his scientific achievements, so here are some highlights.

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert arguably became Christian Europe's most famed mathematician during his lifetime.

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<v Speaker 1>He did that not so much by coming up with

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<v Speaker 1>entirely original ideas, but by applying concepts in resourceful ways.

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<v Speaker 1>For example, Gerbert became widely known for embracing Arabic numerals

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<v Speaker 1>and showcasing to Latin Europe how they made arithmetic far

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<v Speaker 1>easier than Roman numerals. A chief asset in that mission

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<v Speaker 1>was an upgraded abacus, As anyone who's ever to add, subtract, multiply,

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<v Speaker 1>or divide using the ancient Roman system can attest. Not

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<v Speaker 1>to mention any of us who have struggled to merely

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<v Speaker 1>decode Super Bowl numbers. Long strings of letters make large

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<v Speaker 1>figures unwieldy. By simplifying the counting pieces on an abacus

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<v Speaker 1>so they each held a single digit from one to nine,

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert constructed a device that allowed him to perform calculations

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<v Speaker 1>with jaw dropping speed. He additionally introduced the concept of

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<v Speaker 1>zero and would reportedly show off by adding and multiplying

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<v Speaker 1>numbers into the octilians. Some writers and scientists point to

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<v Speaker 1>that analog calculator as one of the world's first computers.

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<v Speaker 1>In the field of music, Gerbert helped to fine tune

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<v Speaker 1>an instrument called a water His experimenting led him to

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<v Speaker 1>skillfully design a long tube that ingeniously created air pressure

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<v Speaker 1>by harnessing flowing water, which then allowed the organ's pipes

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<v Speaker 1>to sound without requiring the strenuous labor of operating bellows. Finally,

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<v Speaker 1>when it came to astronomy, Gerbert obsessively observed the skies

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<v Speaker 1>and became exceptionally proficient with several devices. One tool was

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<v Speaker 1>the armillary sphere, an intricate globe with attached rings that

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<v Speaker 1>charted the paths of planet and stars. In Gerbert's time,

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<v Speaker 1>the Earth was at the center of this contraption, with

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<v Speaker 1>other bodies orbiting around it. Despite that inaccurate model, Gerbert

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<v Speaker 1>was still able to use his customized armillary spheres to

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<v Speaker 1>closely track the trajectories of stars and engagingly display astronomy

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<v Speaker 1>concepts to his students. Gerbert's written correspondence also shows that

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<v Speaker 1>he was hugely interested in using astral observations to calculate time.

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<v Speaker 1>Rudimentary clocks like sundials had been around for thousands of years,

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<v Speaker 1>but Gerbert wanted to be able to more accurately track

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<v Speaker 1>time by day and night, and to find a more

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<v Speaker 1>comprehensive model to explain the fluctuations of daylight hours across

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<v Speaker 1>the seasons. Although none of Gerbert's favored timekeeping devices seemed

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<v Speaker 1>to have survived, references by a Prince bishop contemporary point

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<v Speaker 1>to Gerbert constructing an intricate nightclock that likely borrowed features

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<v Speaker 1>from ancient devices like astrolabes and noctoralabes. Some modern historians

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<v Speaker 1>have argued that Gerbert's linking of calculable time with heavenly

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<v Speaker 1>movements helped spawn the medieval field of mathematical astronomy in

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<v Speaker 1>Christian Europe, at the very least, given accounts that he

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<v Speaker 1>wowed kings and noble courts by predicting eclipses, Gerbert must

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<v Speaker 1>have made quite the party guest. Gerbert's rising fame created

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<v Speaker 1>additional employment opportunities, both within the Catholic Church and the

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<v Speaker 1>highest royal houses. The involved machinations are fairly complicated, but

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<v Speaker 1>in broad strokes, Gerbert kept up strong ties with the

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<v Speaker 1>Ottoman dynasty, to the point that he completed something of

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<v Speaker 1>a fully Roman hat trick by eventually mentoring Otto the Third.

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert's third time educating a royal auto proved to be

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<v Speaker 1>quite the charm in terms of his own ecclesiastical career.

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<v Speaker 1>In nine hundred and ninety nine, Gerbert's close relationship with

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<v Speaker 1>the young emperor helped him become pope. He chose the

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<v Speaker 1>name Sylvester the Second, signaling his admiration for Pope Sylvester

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<v Speaker 1>the First, who had advised Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. Accordingly,

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<v Speaker 1>Gerbert hoped to help Otto the Third reunite Constantinople and

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<v Speaker 1>Rome into one realm and usher in a new golden

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<v Speaker 1>age built on law, tolerance, and learning. Unfortunately, for Gerbert

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<v Speaker 1>and arguably portions of Europe, fate or universal randomness, God

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<v Speaker 1>or the Devil had other plans before delving into Gerbert's

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<v Speaker 1>fraught time as pope and the ensuing macabre legends. It's

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<v Speaker 1>worth adding some quick context and clarification regarding a few

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<v Speaker 1>core elements. First, despite later scholars coining erroneous and reductive

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<v Speaker 1>term like the Dark Ages and the Enlightenment, Gerbert did

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<v Speaker 1>not live in a time of intellectual darkness. Numerous empires

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<v Speaker 1>and cultures across the globe continually innovated, and while some

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<v Speaker 1>of the European hubs in which Gerbert lived initially resisted

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<v Speaker 1>certain concepts, these realms were not wholly overwhelmed by ignorant,

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<v Speaker 1>superstitious thought. For example, Gerbert's written correspondence with other academic

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<v Speaker 1>show that they knew the Earth was round, whereas later

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<v Speaker 1>supposedly enlightened figures, including a few early humanists, continued to

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<v Speaker 1>spread theories that Earth was flat. In addition, it can

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes be difficult to avoid viewing the relationship between religion

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<v Speaker 1>and science through a modern lens, considering all the periods

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<v Speaker 1>of fraud history there. But in Gerbert's day, religion and

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<v Speaker 1>science weren't really thought of as separate fields or subjects

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<v Speaker 1>supported by warring communities were often the opposite was the case.

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<v Speaker 1>Many who served the church were also researchers who sought

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<v Speaker 1>scientific inquiry as a means to reveal and revel in

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<v Speaker 1>God's work. Finally, though some of the traditions and trappings

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<v Speaker 1>shown in recent papal news coverage and in films like

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<v Speaker 1>Conclave were still present in the early thousands, the position

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<v Speaker 1>of pope was different. Back then. Those doing the job

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<v Speaker 1>were tremendously hampered by coups, forced exiles, excommunications, and the

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<v Speaker 1>presence of the occasional anti popes. Numerous popes also simply

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<v Speaker 1>died soon into their reigns, which obviously was very inconvenient

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<v Speaker 1>for any of the long term ambitions they might have had.

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<v Speaker 1>In short, things were nuanced and complex, and so was Gerbert.

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<v Speaker 1>He sought to foster ties between kingdoms and kept up

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<v Speaker 1>a vast scholarly network, but he also had his own

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<v Speaker 1>ego and academic beliefs, and he could get prickly with

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<v Speaker 1>authority figures. Eventually he even had to flee Rome when

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<v Speaker 1>the nobility revolted. Then Emperor Otto the Third suddenly died,

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<v Speaker 1>which essentially destroyed Gerbert's hope of uniting East and West

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<v Speaker 1>to foster a new Golden Age. Through this time, Gerbert's

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<v Speaker 1>uncompromising leadership style and political alignments prompted his enemies to

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<v Speaker 1>occasionally brand him a dark sorcerer or the Antichrist. That said,

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<v Speaker 1>it's helpful to bear in mind that for centuries, if

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<v Speaker 1>not millennia, insults in that vain were commonly tossed at

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<v Speaker 1>those in power. Interestingly, the most salacious and lasting legends

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<v Speaker 1>about Gerbert surfaced after his death, and their iterations reveal

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<v Speaker 1>much about the predilections of their storytellers. For example, toward

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<v Speaker 1>the end of the eleventh century, decades after Gerbert's death,

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<v Speaker 1>a cardinal named Beno wanted to replace the sitting pope

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<v Speaker 1>who was trying to increase his papal powers. So Cardinal

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<v Speaker 1>Beno wrote a diatribe alleging that that pope had been

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<v Speaker 1>schooled by the dark wizard Gerbert and his disciples. In

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<v Speaker 1>his writing, Beno explained how Gerbert, who had come from

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<v Speaker 1>humble peasant beginnings, had found success by making a deal

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<v Speaker 1>with the devil. Similar notes of elitism and possible professional

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<v Speaker 1>jealousy seemed to waft from many other storytellers and Detractor's

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<v Speaker 1>accounts that also claim a diabolical pact as the only

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<v Speaker 1>possible explanation for the fame and wisdom that humbleborn Gerbert attained.

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<v Speaker 1>Twelfth century English writer Walter Mapp went further. He leaned

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<v Speaker 1>into the idea that Gerbert reached a sinful agreement with

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<v Speaker 1>a beautiful, all knowing demon named Maradiana. He also asserted

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<v Speaker 1>that Gerbert successfully repented at the end of his life,

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<v Speaker 1>thus proffering a parable that tracks with Mapp's background as

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<v Speaker 1>a bishop and iterant justice. According to some modern historians,

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<v Speaker 1>maps fanciful retelling of Gerbert's life also fits with Mapp's

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<v Speaker 1>preference for covering stories with fantastical, romantic, and even satirical elements.

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<v Speaker 1>Fun fact, Walter Mapp was reportedly one of the first

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<v Speaker 1>writers in England to record and start to popularize stories

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<v Speaker 1>of vampires. William of Malmsbury, an English monk and notable historian,

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<v Speaker 1>possibly added the most vivid detail of all in his

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<v Speaker 1>twelfth century chronicle of Gerbert's life. As some critics have asserted,

0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:31.560
<v Speaker 1>the style in which he describes Gerbert cavorting around in

0:19:31.680 --> 0:19:37.080
<v Speaker 1>Spain with beautiful women and Arab wizards sometimes reads more

0:19:37.200 --> 0:19:40.720
<v Speaker 1>like the folk tales in One thousand and One Nights

0:19:40.800 --> 0:19:46.440
<v Speaker 1>than that of a will substantiated biography. William also largely

0:19:46.480 --> 0:19:51.080
<v Speaker 1>promoted the legend about Gerbert using what he allegedly learned

0:19:51.520 --> 0:19:56.520
<v Speaker 1>in Muslim al Andalous to create his oracle statue head

0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:02.480
<v Speaker 1>in Rome. Once again, the ti and ideological leanings of

0:20:02.520 --> 0:20:08.360
<v Speaker 1>these records are significant following the rising cultural conflicts at

0:20:08.359 --> 0:20:11.400
<v Speaker 1>the heart of the Great Schism in ten fifty four

0:20:11.840 --> 0:20:16.600
<v Speaker 1>and the First Crusade in ten ninety six. William, linking

0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:22.560
<v Speaker 1>Gerbert's purported sins to knowledge he ostensibly learned from Spain's

0:20:23.040 --> 0:20:29.160
<v Speaker 1>Islamic Caliphate, mirrored a move by many influential Christian figures

0:20:29.560 --> 0:20:35.440
<v Speaker 1>to decry any wisdom gained from sources outside of Latin Europe.

0:20:35.480 --> 0:20:40.320
<v Speaker 1>There are also many graphic legends about Gerbert's death. Most

0:20:40.480 --> 0:20:44.720
<v Speaker 1>begin similarly with his sins catching up with him once

0:20:44.720 --> 0:20:48.160
<v Speaker 1>he attended Mass in the Church of the Holy Cross

0:20:48.200 --> 0:20:53.400
<v Speaker 1>of Jerusalem, which again was located in Rome. From there

0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:57.919
<v Speaker 1>the tall tales begin to branch out. Some claim he

0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:01.639
<v Speaker 1>fell ill and tried to re pent by asking his

0:21:01.800 --> 0:21:06.600
<v Speaker 1>cardinals to cut off his limbs, tongue, and or hands,

0:21:07.160 --> 0:21:11.520
<v Speaker 1>and then to scatter his pieces across the city. Others

0:21:11.600 --> 0:21:14.879
<v Speaker 1>claim that the devil showed up in the church to

0:21:15.119 --> 0:21:22.080
<v Speaker 1>personally beat and mutilate Gerbert. One impish iteration specified that

0:21:22.160 --> 0:21:27.080
<v Speaker 1>the devil gouged out Gerbert's eyeballs so that his demons

0:21:27.119 --> 0:21:31.879
<v Speaker 1>could play with them. Regardless of these rumored antics, Gerbert

0:21:32.040 --> 0:21:36.359
<v Speaker 1>was duly buried at the Saint John Lateran Cathedral in Rome.

0:21:37.080 --> 0:21:42.199
<v Speaker 1>Over the next few centuries, though additional myths abounded that

0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:47.840
<v Speaker 1>his marble tomb routinely sweated and that his bones rattled

0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:52.879
<v Speaker 1>to foretell the death of successive popes. When it comes

0:21:52.920 --> 0:21:59.080
<v Speaker 1>to more solidly corroborated historical evidence, most accounts do point

0:21:59.240 --> 0:22:02.879
<v Speaker 1>to Gerbert f falling ill after attending Mass at the

0:22:03.000 --> 0:22:07.400
<v Speaker 1>church known as Jerusalem on May third, one thousand and three,

0:22:07.960 --> 0:22:12.600
<v Speaker 1>and then dying shortly after on May twelfth. Historians are

0:22:12.760 --> 0:22:16.920
<v Speaker 1>unsure of the exact cause of death, but some maintain

0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:20.960
<v Speaker 1>that it was probably a disease such as malaria, which

0:22:21.040 --> 0:22:24.480
<v Speaker 1>had a track record of killing many rulers and popes

0:22:24.520 --> 0:22:30.600
<v Speaker 1>in Rome. As scientists later learned, those with Northern European

0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:37.000
<v Speaker 1>roots were especially susceptible since they lacked genetically transferred protection.

0:22:37.920 --> 0:22:43.480
<v Speaker 1>So once again, location was a critical element of Gerbert's life.

0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:47.960
<v Speaker 1>But while Gerbert's personal and professional battles were over, the

0:22:48.000 --> 0:22:56.000
<v Speaker 1>fight over his legacy would continue for centuries. To this day,

0:22:56.240 --> 0:23:03.520
<v Speaker 1>Gerbert remained the only professional mathematician to become pope, although coincidentally,

0:23:03.960 --> 0:23:08.560
<v Speaker 1>the very newly elected Pope Leo the fourteenth did get

0:23:08.680 --> 0:23:14.280
<v Speaker 1>a math degree. After Gerbert's death, certain partisan historians chose

0:23:14.320 --> 0:23:19.000
<v Speaker 1>to primarily call him Gerbert rather than Pope Sylvester the Second,

0:23:19.440 --> 0:23:24.520
<v Speaker 1>as an attempted rebuke. This actually seems fitting, however, since

0:23:24.560 --> 0:23:27.840
<v Speaker 1>he did not have the longest or most productive rain

0:23:27.960 --> 0:23:31.439
<v Speaker 1>as pope, and in my mind, calling him Gerbert feels

0:23:31.480 --> 0:23:35.800
<v Speaker 1>truer to his larger identity and legacy. So if you

0:23:35.880 --> 0:23:39.040
<v Speaker 1>thought that I was doing it as some larger political statement,

0:23:39.800 --> 0:23:44.280
<v Speaker 1>not really. In addition to helping to revolutionize the fields

0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:48.440
<v Speaker 1>of math and astronomy in Christian Europe, much of Gerbert's

0:23:48.520 --> 0:23:52.800
<v Speaker 1>lasting impact was as a teacher, since he instructed many

0:23:52.840 --> 0:23:56.959
<v Speaker 1>clergymen who went on to make important scientific discoveries and

0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:02.920
<v Speaker 1>contributions of their own. In more recent history, numerous mathematicians

0:24:03.040 --> 0:24:08.400
<v Speaker 1>and mathematical societies have honored Gerbert, and, especially during spikes

0:24:08.440 --> 0:24:14.480
<v Speaker 1>of widespread Islamophobia, praised his tolerant, collaborative nature and appreciation

0:24:15.000 --> 0:24:20.040
<v Speaker 1>for the work of Muslim intellectuals. Likewise, modern popes and

0:24:20.119 --> 0:24:24.639
<v Speaker 1>religious figures have lauded Gerbert's contributions as a scientist and

0:24:24.960 --> 0:24:28.800
<v Speaker 1>man of God, and in spite of all its supposed

0:24:29.040 --> 0:24:34.960
<v Speaker 1>sweating and rattling, Gerbert's preserved tombstone still hangs in the

0:24:35.080 --> 0:24:40.399
<v Speaker 1>latterin church. Gerbert's likeness has also lived on, since he

0:24:40.480 --> 0:24:44.560
<v Speaker 1>has been commemorated with everything from statues to frescoes to

0:24:44.880 --> 0:24:50.879
<v Speaker 1>postage stamps. The renowned scientist pope also inspired many works

0:24:50.920 --> 0:24:55.600
<v Speaker 1>of non fiction and fiction, including serving as a scheming

0:24:55.760 --> 0:25:02.080
<v Speaker 1>antagonist in Deborah Harkness's Discovery of Witches book and TV series.

0:25:03.080 --> 0:25:08.040
<v Speaker 1>Although Gerbert's life was harshly maligned for long periods, to

0:25:08.160 --> 0:25:12.639
<v Speaker 1>some degree the vilifying legends may still have helped to

0:25:12.880 --> 0:25:18.439
<v Speaker 1>spread his principles and immortalize his persona On a basic level.

0:25:18.840 --> 0:25:23.440
<v Speaker 1>The myths obviously provide an enticing entry point for those

0:25:23.880 --> 0:25:27.600
<v Speaker 1>unfamiliar with his life and work. In a broader and

0:25:27.720 --> 0:25:32.639
<v Speaker 1>more ironic way, we may actually have Gerbert's detractors to

0:25:32.720 --> 0:25:36.560
<v Speaker 1>think for the fact that historians are able to analyze

0:25:36.560 --> 0:25:41.000
<v Speaker 1>and credit many of his accomplishments. This is because in

0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:45.439
<v Speaker 1>fearing that many rivals might try to discredit him, the

0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:50.760
<v Speaker 1>forward thinking Gerbert intentionally preserved many of his letters in

0:25:50.840 --> 0:25:56.720
<v Speaker 1>the hopes of defending himself and his ideas. Fascinatingly, according

0:25:56.720 --> 0:26:01.640
<v Speaker 1>to modern scholarship, even the heightened myths told about Gerbert

0:26:02.040 --> 0:26:07.720
<v Speaker 1>showcase a clear progression of scientific understanding and acceptance. For instance,

0:26:07.840 --> 0:26:12.879
<v Speaker 1>William of Malmesbury's account of Gerbert's life delineates knowledge seen

0:26:13.000 --> 0:26:18.919
<v Speaker 1>as permissible and as impermissible. He claims that in Muslim Spain,

0:26:19.440 --> 0:26:25.480
<v Speaker 1>Gerbert learned the impermissible skills of necromancy and animal augury,

0:26:25.960 --> 0:26:31.919
<v Speaker 1>like seeing omens in bird's flight patterns. But William asserted

0:26:32.200 --> 0:26:36.640
<v Speaker 1>that Gerbert was specifically able to make his talking head

0:26:36.720 --> 0:26:43.120
<v Speaker 1>statue using knowledge gained by studying heavenly bodies. In his view,

0:26:43.520 --> 0:26:49.320
<v Speaker 1>celestial divination was permissible since astronomy was part of the

0:26:49.480 --> 0:26:55.880
<v Speaker 1>accepted quadrivium. In other words, William condemned Gerbert for learning

0:26:56.080 --> 0:27:00.480
<v Speaker 1>dark arts in Spain, but as opposed to earlier Detroy dictors,

0:27:00.880 --> 0:27:06.320
<v Speaker 1>he explained that Gerbert's predictive abilities via magic statue head

0:27:06.720 --> 0:27:12.160
<v Speaker 1>came from a more acceptable astral science rather than demonic magic,

0:27:13.040 --> 0:27:17.720
<v Speaker 1>whether that was intentional on William's part or not, that's

0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:23.320
<v Speaker 1>some progress. Accounts like that helped to further validate astronomy

0:27:23.400 --> 0:27:27.960
<v Speaker 1>in Latin Europe, thus setting the stage for subsequent breakthroughs

0:27:28.040 --> 0:27:33.360
<v Speaker 1>by the likes of Copernicus and Galileo. Arguably, the lengthy

0:27:33.520 --> 0:27:38.360
<v Speaker 1>fixation with Gerbert's prophetic head also stands out as an

0:27:38.400 --> 0:27:45.920
<v Speaker 1>intriguing example of humanity's fascination with artificial intelligence. Although posthumous

0:27:45.960 --> 0:27:51.760
<v Speaker 1>portrayals of Gerbert's clearly got absurd, Perhaps if the renowned

0:27:51.920 --> 0:27:56.080
<v Speaker 1>scientist had been able to gain knowledge of the future,

0:27:56.560 --> 0:27:59.560
<v Speaker 1>he would have been amused to know he would become

0:27:59.600 --> 0:28:03.840
<v Speaker 1>a sub object of science fiction, hundreds of years before

0:28:03.880 --> 0:28:08.720
<v Speaker 1>that term was widely used. Ultimately, the Catholic world may

0:28:08.800 --> 0:28:13.640
<v Speaker 1>never again see a scientist pope quite like Sylvester the Second,

0:28:14.200 --> 0:28:17.480
<v Speaker 1>and the science world may never again see a religious

0:28:17.600 --> 0:28:23.600
<v Speaker 1>mathematician of Gerbert's ilk. Funnily enough, while many bitterly equated

0:28:23.760 --> 0:28:29.440
<v Speaker 1>Gerbert's singular success with devilish deal making, a closer look

0:28:29.480 --> 0:28:32.879
<v Speaker 1>at his life reveals how much of his true power

0:28:33.400 --> 0:28:38.920
<v Speaker 1>came from his knack for collaborating and for sharing and inspiring.

0:28:39.640 --> 0:28:45.080
<v Speaker 1>From peasant to polymath to pope, the math obsessed Gerbert

0:28:45.160 --> 0:28:53.080
<v Speaker 1>of Aurlac never stopped finding strength in numbers. That's the

0:28:53.120 --> 0:28:56.600
<v Speaker 1>story of Gerbert, but stick around after a brief sponsor

0:28:56.680 --> 0:29:00.400
<v Speaker 1>break to hear another reason why any assumption that the

0:29:00.640 --> 0:29:05.800
<v Speaker 1>famed mathematician lived in a total dark age doesn't add

0:29:05.880 --> 0:29:18.800
<v Speaker 1>up when recalling milestones that tested a society's ability to

0:29:18.960 --> 0:29:23.920
<v Speaker 1>balance logic and superstition. Hy two K was a pretty

0:29:24.040 --> 0:29:27.800
<v Speaker 1>memorable one. The approach of the year two thousand prompted

0:29:27.960 --> 0:29:33.560
<v Speaker 1>fears about widespread computer errors and infrastructure issues, as well

0:29:33.600 --> 0:29:38.120
<v Speaker 1>as conspiracy theories and end of the world predictions. The

0:29:38.360 --> 0:29:43.920
<v Speaker 1>digital element of the millennial transition was new, the prognosticating

0:29:44.240 --> 0:29:50.040
<v Speaker 1>was not. Why one K saw plenty of similar panic,

0:29:50.720 --> 0:29:54.560
<v Speaker 1>or at least that's the narrative that many later writers pushed,

0:29:55.000 --> 0:29:59.120
<v Speaker 1>often trying to paint prior eras as more primitive and

0:29:59.360 --> 0:30:03.600
<v Speaker 1>ignorant than their own. Again, the accounts of many who

0:30:03.600 --> 0:30:06.160
<v Speaker 1>were alive in the lead up to the year one

0:30:06.240 --> 0:30:11.160
<v Speaker 1>thousand tells a more nuanced tale. There was still fear mongering.

0:30:11.640 --> 0:30:17.040
<v Speaker 1>One tenth century chronicler documented supposed signs of the nearing

0:30:17.080 --> 0:30:22.160
<v Speaker 1>apocalypse that included quote rains of blood wolves in churches

0:30:22.200 --> 0:30:27.520
<v Speaker 1>and unusually large whales. But the Christian world was not

0:30:27.920 --> 0:30:32.640
<v Speaker 1>entirely gripped by existential terror. For one thing, the Anno

0:30:32.640 --> 0:30:38.720
<v Speaker 1>Domini dating system was not yet universally accepted among record keepers,

0:30:39.120 --> 0:30:43.520
<v Speaker 1>which muddled rumors that the world would end one thousand

0:30:43.680 --> 0:30:47.160
<v Speaker 1>years after the birth of Jesus Christ. For another thing,

0:30:47.360 --> 0:30:52.480
<v Speaker 1>those who were following the ad calendar system and feeling

0:30:52.520 --> 0:30:56.920
<v Speaker 1>a wee bit anxious, they had a practical minded religious

0:30:57.040 --> 0:31:02.120
<v Speaker 1>leader to turn to. As a pope and scientist, Gerbert

0:31:02.360 --> 0:31:06.000
<v Speaker 1>was uniquely positioned to be a calm voice of reason,

0:31:06.600 --> 0:31:11.760
<v Speaker 1>and judging by many accounts, he was so. Perhaps the

0:31:11.960 --> 0:31:17.120
<v Speaker 1>modern and enlightened, yet occasionally angsty folks are not so

0:31:17.280 --> 0:31:22.120
<v Speaker 1>different from our millennia crossing counterparts, or at least those

0:31:22.120 --> 0:31:33.240
<v Speaker 1>who paid attention to their mathematician pope. Nobel Blood is

0:31:33.280 --> 0:31:37.640
<v Speaker 1>a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey.

0:31:38.240 --> 0:31:42.120
<v Speaker 1>Noble Blood is hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional

0:31:42.160 --> 0:31:46.840
<v Speaker 1>writing and research by Hannah Johnston, Hannaswick, Courtney Sender, Amy

0:31:46.920 --> 0:31:51.040
<v Speaker 1>Hit and Julia Milaney. The show is edited and produced

0:31:51.120 --> 0:31:56.240
<v Speaker 1>by Jesse Funk, with supervising producer rima il KLi and

0:31:56.400 --> 0:32:00.880
<v Speaker 1>executive producers Aaron Mankey, Trevor Young, and Matt Fret. For

0:32:01.000 --> 0:32:06.520
<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

0:32:06.640 --> 0:32:08.719
<v Speaker 1>or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.