Leo Marsicanus
LEO MARSICANUS
Also known as Ostiensis, monk and chronicler of monte cassino; b. c. 1046; d. May 22, 1115. At the age of 14 Leo entered Monte Cassino, where he subsequently became abbey librarian. In 1101 paschal ii named him cardinal bishop of Ostia. Leo has been called the most important medieval Italian historian. He is the author of the reliable Chronica Casinensis monasterii from St. Benedict to 1057; Guido and the unreliable Peter the Deacon of Rome continued it to 1139. Leo's other works include Historia peregrinorum, Vita S. Mennatis, De consecratione ecclesiarum a Desiderio et Oderisio in Monte Cassino aedificatarum.
Bibliography: Sources. Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Scriptores (Berlin 1826–) 7:574–727. l. a. muratori, Rerum italicarum scriptores, 500–1500, 25 v. in 28 (2nd new ed. Città di Castello 1900–) 4:151–628. Literature. m. manitius, Geschichte der lateinischen Literatur des Mittelalters, 3 v. (Munich 1911–31) 3:546–549. h. w. klewitz, "Petrus Diaconus und die Montecassiner Klosterchronik des Leo von Ostia," Archiv für Urkundenforschung 14 (1935) 414–453. w. smidt, "Die vermeintliche … Urgestalt der Chronik Leos," Quellen und Forschungen aus italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken 28 (1938) 286–297. p. schmitz, Histoire de l'ordre de Saint Benoît, 7 v. (Maredsous 1942–56) v. 2, 5.
[v. gellhaus]