Andrew of Fleury

Andrew of Fleury was a Christian monk and contemporary historian of the Peace and Truce of God movements.

A Benedictine at Fleury Abbey, Andrew's chief work was Miracula sancti Benedicti ("The Miracles of Saint Benedict"), written c.1043. He records that in 1038 Aimon, Archbishop of Bourges, forced his suffragans to swear an oath to fight the enemies of the church, and made every male fifteen years old or older swear the same oath to his diocesan. A "peace army", composed mainly of clerics and peasants, was formed and much bloodshed followed. Andrew disapproves of Aimon's actions, arguing that the "peace army" soon became blinded by ambition.

Andrew visited Catalonia on at least one occasion. He is the most detailed and accurate source for the Battle of Torà in 1003. He records the presence, on the Christian side, of four counts: Raymond Borell of Barcelona, Bernard I of Besalú, Wifred II of Cerdagne, and Ermengol I of Urgell. He is in error, however, when he records that the Caliph of Córdoba, Hisham II, died in the encounter, which is probably a local legend. The actual leader of the Muslim army was Abdelmelik, the son of hajib Almanzor. Andrew reports the battle in terms as if describing a holy war. The Muslims, whose numbers he puts at 17 000, are "new Philistines", the Christians are aided by the saints Peter and Michael and the Virgin Mary, who announces the Christian victory as far away as Monte Sant'Angelo. Despite the theme of religious warfare, Spanish historians have not picked up on Andrew's account.

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