Toledo, Roderigo De

Toledo, Roderigo de an eminent Spanish ecclesiastic, was born at Rada, in Navarre, about 1170. He was sent to Paris to complete his education, and on his return he attached himself to Sancho V, king of Navarre, by whom he was employed to negotiate a peace with Alfonso VIII of Castile. Procuring the favor of Alfonso, he was appointed by him bishop of Siguenza, and was afterwards made archbishop of Toledo. He showed great zeal in the frequent wars with the Moors, often directing in person inroads upon the Mohammedan territory. Nor did he have any less zeal for learning; he persuaded Alfonso to found the University of Palencia. At the Fourth Lateran Council he not only harangued the fathers in elegant Latin, but gained over the secular nobles and ambassadors by conversing with each of them in his mother tongue. He died in France in 1247, after attending the Council of Lyons convoked by Innocent IV. He wrote several historical works, most of which are still unedited. His Rerum in Hispania Gestarum Chronicon (Granada, 1545) is an invaluable production. It was subsequently published in a collection entitled Hispania Illustrata, by Andreas Schott (Frankf. 1603-8, 4 vols. fol.). He also wrote, Historia Arabum, published in vol. 2 of Andreas Schott's collection (1603); and subsequently (1625) by Erpennius, as an appendix to his Historia Salracenica of Georgius Elmacin. He wrote a history of the Ostrogoths, of the Huns, Vandals, Suevi, Alans,.and Silingi, published by R. Bell, in the collection entitled Rerum Hispanicarum Scriptoies Aliquot (Frankf. 1579, 3 vols. fol.): — also Breviarium Ecclesiae Catholicae, and others still unedited.