The Crown of Monks

Smaragdus was a monk and abbot of considerable standing in the early ninth century church. His Diadema Monachorum (The Crown of Monks), together with a later commentary on the Rule of Saint Benedict, established him as one of the most significant interpreters of Benedict's Rule in his day and for succeeding generations.

Smaragdus intended The Crown of Monks as a daily resource for monastic communities, to be read at the evening chapter. He sought to arouse well-established monks "to a keener...