Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c. 946 – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999 to his death. He endorsed and promoted study of Moorish and Greco-Roman arithmetic, mathematics and astronomy, reintroducing to Western Christendom the abacus, armillary sphere, and water organ, which had been lost to Latin Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is said to be the first in Christian Europe (outside of Al-Andalus) to introduce the decimal numeral system using the Hindu–Arabic numeral system.
Gerbert of Aurillac is elected as the first French Pope
Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c. 946 – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999...
Historical Significance
Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c.
Events Before
Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France
Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France
Saint Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized
Ulrich of Augsburg, sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Prince-Bishop of Augsburg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the first saint to be canonised not by a local authority but by a pope.
The Duchy of Bohemia's Slavník dynasty members Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej, and Čáslav are murdered by Boleslaus II the P
The Duchy of Bohemia's Slavník dynasty members Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej, and Čáslav are murdered by Boleslaus II the Pious
Pope Gregory V crowns his cousin Otto III as Holy Roman Emperor in St Peter's Basilica in Rome
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002.
First recorded use of modern name for Austria in the "Ostarrîchi Document"
The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of...
Events After
Battle of Svolder, Baltic Sea: King Olaf on board the Long Serpent is defeated in one of the greatest naval battles of t
Battle of Svolder, Baltic Sea: King Olaf on board the Long Serpent is defeated in one of the greatest naval battles of the Viking Age and leaps to his death overboard
Leif Erikson reaches "Vinland" (possibly L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada), reputedly becoming the first European to reach Nor
Leif Erikson reaches "Vinland" (possibly L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada), reputedly becoming the first European to reach North America
Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary, celebrated today as State Foundation Day
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia...
Monarch Istvan crowned king of Hungary
The Holy Crown of Hungary, also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the coronation crown used by the Kingdom of Hungary for most of its existence;...
German King Henry II the Saint crowned
Henry II (German: Heinrich II; Italian: Enrico II; Latin: Henricus; 6 May 973 – 13 July 1024), also known as Saint Henry, Obl. S. B., was Holy Roman Emperor (Latin: Romanorum Imperator) from 1014.
More from the 990s
Pope Gregory V crowns his cousin Otto III as Holy Roman Emperor in St Peter's Basilica in Rome
Otto III (June/July 980 – 23 January 1002) was the Holy Roman emperor and King of Italy from 996 until his death in 1002.
Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France
Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France
Saint Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized
Ulrich of Augsburg, sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Prince-Bishop of Augsburg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the first saint to be canonised not by a local authority but by a pope.
Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The ba
Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The battle and the English defeat are immortalized in the well-known Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon."
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happened on April 2, 999?
- Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c. 946 – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999 to his death. He endorsed and promoted study of Moorish and Greco-Roman arithmetic, mathematics and astronomy, reintroducing to Western Christendom the abacus, armillary sphere, and water organ, which had been lost to Latin Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
- Why is Gerbert of Aurillac is elected as the first French Pope significant?
- Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c.