Pope Sylvester II and the Devil Many young men traveled to Spain to get an education. One of these men was Gerbert d’Aurillac, who became the first French pope, Pope Sylvester II. He’s credited with reforming European education by emphasing the importance of rhetoric, logic and grammar in monastery schools. He introduced the Arabic numeral system to Europe, helped to standardize the use of the abacus, and revolutionized European astronomy with a gadget called the armillary sphere, or spherical astrolabe. People accused Gerbert d’Aurillac of dark sorcery and cahooting with the Devil. Rumor held that Gerbert won his papal office in a game of dice with Satan, fiddling contests having not yet been invented. Others believed he’d stolen his Muslim teacher’s spellbook, and then used it to evade the man’s pursuit. He was said to have built a mechanical head, which answered his yes-or-no questions, like a Magic 8-Ball for the 10th century AD. .

Pope Sylvester II and the Devil

Many young men traveled to Spain to get an education. One of these men was Gerbert d’Aurillac, who became the first French pope, Pope Sylvester II. He’s credited with reforming European education by emphasing the importance of rhetoric, logic and grammar in monastery schools. He introduced the Arabic numeral system to Europe, helped to standardize the use of the abacus, and revolutionized European astronomy with a gadget called the armillary sphere, or spherical astrolabe.

People accused Gerbert d’Aurillac of dark sorcery and cahooting with the Devil.

Rumor held that Gerbert won his papal office in a game of dice with Satan, fiddling contests having not yet been invented. Others believed he’d stolen his Muslim teacher’s spellbook, and then used it to evade the man’s pursuit. He was said to have built a mechanical head, which answered his yes-or-no questions, like a Magic 8-Ball for the 10th century AD.

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(via mediumaevum)