319. Giles of Rome: His Life and Works. -- Giles of Rome (AEgidius a Columna or AEgidius Romanus, "Doctor Fundatissimus") is the first philosopher of note among the Hermits of St. Augustine. According to William of Tocco, he followed the lectures of St. Thomas at Paris -- the first of his order to do so -- and then obtained permission, as master of theology, to teach at the University (between 1285 and 1287).^{1} His teaching must have led to some commotion, form 1285 Pope Honorius IV. made him retract, before the chancellor and masters of the University, certain theses the tenor of which is unknown, but which were probably of Thomistic inspiration.^{2} However, he was amply consoled throughout these troubles by the exceptional treatment he received from the general chapter of his order. Very few men have received such flattering eulogiums during their life-time: a general chapter held at Florence in 1287 paid a tribute to his world-wide reputation ("doctrina mundum universum illustrat") and commanded all who bore the habit a the order to embrace not only the doctrines Giles had already taught, but even those which be would teach in future I ("sententias scriptas et scribendas").^{3} In 1297 Giles was still teaching. The following year he was elected general of the order, and, in 1295, archbishop of Bourges.^{4} As director general of studies for the order^{5} it Paris, and invested with unlimited power in the choice of its future bachelors and masters, Giles occupied a place of considerable influence at the University and had intimate relations with Simon de Bucy and Philip IV.^{6}

The Quodlibeta of Giles of Rome are well known and have been frequently edited. The Relatio on the council held at Paris in 1286 -- assumed to be the war of Godfrey of Fontaines -- informs us that subsequently to this date (postea) Giles could be heard dealing with the question of the privileges in a Quodlibet that won for him no ordinary praise: "qui modo melior de tota villa in omnibus reputatur".^{7}

Among the other works of Giles we may mention his commentaries on the logical treatises of Aristotle, on the Physics, the Rhetoric, the De Anima, the De Generatione; a treatise De Gradibus Formarum sometimes attributed to S. Thomas; Quaestiones de Materia Coeli, de In tell. Possibilis Pluralitate (against Averroës) Quaestiones Metaphysicales; De Regimine Principum. commentaries on the first three books of the Sentences; Q. de Esse et Essentia, de Cognition. Angelorum, de Partibus Philosophiae Essentialibus.

{1} Ibid., i., p. 406, and ii., p. 72.

{2} Chartul., i., pp. 626, 633 and 634. Cf. D'ARGENTRÉ Coll. Jud., i., p. 235.

{3} II., p. II. Same prescriptions in the chapter of Ratisbon in 1290, II., p. 40.

{4} Ibid., n.

{5} II., p. 39.

{6} P. 61, 62.

{7} II., p. 10.