[5] Putting the same phenomenon under a more positive light, John Marenbon asserts[6] that Remigius's extensive 9th century collection of commentaries on classical texts (both his own and those of the authors upon which he drew), preserved for later academics not only the works of other early medieval thinkers, but also certain elements of the ancient Greek and Latin languages and philosophies.
[10] Although the texts he examined were numerous and varied, his main commentaries were on the works of the late Roman philosophers Boethius and Martianus Capella, in which he found flexible allegories that he felt could co-exist with Christian theology.
[11] During his long academic career, Remigius wrote a number of glossaries and marginal commentaries on a wide variety of texts, both of classical and Christian origin.
His favoured classical texts include works by Terence, Juvenal, and Caelius Sedulius,[10] the Disticha Catonis, and the Ars de nomine,[12] as well as the later commentary of Bede.
[14] Remigius wrote his commentaries mostly for the benefit of his pupils, explaining the meaning and significance of texts in a dispassionate, concise way, placing emphasis on grammatical structures and linguistic peculiarities.
Early medieval thinkers interpreted these texts in different ways, the grammarians among them (including Remigius of Auxerre), discovering innovative connections between the structures of music and verse.
At this time, Charlemagne’s guidance sparked a new interest in the works and ideas of ancient thinkers, especially in regard to the structure and application of Neo-Platonic philosophy, and Roman education and law (with emphasis on studying the seven liberal arts).
His academic position of grammarian hearkens back to the ancient Roman educational model, in which Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric stood as the three pillars of learning (the Trivium, on which theoretical knowledge is built).
More importantly, Remigius’ exposure to ancient Greek and Latin, brought to the West through contact with the Byzantine Empire, gave him the opportunity to understand and comment upon philosophical texts.
[25] Initial studies of Remigius’ commentaries concluded that he had drawn extensively from the works of John Scotus Eriugena, who had introduced the French Court and schools to Neo-Platonism a generation before.