Robert of Melun (c. 1100 – 27 February 1167) was an English scholastic Christian theologian who taught in France, and later became Bishop of Hereford in England.
His students included John of Salisbury, Roger of Worcester, William of Tyre, and possibly Thomas Becket.
King Henry II of England appointed him to the see, or bishopric, and was influenced in his decision by Pope Alexander III and Thomas Becket.
[1] A small consistory court was held after the ending of the council's deliberations, and was attended by Bernard of Clairvaux and Suger of St Denis, along with Robert and Peter.
[13] After teaching as a master of arts[14] in Paris for over forty years,[15] Robert was recalled to England by King Henry II in 1160, and was appointed Bishop of Hereford in 1163.
Five documents survive from his time at Hereford, as well as confirmations of gifts by previous bishops to Llanthony Priory, which he augmented with another grant of tithes.
[23] In October 1164, Becket was accused of denying justice to a royal vassal, tried at a council held at Northampton,[24] and was found guilty although he did not accept the sentence.
[25] During the trial, Robert attempted to moderate Becket's behaviour, by persuading him from having his archiepiscopal cross, a symbol of spiritual authority, carried in front of him when he entered the court, which would have been an insult to the king.
[2] Shortly after the trial, Robert interceded with the king to order that no injury be done to Becket, who went into voluntary exile.
John of Salisbury, a supporter of Becket's, prevailed upon two French academics to write to Robert, criticising him for hypocrisy.
[29] In October 1166, Becket ordered Robert and Roger of Worcester to attend him in France, so they could give him guidance on his dispute with the king.
[31] Robert's views of the glossators, and their main work Glossa Ordinaria was that they had shortened their glosses to such a point that they made them unintelligible.
[32] Robert was also known as a logician,[33] and John of Salisbury named him one of the leading disputatores,[3] or a person who used rhetoric and logic to debate in public.
The introduction to the Sententiae proclaims Robert's desire to harmonise the writings of two unnamed scholars, who have been identified by modern writers as Hugh of St Victor and Abelard.