Peter of Aquila

(SCOTELLUS). Friar Minor, theologian and bishop, b. at Aquila in the Abruzzi, Italy, towards the end of the thirteenth century; d. at Trivento, 1361. In 1334 he figures as master of theology and provincial of his order in Tuscany. In 1334 he was appointed confessor of Queen Joan I of Naples and shortly afterwards inquisitor of Florence. His servants having been punished by public authority, the inquisitor excommunicated the priors and placed the town under interdict. On 12 February, 1347, Peter was named Bishop of S. Angelo de Lombardi in Calabria, and on 30 May, 1348, was transferred to Trivento. He was an able interpreter of Scotus, and was called “Doctor sufficiens”. His chief works are commentaries on the four books of Sentences, which being a compendium of the doctrine of Scotus were called “Scotellum”, whence the author’s surname “Scotellus”. The commentaries have passed through various editions, the first by Peter Drach, at Speier, 1480, and recently by Paolini (Genoa, 1907-09).