Doctor

DOCTOR. - At first, in the school of Bologna, this was said of one who was qualified to teach, and in that sense the term doctor was used interchangeably with the others magister and dominus.

Subsequently, when the school organized itself through the collaboration of professors, the doctorate became an academic degree: the doctors then conferred the degree on the candidate who had passed the tests of the examen (privata examinatio) and of the conventus (publica examinatio). The first took place in the chamber of the archdeacon, where the doctor presentator discussed the thesis read by the candidate, and on the puncta assignata the other doctors could argue with the texts likewise indicated. From this examination the candidate emerged as licentiatus. The second examination took place in the cathedral church, with the participation of the scholars. The candidate delivered a speech and read a thesis on law. The archdeacon or the appointed doctor in turn delivered a speech to proclaim the candidate doctor.

Afterwards the presenting doctors offered him the insignia: the book, the ring and the doctoral diploma. Doctors of law were either in Roman law or in canon law or in both (in utroque iure).

In the 13th century one encounters in the sources doctors for the other disciplines: doctores medicinae or physicae, grammaticae, logicae, philosophiae and aliorum artium.

Those who taught without being doctors acquired the title of bachelor (bachalarius), which was not at the beginning an academic degree conferred.

Antonio Rota

NICKNAMES GIVEN TO THE MOST CELEBRATED DOCTORS

It was customary above all in the Middle Ages to qualify the most esteemed d. with epithets indicating their principal characteristic, derived from the method, the depth or the acuteness of their teaching. Here is the list of them in alphabetical order of the nickname, divided into two classes:

1. D. in Theology:

Abstractionum - Francesco Mayron (d. in 1325 or 1327).

Acutissimus - Sixtus IV (d. in 1484).

Acutus - Gabriel Vásquez (d. in 1604).

Amoenus - Robert Cowton (d. in 1340).

Authenticus - Gregory of Rimini (d. in 1358).

Averroista et philosophiae parens - Urban (d. in 1403).

Beatus et fundatissimus - Giles of Rome (d. in 1316).

Bonus - Walter Brinkley (d. in 1310).

Christianus - Nicholas of Cusa (d. in 1464).

Clarus - Ludovico de Montesinos (d. in 1621).

Clarus ac subtilis - Denis of Cîteaux (d. in the 15th century).

Collectivus - Landolfo Caracciolo (d. in 1351).

Columna doctorum - William of Champeaux (d. in 1121).

Contradictionum - John Wessel (d. in 1489).

Divinus, Ecstaticus - John Ruysbroeck (d. in 1381).

Doctor doctorum-Scholasticus - Anselm of Laon (d. in 1117).

Dulcifluus - Antonio Andrea (d. in 1320).

Ecstaticus - Denis the Carthusian (d. in 1471).

Eminens - St. John of Matha (d. in 1213).

Emporium theologiae - Laurent Gervais (d. in 1483).

Excellentissimus - Antonio Corsetti (d. in 1503).

Eximius - Francisco Suárez (d. in 1617).

Facundus - Peter Aureoli (d. in 1322).

Famosissimus - Pietro Alberti (d. in 1426).

Famosus - Bertrand de Turre (d. in 1332).

Fertilis - Francesco of Candia (15th century).

Flos mundi - Maurice O'Fihely (d. in 1513).

Fundamentalis - John Faber of Bordeaux (d. in 1350).

Fundatus - William of Ware (d. in 1270).

Illibatus - Alessandro Alamannico (15th century).

Illuminatus - Ramon Llull (d. in 1315).

Illuminatus et sublimis - John Tauler (d. in 1361).
Illustratus - Francesco Piceno (14th century).
Illustris - Adam of Marisco (d. in 1308).
Incytus - William of Mackelfield (d. in 1300).
Ingeniosissimus - Andrew of Newcastle (d. in 1300).
Inter Aristotelicos Aristotelicissimus - Aimone of Faversham (d. in 1244).
Invincibilis - Pietro Thomas (14th century).
Irrefragabilis - Alexander of Hales (d. in 1245).
Magister Sententiarum or Scholasticus - Peter Lombard (d. in 1164).
Magnus - Albert the Great (d. in 1280).
Magnus - Gilbert of Citeaux (d. in 1280).
Mirabilis - Antonio Perez (d. in 1649).
Mirabilis - Roger Bacon (d. in 1294).
Moralis - Gerard Eudo (d. in 1349).
Notabilis - Peter of Ile (14th century).
Ordinatissimus - John of Bassolo (d. ca. 1347).
Ornatissimus et sufficiens - Peter of Aquila (d. in 1344).
Parisienis - Guido of Perpignan (d. in 1342).
Planus et utilis - Nicholas of Lyra (d. in 1340).
Praeclarus - Peter of Kaiserslautern (d. in 1330).
Praestantissimus - Thomas Netter (of Walden; d. in 1431).
Profundissimus - Paul of Venice (d. in 1428).
Profundissimus - Gabriel Biel (d. in 1495).
Profundissimus - Juan Alfonso Curiel (d. in 1609).
Profundus - Thomas Bradwardine (d. in 1349).
Refulgidus - Alexander V (d. in 1410).
Resolutissimus - Durand of St-Pourçain (d. in 1334).
Resolutus - John Bacon (d. in 1346).
Scholasticus - Peter Abelard (d. in 1142).
Scholasticus - Gilbert de la Porrée (d. in 1154).
Scholasticus - Peter of Poitiers (d. in 1205).
Scholasticus - Hugh of Newcastle (d. in 1322).
Singularis et invincibilis - William of Ockham (d. in 1347 or 1359).
Solemnis - Henry of Ghent (d. in 1293).
Solidus-Copiosus - Richard of Middleton (d. in 1300).
Speculativus - James of Viterbo (d. in 1307).
Sublimis - Francis Bacon (d. in 1372).
Sublimis - John Courte-Cuisse (d. in 1425).
Subtilis - Duns Scotus (d. in 1308).
Subtilissimus - Peter of Mantua (14th century).
Succinctus - Francesco of Ascoli (d. ca. 1344).
Universalis - Alan of Lille (d. in 1202).
Universalis - Gilbert (d. in 1134).
Venerabilis et Christianissimus - John Gerson (d. in 1429).
Venerandus - Godfrey of the Fonts (d. in 1240).
Vitae arbor - John Vallensis (d. in 1300).

2. D. in Law:

Aristotelis anima - Giovanni Dondi (d. in 1380).
Doctor a doctoribus - Antonio Francesco (d. in 1520).
Fons canonum - Giovanni Andrea (d. in 1348).
Fons iuris utriusque - Henry of Susa (Ostia; d. in 1267-81).
Lucerna iuris - Baldo degli Ubaldi (d. in 1400).
Lucerna iuris pontificii - Nicola de' Tudeschi (d. in 1455).
Lumen iuris - Clement IV (d. in 1268).
Lumen legum - Irnerius (12th century).
Memoriosissimus - Ludovico Pontano (d. in 1439).
Monarchia iuris - Bartolomeo of Saliceto (d. in 1412).
Os aureum - Bulgarus (d. 1166).
Pacificus (Proficus) - Nicola Bonet (d. in 1360).
Pater Decretalium - Gregory IX (d. in 1241).
Pater et organum veritatis - Innocent IV (d. in 1254).
Pater iuris - Innocent III (d. in 1216).
Pater peritorum - Peter of Belleperche (d. in 1307).
Planus ac perspicuus - Walter Burleigh (d. in 1337).
Princeps subtilitatum - Francesco d'Accolti (d. in 1486).
Speculator - William Durand (d. in 1296).
Speculum iuris - Bartolus of Sassoferrato (d. in 1359).
Subtilis - Benedict Raymond (d. in 1440).
Subtilis - Filippo Corneo (d. in 1462).
Verus - Tomaso Dotto (d. in 1441).