Título: Thomas Aquinas
Seção: Early life (1225-1244)
Background: Saint Thomas Aquinas  (; Italian: Tommaso d'Aquino, lit. 'Thomas of Aquino'; 1225 - 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican friar, Catholic priest, and Doctor of the Church. He was an immensely influential philosopher, theologian, and jurist in the tradition of scholasticism, within which he is also known as the Doctor Angelicus and the Doctor Communis.

Conteúdo: Thomas was most probably born in the castle of Roccasecca, located in Aquino, old county of the Kingdom of Sicily (present-day Lazio region, Italy), c. 1225, According to some authors, he was born in the castle of his father, Landulf of Aquino. Though he did not belong to the most powerful branch of the family, Landulf of Aquino was a man of means. As a knight in the service of King Roger II, he held the title miles. Thomas's mother, Theodora, belonged to the Rossi branch of the Neapolitan Caracciolo family. Landulf's brother Sinibald was abbot of the first Benedictine monastery at Monte Cassino. While the rest of the family's sons pursued military careers, the family intended for Thomas to follow his uncle into the abbacy; this would have been a normal career path for a younger son of southern Italian nobility. At the age of five Thomas began his early education at Monte Cassino but after the military conflict between the Emperor Frederick II and Pope Gregory IX spilled into the abbey in early 1239, Landulf and Theodora had Thomas enrolled at the studium generale (university) recently established by Frederick in Naples. It was here that Thomas was probably introduced to Aristotle, Averroes and Maimonides, all of whom would influence his theological philosophy. It was also during his study at Naples that Thomas came under the influence of John of St. Julian, a Dominican preacher in Naples, who was part of the active effort by the Dominican order to recruit devout followers. T

user: when was he born?

assistant: 1225,

user: where was he born?

assistant: Thomas was most probably born in the castle of Roccasecca, located in Aquino, old county of the Kingdom of Sicily (present-day Lazio region, Italy

user: are any family members listed?

assistant: father,

user: where did he go to school?

assistant: Monte Cassino

user: who were some of his influences?

assistant: Aristotle, Averroes and Maimonides,

user: what was he like in early life?

assistant: While the rest of the family's sons pursued military careers, the family intended for Thomas to follow his uncle into the abbacy;

user: what did he do with the dominican order?

assistant: Thomas came under the influence of John of St. Julian, a Dominican preacher in Naples, who was part of the active effort by the Dominican order to recruit devout followers.

user: what did john do for him?

assistant: who was part of the active effort by the Dominican order to recruit devout followers.

user: what did he do in rome and paris?

assistant: while on his journey to Rome, per Theodora's instructions, his brothers seized him

user: what happened next?

assistant: Thomas was held prisoner for almost one year in the family castles

user: why was he held prisoner?

assistant: an attempt to prevent him from assuming the Dominican habit and to push him into renouncing his new aspiration.