This paper proceeds from the question of how Martianus became an authority in the Carolingian world. It underscores the importance of Carolingian glosses on De nuptiis as a primary historical source for the reception of Martianus Capella. Glosses illumine the value of pagan antiquity in the ninth century. Indeed, the pagan context of De nuptiis inspired them. De nuptiis functioned as a book on antique learning and pagan tradition, and so became a focal point for ancient learning and contributed to the vigour of the well-established encyclopaedic techniques of compilation.
