Alcuin was born sometime around 730. He was educated at York. While there, he was the student of Aelbert. He traveled with Aelbert to Rome where he met Charles the Great, also called Charlemagne. Aelbert eventually became the Archbishop of York in 767. With Aelbert's promotion, Alcuin became the chief steward of the school at York. In 781, Alcuin was sent to Rome by Aelbert. While in Parma, Italy, he met Charles the Great for a second time. Charles was evidently very impressed by the middle ages scholar and convinced him to become a vassal of the king. Alcuin recieved permission to work for Charles from both Aelbert and his own king. The following year, Alcuin became the director of the Palatine School in Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle). He maintained this position until 796, when he accepted the abbacy of St. Martin at Tours where he remained until his death.

Charles the Great was very interested in education. While legend holds it that the king, later Emperor, was not a well educated man himself (unable to read or write very well), he knew the value of education. From his predecessors on the Frankish throne, he inherited the so-called Palatine School. This school was used primarily for the purpose of training the princes and children of Frankish nobles in the way of knightly service. However, Charles envisioned something a little more grand for the tiny school. At Charles's bequest, students were drawn from a much wider circle to learn from the masters at the Palatine School. Exactly how much wider is hotly debated among some scholars. Charles' main instrument in the formation of the Palatine School was Alcuin.

From those writings of Alcuin's which have survived, it is apparent that Alcuin was not the most original thinker. In fact, his writtings seem to rely mostly on the accomplishment of past thinkers. For this reason, Alcuin is not considered a great theologian or philosopher. Alcuin's place in the history of Western thought has been secured by his abilities as a teacher. He taught most of the greatest minds of the Carolingian Renaissance. Even after he retired from his service to the king, Alcuin continued to teach, though in the Abbey of St. Martin.

While he was at Tours, he greatly enhanced the library there. He over saw the collection of manuscripts, the mending of older codexes, and the copying of some rarer materials. In fact, it is reported that such restorations from the Carolingian Renaissance accound for four-fifth of important classical and early medieval materials. Much of these was done by either Alcuin or those who were emulating his example.

At the beginning of the ninth century, Charles, now Emperor of Rome, asked for a revision of the Vulgate Bible which is called the "Alcuinian revision". Alcuin's exact role in this revision is not really known. It seems likely that as a scholar of such emanence he would have had an important role in the revision, but this is more conjecture than certainty.

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Updates 3/3/99