Educated by
Rathier, Eraclus served as the
dean of Bonn, before being elected as the bishop of Liège with the support of
Bruno of Cologne. He was consecrated on 21 August 959. While bishop he founded two
collegiate churches, St Paul's (which later became
Liège Cathedral) and
St Martin's. He had a particular devotion to
Martin of Tours, attributing to that saint a healing he had experienced. Eraclus placed strong emphasis on the importance of scholarship, laying the foundations for Liège becoming an international centre of learning. In 968 he accompanied
Emperor Otto I to Italy, and on 22 December rallied the emperor's panic-stricken army during an unexpected
total solar eclipse. Eraclus died on 27 or 28 October 971 and was buried in the church of St Martin that he had founded. He was succeeded by
Notker, who would establish the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège. ==Writings==