medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Larry Swain wrote:
> I seem to remember long ago reading that in late
> patristic literature (loosely defined as from c.
> 250-500 for the purposes of this question) Hercules
> and Mercury were read as pagan types of
> Christ--Hercules for his labors and his "harrowing" of
> Hades, particularly Cerebus, and Mercury because he
> was the guide of souls to Hades and had the most
> concourse between the gods and men. These were then
> reinterpreted as "God's truth" among the pagans,
> though the pagans twisted it and misunderstood it.
>
> HOWEVER, now that it comes to finding it, I discover
> that in none of my secondary sources here or in the
> primary sources I've been to check, am I able to find
> such an equation or reading. Did I imagine the whole
> thing? Anyone have any ideas?
I know it is not what you've asked, but your message reminded me of
something I read on Peter Brown's _World of Late Antiquity _ and _The Cult
of Saints in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages_ about the transformation of
the monuments (heroa) where heroes -such as Hercule- were celebrated and
worshipped into Christian sites. I don't mean that the same monuments were
used but the architecture and the ceremony was copied. It is interesting how
those monuments turned into tombs -containing the remains of a saint- and
were placed below altars.
Best,
Christina
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