medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (5. November) is also the feast day of:
Trofimena (d. before 838). Condemned to death for refusing to sacrifice at pagan altars, Trofimena fled her Sicilian parents but died at sea; her body, laid to rest in a _sepulcrum_ of some sort, was guided by an angel to Minori (Campania; on the Amalfi Coast), where it was discovered on the shore by a woman doing her wash. Miracles indicated that this was something special. Ecclesiastical authorities were called, examination of the _sepulcrum_ led to the discovery of an inscription on it giving in brief the story of this virgin martyr, a decision was made to bring her to the town, but her heavy yet rapidly moving _sepulcrum_, drawn by or perhaps drawing two white heifers that had been yoked to it for this task, came to a complete stop at the spot where her church was subsequently built over it.
Thus far the details of our source document for the legend, the _Historia inventionis ac translationis sanctae Trophimenae_ (_Acta Sanctorum_, ed. novissima, Iulii tomus secundus, pp. 231-40), which goes on to recount various early translations through T.'s return to Minori in 839. Usually thought to be of the early 10th century but sometimes dated to the late 11th or early 12th, this account has been praised by Massimo Oldoni for its narrative structure and stylistic elegance. Although Oldoni is less taken with the verse inscription on the _sepulcrum_, that too has its moments, esp. its final lines:
Membra dedit Reginniculis, animamque Tonanti.
Hinc Christi inter odoriferas depascitur aulas.
("Her body she gave to the people of Minori and her soul to God. From here she feeds among Christ's odoriferous halls [or perh. _auras_, "breezes"].")
T. has been Minori's patron ever since. Its ex-cathedral (from 987 to 1818 Minori had a bishop of its own) is dedicated to her and houses some of her remains. Half of her corpse (divided longitudinally, apparently) was retained at Benevento when she was returned from there in 839; in the early modern period she was equated with the Febronia venerated at Patti (Sicily) and some of her remains were transported there to satisfy Patti's desire for relics of its own similarly legendary saint.
At Minori her main liturgical feast is today but she has others here as well: her patronal feast on 13 July (formerly celebrated on 10 December in commemoration of Minori's fortunate escape from a Muslim raid) and, on or about 27 November, the celebration of the discovery of her relics (now combined with a civic Holiday festival in which T. announces the coming of Christmas). Because of her identification with Febronia and/or with other saints named Trofima or the like, she will be found in differing places and under differing headings in calendrically ordered books of the saints and in other works of reference.
For further details see:
Giuseppe Arlotta, "Da Trofimena di Minori a Febronia di Patti: un culto dell'eta' moderna," in Reginald Gregoire, ed., _Febronia e Trofimena: Agiografia latina nel Mediterraneo altomedievale: Atti della Giornata di Studio, Patti, 18 luglio 1998_ (Cava de' Tirreni: Avagliano, 2000), pp. 71-138.
Massimo Oldoni, "Agiografia longobarda tra secolo IX e X: la leggenda di Trofimena," _Studi medievali_, 3a serie, 12 (1971), 583-636.
Best,
John Dillon
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