medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (19. July) is the feast day of:
Justa and Rufina (d. c. 287) Justa and Rufina were sisters of
Seville, working-class sellers of pottery. They refused to sell
their wares to be used in non-Christian religious ceremonies,
whereupon their stock was destroyed. J and R retaliated by
destroying the statue of a goddess. They were denounced as
Christians, tortured, and executed.
Arsenius the Great (d. c. 450) Arsenius was a roman deacon who
became tutor to Emperor Theodosius' children. In c. 395 he left
court to live with monks at Alexandria, and soon retired to the
wilderness of Skete. Driven from Skete in c. 434 by raids, he
settled as a recluse at Memphis.
Symmachus (d. 514) Symmachus was a Sardinian who became archdeacon
of the Roman church and pope in 498. But another faction, with
support of the eastern Roman emperor, elected somebody else (the
archpriest Laurence) the same day. Symmachus was accused of crimes
by his rival, was exonerated, but Laurence held on in control of the
papacy for four years. S. ended up as a good pope, helping captives
and the poor, founding three hospices, and useful stuff like that.
Ambrose Autpert (d. c. 778) AA was an official of Pepin the Short,
who was so impressed by the monks he encountered in Benevento while
dealing with royal business that he became a monk there. He was
known both for holiness and for his learning; AA's writings include
vitae, theological treatises, and a commentary on Revelation.
Roman Olegovich of Ryazan (d. 1270) Prince Roman Olegovich defended
his subjects from the extortions of his Mongol overlords, especially
taking a stand against the predatory tax collectors. The tax
collectors responded by slandering R. He was summoned by Khan
Mengu-Timur and executed slowly and painfully---legend says that he
had been given an opportunity to save his life if he abandoned
Christianity and adopted the "Mongol religion" (whatever that meant
in 1270), but he refused.
A modern saint: John Plessington (d. 1679) Plessington was born to
a royalist Catholic family in England. He went abroad to study and
returned to England as a priest in 1663. He was accused of taking
part in the "popish plot" to murder Charles II (that Titus Oates had
actually invented). JP was found guilty and hanged. He was
canonized in 1970 as one of the 40 Martyrs of England and Wales.
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