medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
A happy new year to all. Today (1. January) is the feast day of:
Almachius (or Telemachus) (d. c. 400) Almachius was an eastern
ascetic who tried to stop a gladiatorial contest---and was stoned to
death by the outraged spectators. Theodoret tells that this event
led Emperor Honorius to abolish the gladiatorial games. Spoilsport.
Euphrosyne (5th cent.?) This is a religious fiction, which tells
that Euphrosyne was the daughter of a wealthy family who decided to
devote herself to the religious life against her parents' wishes. So
she disguised herself as a monk and became famous for spiritual
wisdom; the people who consulted her included her own unwitting
father. But she only revealed her identity to him when he was dying.
Dad was so affected that he became a monk.
Fulgentius (d. 533) Fulgentius was a noble Carthaginian who started
a career in civil administration but became a monk at the age of 22.
In time he became bishop of Ruspe (Tunisia), but was driven out by
the Arian king. He was a major writer and defender of orthodox
Christianity.
William of Dijon (d. 1031) William was a son of the count of
Volpiano. He was a child oblate, moving to Cluny as a young man.
When he became abbot of St. Benignus, Dijon he built the place into a
major reforming center that became the mother house of about 40
communities.
Peter of Atroa (d. 837) Peter was born near Ephesus. He became a
monk and follower of Paul the Hesychast. He followed his mentor to
Mt. Olympus, and succeeded him as abbot of the monastery he had built
there. He ended up having a quite wandering life, thanks to the
persecution of iconoclast emperors.
Odilo (d. 1049) Odilo became abbot of Cluny in 994. He was one of
the great abbots of the monastery, increasing the number of dependent
houses and instituting the feast of All Souls.
A modern saint: Guiseppe Maria Tomasi (blessed) (d. 1713) Giuseppe
Tomasi was a Sicilian, the son of the duke of Palermo. He entered
the Theatine order and became a major scholar of Scripture, Hebrew,
and Greek philosophy, writing a number of major liturgical works. He
was named a cardinal by Clement XI. GT was beatified in 1803.
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