medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (26. February) is the feast day of:
Alexander of Alexandria (d. 328) Alexander became bishop of
Alexandria in 313. His episcopate seems mostly to have been taken up
with the problem of Arians. A. tried to bring Arius to a more
trinitarian view of God, but excommunicated him eventually.
Alexander is the reputed author of the acts of the council of Nicaea
in 325, which condemned Arianism.
Porphyry (d. 420) Porphyry, a native of Thessalonica, became a monk
in the Egyptian desert at the age of 25. He eventually moved to
Jerusalem and in 393 was elected bishop of Gaza. P. had trouble with
his largely unchristian flock, but got Emperor Arcadius to destroy
all the temples and cult images in the diocese. Unsurprisingly,
rioting broke out and P. was threatened, but unfortunately wasn't
martyred at this stage of events. P. later built a church on the
site of Gaza's main temple, and by such gentle means had succeeded in
eliminating (or at least driving underground) polytheistic practices
in his see.
Victor the Hermit (d. c. 610) Victor was born near Troyes. He
became a priest and then a hermit in Champagne. He converted many
people, rather less destructively than Porphyry did.
Isabella of France (d. 1270) Isabella was the daughter of Louis VIII
of France and Blanche of Castile; her brother was King St. Louis IX.
Isabella refused to marry the German emperor. Instead she founded a
Poor Clare convent at Longchamps and lived there as a nun (although
she never made her profession). I. was beatified in 1520.
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