medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (1. June) is the feast day of:
Justin Martyr (d. 165) Justin was a Greek convert to Christianity,
and has the honor of being known as the first significant Christian
philosopher. He was martyred in the reign of Marcus Aurelius; a
contemporary account of his trial survives. His two Apologies and
the Dialogue with Trypho survive of his numerous treatises.
Proculus the Soldier (d. c. 304) and Proculus of Bologna (d. c. 542)
These two saints got blended over the centuries. Proculus was
apparently an army officer, either beheaded or crucified during
Diocletian's persecution. His later namesake became bishop of
Bologna in 540, and was killed by the Gothic rulers of Italy (afraid
I don't know why, but I suspect he was a Byzantine collaborator).
Caprasius of Lerins (d. 430) Caprasius was co-founder of the great
monastery of Lerins. He started as a hermit in the island, where he
was visited by the ascetic brothers Honoratus and Venantius. He
traveled with the two to the east, then returned with Honoratus to
Lerins, where they gathered a community.
Wistan (d. 850) A Mercian prince, Wistan became king in 840 while
still underage. He was murdered in what appears to have been a
political power play. Legend tells that on the anniversary of W's
death each year, a light hovered over the spot where he was killed
and human hair grew from the ground---for one hour each year.
Simeon of Syracuse (d. 1035) Simeon was a Syracusan, educated at
Constantinople, who decided to be a hermit by the Jordan River before
becoming a monk near Mt. Sinai. In time he was sent far to the west
to collect money from the duke of Normandy. He made a very long and
complicated journey, only to discover that the duke had died and his
successor refused to pay up. He finally made his way back to the
Holy Land as guide for a group of pilgrims, but returned to the west
to settle in Trier. He became a recluse in a gatehouse in the
wall---the famous Porta Nigra, which survived when the rest of the
wall was knocked down because there was a chapel dedicated to Simeon
in his former anchorhold. S. was canonized in 1042, apparently the
second formal pontiifcal canonization in history.
Eneco of Ona (d. 1057) A monk of San Juan de la Pena in Aragon,
Eneco (Ignatius) was a hermit who ended up being forced to become
abbot of a new Cluniac monastery. he was a good abbot; even Jews and
Muslims are said to have mourned when he died.
--
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
Associate Professor & Chair
History Department
University of Southern Mississippi
118 College Dr. #5047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
(601) 266-5844
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