medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture

Herewith a link to an earlier 'Saints of the day' for 17. June (including Sts. Blastus and Diogenes; Sts. Marcian and Nicander; St. Himerius of Amelia; St. Hypatius of Bithynia; St. Antidius; St. Avitus of Micy; St. Hervé of Brittany; St. Rayner of Pisa):
http://tinyurl.com/7ep96e3


Further to Marcian and Nicander:

The unfortunately degraded June calendar portraits of Marcian and Nicander in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. ca. 1312 and ca. 1321/22) in one of the little domes of the monastery church of the Theotokos at Gračanica in, depending upon one's view of the matter, either the Republic of Kosovo or Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija:
Marcian:
http://tinyurl.com/886hjxk
Nicander:
http://tinyurl.com/7clhpau

In that earlier post's notice of these saints, the link to the page of pre-earthquake views of the chiesa di San Marciano in L'Aquila no longer functions. Use this instead:
http://tinyurl.com/7d6pmen

In the same notice, the link to the announcement of the relatively recent book on Marcian and Nicander as patrons of Venafro (M. Discenza, ed., _Nicandro, Marciano e Daria_; ISBN 88-87002-21-5) no longer functions. Use this instead:
http://web.tiscali.it/vitmar/monumentalia/nicandromarcianoedaria.htm


Further to Hypatius of Bithynia:

In the second paragraph of that earlier post's notice of this saint, in the first sentence for 'that has been founded' read 'that had been founded'. 


Further to Avitus of Micy:

In that earlier post's notice of this saint, the link to the page with a plan and sections of the crypt of Avitus' former church in Orléans, the crypte Saint-Avit, no longer functions. Use this instead:
http://tinyurl.com/6slarg2
In the same post, the second of the three links to views of the crypte Saint-Avit also no longer functions. Use this instead:
http://tinyurl.com/7rq3lrv
In the same post, the link to the crypt's page at Patrimoine de France no longer functions. Use this instead:
http://patrimoine-de-france.com/loiret/orleans/crypte-saint-avit-12.php


Further to Rayner of Pisa:

Rayner's early fourteenth-century tomb altar (1305) by Tino da Camaino from Pisa's cathedral, now in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo there:
http://tinyurl.com/859n5sw

In that earlier's post's notice of this saint, add after the link to the detail view of one of the scenes by Andrea da Firenze (Andrea Bonaiuti; active 1343-1377) illustrating Rayner's Vita in the frescoes of Pisa's Camposanto Monumentale this distance view of the composition as a whole:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ramas2k/6468437515/lightbox/


Today (17. June) is also the feast day of:

1) Isaurus, Innocentius, Felix, Hermias, Peregrinus, and Basil (d. 283 or 284, supposedly). According to Greek synaxary notices (BHG 2208m, 2208mb) that seemingly are based on a now lost and at least somewhat legendary Passio, the deacon Isaurus and his companions Basil and Innocentius left Athens for Apollonia, where they established themselves in a cave and where Isaurus persuaded the locals Felix, Hermias, and Peregrinus to donate their possessions to the poor and to join him and the others in religious life. This action did not sit well with the new disciples' families who after failing to induce them to return denounced the whole group to the governor, the otherwise unattested Tripontius, during the persecution of Numerianus (a construct of dubious historicity occurring in several legendary Passiones). After a hearing in which they refused to deny their faith they were condemned to death by decapitation. Isaurus and at least some of the others were first handed over to Tripontius' son Apollonius, who in an attempt to get them to apostasize put them to various tortures from which miraculously they emerged unscathed, causing many who were present to convert. Whereupon the sentences were carried out. Thus far the legend, which also speaks of major miracles occurring at their (or at Isaurus') tomb.

Although our texts do not specify which Apollonia is meant (in the Greek-speaking world there were over thirty of these), the existence of the anciently important port of this name on the Adriatic in what is now Albania probably underlies their medieval construction as regional saints of the southwestern Balkans (it certainly underlies their modern one) and their consequent presence in later medieval iconographic programs in that area. Herewith a few instances of the latter:

Isaurus (upper register) as depicted in a later thirteenth-century panel painting (ca. 1260) now in the National Museum of Serbia, Belgrade:
http://www.aiwaz.net/panopticon/Saint-Astios-and-Saint-Isauro/gi4804c18

Isaurus (lower register) as depicted in a later thirteenth-century fresco (betw. 1260 and 1263) in the altar area of the church of the Holy Apostles in the Patriarchate of Peć in, depending upon one's view of the matter, either Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija or the Republic of Kosovo:
http://tinyurl.com/6jc5eda
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/40995

Isaurus and those with him (at left; at right a monastic St. Thomas, perh. Thomas of Malea) as depicted in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. 1313 and 1318; conservation work in 1968) by Michael Astrapas and Eutychios in the church of St. George at Staro Nagoričane in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
http://tinyurl.com/79mtw29


2) Manuel, Sabel (also Isabel), and Ismael (d. 362, supposedly). These three saints are known only through a legendary late antique or early medieval Greek Passio (BHG 1023; tenth-century elaboration by St. Symeon Metaphrastes, BHG 1024) that presents them as youngish brothers from Persia sent by their king as ambassadors of peace to Julian the Apostate. Having arrived at Chalcedon they were invited to ceremonies in their honor but declined on the grounds that their Christian faith prevented them from sacrificing to the traditional gods of the Roman state. The three brothers were arrested, thrown into prison, interrogated under torture, healed of their injuries through divine intervention, and ultimately condemned to death. This sentence was carried out before the walls of Constantinople. The earth swallowed up their bodies for three days, after which they arose again and were given honorable burial by Christians. Justinian received divine punishment at the hands of the Persians in the following year. Thus far the Passio.

Though it has preserved the memory of many Persian martyrs, ancient and medieval Syriac Christianity is silent about Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael. In Constantinople their feast on this day was celebrated in their martyrial church near that of St. Elias at the Petrion. According to local tradition their church had been founded in the late fourth century by Theodosius I. Orthodox and other eastern-rite churches continue to celebrate them on 17. June. In accordance with Greek liturgical practice Cardinal Baronio entered these saints under today in the early RM; with the revision of 2001 they ceased to grace the RM's pages. 
 
Manuel and his brothers as depicted in one set of frescoes from ca. 1300, attributed to Manuel Panselinos, in the Protaton church on Mt. Athos:
Manuel:
http://tinyurl.com/44rvwvu
Detail view (Manuel):
http://tinyurl.com/3zqq92b
Sabel (as Isabel):
http://tinyurl.com/64ln225
Ismael:
http://tinyurl.com/65ahd57
Detail view (Ismael):
http://tinyurl.com/3lybwm5

Manuel and Sabel as depicted in another set of frescoes from ca. 1300, attributed to Manuel Panselinos, in the same church:
Manuel:
http://tinyurl.com/4452zdh
Detail view (Manuel):
http://tinyurl.com/3e7kno4
Sabel:
http://tinyurl.com/4xm74ag

An unfortunately degraded depiction of the martyrdom of Manuel, Sabel, and Ismael (lower left; the executioner has survived in rather better shape than have his victims) in a June calendar composition in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. ca. 1312 and 1321/1322) in the monastery church of the Theotokos at Gračanica in, depending upon one's view of the matter, either the Republic of Kosovo or Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija:
http://tinyurl.com/c9xwhhn

Manuel and Ismael (lower register; Manuel at left) as depicted in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (1330s) of the church of the Holy Savior (Sv. Spas) at Kuceviste in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia:
http://tinyurl.com/42xmszl

Manuel (at left; at right, St. Jacob of Beth Lapat / James the Persian) as depicted in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. 1335 and 1350) in the nave of the church of the Holy Ascension at the Visoki Dečani monastery near Peć in, depending on one's view of the matter, either the Republic of Kosovo or Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija:
http://tinyurl.com/2gywgpd

Sabel (at left) and Ismael as depicted in the earlier fourteenth-century frescoes (betw. 1335 and 1350) in the nave of the church of the Holy Ascension at the Visoki Dečani monastery near Peć in, depending on one's view of the matter, either the Republic of Kosovo or Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija:
http://tinyurl.com/3mzbxds

Best,
John Dillon

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