I believe the chapters on Peter Martyr and Dominic in the Legenda aurea
(compiled c. 1260 by their fellow Dominican, Jacobus de Voragine) provide
at least a partial precedent for depictions of both saints that emphasize
(and even glory in) their roles as inquisitors. Jacobus's account of Peter
Martyr does this quite overtly; that of Dominic makes the point more subtly,
but definitely goes further in this direction than the earlier lives of
Dominic. (There's a detailed version of this argument in my book on the
Legenda aurea, U Wisconsin Press, 1985.)
It's interesting to know that some visual depictions of Dominic went even
further along this path--though apparently quite a bit later than Jacobus did.
Sherry Reames, Dept. of English, Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
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