medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Today (1. July) is the feast day of:
Victor I (d. 198) Victor was an African by birth and the first Latin
bishop of Rome---he perhaps advanced the Latinization of the Roman church.
Victor was an active pope after his election in 189, convening several
synods to encourage the celebration of Easter on the "proper" day instead
of the quartodeciman date (and excommunicating dissenters). Victor's
actions provoked great outrage. Victor is also the first pope known to
have had dealings with the imperial household (with Marcia, Commodus'
mistress, who was a Christian). Later legend says that Victor was
martyred.
Julius and Aaron (d. c. 304) J & A were British martyrs of Caerleon,
mentioned by both Gildas and Bede. Nothing is known about them except the
fact of their martyrdom. The presence of a saint named Aaron has been
taken as evidence of a Jewish community in Roman Britain.
Thierry (d. 533) Thierry was the son of a notable brigand, and seemed
destined to follow in his father's footsteps. But on the day of Thierry's
marriage, he discovered a monastic vocation. He tried to persuade his new
wife to enter a convent, but she refused; Thierry then consulted with St.
Remigius, who declared the marriage void and arranged for the virgin bride
to return to her parents. Thierry then stayed with Remigius, who in time
commissioned him to found the monastery of Mont d'Or---where eventually
Thierry received his own father as a novice.
Simeon Salus ("the crazy) (d. c. 590) Simeon lived for many years as a
monk and hermit in Palestine, after which he returned to his birthplace
(Homs, Syria) and devoted himself to caring for the poor and social
outcasts (especially prostitutes). He is reported to have acted in bizarre
ways so that he could share the contempt suffered by the people he cared
for, although another opinion was that he was really a lunatic. Finally
the view won that he was a prophet.
Serf (6th cent.) Serf was a bishop in Scotland in the sixth century, who
evangelized western Fife and perhaps the Orkneys. Farmer, in his usual
succinct style, says that "[h]is Legend is a farrago of wild
impossibilities." Makes me want to read it.
Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice
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