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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture Today (24. August) is the feast day of: Bartholomew (1st cent.) One of the twelve apostles in the synoptic gospels, and identified with Nathaniel in John's gospel. Nothing is known about his career, and traditions only developed late. Eusebius says that Bart went to India, and Roman tradition says he was martyred in Armenia. B's supposed relics are on an island in the Tiber in Rome. Legend says that he was flayed alive, so his attribute is a flaying-knife. Eutychius the Phrygian (1st cent.) The apocryphal acts of John tell that Eutychius was a disciple of Paul who then joined John, accompanying the evangelist to Patmos and eventually dying peacefully after being tortured for his faith. He is identified with the man of Acts 20 who fell from a window at Ephesus. Ptolemy of Nepi (1st cent.?) Allegedly a disciple of St. Peter, Ptolemy was first bishop of Nepi (Tuscany), where he was martyred. It's also the feast day of Romanus of Nepi, allegedly Ptolemy's disciple and successor, also martyred. Massa Candida (d. c. 260) The "white mass" is the name given to a large group of Christians martyred at Utica (Africa). According to the old Roman Martyrology, there were 300 of them, and the name specifically refers to what was left of them after they were thrown into a pit of quicklime (yuck!). Augustine, though, says in a sermon that there were 153, and implies that the name is a place reference (which sounds much less disgusting). Yrchard (5th cent.) Legend tells that Yrchard (Yarcard) was from the area of Aberdeen Scotland. St. Ternan consecrated him as missionary bishop, and he joined Ternan's missionary work among the Picts. Eptadius (d. 550) Eptadius was a native of the Autun area. He was a married man, but opted for a penitent life after an illness. After his conversion to full-time religious life, there was an effort to force E. to accept ordination, but he avoided this by fleeing, eventually joining a monastery he had founded at Cervon. Ouen (d. 684) Ouen was a Frankish courtier who founded the monastery of Rebais and became bishop of Rouen in 641. George Limniotes (d. c. 730) On of the many martyrs of the iconoclast movement, George was a hermit on Bithynian Olympus. Legend reports that he got into trouble for his defense of holy images at the age of ninety-five, and had his hands and nose cut off. Sandratus (d. 986) Sandrat was a monk at St. Maximin's, Trier. He was employed by Emperors Otto I and Otto II to reform several other monasteries, including St. Gall, Gladbach, and Weissenburg. Dr. Phyllis G. Jestice [log in to unmask] ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: join medieval-religion YOUR NAME to: [log in to unmask] To send a message to the list, address it to: [log in to unmask] To leave the list, send the message: leave medieval-religion to: [log in to unmask] In order to report problems or to contact the list's owners, write to: [log in to unmask] For further information, visit our web site: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/medieval-religion.html