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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture St. Pancras, again! And this time, the right one. Erica http://www.ericaobey.com Coming in October, The Lazarus Vector -----Original Message----- From: medieval-religion - Scholarly discussions of medieval religious culture [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Dillon Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2016 1:28 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [M-R] FEAST - A Saint for the Day (July 19): Pope St. Symmachus medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture A native of Sardinia and a convert to Christianity, Symmachus (d. 514) was archdeacon of the Roman church under pope Anastasius II, whom he succeeded in November 498. His reign is remembered chiefly for what has usually been called the Laurentian schism, named for his rival Laurentius, archpriest of Santa Prassede, elected pope by _his_ supporters and an off-and-on claimant of the see of Rome for close to ten years (for some of which he occupied the Lateran palace while Symmachus operated from an episcopal residence on the Vatican). During his papacy Symmachus erected the round chapel dedicated to St. Andrew next to old St. Peter's as well as a martyrial basilica over the grave of St. Pancras of Rome in the cemetery of Octavilla. He built several or restored several churches. One of the former, dedicated to St. Agnes, is often supposed -- though its location as transmitted in the _Liber pontificalis_ is wrong for this -- to have been the immediate predecessor of today's Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura. Symmachus made great expenditures in support of the Catholic church in Vandal-ruled and officially Arian northwest Africa. His grant of the pallium to archbishop St. Honorius of Arles is the earliest known instance of such an award outside of Italy. Today is Symmachus' _dies natalis_ and his day of commemoration in the Roman Martyrology. Some period-pertinent images of or, in one case, possibly of pope St. Symmachus: a) as perhaps depicted (at right) in the earlier seventh-century apse mosaic of Rome's basilica di Sant'Agnese fuori le Mura (the identity of this pope is uncertain; at left is Honorius I, the original builder of the present church): http://tinyurl.com/hmkygv8 https://www.flickr.com/photos/hen-magonza/18625932732 b) as depicted (his election confirmed by king Theodoric) in a later fourteenth-century copy of Vincent of Beauvais' _Speculum historiale_ in its French-language translation by Jean de Vignay (ca. 1370-1380; Paris, BnF, ms. Nouvelle acquisition française 15944, fol. 35r): http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8449708p/f77.item.zoom c) as depicted (fourth from right; defending himself before Theodoric against Laurentius and his supporters) in a mid-fifteenth-century copy of Vincent of Beauvais' _Speculum historiale_ in its French-language translation by Jean de Vignay (ca. 1455; Paris, BnF, ms. Français 310, fol. 196r): http://tinyurl.com/jdbonh8 d) as depicted (right margin at top) in a woodcut in the Beloit College copy of Hartmann Schedel's late fifteenth-century _Weltchronik_ (_Nuremberg Chronicle_; 1493) at fol. CXLIIv: https://www.beloit.edu/nuremberg/book/6th_age/left_page/5_folio_CXLIIv.pdf Best, John Dillon ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religion ********************************************************************** To join the list, send the message: subscribe 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: unsubscribe 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/medieval-religion