Record | The Cult of Saints

The Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome in the 530s, and re-edited before 546, in its account of Symmachus (bishop and confessor of Rome, ob. 514, S00793), mentions the ordination of his rival, Laurentius, in the church of Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033); the murder of priests of the churches of Peter (the Apostle, S00036), called 'in chains', and of Iohannes and Paulus (brothers and eunuchs, martyrs of Rome under the emperor Julian, S00384); and the burial of Symmachus at St Peter's basilica on 19 July [AD 514]; all in Rome. In the second edition, Symmachus is described as a 'confessor', one who suffered for his faith.

Evidence ID

E01345

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Major author/Major anonymous work

Liber Pontificalis

Liber Pontificalis 53

First edition (as reconstructed by Duchesne)

Symmachus, natione Sardus, ex patre Fortunato, sedit ann. XV m. VII d. XXVII. Hic fuit temporibus Theodorici heretici et Anastasii Euthiciani Aug.

'Symmachus, born in Sardinia, son of Fortunatus, held the see 15 years 7 months 27 days. He was bishop in the time of the heretic Theoderic and the emperor Anastasius, the Euthician.'

There follows a description of the conflict between Symmachus and Laurentius in which Festus, the leader of the Senate, persecutes the partisans of Symmachus.

Etiam et multos sacerdotes occidit, inter quos et Dignissimum et Gurdianum, presbiteros a vincula sancti Petri apostoli et a sanctos Iohannem et Paulum, quos fustibus et gladio interfecerunt.

'He [Festus] even killed many sacerdotes , including Dignissimus and Gordianus the priests of saint Peter ad vincula and of saints Iohannes and Paulus; these they killed with clubs and sword.'

.....

Qui etiam sepultus est apud beatum Petrum, XIIII kal. Aug in pace.

'He was buried at the blessed Peter on 19 July.'

Second edition

Symmachus, natione Sardus, ex patre Fortunato, sedit ann. XV m. VII d. XXVII. Hic fuit temporibus Theodorici regis et Anastasii Aug. a die X kal. decemb. usque in die XIIII kal. aug. Hic sub intentione ordinatus est uno die cum Laurentio, Symmachus in basilica Constantiniana, Laurentius in basilica beatae Mariae.

'Symmachus, born in Sardinia, son of Fortunatus, held the see 15 years 7 months 27 days. He was bishop in the time of king Theoderic and the emperor Anastasius, from 22 November to 19 July. He and Laurentius were ordained in rivalry on the same day, Symmachus in the Constantinian basilica [= the Lateran basilica], Laurentius in the basilica of the blessed Mary.'

There follows a description of the conflict between Symmachus and Laurentius in which Festus, the leader of the Senate, persecutes the partisans of Symmachus.

Etiam et multos sacerdotes occidit, inter quos et Dignissimum et Gordianum, presbiteros a vincula sancti Petri apostoli et a sanctos Iohannem et Paulum, quos fustibus et gladio interfecerunt.

'He [Festus] even killed many sacerdotes , including Dignissimus and Gordianus, priests of saint Peter ad vincula and of saints Iohannes and Paulus; these they killed with clubs and sword.'

There follows a list of Symmachus' many foundations and gifts, see E01347 and E01350.

Qui etiam sepultus est in basilica beati Petri apostoli, XIIII kal. Aug. Et cessavit episcopatum dies VII. Qui etiam in pace confessor quievit.

'He was buried in the basilica of the blessed Peter the Apostle on 19 July. The bishopric was vacant 7 days. As a confessor he rested in peace.'

Text: Duchesne 1886, 97/99 and 260-263. Translation: Davis 2010, 42-43 and 45, lightly modified.

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Non Liturgical Activity

Burial ad sanctos

Relics

Bodily relic - entire body

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy

Source

The Liber Pontificalis consists of a series of very short lives of popes. The preface attributes it to pope Damasus (366-384), but this attribution is obviously false. According to Louis Duchesne, the first modern editor of the Liber Pontificalis, the original series of lives was written in Rome by an anonymous author, probably a member of the lesser clergy, in the 530s, and contained the lives from *Peter the Apostle to Felix IV (ob. 530). Shortly after, before 546, the text was re-edited by another anonymous author and only this edition survives. The first edition, however, can be reconstituted on the basis of its two epitomes (and the second edition). The second edition started to be continued systematically from the time of pope Honorius (625–638). It should be noted that Theodor Mommsen dated both editions of the Liber Pontificalis to the 7th century, but his opinion is widely rejected and the commonly accepted dating is that of Duchesne.

For the pre-Constantinian period (before 312), the credibility of the Liber Pontificalis is very low. The chronology is confused, and details concerning the personal lives, decisions and ordinations of the bishops of Rome at best reflect what people in the 6th century trusted to be true, at worst are a pure invention of the author. The situation changes with the later lives. Already the information of 4th-century papal foundations and offerings are generally trustworthy. The early 6th-century evidence, based on the author's first hand knowledge is even better, though still imperfect.

Discussion

The church of Iohannes and Paulus (Santi Giovanni e Paolo on the Caelian Hill) was a titular church, formerly known as the titulus Pammachii. The church of St Peter ad vincula (San Pietro in Vincoli) was the foundation of the empress Eudoxia, during the pontificate of Xystus III (432-440), though this foundation was not noted in the Liber Pontificalis' account of the pontificate of Xystus.

Bibliography

Edition:
Duchesne, L., Le Liber pontificalis. 2 vols (Paris: E. Thorin, 1886-1892) (with substantial introduction and commentary).

Translation:
Davis, R., The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis) (Translated Texts for Historians 6; 3rd ed.; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2010).

Record Created By

Robert Wiśniewski

Date of Entry

Related Saint Records

ID	Name	Name in Source	Identity
S00033	Mary, Mother of Christ	Maria	Certain
S00036	Peter, the Apostle	Petrus	Certain
S00384	Iohannes and Paulus, brothers and eunuchs, martyrs of Rome under the emperor Julian	Johannes, Paulus	Certain
S00793	Symmachus, bishop and confessor of Rome, ob. 514	Symmachus	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Robert Wiśniewski, Cult of Saints, E01345 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01345

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

from its origins to circa AD 700, across the entire Christian world