E01347
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Liber Pontificalis
Liber Pontificalis 53
First edition (as reconstructed by Duchesne)
The passage on Symmachus' foundations and offerings can be found only in the second edition.
Second edition
Hic fecit basilicam sancti Andreae apostoli apud beatum Petrum, ubi fecit:
tiburium ex argento purissimo et confessionem, pens. lib. CXX;
arcos argenteos III, pens. lib. LX;
oratorium sancti Thomae apostuli ex argento, pens. in confessionem lib. XX;
arcum argenteum, qui pens. lib. XVI;
confessionem sancti Cassiani et sanctorum Proti et Yacinti ex argento, pens. lib. XX;
arcum argenteum, pens. lib. XII;
oratorium sancti Apollinaris ex argento in confessionem cum arcum, pens. lib. XXXI;
oratorium sancti Sossii ex argento confessionem, pens. lib. XX.
Item ad fontem in basilica sancti Petri apostoli:
oratorium sanctae crucis ex argento confessionem et crucem ex auro cum gemmis, ubi inclaudit lignum dominicum; ipsa crux aurea pens. lib. X.
Fecit autem oratoria II sancti Iohannis euangelistae et sancti Iohannis baptistae, in quorum confessiones cum arcos argenteos, pens. lib. XXX; quas cubicula omnes a fundamento perfecta construxit.
Basilicam vero beati Petri marmoribus ornavit.
Ad cantharum beati Petri cum quadriporticum ex opere marmoribus ornavit et ex musivo agnos et cruces et palmas ornavit. Ipsum vero atrium omnem conpaginavit; grados vero ante fores basilicae sancti Petri apostoli ampliavit et alios grados sub tigno dextra levaque construxit. Item episcopia in eodem loco dextra levaque fecit. Item sub grados in atrio alium cantharum foris in campo posuit et usum necessitatis humanae fecit. Et alios grados ascendentibus ad beatum Andream fecit et cantharum posuit.
'He built the basilica of saint Andrew the apostle at St Peter’s, where he provided:
a canopy of finest silver and a confessio weighing 120 lb;
3 silver arches weighing 60 lb;
the oratory of saint Thomas the apostle in silver weighing for the confessio, 20 lb;
a silver arch weighing 16 lb;
the confessio of saint Cassianus and of saints Protus and Hyacinthus, of silver weighing 20 lb;
a silver arch weighing 12 lb;
the oratory of saint Apollinaris: 31 lb weight of silver for the confessio with the arch;
the oratory of saint Sossius: a confessio of silver weighing 20lb.
Also, at the font in the basilica of saint Peter the apostle:
the oratory of the Holy Cross: the confessio of silver, and the cross of gold with jewels in which he enclosed the Lord’s wood—the gold cross itself weighing 10 lb.
And he built 2 oratories, of saint John the Evangelist and saint John the Baptist—30 lb weight of silver for their confessiones and arches; all these chambers he constructed complete from the ground up.
He decorated the basilica of the blessed Peter with marble: at the blessed Peter's fountain with the square colonnade he provided marble adornments, including mosaic lambs, crosses, and palms. He completely enclosed the actual atrium; outside the doors of the basilica of saint Peter the apostle he widened the steps, he built other steps under the awning on right and left, and there he also built episcopal rooms on right and left. He also set up by the steps to the atrium another fountain outside in the open, and he built a convenience for people to use when needed; he built other steps for the climb to the blessed Andrew, and set up a fountain.'
Text: Duchesne 1886, 261-262. Translation: Davis 2010, 44, lightly modified.
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - dependent (chapel, baptistery, etc.)
Non Liturgical ActivityBequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Construction of cult buildings
Renovation and embellishment of cult buildings
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Cult Related ObjectsPrecious material objects
Crosses
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
Symmachus extensive building activity on the Vatican Hill dates to the period when, during his conflict with Laurentius, he had to stay at St Peter's. The circular basilica of Andrew, adapted from an imperial mausoleum, was demolished in the 18th century. This basilica, as well as the oratories of Sossius, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist are also known thanks to recorded dedicatory inscriptions (see $EXXX).Sossius is almost certainly Sossius, a deacon of Misenum, martyred in Puteoli/Pozzuoli, Apollinaris is the bishop of Ravenna, and Cassianus the martyr of Imola.
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).
Further reading:
Krautheimer, R., Corpus Basilicarum Christianarum Romae: The Early Christian Basilicas of Rome (IV–IX Centuries) (Vatican City, 1937–1977).
Brandenburg, H., Ancient Churches of Rome from the Fourth to the Seventh Century: The Dawn of Christian Architecture in the West (Turnhout, 2005).
Robert Wiśniewski
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00020 | John the Baptist | Iohannes Baptista | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00042 | John, the Apostle and Evangelist | Iohannes Euangelista | Certain | S00199 | Thomas, the Apostle | Thomas | Certain | S00288 | Andrew, the Apostle | Andreas | Certain | S00309 | Cassianus, teacher and martyr of Imola | Cassianus | Certain | S00331 | Apollinaris, bishop and martyr of Ravenna | Apollinaris | Certain | S00464 | Protus and Hyacinthus, eunuchs and martyrs of Rome | Protus, Yacintus | Certain | S00621 | Sossius, deacon of Miseno, martyred at Pozzuoli | Sossius | Certain | S00793 | Symmachus, bishop and confessor of Rome, ob. 514 | Symmachus | Certain |
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