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 Hormisdas (bishop of Rome, ob. 523, S00799), states that he was buried at the basilica of Peter (the Apostle, S00036) in Rome, on 6 August [AD 523].

Evidence ID

E01353

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Major author/Major anonymous work

Liber Pontificalis

Liber Pontificalis 54

First edition (as reconstructed by Duchesne)

Hormisda, natione Campanus, ex patre Iusto, de civitate Frisinone, sedit ann. VIIII d. XVII.

'Hormisdas, born in Campania, son of Justus, from the city of Frusino, held the see 9 years 17 days.'

.....

Qui etiam sepultus est apud beatum Petrum VIII id. aug. consulatu Maximi iun.

'He was buried at the blessed Peter on 6 August in the consulship of Maximus the younger [AD 523].'

Second edition

Hormisda, natione Campanus, ex patre Iusto, de civitate Frisinone, sedit ann. VIIII d. XVII. Fuit autem temporibus regis Theodorici et Anastasii Aug., a consulatu Senatoris usque ad consulatum Symmachi et Boethi.

'Hormisdas, born in Campania, son of Justus, from the city of Frusino, held the see 9 years 17 days. He was bishop in the time of king Theoderic and the emperor Anastasius from the consulship of Senator [AD 514] to that of Symmachus and Boethius [AD 522].'

There follows the list of offerings to St Peter's made during the episcopate of Hormisdas (see E01354).

Qui etiam sepultus est in basilica beati Petri apostoli VIII id. aug. consulatu Maximi.

'He was buried in the basilica of the blessed Peter the apostle on 6 August in the consulship of Maximus [AD 523].'

Text: Duchesne 1886, 99/105 and 269/272. Translation: Davis 2010, 45 and 48, lightly modified.

Festivals

Saint’s feast

Non Liturgical Activity

Burial ad sanctos

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.

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
S00036	Peter, the Apostle	Petrus	Certain
S00799	Hormisdas, bishop of Rome, ob. 523	Hormisda	Certain

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Robert Wiśniewski, Cult of Saints, E01353 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E01353

The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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

The Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome in the 530s, and re-edited before 546, in its account of Hormisdas (bishop of Rome, ob. 523, S00799), states that he was buried at the basilica of Peter (the Apostle, S00036) in Rome, on 6 August [AD 523].

E01353

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Liber Pontificalis

Saint’s feast

Burial ad sanctos

Source

Bibliography

Robert Wiśniewski

The Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome in the 530s, and re-edited before 546, in its account of *Hormisdas (bishop of Rome, ob. 523, S00799), states that he was buried at the basilica of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) in Rome, on 6 August [AD 523].

E01353

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Liber Pontificalis

Saint’s feast

Burial ad sanctos

Source

Bibliography

Robert Wiśniewski

The Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome in the 530s, and re-edited before 546, in its account of Hormisdas (bishop of Rome, ob. 523, S00799), states that he was buried at the basilica of Peter (the Apostle, S00036) in Rome, on 6 August [AD 523].