The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Liber Pontificalis 72
 

[ST PETER AND ST ANDREW]

Temporibus suis renovavit omnem cymiliam beati Petri apostoli et investivit confessionem beati Petri ex argento puro, qui pens. lib. CLXXXVII; investivit regias in ingressu ecclesie maiores, qui appellatur mediana, ex argento, qui pens. lib. DCCCCLXXV; fecit et cereostatos maiores paria dua, qui sunt ante corpus beati Petri apostoli, pens. sing. lib. LXII.
Fecit et ad beatum Andream apostolum, ubi supra, ante confessionem, tabula ex argento, qui pens. lib. LXXIII. Huius temporibus levatae sunt trabes in ecclesia beati Petri apostoli numero XVI. Hic cooperuit ecclesiam omnem ex tegulis aereis, quas levavit de templo, qui appellatur Romae, ex concessu piissimi Heraclii imperatoris.
 
'In his days he renewed all the sacred equipment of the blessed Peter the apostle and covered the confessio of the blessed Peter with fine silver weighing 187 lb. He covered the great main doors into the church—the ones called Mediana —with silver weighing 975 lb. He provided two pairs of great silver candlesticks, which are in front of the body of the blessed Peter the apostle, each weighing 62 lb. In the same place at St Andrew the apostle’s, in front of the confessio, he provided a silver panel weighing 73 lb. In his time 16 roofbeams were hoisted up in the church of the blessed Peter the apostle; he roofed the whole church with bronze tiles which he removed from the temple called that of Rome, with the assent of the pious emperor Heraclius.'



[ST AGNES]

Eodem tempore fecit ecclesiam beatae Agne martyris via Numentana miliario ab urbe Roma III, a solo, ubi requiescit, quem undique ornavit exquisivit, ubi posuit dona multa. Ornavit autem sepulcrum eius ex argento, qui pens. lib. CCLII; posuit desuper cyburium aereum deauratum mirae magnitudinis; fecit et gavatas aureas III pens. sing. lib. sing.; fecit abside eiusdem basilicae ex musibo, ubi etiam et multa dona optulit.

'Then he built from the ground up the church of the blessed Agnes the martyr at the 3rd mile from Rome on the via Nomentana, where she rests. He decorated it to perfection on every side, and there he placed many gifts. He also decorated her tomb with silver weighing 252 lb; over it he placed a bronze-gilt canopy of marvellous size, and he provided 3 gold bowls each weighing 1 lb; the apse of the same basilica he made of mosaic, and there too he presented many gifts.'



[ST APOLLINARIS]

Item fecit basilicam beati Apollenaris martyris in urbe Roma, in porticum beati Petri apostoli qui appellatur Palmata, a solo, ubi dona multa largitus est. Hic fecit constitutum in ecclesia et decrevit, ut omnem ebdomadam sabbato die exeat laetania a beato Apollenare ad beatum Petrum apostolum, cum hymnis et canticis populus omnis occurri debeat.

'In Rome he also built from the ground up the basilica of the blessed Apollinaris the martyr, in the portico of St Peter’s which is called Palmata, and there he bestowed many gifts. In the church he issued a decree, that every week on Saturday a procession (laetania) should come out from the blessed Apollinaris to the blessed Peter the apostle with hymns and chants, and the whole people should join in it.'



[ST CYRIACUS AND THE FOUR CROWNED MARTYRS]

Fecit ecclesiam beato Cyriaco martyri a solo, via Ostense, miliario VII, ubi et donum optulit. Eodem tempore fecit ecclesia beatorum martyrum Quattuor Coronatorum, quem et dedicavit, et donum.

'He built from the ground up the church to the blessed Cyriacus the martyr at the 7th mile on the via Ostiensis, and there he presented a gift. At that time he built a church to the holy martyrs the Four Crowned ones (Quattuor Coronati); he dedicated it and presented a gift.'



[ST SEVERINUS]

Fecit ecclesiam beato Severino a solo, iuxta civitate Tiburtina miliario ab urbe Roma XX, quem ipse dedicavit et dona multa optulit.

'He built from the ground up a church to the blessed Severinus close to the city of Tibur [Tivoli] at the 20th mile from Rome; he dedicated it and presented many gifts.'



[STS MARCELLINUS AND PETRUS]

Renovavit et cymiterium beatorum martyrum Marcellini et Petri via Lavicana.

'He also renewed the cemetery of the blessed martyrs Marcellinus and Peter on the via Labicana.'



[ST PANCRATIUS]

Eodem tempore fecit basilica beato Pancratio martyri via Aurelia miliario ab urbe Roma secundo a solo et ornavit sepulchrum eius ex argento, qui pens. lib. CXX. Fecit et ciburium super altare ex argento, qui pens. lib. CLXXXVII. Fecit arcos argenteos V, qui pens. sing. lib. XV. Fecit et candelabra aurea III, qui pens. sing. libras sing., ubi multa dona simul optulit.
 
'At that time he built from the ground up a basilica to the blessed Pancratius the martyr at the 2nd mile from city of Rome on the via Aurelia, and decorated his tomb with silver weighing 120 lb; and he built a silver canopy above the altar, weighing 187 lb. He provided 5 silver arches each weighing 15 lb, and 3 gold candelabra each weighing 1 lb; he also presented many gifts there.'


[ST LUCIA AND ST SILVESTER]

Fecit ecclesiam beate Luciae in urbe Roma iuxta sanctum Silvestrum, quem et dedicavit et dona multa optulit.

'In Rome he built the church of the blessed Lucia close to saint Silvester; he also dedicated it and presented many gifts.'



[ST ADRIANUS]

Fecit ecclesiam beati Adriani in Tribus Fatis, quem et dedicavit et dona multa optulit.

'He made the church of the blessed Adrianus at the 'Three Fates'; he also dedicated it and presented many gifts.'
 

 
[STS ANDREW AND BARTHOLOMEW]

<Fecit autem in domum suam iuxta Lateranis monasterium in honore sanctorum aspotolorum Andreae et Bartholomei, qui apellatur Honorii, ubi praedia et dona simul obtulit.> Sed et multa alia fecit, quas enumerare longum est.

'<He made in his own house close to the Lateran a monastery in honour of Saints Andrew and Bartholomew the apostles, which is called that of Honorius; there he also presented estates and gifts.> And he did also many other things which it would take long to enumerate.'



Text: Duchesne 1886, 323-324.
Translation: Davis 2010, 62-63, lightly modified.

The passage in brackets, <>, is an interpolation, recorded in only some manuscripts of the Liber Pontificalis; it is uncertain when it was added to the text.

Procession
Chant and religious singing

Burial site of a saint - cemetery/catacomb
Cult building - independent (church)

Monastery

Commissioning/producing an image

Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Construction of cult buildings
Prayer/supplication/invocation

Ecclesiastics - bishops
Monarchs and their family
Crowds

Oil lamps/candles
Precious material objects
Chalices, censers and other liturgical vessels

Source

Discussion

Bibliography