Paulinus of Nola, in many of his fourteen poems (the Natalicia) written in honour of *Felix (priest and confessor of Nola, S00000), identifies Felix as the special protector (patronus) of Nola (southern Italy); the similar role of other saints, in other regions, is detailed in Natalicium 11. Written in Latin, in Spain and later Nola, between 395 and 408.
E04767
Literary - Poems
Literary - Hagiographical - Other saint-related texts
Paulinus of Nola
Paulinus of Nola, Natalicia
Summary:
Throughout the Natalicia, Paulinus refers to Felix as the patron (patronus) of Nola. For example, Nat. 2., verse 27; Nat. 6, verses 5, 111, 400; Nat. 7, verses 99, 202, 214, 318; Nat. 8, verses 64, 211, 232; Nat. 9, verses 136, 142, 198, 502; Nat. 12, verses 11, 17, 254, 278; Nat. 13, verse 7, 27, 186, 344, 245, 754-6, 793; Nat. 14, verses 8, 23.
Natalicium 11, verses 45-341 [AD 405]
Paulinus elaborates on Felix's role as patron of Nola. He compares Felix’s presence at Nola to the relics of other saints in other locations, and the special protection that these provide.
Listed are the Apostles *Peter and *Paul (S00036 and S00008) at Rome [verse 54]; *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288) at Patras and *John (the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042) at Ephesus [verse 78]; *Matthew (Apostle and Evangelist, S00791) in Parthia [Persia] and *Thomas (the Apostle, S00199) in India [verse 81]; *Jude Thaddaeus (Apostle, one of the Twelve, S00792) in Africa [Libya] and *Philip, (the Apostle S00109) in Phrygia [verse 82]; *Titus (disciple of Paul, S01204) in Greece [Crete] and *Luke (the Evangelist, S00442) in Boeotia [verse 83]; *Mark (the Evangelist, S00293) in Alexandria [verse 84]; *Cyprian (bishop and martyr of Carthage, S00411) at Carthage and the *Martyrs of Massa Candida (S00904) at Utica [verse 141]; *Ambrose (bishop of Milan, ob. 397, S00490) in Italy and *Vincent (deacon and martyr of Zaragoza and Valencia, S00290) in Spain [verse 153]; *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) in Gaul and *Delphinus (bishop of Bordeaux, ob. 403, S01852) in Aquitaine [verse 154]; and *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288) and *Timothy (disciple of Paul, S01204), moved to Constantinople, in order to give it apostolic patrons like those of Rome.
These patrons all replace devotion to pagan deities.
Summary: Frances Trzeciak.
Saint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Martyr shrine (martyrion, bet sāhedwātā, etc.)
Cult building - unspecified
Burial site of a saint - unspecified
Non Liturgical ActivityComposing and translating saint-related texts
Saint as patron - of a community
Appropriation of older cult sites
MiraclesMiracle after death
Miraculous protection - of communities, towns, armies
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Unspecified relic
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics – unspecified
Other lay individuals/ people
Cult Related ObjectsOil lamps/candles
Precious cloths
Flowers
Source
The Natalicia are a series of poems which were composed by Paulinus of Nola (ob. 431), to be delivered annually on Felix’s feast day (14 January) between 395 and 408. These poems were composed and delivered before Paulinus became bishop of Nola. Natalicium 1 was composed in Spain whilst the rest of the poems were composed and delivered at Nola. They provide an insight into the development of the cult of Felix in Nola under Paulinus. They are often understood in the classical tradition of ‘birthday poems’ – in this case Felix’s birthday being the day he was reborn in heaven. Yet Roberts (2010) has argued they equally incorporate tropes from epideictic poetry and speeches delivered at public festivals. Additionally, Nat. 3 and 4 – sometimes called the Vita Felicis – draw on hagiographic tropes.The Natalicia have been re-edited in their original order by Dolveck (2015). The concordance with the numbering Wilhelm Hartel's earlier edition (1894) is offered below:
Natalicium 1 (395) - Carmen 12
Natalicium 2 (396) - Carmen 13
Natalicium 3 (397) - Carmen 14
Natalicium 4 (398) - Carmen 15
Natalicium 5 (399) - Carmen 16
Natalicium 6 (400) - Carmen 18
Natalicium 7 (401) - Carmen 23
Natalicium 8 (402) - Carmen 26
Natalicium 9 (403) - Carmen 27
Natalicium 10 (404) - Carmen 28
Natalicium 11 (405) - Carmen 19
Natalicium 12 (406) - Carmen 20
Natalicium 13 (407) - Carmen 21
Natalicium 14 (408) - Carmen 29
For a fuller discussion of the Natalicia see E04741.
Discussion
Paulinus' promotion of Felix as a saint with a special responsibility for Nola ought to be seen in the context of other fourth-century efforts to make certain saints patrons of cities. See for example Ambrose's promotion of *Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313) as patrons (patroni) of Milan or Damasus' promotion of the Apostles *Peter and *Paul (S00036 and S00008) as especially Roman saints.The saints mentioned by Paulinus are associated with the specific regions or cities where their bodies lay. Those of the East and Africa are all major biblical figures or prominent martyrs from the time of the persecutions. But when he lists saints in the West, Paulinus promotes the cult of figures who were much more recent and who had died peacefully in bed: Ambrose of Milan and Martin of Tours, who both died in 397, and Delphinus, bishop of Bordeaux, whose death in 403 had occurred only some two years earlier. Bordeaux was Paulinus' home town, and Delphinus (who had baptised him in c. 388) corresponded with Paulinus thereafter (see Paulinus, Letters 35, 10, 14, 19 and 20, written c. 390-401). Ambrose and Martin did go on to become major saints, but Delphinus' cult was much more tenuous - this passage here, is the only evidence we have for his cult in our database.
Bibliography
EditionDolveck, Franz, Carmina, Paulini Nolani, Corpus Christianorum Series Latina (Turnhout: Brepols, 2015) no. 21, pp. 293 – 493.
Translation
P. G. Walsh, The Poems of Paulinus of Nola, Ancient Christian Writers (New York: Newman Press, 1975) pp. 73-105; 114-201; 209-220; 254-307.
Further Reading
Mratschek, Sigrid, ‘Multis enim notissima est sanctitas loci: Paulinus and the Gradual Rise of Nola as a Center of Christian Hospitality’, Journal of Early Christian Studies, 9(4) (2001) 511-53.
Trout, Dennis, Paulinus of Nola: Life, Letters and Poems (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999).
Roberts, Michael, ‘Rhetoric and the Natalica of Paulinus of Nola’, Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica, 95(2) (2010), 53-69
Frances Trzeciak
30/01/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00000 | Felix, priest and confessor of Nola | Felix | Certain | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00042 | John, the Apostle and Evangelist | Johannes | Certain | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Certain | S00109 | Philip, the Apostle | Philippus | Certain | S00199 | Thomas, the Apostle | Thomas | Certain | S00288 | Andrew, the Apostle | Andreas | Certain | S00290 | Vincentius/Vincent, deacon and martyr of Zaragoza and Valencia | Vincentius | Certain | S00293 | Mark the Evangelist | Marcus | Certain | S00411 | Cyprian, bishop and martyr of Carthage | Cyprianus | Certain | S00442 | Luke, the Evangelist | Lucas | Certain | S00466 | Timothy, the disciple of Paul the Apostle | Timoteus | Certain | S00490 | Ambrose, bishop of Milan, ob. 397 | Ambrosius | Certain | S00791 | Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist | Matthaeus | Certain | S00792 | Jude Thaddaeus, Apostle, one of the Twelve | Thaddaeus | Certain | S00904 | Martyrs of Massa Candida (Utica) | Candida Massa | Certain | S01204 | Titus, disciple of Paul | Titus | Certain | S01852 | Delphinus, bishop of Bordeaux, ob. 403 | Delphinus | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
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