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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Avitus of Vienne in his Letter 31, written to Sigismund, king of the Burgundians, refers to the feast of the king's apostolic patron, almost certainly *Peter (the Apostle, S00036). Written in Latin in Vienne (south-east Gaul), 501/518.

Evidence ID

E07087

Type of Evidence

Literary - Letters

Avitus of Vienne, Letter 31

This letter concerns debate and dissent between Catholics and Arians within the Burgundian kingdom. It ends with these words of exhortation to Sigismund:

Hinc ergo servitium curiositatis meae dignanter adspicite et de peculiaris patroni vestri apostoli festis expectationi nostrae properatid et compellationis vestrae munera duplicate.

‘Therefore, please look with favour upon my service and my curiosity, and hurry to me, expectant as I am, from the feast of your special patron the apostle and double the gifts of Your Authority.’


Text: Peiper 1883, 62.
Translation: Shanzer and Wood 2002, 232.




Festivals

Saint’s feast

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - bishops
Monarchs and their family

Source

Alcimus Ecdicius Avitus was born into a prominent Gallo-Roman senatorial family, succeeding his father, Hesychius, as bishop of the important see of Vienne at some point before 494/496. He died in 517/518, probably in February 518.

Avitus was the author of a long poem
De spiritualis historiae gestis in five books (telling the story of the Old Testament from the Creation to Exodus, accompanied by interpretative passages), and a poem for his sister De consolatoria castitatis laude. He is, however, now best known for his letters: an epistolary corpus of ninety-six letters, which are in no chronological order, nor ordered by recipient. The collection ranges from the personal to the official (several were written on behalf of the Burgundian King Sigismund). Avitus corresponded with many important people of his age and his letters are of considerable importance for the ecclesiastical and political history of the years between around 495 and 518 in the Burgundian kingdom. In the letters, information relating to the churches or relics of saints is occasionally mentioned, and has been collected by us in the database.

Avitus was also the author of homilies, several relating to saints' churches. His homilies are all lost in their complete form, except for two, one of which (
Homily 25; E07115) is of particular importance for the cult of saints, being delivered in 515 at the dedication of Sigismund's monastery at Agaune for the martyrs of the Theban Legion. Other homilies, some relating to the dedication of churches, have survived in fragments: preserved either in a damaged sixth-century papyrus manuscript in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, or in excerpts copied by later medieval authors.

For more on Avitus' biography, his works, and on their dating see: Shanzer and Wood 2002, 3-85 and 377; and the full biography in PCBE, 242-263, 'Avitus 2', 242-263.



Discussion

The apostolic patron of Sigismund, referred to here, is almost certainly Peter. In his Letter 29 (E07086), Avitus writes to Pope Symmachus on behalf of Sigismund, asking for a second delivery of relics of Peter; furthermore, a reference (as here in Letter 31) to a single unnamed apostle is likely in the Latin West to refer the Peter.


Bibliography

Edition:
Peiper, R., Alcimi Ecdicii Aviti Viennensis episcopi operae quae supersunt (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Auctores Antiquissimi VI.2; Berolini: Apud Weidmannos, 1883).

Translation:
Avitus of Vienne, Letters and Selected Prose, trans. D. Shanzer and I. Wood (Translated Texts for Historians, Volume 38; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2002), also with full notes and discussion.

Further reading:
Pietri L., M. Hejmans, Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, vol. 4: La Gaule chrétien, Paris 2013 (PCBE).


Record Created By

Katarzyna Wojtalik

Date of Entry

12/11/2018

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00036Peter, the ApostleUncertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Katarzyna Wojtalik, Cult of Saints, E07087 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07087