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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 32, written to Sigismund, king of the Burgundians, refers to the feast of an apostle, almost certainly *Peter (the Apostle, S00036). Written in Vienne (south-east Gaul), 501/514.

Evidence ID

E07088

Type of Evidence

Literary - Letters

Avitus of Vienne, Letter 32

The opening words of the letter:

Nuper cum officia culmini vestro semper debita pro apostolicae festivitatis consuetudine destinavi [...]

‘Recently, I sent the respects that I always owe Your Highness on the occasion of the feast of the Apostle.’


Text: Peiper 1883, 62.
Translation: Shanzer and Wood 2002, 241.






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 letter is addressed by Avitus to his master, Sigismund, it has no clear content or purpose other than to convey (in flowerry language) his respects.

Sigismund had a particular devotion to Peter, as witnessed by Letter 29 (E070876), so the apostolic feast referred to is almost certainly his. Indeed, in the Latin West reference to a single unnamed apostle (as here in Letter 32) is likely to be to 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 ApostleCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Katarzyna Wojtalik, Cult of Saints, E07088 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E07088