Procopius of Caesarea, in his Wars, refers to the colonnade leading from the Mausoleum of Hadrian (Castel Sant'Angelo) to the basilica of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) on the Vatican, Rome, in his account of the Gothic siege of Rome in 537-538. Written in Greek at Constantinople c. 551.
Evidence ID
E08143
Type of Evidence
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Major author/Major anonymous work
Procopius
Procopius, Wars 5.22.19-21
ἐν τούτῳ δὲ οἱ Γότθοι πύλῃ τῇ Αὐρηλίᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἀδριανοῦ πύργῳ προσέβαλλον [...] καὶ ἔλαθόν γε τοὺς ἐναντίους ἀγχοτάτω αὐτῶν ἥκοντες. ὑπὸ γὰρ τῇ στοᾷ κρυπτόμενοι ἦλθον ἣ ἐς τὸν Πέτρου τοῦ ἀποστόλου νεὼν διήκει.
'But meanwhile the Goths began an assault upon the Aurelian Gate and the Tower of Hadrian [...] and they succeeded in getting very close to their opponents without being perceived by them. For they came hidden under the colonnade which extends to the church of the Apostle Peter.'
Text and translation: Dewing 1919, 214-215.
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - secondary installation (fountain, pilgrims’ hostel)
Source
Procopius of Caesarea, (c. 500 – c. 560/561 AD) was a soldier and historian from the Roman province of Palaestina Prima. He accompanied the Roman general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian (527-565). He wrote the Secret History, the Wars (or Histories), and On Buildings.The History of the Wars was written in the early 540s, updated by around 550. With its focus on military affairs, it contains only occasional references to the cult of saints.
Discussion
This passage, describing an attack on Rome's defences by the Goths during the siege of 537-8, is the earliest evidence for the existence of the colonnade which connected St Peter's, then outside the walls of the Rome, with the tomb of Hadrian (now Castel Sant'Angelo). There is no certain evidence as to the date of its construction, but it has been suggested (Brandenburg 2006, 193) that the likeliest period is the pontificate of Symmachus (498-514), since he is known to carried out major building works around St Peter's (see E01347).The gate which Procopius here calls the Aurelian is the same one that he says in another passage was 'now' known as the gate of St Peter (see E08142).
Bibliography
Text and translation:Dewing, H.B., Procopius, vol. 3 (Loeb Classical Library; New York and London, 1919).
Further reading:
Brandenburg, H., "S. Petri basilica, coemeterium, episcopia, cubicula, habitacula, porticus, pons, atrium," in: A. La Regina (ed.), Lexicon topographicum urbis Romae – Suburbium, vol. 4 (Rome: Quasar, 2006), 185-195.
Record Created By
David Lambert
Date of Entry
22/11/2021
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Πἐτρος | Certain |
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Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E08143 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08143