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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


Procopius of Caesarea, in his Wars, describes how, when Rome was captured by the Goths in 546, many people took refuge at the shrine of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) and other shrines, and how the Gothic king Totila went there to pray after his victory. Written in Greek at Constantinople c. 551.

Evidence ID

E08146

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Major author/Major anonymous work

Procopius

Procopius, Wars 7.20.17-25

Procopius has just described how the Gothic army entered Rome through the Porta Asinaria, on the south-eastern edge of the city, after it was betrayed to them by some of the Isaurian troops guarding it. Many Romans flee to the Vatican area, on the opposite side of the city.


τν δ πατρικων Δκιος κα Βασλειος ξν τροις τισν (πποι γρ σφσι παρντες τυχον) ξν τ Βσσα φυγεν σχυσαν. Μξιμος δ καὶ Ὀλβριος καὶ Ὀρστης κα τινες λλοι ς τν Πτρου τοῦ ἀποστλου νεν φυγον. τοῦ μέντοι δήμου πεντακοσίους ἄνδρας ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν πὸλιν ἀπολελεῖφθαι ξυνέπεσεν, οἵπερ ἐς τὰ ἱερὰ κατέφυγον μόλις. [...]

πειδ δὲ ἡμρα τε ν δη κα οδεμα τι νδρας τινς ποψα λλειπτο, Τουτλας μν ς τν Πτρου νεν τοῦ ἀποστλου εξμενος ει, Γτθοι δ τος παραπεπτωκτας διφθειρον. πθανν τε τοτ τ τρπ τν μν στρατιωτν ξ κα εκοσι, το δ δμου ξκοντα. πε δὲ ὁ Τουτλας φκετο ς τὸ ἱερν, Πελγιος ατῷ ἐς ψιν λθε τ Χριστιανν λγια ν τας χερσ φρων, παντ τε τρπ τν κεσαν προτεινμενος [...]


'Among the patricians Decius and Basilius, in company with a few others (for horses happened to be at hand for them) succeeded in escaping with Bessas. But Maximus, Olyvrius, Orestes, and some others fled to the church of the Apostle Peter. Among the common people, however, it so fell out that only five hundred men had been left throughout the whole city, and these with difficulty took refuge in the churches. [...]

When it was already day and there was now no suspicion left of any ambush, Totila, for his part, went to the church of the Apostle Peter to pray, but the Goths began to slay those who fell in their way. And in this manner there perished among the soldiers twenty-six, and among the people sixty. And when Totila had come to the sanctuary, Pelagius came before him carrying the Christian scriptures in his hand, and, making supplication in every manner possible [...]'


Text and translation: Dewing 1924, 328-331.

Cult Places

Cult building - independent (church)

Non Liturgical Activity

Prayer/supplication/invocation
Seeking asylum at church/shrine

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Monarchs and their family
Foreigners (including Barbarians)
Soldiers

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 comes from Procopius' account of the capture of Rome by the Goths on 17 December 546, after a siege lasting more than a year. It is notable first for its description of the Romans taking refuge from the Goths in churches, with three named individuals, all prominent senators, stated specifically to have sought sanctuary at St Peter's. Secondly, Procopius describes the Gothic leader Totila as going to St Peter's to pray after his victory, where he encounters the deacon Pelagius (the future Pope Pelagius I), who intercedes with him to be merciful towards the Roman population (Pelagius was the effective leader of the church in Rome at this point, since Pope Vigilius was in Constantinople). It is notable that Totila, who was an Arian, chose St Peter's as the church to celebrate his victory.


Bibliography

Text and translation:
Dewing, H.B., Procopius, vol. 4 (Loeb Classical Library; New York and London, 1924).


Record Created By

David Lambert

Date of Entry

23/11/2021

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00036Peter, the ApostleΠἐτροςCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
David Lambert, Cult of Saints, E08146 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08146