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The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity


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


A fragmentary papyrus document from Ravenna (north-east Italy) lists the monetary income from properties within the city, including the patrimony of a foundation dedicated to *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, S00050). Written in Latin at Ravenna, 565/70.

Evidence ID

E08414

Type of Evidence

Documentary texts - Charter or diploma

Documentary texts - List

Documentary texts - Lease or rental document

Late antique original manuscripts - Papyrus sheet

Tjäder P. 2 (excerpt)

D(e) m[assa], [....]e[..] ad s(an)c(tu)m Martinum: [ ]
D(e) [.........]st p(er) Titinianum: [ ]
D(e) m[a]ss[a], quam ten(er)t Iohannis capitul(arius): [ ]
D(e) [ ]: [ ]
D(e) [per]si[c]eto et taberna: sol(idi) n(umero) X
Persi [ ]: [ ]
[ ]
p(er) [Ti]tin[ia]num: [ ]
Ac sic fieri: sol(idi) n(umero) MMCLXXIS
Pensio: sol(idi) n(umero) DCCCCXXXIIS
Fiu[n]t: sol(idi) n(umero) MCCXXXGIII
In [....]on(em) praefect( ): sol(idi) n(umero) MCLIIIS
In titul(um) largitional(em): sol(idi) n(umero) LXXXVS [...]

'From the patrimony (...) of Saint Martin: (...)
From (...) through Titianus: (...)
From the patrimony which Iohannes the
capitularius holds: (...)
From (....): (....)
From the peach grove and the workshop: 10
solidi
Peach(-?) (...): (...)
(...): (...)
Through Titianus: (...)

And this comes to: 2171.5 solidi
Rent: 932.5 solidi
Which makes: 1239 solidi
To the (treasury) of the prefect: 1153.5 solidi
In the treasury of the titulus: 85.5 solidi ...'


Text: Tjäder 1955-82: i. 178-83.
Translation: B. Savill

Cult Places

Cult building - unspecified

Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Officials

Source

Thirty-eight papyrus documents (plus a further four of less certain provenance) dating from the years 445 to c. 700 survive today from the archives of the church of Ravenna. Most were produced in the city, although some appear to have come to Ravenna via interested parties after originally being issued at other centres (e.g. Faenza, Syracuse, Nepi). An exceptionally rare witness to late antique documentary culture, the Ravenna papyri constitute the single largest corpus of Latin papyri documents still extant, although the collection is now dispersed between a number of libraries across Europe and North America. The standard modern edition is Tjäder 1955-82. We have included in our database the eight documents from this corpus which provide evidence for saints' cults before c. 700.

This papyrus (500 x 300 mm) is now Vatican City, Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Pap. lat. 22.


Discussion

The remainder of this fragment (not reproduced here) makes clear that these listed properties and dues were from 'Arian'/Homoean patrimonies, recently transferred to the 'Orthodox'/'Catholic' church of Ravenna under Bishop Agnellus (557-70). This Martinian foundation is presumably the formerly 'Arian'/Homoean basilica built by King Theoderic, which was rededicated to Martin under Agnellus, and is today Sant' Apollinare Nuovo (see E05816).

Bibliography

Edition
Die nichtliterarischen lateinischen Papyri Italiens aus der Zeit 445-700, ed. J.-O. Tjäder, 2 vols (Lund and Stockholm, 1955-82).


Record Created By

Benjamin Savill

Date of Entry

04/03/2023

Related Saint Records
IDNameName in SourceIdentity
S00050Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397MartinusCertain


Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL:
Benjamin Savill, Cult of Saints, E08414 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08414