E01320: The Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome in the 530s, and re-edited before 546, in its account of Anastasius II (bishop of Rome, 496-498) records his making of the confessio of *Laurence (deacon and martyr of Rome, S00037) at his church outside Rome, and his burial in the basilica of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036), on 19 November [AD 498].
online resource
posted on 2016-04-29, 00:00authored byrobert
Liber Pontificalis 52
First edition (as reconstructed by Duchesne)
Anastasius, natione Romanus, ex patre Petro, de regione V caput Tauri, sedit ann. I m. XI d. XXIIII. Fuit autem temporibus Theodorici regis. Hic fecit confessione beati Laurenti martyris ex argento, pens. lib. LXXX.
'Anastasius [II], born in Rome, son of Peter, from the 5th region, Caput Tauri, held the see 1 year 11 months 24 days. He was bishop in the time of king Theoderic. He built the confessio of the blessed Laurence the martyr, of silver weighing 80 lb.'
Qui etiam sepultus est apud beatum Petrum XIII kal. decemb.
'He was buried at saint Peter on 19 November.'
Second edition
Anastasius, natione Romanus, ex patre Petro, de regione V caput Tauri, sedit ann. I m. XI d. XXIIII. Fuit autem temporibus Theodorici regis. Hic fecit confessionem beati Laurenti martyris ex argento, pens. lib. LXXX.
'Anastasius, born in Rome, son of Peter, from the 5th region, Caput Tauri, held the see 1 year 11 months 24 days. He was bishop in the time of king Theoderic. He built the confessio of the blessed Laurence the martyr, of silver weighing 80 lb.'
There follows a critical account on the position taken by Anastasius II in the Acacian schism.
Qui nutu divino percussus est.
'He was struck down by God’s will.'
......
Qui etiam sepultus est in basilica beati Petri apostoli XIII kal. decemb.
'He was buried in the basilica of the blessed Peter the Apostle on 19 November.'
Text: Duchesne 1886, 95/97 and 258. Translation: Davis 2010, 42, lightly modified.
History
Evidence ID
E01320
Saint Name
Lawrence, martyr of Rome, ob. 258 : S00037
Peter the Apostle : S00036
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Language
Latin
Evidence not before
530
Evidence not after
546
Activity not before
496
Activity not after
498
Place of Evidence - Region
Rome and region
Place of Evidence - City, village, etc
Rome
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Rome
Rome
Rome
Roma
Ῥώμη
Rhōmē
Major author/Major anonymous work
Liber Pontificalis
Cult activities - Places
Burial site of a saint - crypt/ crypt with relics
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Burial ad sanctos
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Cult Activities - Relics
Bodily relic - unspecified
Cult Activities - Cult Related Objects
Precious material objects
Source
The Liber Pontificalis consists of a series of very short lives of popes. The preface attributes it to pope Damasus (366-384), but this attribution is obviously false. According to Louis Duchesne, the first modern editor of the Liber Pontificalis, the original series of lives was written in Rome by an anonymous author, probably a member of the lesser clergy, in the 530s, and contained the lives from *Peter the Apostle to Felix IV (ob. 530). Shortly after, before 546, the text was re-edited by another anonymous author and only this edition survives. The first edition, however, can be reconstituted on the basis of its two epitomes (and the second edition). The second edition started to be continued systematically from the time of pope Honorius (625–638). It should be noted that Theodor Mommsen dated both editions of the Liber Pontificalis to the 7th century, but his opinion is widely rejected and the commonly accepted dating is that of Duchesne.
For the pre-Constantinian period (before 312), the credibility of the Liber Pontificalis is very low. The chronology is confused, and details concerning the personal lives, decisions and ordinations of the bishops of Rome at best reflect what people in the 6th century trusted to be true, at worst are a pure invention of the author. The situation changes with the later lives. Already the information of 4th-century papal foundations and offerings are generally trustworthy. The early 6th-century evidence, based on the author's first hand knowledge is even better, though still imperfect.
Discussion
The author of the Liber Pontificalis clearly considers Anastasius II to have been a bad bishop, punished by God with sudden death. Still, he mentions his burial on 19 November, which proves that the fact of mentioning the exact day of burial (which could be used for annual commemoration) does not necessarily suggest a belief in his sanctity.
Bibliography
Edition:
Duchesne, L., Le Liber pontificalis. 2 vols (Paris: E. Thorin, 1886-1892) (with substantial introduction and commentary).
Translation:
Davis, R., The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis) (Translated Texts for Historians 6; 3rd ed.; Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2010).
Further reading:
Krautheimer, R., Corpus Basilicarum Christianarum Romae: The early Christian Basilicas of Rome (IV–IX Centuries), Vatican City 1937–1977
Brandenburg, H., Ancient churches of Rome from the fourth to the seventh century : the dawn of Christian architecture in the West, Turnhout 2005.