E02518: The Martyrdom of *Vitalis and Agricola (master and slave, martyrs of Bologna, S00310), wrongly attributed to Ambrose of Milan (ob. 397), exists in Latin in two main versions. The supposed 'first version' is a forgery written in the 16th c., on the basis of the 'second version', which probably dates from the 9th c.
online resource
posted on 2017-03-08, 00:00authored bympignot
The Martyrdom of Vitalis and Agricola
Texts:
BHL 8690: Patrologia Latina 17, 747-749; Acta Sanctorum, Nov, II, 1, 247-249.
BHL 8691: Lanéry (2008), 569-572.
We have not produced summaries of these texts, both of which are much later than c. 700 (the end date for our project).
History
Evidence ID
E02518
Saint Name
Agricola, martyr of Bolonia (Italy), master of Vitalis, ob. 303/312 : S00310
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Rome
Rome
Rome
Roma
Ῥώμη
Rhōmē
Source
The 'first version' of the Martyrdom of Vitalis and Agricola, BHL 8690, was, until recently, generally thought to date from the 5th century (Clavis Patrum Latinorum 2245; Gryson, R., Répertoire général des auteurs ecclésiastiques Latins de l’Antiquité et du Haut moyen âge, 2 vols. (Freiburg, 2007), I, 91). However, Lanéry 2008, 445-464, has argued convincingly that it is a forgery prepared by the editors of Ambrose's works at the end of the 16th century, on the basis of the other main medieval version of the martyrdom, BHL 8691, which dates probably from the 9th century. Lanéry underlines in particular that there is no manuscript evidence for BHL 8690.
Bibliography
Editions:
BHL 8690: Patrologia Latina 17, 747ss; Acta Sanctorum, Nov, II, 1, 247-249
BHL 8691: Lanéry (2008), 569-572
Further reading:
Lanéry, C., Ambroise de Milan hagiographe (Paris, 2008), 445-464.