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E05779: Agnellus of Ravenna, in his Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis, written in Latin, describes an image (or possibly two images) of Christ and the Apostles Peter and Paul (S00036 and S00009) in a narthex dedicated to Peter in Ravenna (northern Italy); Agnellus dates this image to 450/473. Account written in Ravenna in 830/846.

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posted on 2018-06-19, 00:00 authored by frances

Agnellus of Ravenna, Liber Pontificalis Ecclesiae Ravennatis 30

In his account of the life of Neon (bishop of Ravenna, 450-473), Agnellus describes an image of the Apostles, which he states was erected under Neon.

Cum ieritis ad regionem apostolorum non longe a macerie Ouilionis, introeuntes uos intra ardicam beati Petri apostoli, ubi imago Domini nostri Yhesu Christi depicta est extenso brachio, et hinc ex una parte effigies beati clauigeri Petri et ex alia parte effigies uasis electionis Pauli, et ipsae depictae sunt.

‘When you go to the region of the Apostles, not far from the Ovilian wall, you enter the narthex of blessed Peter the Apostle, where the image of our lord Jesus Christ is represented with arm extended and here on one side is depicted the image of blessed Peter and key bearer, and on the other side the image of the chosen vessel Paul.’

[...]

Uidistis, et in ipsa domo, ubi imagines apostolorum Petri et Pauli tessellis factae sunt hinc et inde iuxta crucem conspexistis.

‘In that house, you have seen, where the images of the apostles Peter and Paul are made of mosaic, flanking the cross on either side.’

Text: Deliyannis 2006. Translation: Deliyannis 2004.

History

Evidence ID

E05779

Saint Name

Paul, the Apostle : S00008 Peter the Apostle : S00036

Saint Name in Source

Paulus Petrus

Related Saint Records

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)

Language

Latin

Evidence not before

830

Evidence not after

846

Activity not before

450

Activity not after

473

Place of Evidence - Region

Italy north of Rome with Corsica and Sardinia

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Ravenna

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Ravenna Sardinia Sardinia Sardegna Sardinia

Major author/Major anonymous work

Agnellus of Ravenna

Cult activities - Places

Descriptions of cult places

Cult activities - Use of Images

Descriptions of images of saints

Source

Agnellus of Ravenna (ob. c. 846) was a deacon of the cathedral in Ravenna and – by hereditary right – abbot of two monasteries in Ravenna. He wrote his Liber Pontificalis Ecclessiae Ravennatis between 830 and 846, following the model of the Roman Liber Pontificalis. This work provides biographies of all the bishops of Ravenna from the legendary founder bishop Apollinaris to those active in Agnellus’ own day, and was originally composed to be delivered orally, most likely to clerics of Ravenna. This text is preserved in two manuscripts: one from the 15th c. (Bibliotec Estense Cod. Lat. 371 X.P.4.9.) and a fragmentary manuscript from the 16th c. (MS Vat. Lat. 5834). Agnellus bases his account of the lives of late antique bishops on documents preserved in Ravenna, stories which had been transmitted orally, and his own experience of the architectural landscape of 9th c. Ravenna. Agnellus' work contains invaluable architectural and art historical information about Ravenna: Agnellus refers to several religious buildings in Ravenna and the neighbouring settlements of Caeserea and Classe. He describes their decoration and preserves several inscriptions, many of which are now lost to us. It must be remembered this is a 9th c. work. Agnellus’ descriptions of buildings and their fixtures is based on his 9th c. experience, and not late antique reality. Indeed, his accounts of the events of earlier years are often riddled with inaccuracies. Yet it is likely that his descriptions of the churches of Ravenna are more trustworthy. As Deborah Mauskopf Deliyannis argues, a comparison of surviving late antique mosaics with Agnellus’ account suggests that his descriptions were largely accurate. This is limited to what he does tell us – for example Arian foundations are often ignored whilst orthodox foundations are emphasised. Yet, overall, this text provides invaluable information about the cult of saints in late antique Ravenna.

Discussion

It is possible this refers to an image in which Christ gives the keys to Peter and the law to Paul. Yet it is also possible these descriptions both refer to the same image. In this context, Christ’s outstretched arms refer to his pose as he is crucified. It is probable that Agnellus saw this image himself, but it is now lost to us.

Bibliography

Text: Deliyannis, Deborah Mauskopf, Agnelli Ravennatis Liber pontificalis ecclesiae Ravennatis (Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Mediaevalis 199; Turnhout, 2006). Translation: Deliyannis, Deborah Mauskopf, The Book of Pontiffs of the Church of Ravenna (Washington D.C., 2004). Further Reading: Deichmann, Friedrich Wilhelm, Ravenna, Hauptstadt des spätantiken Abendlandes, vol. 1-3, (Wiesbaden, 1958-89). Deliyannis, Deborah Mauskopf, Ravenna in Late Antiquity (Cambridge, 2010). Mackie, Gillian, Early Christian Chapels in the West: Decoration, Function and Patronage (Toronto, 2003). Moffat, Ann, "Sixth Century Ravenna from the Perspective of Abbot Agnellus," in: P. Allen and E.M. Jeffreys (eds,), The Sixth Century – End or Beginning? (Brisbane, 1996), 236-246. Morini, E., "Le strutture monastische a Ravenna," in: Storia di Ravenna, 2.2, Dall’età bizantia all’ età ottania, ed. A. Carile (Ravenna, 1992), 305-312. Schoolman, Edward, Rediscovering Sainthood in Italy: Hagiography and the Late Antique Past in Medieval Ravenna (Basingstoke, 2016). Stansterre, J. M., "Monaci e monastery greci a Ravenna," in: Storia di Ravenna, 2.1, Dall’età bizantia all’ età ottania, ed. A. Carile (Ravenna, 1992), 323-329. Verhoeven, Mariëtte, The Early Christian Monuments of Ravenna: Transformations and Memory (Turnhout, 2011).