E06400: A letter of Pope Gregory the Great (Register 9.169) of 599, to Castor, papal notary in Ravenna, mentions a gift to a monastery dedicated to *Marcus (bishop of Rome, ob. 336, S00420), *Marcellus (bishop and martyr of Rome, S00529) and *Felicula (virgin and martyr of Rome, S02148) in Ravenna (northern Italy). Written in Latin in Rome.
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posted on 2018-09-11, 00:00authored byfrances
Pope Gregory the Great, Register of Letters 9.169
Extract from a letter relating to a donation to this monastery:
Nostro experientiae tuae in praesenti nos recolis praecepisse ut de possessione, quae monasterio sanctorum Marci, Marcellini et Feliculae, quod rauennae situm est, largitatis titulo dicitur esse concessa, quia causam bene nosti, debuisses quod iustum est facere.
‘You recall in this letter that we ordered your Experience to ensure a just outcome in the matter of possession that they say was granted under the title of a gift to the monastery of Saints Marcus, Marcellinus and Felicula, situated in Ravenna.’
Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Rome
Rome
Rome
Roma
Ῥώμη
Rhōmē
Major author/Major anonymous work
Gregory the Great (pope)
Cult activities - Places
Cult building - monastic
Cult activities - Non Liturgical Practices and Customs
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Source
A letter transmitted as part of Gregory the Great’s Register of Letters. This letter collection, organised into fourteen books, is large and contains letters to a variety of recipients, including prominent aristocrats, members of the clergy and royalty. The issues touched on in the letters are equally varied, ranging from theological considerations to mundane administrative matters. This collection of letters, which was possibly curated by Gregory, was originally much larger. The surviving Register comprises several groups of letters which were extracted at several later moments in history, the largest of which took place in the papacy of Hadrian I (772-795).
Discussion
The 9th century author Agnellus of Ravenna also mentions this monastery, founded by John, bishop of Ravenna 578-595 (E05798). From his account we learn that the Saint Marcus of the dedication was Marcus, the 4th century bishop of Rome.
Bibliography
Edition:
Norberg, D., S. Gregorii Magni, Registrum epistularum. 2 vols. (Corpus Christianorum Series Latina 140-140A; Turnhout: Brepols, 1982).
English translation:
Martyn, J.R.C., The Letters of Gregory the Great, 3 vols. (Toronto: Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2004).
Further Reading:
Neil, B., and Dal Santo, M. (eds.), A Companion to Gregory the Great (Leiden: Brill, 2013).