Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

The many travels of Pope Alexander I: The Cult of the Saints in Papal Political Diplomacy in Early Medieval Europe

2023; Volume: 19; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.35253/jaema.2023.1.4

2207-2802

Geoffrey D. Dunn,

Medieval Literature and History

Alexander I is remembered as an early second-century bishop of Rome, although modern scholarship rejects Rome having a sole bishop at this stage. The fifth-century Martyrologium Hieronymianum reports, under 3 May, Eventius, Alexander, and Theodolus as buried outside Rome along Via Nomentana, who, by the time of the later Passio sancti Alexandri and Liber pontificalis in the sixth century, had become identified as the second-century Roman bishop and two of his clergy, although they were most probably fourth-century local martyrs. In the second half of the eighth century, Paul I brought the remains of many saints within the city walls to protect them from Lombard desecration. Since Alexander appears in the procession of saints that decorates Santa Maria Antiqua, commissioned by Paul I, one could conclude that he was important to Paul and that he was responsible for relocating his remains. Stored in the Sancta sanctorum, some of the relics were distributed to Santa Prassede, Santa Sabina, and San Lorenzo in Lucina in the ninth century. From the ninth century, relics of Alexander I were distributed further afield. They became part of spiritual gift exchanges that brought benefits both to giver and receiver. Why particular relics were given to particular recipients is unknown, but it is suggested that the hagiography of Alexander as a resister of imperial authority might have played a part in the selection of relics process.