Spelunca pravitatis hereticae

Spelunca pravitatis hereticae: Gregory I and the Rededication of “Arian” Church Buildings in Late Antique Rome

Presenter: Samuel Cohen

Presenter Status: Faculty

Department: History

Funding Source/Sponsor: RSCAP

Screenshot URL: https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1W0Mp2YxkrbF2NERK209P5qtzqqiqSjTm

Abstract:
My project, which resulted in the publication of an article in the Journal of Early Christian Studies, examines the rededication of two formerly “Arian” churches, S. Severinus and S. Agata de’ Goti, by Gregory I, Bishop of Rome from 590 until 604. These rededications are examined from three perspectives: the historical and topographical context of the buildings; Gregory's motives for rededication them; and the rhetorical strategies employed by Gregory to describe the rededications. And although the rituals used to make S. Agata fit for Catholic worship were not significantly different from those used to dedicate any church in late antique Rome, Gregory transformed the rededication ceremony into a dramatic story of the triumph of the city’s orthodox community, its church, and its bishop.