<i>Diaconiae</i>, <i>xenodochia</i>, <i>hospitalia</i> and monasteries: ‘social security’ and the meaning of monasticism in early medieval Rome
Hendrik W. Dey
The first section of this article examines the various types charitable institutions operative in Rome between seventh and ninth centuries, light what available textual comparative evidence reveals about their respective functions. It is then suggested that these centres assistance were staffed by resident monastic communities, an arrangement which accounts well for many apparent similarities; may help to explain disappearance most commonly attested ( xenodochia diaconiae ) over course century; opens a window onto alternative conception practice hitherto under‐represented scholarly tradition .
Early Medieval Europe