The temptations of cult: Roman martyr piety in the age of Gregory the Great
Conrad Leyser
Pope Gregory the Great (590–604) was arguably most important Roman writer and civic leader of early middle ages; martyrs were certainly cult figures city. However modern scholarship on relationship between remains curiously underdeveloped, has been principally devoted to comparison gesta martyrum with stories Italian holy men women (in particular St Benedict) told by in his Dialogues; past generation Dialogues have come be understood as a polemic against model sanctity proposed martyr narratives. This paper explores Gregory's role development context immediate social world clerical politics sixth seventh centuries. authority bishop Rome extremely precarious: hierarchy its well‐developed protocols did not take kindly appearance ascetic companions. In conflict followers, their opponents, both sides used patronage advance cause. spite political necessity engaging such ‘competitive generosity’, also concerned channel devotion, urging contemplation moral achievements – which could imitated present opposed an aggressive unrestrained piety focused death. complex attitude needs differentiated from that developed over century later, north Alps, Carolingian readers copyists pilgrim guides, whose approach informed own posthumous reputation.
Early Medieval Europe