The Beginnings of the Cult of Relics

261 Pages·2018·5.131 MB·English

by  Robert Wiśniewski

OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE CULT OF RELICS
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
The Beginnings of the
Cult of Relics
Ś
ROBERT WI NIEWSKI
1
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
3
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
To my wife Marta
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
Acknowledgements
The research for this book was possible thanks to the grant that I received
fromtheNationalScienceCentre(Poland:Grant2011/01/B/HS3/00736)and
also thanks to the Cult of Saints Project funded by grant from the European
Research Council and run by Bryan Ward-Perkins (ERC Advanced Grant
340540)butIamalsogratefultootherinstitutionswhichhelpedmetowork
on several chapters of this book in a scholarly and comfortable atmosphere.
AllSoulsandTrinitycolleges(Oxford),theInstituteforAdvancedStudyatthe
Central European University, the Kosciuszko Foundation, and the Lanckor-
oński Foundation granted me scholarships for research stays in Oxford,
Budapest,andPrinceton.
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OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,20/11/2018,SPi
List of Figures
5.1 AtombofunnamedsaintsinthechurchoftherueMalaval
(Marseilles),encircledbyindividualgraves.Photocourtesyof
ManuelMoliner. 91
7.1 Tombslabwithlibationholes(Rome).Marble,secondcentury
(CIL06.07010/1).DrawingbyMagdaRóżycka. 128
7.2 Reliquarycasketwiththetracesofalock.EasternMediterranean,
sixthcentury.NewYork,MetropolitanMuseumofArt,
publicdomain. 135
7.3 Stonereliquaryfoundintheapseofthesouthernnaveofthe
churchinHippos,Palestine(inv.St00.14).Theinteriorisdivided
intothreecompartments,oneofwhichcontainedaglassphialwith
tinyparticlesofbones(inv.G1008.01).PhotocourtesyofJolanta
Młynarczyk. 135
7.4 MarbleslaboverthetombofStPaulinSanPaulofuorile
Mura(Rome),withopeningsleadingtothesarcophagus.
DrawingbyMagdaRóżycka. 136
7.5 Stonereliquarywithanopeninginthelid,discoveredinthe
southernpastophoriumofthechurchinHippos,Palestine
(inv.St03.08).Whenfound,thestickwasstillstuckintheopening.
PhotocourtesyofJolantaMłynarczyk. 138
8.1 BoxwithstonesfromtheHolyLand(Vatican,Museo
Sacro61883ab).Photo©GovernatoratoSCV—DirezionedeiMusei. 148
8.2 Silvercasket,knownastheCapsellaofBrivio,withtherepresentation
oftheraisingofLazarusfromtheMuséeduLouvre.
Photo©RMN-GrandPalais(MuséeduLouvre)/GérardBlot. 151
8.3 CapsellaAfricana.Vatican,MuseoSacrodellaBibliotecaApostolica
(inv.no.60859).Photo©GovernatoratoSCV—DirezionedeiMusei. 152
8.4 SilvercasketwiththeCrossflankedbyPeterandPaul.
Photo©Toronto,RoyalOntarioMuseum. 153
11.1 InsideofthetombofthesaintsfromthechurchofrueMalaval
(Marseilles),withabronzepipethroughwhichoilwaspouredinto
thetomb.PhotocourtesyofManuelMoliner. 208
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