Presbyters Uniwersytet Warszawski
ID
ER 534
The Presbyters Ursicinus and Leopardus participate at the construction of the basilica of Gervasius and Protasius (or Titulus Vestinae, later San Vitale), and the Presbyters Leopardus and Paulinus are charged with the care for the basilica of St Agnes under Pope Innocent I (401-417). The account of the Liber Pontificalis (written in Rome), AD 530/546.
42. Innocentius: [...] Eodem tempore dedicavit basilicam sanctorum Gervasi et Protasi ex devotione cuiusdam inlustris feminae Vestinae, laborantibus presbiteris Ursicino et Leopardo et diacono Liviano. [...]
Hic constituit ut basilicam beatae Agnae martyris a presbiteris Leopardo et Paulino sollicitudini gubernari et tegi et ornari; eorum dispositione tituli suprascripti Vestinae presbiteris concessa potestas.
 
(ed. Duchesne 1886: 220.222)
 
 
42. Innocent: [...] At that time he dedicated the basilica of St Gervasius and Protasius, from the devotion of the illustrious woman Vestina, with the cooperation of the presbyters Ursicinus and Lepardus, and the deacon Livianus. [...]
He ordered that the basilica of St Agnes should be entrusted to the care of the presbyters Leopardus and Paulinus, who should also take care of its roof and embellishment; by their disposition the authority should be conceded to the presbyters of the aforementioned title of Vestina.
 
(trans. S. Adamiak)

Discussion:

The title of Vestina is the basilica of San Vitale. The "disposition" mentioned in the last sentence refers to the last disposition, i.e. the testament of the presbyters, or simply to the arrangements made for the time after their death concerning the care for the basilica of St Agnes.
These passages are not included in the Felician and Cononian abbreviations.

Place of event:

Region
  • Rome
City
  • Rome

About the source:

Title: Liber Pontificalis, The Book of Pontiffs, Gesta Pontificum Romanorum
Origin: Rome (Rome)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian
Liber Pontificalis is a major source for the history of the papacy in the first millenium. It is a collection of the lives of popes, starting from St Peter and kept going through to 870. Liber Pontificalis is prefaced by two apocryphical letters of Pope Damasus and Jerome, but it cannot be dated to that period. Although Mommsen tended to put the date of the actual compilation as late as the seventh century, nowadays Duchesne`s view is generally accepted that there were two editions made in the 530s-540s. The first, presumably completed soon after 530, has not survived as such, though we have two epitomes made from it (known as “Felician” and “Cononian” from the names of the popes at which they end). Duchesne tried to reconstruct it in his edition, but we follow the second edition presented by him, which was completed by the siege of Rome in 546. The work was then left aside for some time, and taken up again probably under Honorius (625-638) or shortly afterwards; hence the additions were written shortly after each pontiff`s death.
Liber starts to provide some more reliable information with the times of Pope Leo I (440-461), and becomes very well informed with the end of the fifth century. The lives of earlier popes cannot be considered as a valid source of information about their lifetime. However, those notices are a precious source for the sixth century: we learn what was considered an old tradition at the time, and how the past of the Roman church was being seen and constructed then. It is especially important when we deal with the liturgy.
Edition:
 Editions:
 L. Duchesne ed., Le `Liber Pontificalis`, vol. 1., Paris 1886.
 T. Mommsen ed., Liber Pontificalis pars prior, Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Gesta Pontificum Romanorum 1, Berlin 1898.
Translation:
 The Book of Pontiffs (Liber Pontificalis). The ancient biographies of the first ninety Roman bishops to AD 715, revised edition, translated with an introduction by R. Davis, Liverpool 2000.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Parish presbyter
Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος
Ecclesiastical administration - Construction/Renovation
Economic status and activity - Indication of wealth
Relation with - Another presbyter
Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior
Relation with - Woman
Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: S. Adamiak, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER534, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=534