LIBER PONTIFICALIS LEAF Ref 407 bottom fragment verso

This is the bottom half of a leaf from a "Liber Pontificalis" that was produced certainly in Eastern Europe, and most probably in Germany, not later than the tenth-century.

 

A full description can be found attached to the picture of the complete leaf.

 

The size of this fragment is 156/146mm x 203mm (6 2/10 - 5 7/10ins. X 8ins.) and it includes the first part of a line (line 1) plus 12 complete lines.

 

POPE HORMISDAS: -

The text here is part of the biograpgy of Pope Hormisdas.

Born at Frosinone in Latium, Saint Hormisdas succeeded Saint Symmachus in 514 and died in 523. He is best remembered for the confession of faith called the Formula of Hormisdas, which was accepted in the East in 519 and thus ended the Monophysite schism of Acacius. His son, Saint Silverius became pope in 536.

 

TEXT: -

(Note: - the biography of Pope Symmachus ends in the last line of the verso of the top fragment so the biography of Pope Hormisdas starts in the first line of the text that is missing between the two fragments. ON THIS SIDE OF THE FRAGMENT THERE ARE ONLY EIGHT CHARACTERS THAT ARE IDENTIFIABLE. FORTUNATELY ALL ARE ON THE BOTTOM LINE AND ENABLE THE END OF THE TEXT TO BE DETERMINED.)

 

Hormisda, natione Campanus, ex patre Iusto, de ciuitate Frisinone, sedit ann.

VIIII d. XVII. Fuit autem temporibus regis Theodorici et Anastasii Aug., a

consulatu Senatoris (514) usque ad consulatum Symmachi et Boethi (522).

Hic conposuit clerum et psalmis erudiuit. Hic fecit basilicam in territorio

Albanense, in possessionem Mefontis. Eodem tempore ex constitutum

synodi misit in Grecias humanitatem ostendens sedis apostolicae, quia

Greci obligati erant sub uinculo anathematis propter Petrum Alexandrinum

et Acacium Constantinopolitanum episcopum. Sub Iohanne episcopo

Constantinopolitano, cum consilio regis Theodorici, direxit Ennodium

episcopum Ticinensem, et Fortunatum, episcopum Catinensem, et

Venantium, presbiterum urbis Romae, et Vitalem, diaconum sedis

apostolicae, et Hilarum, notarium sedis suprascriptae. Euntes ad

Anastasium Augustum, nihil egerunt. 3 Idem secundo misit Ennodium

ipsum et Peregrinum, episcopum Mesenense, portantes epistulas confortatorias

fidei et contestationes secretas numero XVIIII et textum libelli. In quo libello

noluit sentire Anastasius Augustus, quia et ipse in herese eutychiana communis erat.

 

(the eight identifiable characters are: -

anaSTasiuS Augustus, quia et IPSE)

 

POSSIBLE MODERN TRANSLATION: -

Hormisdas, by nationality a Campanian, son of Justus, from the town of Frisino/ occupied the see 9 years and 17 days. He was bishop in the time of Theodoric, the king, and Anastasius Augustus,- from the consulship of Senator (a.d. 514) to the consulship of Symmachus and Boethius (a.d. 522). He set the clergy in order and taught them from the Psalms. He built a basilica in the Alban district on the estate Mefontis.

By authority of his bishopric and by decree of a synod and in accordance with the clemency of the apostohc see he sent to Greece and reconciled the Greeks who had been in bondage of the anathema, because of Peter of Alexandria and Acacius of Constantinople, under John, bishop of Constantinople.

By advice of King Theodoric at Ravenna and by advice of the king he dispatched Ennodius, bishop of Ticinum and Fortunatus, bishop of Cathena, and Evantius, a priest of the city, and Vitalis, a deacon of the city.

They went to Anastasius Augustus and proposed that the Greeks should do penance according to the code and be reinstated but they effected nothing.

Likewise a second time Hormisdas sent Ennodius and Peregrinus, the bishops, and Pollio, a subdeacon of the city, and they carried with them secret letters and arguments for the faith, 19 in number, and the code of penance.

And Anastasius Augustus refused to accept their offer, because he, himself, believed in the heresy of Euthices.

 

 

 

Done