E04383: Gregory the Great writes the Dialogues, recounting miraculous stories with various local saints as their subject. Written in Latin in Rome, c. 593. Overview entry.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2017
Subjects: History

description: Gregory the Great, Dialogues<br><br>Summary and Description:<br><br>In the Dialogues, Gregory the Great records miraculous stories about a number of Italian saints. He presents these stories as a set of dialogues between himself and his student, Peter. Peter outlines the value of these stories in the prologue of Book 1:<br><br>In expositione quippe qualiter inuenienda atque tenenda sit uirtus agnoscitur, in narratione uero signorum cognoscimus inuenta ac retenta qualiter declaratur. Et sunt nonnulli quos ad amorem patriae caelestis plus exempla quam praedicamenta succendunt. Fit uero plerumque in audientis animo duplex adiutorium in exemplis patrum, quia et ad amorem uenturae uitae ex praecedentium conparatione accenditur, et iam si se esse aliquid aestimat, dum de aliis meliora cognouerit, humiliatur.<br><br> ‘An explanation of Scripture teaches us how to attain virtue and persevere in it, whereas a description of miracles shows us how this acquired virtue reveals itself in those who persevere in it. Then, too, the lives of the saints are often more effective than mere instruction for inspiring us to love heaven as our home. Hearing their example will generally be helpful in two ways. In the first place, as we compare ourselves with those who have gone before, we are filled with a longing for the future life; secondly, if we have too high an opinion of our own worth, it makes us humble to find that others have done better.’<br><br>Gregory then recounts several miraculous stories. In each case, he is careful to cite the source of the stories, hinting at a world in which these accounts were transmitted orally. Some of the stories refer to posthumous miracles brought about by the relics of well-known saints, including *Sebastian (martyr of Rome, S00400) and *Peter (the Apostle, S00036), described in $E04438 and $E04481. Gregory also describes saints appearing to devotees in miraculous visions ($E04507; $E04581; $E04587; $E04588; $E04597).<br><br>The majority of the stories, however, refer to the miracles which local saints effected. Most of these events took place within the saint’s own lifetime. The following saints are the subject of stories in the Dialogues: <br><br>*Honoratus (6th c. abbot and founder of Fondi, S01662) Dialogues 1.1 = $E04384.<br>*Libertinus (6th c. abbot of Fondi, S01708) Dialogues 1.2 = $E04428.<br>*Equitius (6th c. abbot in the province of Valeria, S01710) Dialogues 1.4 = $E04430.<br>*Constantius (6th c. sacristan of northern Italy, S01711) Dialogues 1.5 = $E04431.<br>*Marcellinus (6th c. bishop of Ancona, S01712) Dialogues 1.6 = $E04432<br>*Nonnosus (6th c. abbot of Mount Soracte, S01713) Dialogues 1.7 = $E04433.<br>*Anastasius (6th c. abbot of Suppentonia, S01714) Dialogues 1.8 = $E04436.<br>*Boniface (6th c. bishop of Ferentino, S01715) Dialogues 1.9 = $E04437.<br>*Fortunatus (6th c. bishop of Todi, S01716) Dialogues 1.10 = $E04438.<br>*Martyrius (6th c. monk of Valeria, S01717) Dialogues 1.11 = $E04440.<br>*Severus (6th c. priest of Antodoco, S01718) Dialogues 1.12 = $E04441.<br><br>*Benedict (monk of Nursia, ob. 547, S01727) Dialogues 2 = $E04450.<br>*Scholastica (nun of central Italy, ob. 543, S01728) Dialogues 2.33-34 = $E04455.<br><br>*John I (Bishop of Rome, ob. 526, S00308) Dialogues 3.2 = $E04459.<br>*Agapitus I (bishop of Rome, ob. 536, S00811) Dialogues 3.3 = $E04443.<br>*Datius (bishop of Milan, ob. 552, S00558), Dialogues 3.4 = E00846.<br>*Sabinus (bishop of Canosa, ob. 556, S01729) Dialogues 3.5 = $E04444.<br>*Cassius (bishop of Narni, ob. 558, S01730) Dialogues 3.6 = $E04460.<br>*Constantius (6th c. bishop of Aquino, S01731) Dialogues 3.8 = $E04462.<br>*Frigdianus, (bishop of Lucca, S01732) Dialogues 3.9 = $E04463.<br>*Sabinus (bishop of Piacenza, ob. 420, S01732) Dialogues 3.10 = $E04464.<br>*Cerbonius (bishop of Populonia, ob. c. 575, S01752) Dialogues 3.11 = $E04472.<br>*Fulgentius (6th c. bishop of Otricoli, S01753) Dialogues 3.12 = $E04473.<br>*Floridus (6th c. bishop of Perugia, S01754) Dialogues 3.13 = $E04475.<br>*Isaac, (6th c. abbot of Spoleto, S01755) Dialogues 3.14 = $E04476.<br>*Euthychius (6th c. abbot near Nursia, S01756) Dialogues 3.15 = $E04478.<br>*Florentius (6th c. monk of Nursia, S01757) Dialogues 3.15 = $E04479.<br>*Martin (6th c. hermit of Monte Massico, S01758) Dialogues 3.16 = $E04480.<br>*Benedict (6th c. hermit near Rome, S01759) Dialogues 3.18 = $E04482.<br>*Zeno (bishop of Verona, ob. 371, S01558) Dialogues 3.19 = $E04483.<br>*Stephen (6th c. priest of Valeria, S01760) Dialogues 3.20 = $E04484.<br>*Acontius (6th c. sacristan of Monte Preneste, S01761) Dialogues 3.23–4 = $E04485.<br>*Menas (6th c. hermit of Samnium, S01772) Dialogues 3.26 = $E04499.<br>*Hermengild (martyr and Visigothic prince, ob. 585, S01771) Dialogues 3.31 = $E04502.<br>*African confessors whose tongues were cut out by the Vandals (S01481) Dialogues 3.32 = $E07832<br>*Eleutherius (6th c. abbot of Spoleto, S01770) Dialogues 3.33 = $E04503.<br>*Amantius (6th c. priest of Tuscany, S01768) Dialogues 3.35 = $E04504.<br>*Maximian (bishop of Syracuse, ob. 594, S01769) Dialogues 3.36 = $E04505.<br>*Sanctulus (6th c. priest, S01767) Dialogues 3.37 = $E04506.<br><br>*Suranus (6th c. abbot of Sura, S01843) Dialogues 4.23 = $E04590.<br>*Paschasius (deacon of Rome, ob. 511/514, S01844) Dialogues 4.43 = $E04594.<br><br>Summary: Frances Trzeciak. Text: de Vogüé 1978. Translation: Zimmerman 1959.