E06659: Aldhelm's verse On Virginity lists a range of saints as exemplary virgins, with some variations to the list found in the earlier prose version of the same treatise. Written in Latin in southern Britain, for the nuns at the monastery at Barking (south-east Britain), c. 675/710. Overview entry
Creators: name: Bsavill
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Aldhelm's verse On Virginity lists the following saints as exemplary virgins:<br><br>*Elijah (Old Testament prophet, S00217) - lines 248-82.<br>*Elisha (Old Testament prophet, S00239) - lines 283-97.<br>*Jeremiah (Old Testament prophet, S01421) - lines 298-322.<br>*Daniel (Old Testament prophet, S00727) - lines 323-66.<br>*Three Hebrew youths of the Old Testament Book of Daniel (S01198) - lines 367-90.<br>*John the Baptist (S00020) - lines 395-459.<br>*John (the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042) - lines 460-78.<br>*Paul (the Apostle, S00008) - lines 479-502.<br>*Luke (the Evangelist, S00442) - lines 503-23.<br>*Clement (bishop of Rome, martyr of the Crimea, S00111) - lines 524-38.<br>*Silvester (bishop of Rome, ob. 336, S00397) - lines 539-650.<br>*Ambrose (bishop of Milan, ob. 397, S00490) - lines 651-676.<br>*Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050) - lines 677-709.<br>*Gregory (bishop of Nazianzos, ob. 390, S00837) - lines 710-29.<br>*Basil (bishop of Caesarea, ob. 379, S00837) - lines 730-750.<br>*Anthony ('the Great', monk of Egypt, ob. 356, S00098) - lines 751-773.<br>*Paul (the first anchorite, S00089) - lines 774-96.<br>*Hilarion (anchorite in Palestine and Cyprus, ob. 371, S00099) - lines 797-826.<br>*John/Iohannes (of Lycopolis, monk of Egypt, ob. 395, S00102) - lines 827-41.<br>*Benedict (monk of Nursia, ob. 547, S01727) - lines 842-80.<br>*Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313) - lines 881-94.<br>*Narkissos (bishop of Jerusalem, S00148) - lines 895-970.<br>*Athanasius (bishop of Alexandria, ob. 373, S00294) - lines 971-1033.<br>*Babylas (bishop and martyr of Antioch, S00061) - lines 1034-70.<br>*Cosmas/Kosmas and Damianos (physician martyrs of Syria, S00385) - lines 1071-1122.<br>*Chrysanthus (martyr of Rome with his chaste wife Daria, S00306) - lines 1123-1250.<br>*Julianus/Ioulianos (martyr of Egypt and/or Antioch with his wife Basilissa, S01341) - lines 1251-1449.<br>*Amos/Amun (ascetic and monk of Nitria, S00419) - lines 1450-1503.<br>*Apollonius (ascetic and monastic leader in Egypt, 4th c., S02466) - lines 1504-1618.<br>*Jerome (Church Father, ob. 420, S00267) - lines 1619-52.<br><br>*Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) - lines 1673-1709.<br>*Caecilia (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00146) - lines 1710-35.<br>*Agatha (virgin and martyr of Catania, S00794) - lines 1736-78.<br>*Lucia (virgin and martyr of Syracuse, S00846) - lines 1789-41.<br>*Justina/Ioustina (virgin and martyr of Antioch, S01704) - lines 1842-82.<br>*Eugenia (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00401) - lines 1843-1924.<br>*Agnes (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00097) - lines 1924-74.<br>*Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092) - lines 1975-2008.<br>*Eulalia (virgin and martyr of Mérida, S00407; or perhaps of Barcelona, S02047) - lines 2009-2023.<br>*Scholastica (nun of central Italy, ob. c. 543, S01728) - lines 2024-50.<br>*Constantina (virgin daughter of Emperor Constantine, ob. 354, S02468) - lines 2051-2120.<br>*Eustochium (virgin daughter of Paula, follower of Jerome, ob. c. 420, S02487) - lines 2021-2161.<br>*Demetrias (virgin and aristocrat of Rome, 5th c., S02488) - lines 2162-93.<br>*Chione, Eirene and Agape (martyrs of Thessalonike, S00206) - lines 2194-2278.<br>*Rufina and Secunda (virgins and martyrs of Silva Candida, near Rome, S00814) - lines 2279-2349.<br>*Victoria and Anatolia (martyrs of Picenum (central Italy), S01406) - lines 2350-2445.<br><br><br>Among these saints, the following appear only in this verse version of On Virginity:<br>*Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313)<br>*Jerome (Church Father, ob. 420, S00267)<br><br><br>The following saints from the prose On Virginity are not included in this verse version:<br>*Thomas (the Apostle, S00199) <br>*Felix (bishop and martyr of Thibiuca, S02084)<br>*Malchus (monk of Maronia (Syria), ob. c. 380, S00463)<br>*Christina (martyr of Tyre and Bolsena (central Italy), S00907)<br>*Dorothea (virgin and martyr of Caesarea, S01898)<br>*Joseph (patriarch, S00277)<br>*David (king of Israel, S00269)<br>*Samson (judge of the Israelites, S02496)<br>*Abel (second son of Adam, S02497)<br>*Melchizedek (king and priest of Salem, S01783)<br>*Judith (S02498)<br><br><br>Text: Ehwald, 1919, 226-323 (prose), 350-471 (verse).