Poetry and the Cult of the Martyrs: The Liber Peristephanon of Prudentius. Recentiores: Later Latin Texts and Contexts.

Clean copy and without markings. - Prudentius� Peristephanon is a collection of martyr texts from a vital period for the growth of martyr cult in the West. Building on recent work on the cult of the saints and on the sacralization of space and time, Roberts demonstrates how the Peristephanon relates to developments in late fourth century spirituality. The author examines how Prudentius creates an idiom to express devotion to the martyrs, particularly in the structuring of narrative and the use of poetic language. Roberts concludes by demonstrating how Prudentius employs the model of martyr cult to articulate the status of Christian literature, the role of the bishop in the Christian community, and the symbolic status of Rome in the Christian West. / Contents Abbreviations Introduction Chapter 1. The Martyr in Time and Place Chapter 2. The Martyr Narrative: Between Heaven and Earth Chapter 3. The Road to Heaven Chapter 4. The Martyr as Bishop and Teacher Chapter 5. Poet and Pilgrim Conclusion: Sacred Space and Time and the Poetics of Martyrdom Bibliography Text Editions Used Index Index Locorum. ISBN 9780472104499