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This book provides the first translation into English of the Latin biographies of nine holy men and one archangel who became the patron saints of the areas where they evangelized, documenting the conversion of pagan Roman Italy to Christianity at the dawn of the Middle Ages. These Lives or Passions recorded for early medieval audiences the difficulties their local patron saints encountered in promoting the new religion, and their sufferings at the hands of resistant pagans and Roman authorities – ordeals that qualified these saints as special protectors or guardians over their cities or regions. Full of tales of courage, torture, assistant angels, mischievous devils, dragons, and monsters, these earliest Lives also served as literary and devotional touchstones for later elaborations, medieval and modern, on the saints’ lives, careers, and cults. With a comprehensive introduction and historical commentary to each biography, this volume provides new evidence for understanding the transition from the ancient Roman world to the Middle Ages. In assessing the technical problems relating to the origin and date of composition of each text, the book also contributes to redeeming these valuable but neglected sources for the history of medieval Italy. It also discusses the historical and literary significance of these biographies within the contexts of hagiography as a literary genre and early medieval religious life.

Christian patron saints --- Christian saints --- Christian hagiography --- Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern) --- Cult --- History --- Catholic Church --- Italy --- Religious life and customs --- Church history --- Latin Christian literature, Medieval and modern --- Latin literature, Medieval and modern --- Hagiography, Christian --- Hagiography --- Saints --- Canonization --- Christian saints, Patron --- Patron Christian saints --- Patron saints --- Patron saints, Christian --- Church of Rome --- Roman Catholic Church --- Katholische Kirche --- Katolyt︠s︡ʹka t︠s︡erkva --- Römisch-Katholische Kirche --- Römische Kirche --- Ecclesia Catholica --- Eglise catholique --- Eglise catholique-romaine --- Katolicheskai︠a︡ t︠s︡erkovʹ --- Chiesa cattolica --- Iglesia Católica --- Kościół Katolicki --- Katolicki Kościół --- Kościół Rzymskokatolicki --- Nihon Katorikku Kyōkai --- Katholikē Ekklēsia --- Gereja Katolik --- Kenesiyah ha-Ḳatolit --- Kanisa Katoliki --- כנסיה הקתולית --- כנסייה הקתולית --- 가톨릭교 --- 천주교 --- Saints patrons chrétiens --- Saints chrétiens --- Hagiographie chrétienne --- Littérature chrétienne latine médiévale et moderne --- Biography --- Sources --- Early works to 1800 --- Biographies --- Ouvrages avant 1800 --- Culte --- Histoire --- Italie --- Vie religieuse --- Histoire religieuse --- Saints patrons chrétiens --- Saints chrétiens --- Hagiographie chrétienne --- Littérature chrétienne latine médiévale et moderne --- Repubblica italiana (1946- ) --- Italian Republic (1946- ) --- Włochy --- Regno d'Italia (1861-1946) --- Iṭalyah --- Italia --- Italien --- Italii︠a︡ --- Kgl. Italienische Regierung --- Königliche Italienische Regierung --- إيطاليا --- Īṭāliyā --- جمهورية الإيطالية --- Jumhūrīyah al-Īṭālīyah --- Італія --- Італьянская Рэспубліка --- Italʹi︠a︡nskai︠a︡ Rėspublika --- Италия --- Италианска република --- Italianska republika --- Ιταλία --- Ιταλική Δημοκρατία --- Italikē Dēmokratia --- 이탈리아 --- It'allia --- 이탈리아 공화국 --- It'allia Konghwaguk --- איטליה --- רפובליקה האיטלקית --- Republiḳah ha-Iṭalḳit --- Lýðveldið Ítalía --- Itālija --- Itālijas Republika --- Italijos Respublika --- Olaszország --- Olasz Köztársaság --- イタリア --- Itaria --- イタリア共和国 --- Itaria Kyōwakoku --- Italiya Respublikasi --- Италия Республикаси --- Italii︠a︡ Respublikasi --- Итальянская Республика --- Італійська Республіка --- Italiĭsʹka Respublika --- İtalya --- İtalya Cumhuriyeti --- איטאליע --- Iṭalye --- 意大利 --- Yidali --- 意大利共和国 --- Yidali Gongheguo --- Laško --- Sardinia (Italy) --- Early works to 1800. --- Італійська Республіка --- Christian patron saints - Italy - Biography - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Christian saints - Cult - Italy - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Christian hagiography - History - To 1500 - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Christian literature, Latin (Medieval and modern) - Italy - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Patrons --- Italy - Religious life and customs - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Italy - Church history - Sources - Early works to 1800 --- Italy - History - 476-1268 - Sources - Early works to 1800