Ambrose and his martyrs: propagating the blood and the culture
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| Year of publication | 2021 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | The paper aims at presenting the relic policy of the most illustrious bishop of Milan, Ambrose (374-397), and the consolidation of his power through the development of this new phenomenon of cult of saints and their relics and its cultural framing. As is noticeable from multiple kinds of evidence - literary, epigraphic, architectural, pictorial - the relics of blood of Milanese martyrs Gervasius and Protasius spread more than any other relics at the end of the fourth century, especially in North Italy and in Gallia. The sacred bond between the martyrs, the communities possessing their relics and Milan further enhanced the eminent position of the Imperial residence and its role of one of the Christian capitals. |