Agnes of Rome ( Agnes , Agnius , Anna ( lat. Agnes ); c. 291 years - mind 304 ) - the Christian martyr from Rome of the period of emperor Diocletian ; rejected the matchmaking of the son of a Roman prefect for the sake of the Christian faith; one of the most famous and revered early Christian saints.
| Agnes Roman | |
|---|---|
 Agnes with the coat of arms of Countess von Werdenberg (Master from Messkirch, c. 1531 ) | |
| Birth | OK. 291 |
| Death | 304 |
| Is revered | in christianity |
| In the face | martyrs |
| Day of Remembrance | in the Catholic Church on January 21 , in the Orthodox Church on January 21 and July 5 (according to the Julian calendar ) |
Artistically - symbolically depicted with a lamb - in honor of the Lamb of God ( lat. Agnus Dei ), that is, Christ [1] .
Content
Historical background and tradition
The most ancient sources of the martyrdom of St. Agnes are the eulogy of St. Ambrose of Mediolan ( De Virginibus , I, 2), the inscription of Pope Damasius I , carved in marble in the church of Sant'Annese-fuori-le-Moura , as well as poems by the poet Prudentia dedicated to Saint Agnes (everything is the second half of the 4th century). The life of Saint Agnes evolved gradually and absorbed elements of oral tradition.
According to legend, Agnes grew up in a noble Roman family that adopted Christianity. In the life of Agnes, it is said that the son of the Roman prefect Sempronius inflamed her with passion, but she rejected his matchmaking, because she decided to take a vow of celibacy and devote herself to a virtuous Christian life. The angry prefect at the interrogation found out that Agnes was a Christian, and since Christians were persecuted during this period by orders of the emperor Diocletian , he faced her with a choice: either she would sacrifice to the Roman gods or she would be sent to a brothel in disgrace. Since Agnes refused to honor the pagan gods, the prefect ordered her to be taken to a nude brothel. According to the life, when clothes were stripped from her, Agnes's hair miraculously grew back, so that she could close them. In captivity, an angel appeared to her - he brought the girl a light blanket. Miracles continued in the brothel: all the men who tried to rape the girl could not do this, because their carnal desires disappeared, and they left the brothel with shame. The unlucky bridegroom, who also visited Agnes, died approaching her, but the girl raised him with prayers at the request of his father. Agnes, as a sorceress, was thrown into the fire, but since the fire did not burn, one of the soldiers killed her with a blow of the sword.
The tradition dates the date of the martyrdom of Agnes to January 21, 304 . Agnes died at a young age (presumably she was about 12 years old).
Agnes was buried in the Roman catacombs , which now bear her name. The head of Saint Agnes is located in the crypt relic of the church of Sant Agnese in Agone .
Praise
Veneration of sv. Agnes originated in Rome in the 4th century, and soon spread throughout Western Europe. Above the catacombs, where the saint was buried, the daughter of Emperor Constantine the Great, Constance erected a temple in 342 , which was subsequently rebuilt in the basilica of Sant'Annese-fuori-le-Moura , which has survived to this day. Saint Agnes is dedicated to another Roman temple - Sant Agnese in Agone .
The name of sv. Agnes was included in the Roman canon of the Mass of the Latin rite and in the litany of all saints . Panegyrics of St. Ambrose of Mediolan , Augustine , Jerome , for whom Agnes was a symbol of spiritual purity. Since antiquity Agnes is considered the patroness of virgins.
Her memorial day is celebrated in the Catholic Church on January 21 (previously the memory of St. Agnes was also celebrated in the West on January 28 ), in the Orthodox Church on January 21 and July 5 (according to the Julian calendar ). St. Agnes is also revered in the Old Eastern churches , among Anglicans and Lutherans .
Iconography
Iconographic symbols of St. Agnes is a white lamb depicted on the hands or next to the saint, a palm branch. The Lamb is not in honor of her name , formed from the Greek. Ἁγνὴ; agne , "immaculate"; but in honor of Christ , whom John the Baptist called the “ Lamb of God ” ( lat. agnus Dei ) [1] . The saint is often depicted with long hair covering her body, as well as on a fire in the midst of a flame.
Martyrdom of St. Agnes was a popular plot among medieval artists; he was portrayed in his works by Andrea del Sarto , Giotto , Husse Ribera (Saint Inessa) and others.
Traditions
January 21, the feast day of Saint Agnes, in the Roman Basilica of Sant'Annese-fuori-le-Moura , a rite of blessing is performed for two lambs, from which wool will be made pallas for the metropolitans .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 Le langage secret de la Renaissance: le symbolisme caché de l'art italien / Richard Stemp. - National geographic France, 2012 .-- S. 109. - 224 p. - ISBN 9782822900003 .
Literature
- in Russian
- Catholic Encyclopedia . Franciscan Publishing House. M, 2002.
- Makarov A.I., Suslenkov V.E. Agniya, mts. Roman // Orthodox Encyclopedia . - M .: Church Scientific Center "Orthodox Encyclopedia" , 2000. - T. I. - S. 259-260. - 752 s. - 40,000 copies. - ISBN 5-89572-006-4 .
- Agness / Ovsienko F. G. // A - Questioning. - M .: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 2005. - P. 186. - ( Big Russian Encyclopedia : [in 35 vols.] / Ch. Ed. Yu. S. Osipov ; 2004—2017, vol. 1). - ISBN 5-85270-329-X .
- in other languages
- Johann Peter. St. Agnes of Rome // Catholic Encyclopedia . Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907.