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Crying Wolf: The Pope and the Lupercalia*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2010

Neil McLynn
Neil McLynn
Affiliation:
Corpus Christi College, [email protected]
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Extract

This article examines the Contra Andromachum, the open letter in which Gelasius of Rome (A.D. 492–496) condemned the continued involvement of members of the now Christian élite in the Lupercalia. It is suggested that the Pope's argument is less straightforward than has been supposed: the current status and recent history of the festival are left unclear, and the Pope's allegations about the motives of its sponsors are of dubious credibility. Of more significance is the public aspect of the festival, and in particular the opportunities it provided for those who organized it to advertise a connection with the heritage of Rome.

Keywords

ROMAN FESTIVALSLUPERCALIACHURCHPOPEGELASIUSANDROMACHUSAUGUSTINE
Type
Articles
Information
The Journal of Roman Studies , Volume 98 , November 2008 , pp. 161 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © Neil Mclynn 2008. Exclusive Licence to Publish: The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

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References

* Versions of this paper have been presented at Vancouver, Oxford, Edinburgh, Perugia and Florence, and it has benefited much from each outing. I am especially grateful for the advice offered by Alan Cameron, John North, Rita Lizzi Testa, and the Editorial Committee.