Liber Pontificalis

The Liber Pontificalis (Latin for Papal book ) is a chronologically ordered collection of biographies of popes.

The first edition of the Liber Pontificalis was built around 530 by a stranger the " Liberian Catalogue ", one to Liberius ( 352-366 ) reaching Pope directory, considerably increased and up to Felix III. ( 526-530 ) further led. The work is in part obtained in the Felicianischen and Kononischen catalog. In the latter the Pope story is continued until Conon († 687 ).

The Liber Pontificalis was since 5 / 6 Century out in a scriptorium in the Lateran. The first part, written by Anastasius Bibliothecarius, former antipope Anastasius III. (855), was completed in the 9th century and is almost entirely preserved. A Neuredaktion of the book began in the 12th century by Cardinal Boso. This was followed by incomplete sequels in the Annales Romani, as well as by Martinus Polonus and Bernardus Guidonis. The Liber Pontificalis as deeds of the Popes became the model for other gestae.

The Vitenschreibern were probably above lists from the Vestiarium of the Lateran, from which these foundations of the respective popes withdrawals since the prior vestiarii was responsible for the buildings in the patrimony.

The Liber Pontificalis is in the same hagiographic tradition as the Gesta Martyrum and provides information on the self- view of Christianity and the veneration of saints in late antiquity. From the beginning of the 8th century, the Lives of the Liber Pontificalis attended more individual traits; also began at the end of the 7th century, its reception history: The first known citation provides the Venerable Bede, who reported from the Life of Gregory II. This means that the Lives of the respective popes were written successively, and were constantly also published to date. The Liber Pontificalis was sent as a " semi-official " book by the Popes, so Leo III. 800-814 to Charlemagne.

The authoritative edition of Louis Duchesne (2 volumes 1886/92, Volume 3 edited by Cyrille Vogel 1957) therefore includes the later editors, additions and extensions of the Martinus Polonus to Martin V. († 1431).

Expenditure

• Theodor Mommsen (ed.): Gesta Romanorum Pontificum: Liber Pontificalis. Part 1 Hannover 1898 ( Monumenta Historica Germaniae, digitized )
• Louis Duchesne: Le Liber Pontificalis. Texts, introduction et commentaire. Band 1-2. Thorin, Paris 1886-92 ( Bibliothèque des Écoles Françaises d' Athènes et de Rome Sér 2, T. 3, 1-2. . ) (Full text Vol. 1), ( full text Vol. 2) (reprint: de Boccard, Paris 1955); Volume 3: Cyrille Vogel ( ed.): Additions et corrections de Mgr L. Duchesne, avec l' histoire du Liber Pontificalis depuis l' édition de L. Duchesne, et une bibliography of tables général. de Boccard, Paris 1957.

English Translation

• Raymond Davis: The Book of Pontiffs ( Liber Pontificalis ). The ancient biographies of the first ninety Roman bishops to AD 715 Revised 2nd edition. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool 2000, ISBN 0-85323-545-7 (Translated Texts for Historians 6).
• Raymond Davis: The Lives of Eighth - Century Popes ( Liber Pontificalis ). The Ancient Biographies of nine Popes from AD 715 to AD 817 Liverpool University Press, Liverpool 1992, ISBN 0-85323-018-8 (Translated Texts for Historians, 13).
• Raymond Davis: The Lives of the Ninth - Century Popes ( Liber Pontificalis ). The Ancient Biographies of ten Popes from A.D. 817-891. Liverpool University Press, Liverpool 1995, ISBN 0-85323-479-5 (Translated Texts for Historians, 20).