Barbatus of Benevento

Barbatus (Latin "the bearded"; also Barbato, Barbas, St. Barbatus ; * around 602 or around 612; † February 19, 682 in Benevento ) was bishop of Benevento from 663 to 682 .

Life

Barbatus was born at the beginning of the 7th century as the son of simple parents in the village of Vandano (or Castelvenere) near Cerreto Sannita in Benevento. He became a clergyman as soon as he reached canonical age and was distinguished by knowledge, piety, and eloquence. For some time he worked as a pastor in St. Basil's Church in the small town of Morcone near Benevento. According to legend, in Morcone he was persecuted and slandered by his community and was finally called back to Benevento.

Many Lombards were already Arian Christians, but pagan customs were still widespread among them. In the life of St. Barbatus of Benevento it says:

“Although the Lombards had already received the water bath of holy baptism at that time, they still adhered to the old custom of paganism and bowed to the image of a serpent instead of, as they should have done, to their Creator. They also worshiped a tree that stood not far from the walls of Benevento as sacred: they hung a hide on it, then all rode together so that the horses bleed from the spurs, threw away in the middle of the run with javelins backwards towards the hide, and then each received a small portion of it for consumption. And this place is still called Vota today . As the barbatus saw, he preached to them incessantly [..]. But they did not listen to him, but in their wild sense they thought of nothing else than war and the game of arms and declared that the custom of their ancestors was the best, that was the most arguable, and that is why they spurned the divine word. "

The snake mentioned is said to have been an image of a two-headed snake made of bronze; an entire district of Benevento is said to have borne the name Vipera after this in the Middle Ages . The location Vota should be viewed as a prescription from Wotan ; the later scribe no longer understood the meaning of the original word.

According to legend, Barbatus is said to have prophesied a siege by the Emperor Konstans II . When that happened in 663, he promised his community the end of the siege if they gave up their superstitions. The emperor lifted the siege and withdrew. Duke Romuald is said to have vowed to abandon the old custom and his entourage followed suit. Barbatus, however, is said to have felled the tree by hand the following day.

Bishop Ildeprand had died during the siege and Barbatus was consecrated as his successor on March 10, 663. He achieved the incorporation of the vacant diocese of Sipontum ( Siponto ) and the Michael sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo on Monte Garganus into his diocese and intensified his missionary efforts. He is said to have played a decisive role in the conversion of the Lombards, their dux (Duke) Romuald I and his wife Theuderada.

In 680 he took part in the synod convened by Pope Agatho in Rome. He took part in the sixth ecumenical council in 680/681 (see also: Third Council of Constantinople ).

Barbatus died on February 19, 682 in his episcopal city of Benevento and was buried in the cathedral.

Adoration

Barbatus is venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches . He is considered the patron saint of the city of Benevento and the town of Castelvenere. His feast day is February 19th. In the iconography he is a tree felling or with a crosier shown.

literature

• Thomas Hodgkin: Italy and her Invaders. Volume VI, Oxford 1895, pp. 293–299 ( digitized version ) (partially outdated)
• Ludo Moritz Hartmann : History of Italy in the Middle Ages. Volume II, part 1, Wigand, Leipzig 1900, p. 256ff. ( Digitized version ) (partially outdated)

Remarks

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Hodgkin: Italy and her Invaders. Volume VI, pp. 293-299
2. ↑ ^{a b} kirchensite.de
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Barbatus, p . In: Johann E. Stadler , Franz Joseph Heim, Johann N. Ginal (eds.): Complete Lexicon of Saints ... , Volume 1 (A – D), B. Schmid'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Augsburg 1858, p.  385 -386 . - (also here )
4. ↑ ^{a b} quoted from Otto Abel (transl.), Alexander Heine (Hrsg.) In: Geschichte der Langobard - Paulus Diakonus und die Historschreiber der Langobard , first edition Berlin 1849, p. 248 f (digitized at Google Books)
5. ↑ Barbatus in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
6. ↑ Klaus Martin Reichenbacher: Florilegium Martyrologii Romanii

predecessor	Office	successor
Ildeprand	Bishop of Benevento 663–682	John