How Far Can Sainthood Go? St Martin of Tours in Two Hagiographical Epics of Late Antiquity

Abstract

Abstract Although recent research in particular has, under the significant influence of Peter Brown, given an increasing amount of attention to the phenomenon of the ‘holy man’ and ‘holy woman’ in late antiquity, the focus has been primarily on socio-historical aspects. The hagiographic epic of Latin late antiquity has so far been ignored in most investigations of hagiography. In order to explain the rich and as yet nearly unexplored dimension of this particular form of hagiographical discourse, this chapter illustrates two different concepts of holiness by analysing Paulinus of Périgueux (fifth century) and Venantius Fortunatus (sixth century), who both paraphrased the prose Vita Sancti Martini and Dialogi of Sulpicius Severus (fourth century) in hexametrical verse. In doing so, they represented their different theological world-views which are also analysed.