Abstract

This article examines the ara coeli legend, a tale in which the Tiburtine Sibyl showed Emperor Augustus a vision of a virgin holding a child proclaiming the child’s greatness. Based on both texts and art works, mainly from the Holy Roman Empire, it argues that the legend owed its widespread popularity to the way in which it was grafted onto the fifteenth-century Marian cult. While flourishing in coexistence with the humanist reconsideration of the Sibylline heritage, this incorporation into popular belief ultimately led to the legend’s decline during the Reformation, as reformers and later Catholic theologians revised Mary’s role in the unfolding of Christian salvation. In the face of Protestant and post-Tridentine theology, the ara coeli legend thus subsided into religious irrelevance, giving way to political, mythological, and gendered interests in the Sibyls.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.