Galla (wife of Eucherius)

Last updated
Galla
Bornc.380
Died420s
Notable workCorrespondent of Paulinus of Nola

Galla (c.380 - c.420s) was a late Roman woman who was a correspondent of Paulinus of Nola, and the wife of Eucherius of Lyon.

Biography

Whilst little is known about the life of Galla, she is a significant late Roman woman since Paulinus of Nola addressed Epistola 51 to her and her husband, making her one of the few late Roman women known by name. [1] This letter is also one of the last known to be written by Paulinus. [2]

Galla was married to Eucherius, who became bishop of Lyons in 434. [1] [3] They had two sons: Veranus and Salonius, who were born c.400. [4] [5] According to some sources, they also had two daughters, Consortia and Tullia. [6] Galla's date of birth is unknown, but it could have been c.380. [7]

After their sons were born, Eucherius suggested that they alter their way of life to become more holy, leading the family to become religious ascetics together. [8] [9] Galla and Eucherius' marriage evolved to run on ascetic principles, like other 'marriages of friendship' undertaken by other religious figures such as Paulinus and Therasia of Nola. [4] The Vita Sanctae Consortiae tells us that their religious conversion involved intense isolation. [4]

In the 420s monks from Lérins visited Paulinus and told him how Eucherius, Galla and their sons were living an ascetic and secluded life in the monastery there. [4] Both sons were later sent to visit Paulinus of Nola. [8] The family practised "unwealth" - where life was restricted to the minimum in order to support prayer and devotion. [10]

After the death of Galla, Eucherius retired to Lerins. [11] Since Epistola 51 was written in either 421 to 426, we can assume Galla died some time after then in the 420s. [2]

Related Research Articles

Monasticism, also called monachism or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially in the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican traditions as well as in other faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. In other religions, monasticism is criticized and not practiced, as in Islam and Zoroastrianism, or plays a marginal role, as in modern Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulinus of Nola</span> Christian bishop and saint

Paulinus of Nola born Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus, was a Roman poet, writer, and senator who attained the ranks of suffect consul and governor of Campania but – following the assassination of the emperor Gratian and under the influence of his Hispanic wife Therasia of Nola — abandoned his career, was baptized as a Christian, and probably after Therasia's death became bishop of Nola in Campania. While there, he wrote poems in honor of his predecessor Saint Felix and corresponded with other Christian leaders throughout the empire. He is credited with the introduction of bells to Christian worship and helped resolve the disputed election of Pope Boniface I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ausonius</span> Late Roman poet

Decimius Magnus Ausonius was a Roman poet and teacher of rhetoric from Burdigala, Aquitaine. For a time, he was tutor to the future Emperor Gratian, who afterwards bestowed the consulship on him. His best-known poems are Mosella, a description of the River Moselle, and Ephemeris, an account of a typical day in his life. His many other verses show his concern for his family, friends, teachers and circle of well-to-do acquaintances and his delight in the technical handling of meter.

Vincent of Lérins was a Gallic monk and author of early Christian writings. One example was the Commonitorium, c. 434, which offers guidance in the orthodox teaching of Christianity. Suspected of semi-Pelagianism, he opposed the Augustinian model of grace and was probably the recipient of Prosper of Aquitaine's Responsiones ad Capitula Objectionum Vincentianarum. His feast day is celebrated on 24 May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hilary of Arles</span> Bishop of Arles

Hilary of Arles, also known by his Latin name Hilarius, was a bishop of Arles in Southern France. He is recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, with his feast day celebrated on 5 May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian monasticism</span> A Christian religious way of life

Christian monasticism is a religious way of life of Christians who live ascetic and typically cloistered lives that are dedicated to Christian worship. It began to develop early in the history of the Christian Church, modeled upon scriptural examples and ideals, including those in the Old Testament. It has come to be regulated by religious rules and, in modern times, the Canon law of the respective Christian denominations that have forms of monastic living. Those living the monastic life are known by the generic terms monks (men) and nuns (women). The word monk originated from the Greek μοναχός, itself from μόνος meaning 'alone'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cassian</span> Christian monk and theologian

John Cassian, also known as John the Ascetic and John Cassian the Roman, was a Christian monk and theologian celebrated in both the Western and Eastern churches for his mystical writings. Cassian is noted for his role in bringing the ideas and practices of early Christian monasticism to the medieval West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theodosian dynasty</span> Roman imperial dynasty in Late Antiquity, r. 379–457

The Theodosian dynasty was a Roman imperial family that produced five Roman emperors during Late Antiquity, reigning over the Roman Empire from 379 to 457. The dynasty's patriarch was Theodosius the Elder, whose son Theodosius the Great was made Roman emperor in 379. Theodosius's two sons both became emperors, while his daughter married Constantius III, producing a daughter that became an empress and a son also became emperor. The dynasty of Theodosius married into, and reigned concurrently with, the ruling Valentinianic dynasty, and was succeeded by the Leonid dynasty with the accession of Leo the Great.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melania the Elder</span>

Melania the Elder, Latin Melania Maior was a Desert Mother who was an influential figure in the Christian ascetic movement that sprang up in the generation after the Emperor Constantine made Christianity a legal religion of the Roman Empire. She was a contemporary of, and well known to, Abba Macarius and other Desert Fathers in Egypt, Jerome, Augustine of Hippo, Paulinus of Nola, and Evagrius of Pontus, and she founded two religious communities on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. She stands out for the convent she founded for herself and the monastery she established in honour of Rufinus of Aquileia, which belongs to the earliest Christian communities, and because she promoted the asceticism which she, as a follower of Origen, considered indispensable for salvation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eucherius of Lyon</span> 5th-century Archbishop of Lyon (d. 449)

Eucherius was a high-born and high-ranking ecclesiastic in the Christian church in Roman Gaul. He is remembered for his letters advocating extreme self-abnegation. From 439, he served as Archbishop of Lyon, and Henry Wace ranked him "the most distinguished occupant of that see" after Irenaeus. He is venerated as a saint within the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church.

Salonius known as Salonius of Geneva was a confessor and bishop of the 5th century. He was a son of Eucherius of Lyon and Galla. He was educated at Lérins Abbey, first by Hilary of Arles, then by Salvianus and Vincent of Lérins. In 440, he was elected bishop of Geneva and, as such, took part in the Synod of Orange (441), the Synod of Vaison (442), and the Synod of Arles in 451. He has also been listed as the bishop of Genoa, but it is not clear if this was a later appointment or if the word Geneva was incorrectly written as Genova. He was an accomplished Latin ecclesiastical writer. Most notably, he composed mystical and allegorical interpretations of the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. His feast day is 28 September.

Gaul was an important early center of Latin Christianity during late antiquity and the Merovingian period. By the middle of the 3rd century, there were several churches organized in Roman Gaul, and soon after the cessation of persecution, the bishops of the Latin world assembled at Arles in AD 314. The Church of Gaul passed through three crises in the late Roman period, Arianism, Priscillianism and Pelagianism. Under Merovingian rule, a number of "Frankish synods" were held, marking a particularly Germanic development in the Western Church. A model for the following Frankish synods was set by Clovis I, who organized the First Council of Orléans (511).

Alison Isdale Beach is an American historian.

Therasia was a Christian aristocrat from Spain. Through her marriage to Paulinus of Nola, she encouraged his conversion to Christianity and was influential in the early church, co-writing epistles and co-patron of the cult of St Felix with her husband. She was St Augustine's first female correspondent and was praised by him for her holiness. Augustine gave Therasia and Paulinus the gift of a loaf of bread, potentially for use in the Eucharist.

Amanda was an aristocratic, religious woman in the late Antique period, known for her letter-exchanges; her dates of birth and death are unknown, but are possibly between the late fourth to the early fifth century.

Albina was a late Roman religious patron, correspondent of St Augustine and was the mother of Melania the Younger.

Anthusa of Mantinea, also called Anthusa the Confessor was an anchoress and abbess in Constantinople during the 8th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paulina (wife of Pammachius)</span> Late Roman aristocrat and philanthropist, who was the wife of Pammachius

Paulina was a late Roman aristocrat and philanthropist, who was the wife of Pammachius and the daughter of Paula of Rome. Letters of condolence were written at her death by Paulinus of Nola and Jerome.

Engelberga of Provence, Duchess of Aquitaine (877-917) was a 8th-9th century Bosonid noblewoman.

Guibert of Gembloux was a Benedictine monk who served as secretary to Hildegard of Bingen. He later became abbot of Gembloux Abbey in the province of Namur, Belgium.

References

  1. 1 2 Jones, A. H. M. (Arnold Hugh Martin), 1904-1970. (1971–1992). The prosopography of the later Roman Empire. Martindale, J. R. (John Robert),, Morris, John, 1913-1977. Cambridge [England]: University Press. p. 491. ISBN   0-521-20160-8. OCLC   125134.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. 1 2 Frend, W. H. C. (1969). "Paulinus of Nola and the Last Century of the Western Empire". Journal of Roman Studies. 59 (1/2): 1–11. doi:10.2307/299842. ISSN   0075-4358. JSTOR   299842. S2CID   162763716.
  3. ↑ "St. Eucherius of Lyon - Saints & Angels". Catholic Online. Retrieved 2020-06-22.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Beach, Alison I; Cochelin, Isabelle, eds. (2020). The Cambridge History of Medieval Monasticism in the Latin West. Cambridge Core. doi:10.1017/9781107323742. ISBN   9781108766760. S2CID   236305538 . Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  5. ↑ "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Eucherius (4th Century)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2020-05-20.
  6. ↑ Waarden, Joop van, “Eucherius of Lyon”, in: Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity Online, General Editor David G. Hunter, Paul J.J. van Geest, Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte. Consulted online on 22 June 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2589-7993_EECO_SIM_00001136
  7. ↑ Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature to the End of the Sixth Century A.D., with an Account of the Principal Sects and Heresies. Christian Classics Ethereal Library Archived 2005-02-19 at the Wayback Machine
  8. 1 2 Antelmy, Joseph (1726). Assertio pro unico S. Eucherio Lugdunensi episcopo. Auctore Jos. Antelmio,... Opus posthumum. Accedit concilium Regiense sub Rostagno metrop. Aquensi, anni MCCLXXXV. Nunc primo prodit integrum, & Notis illustratum operâ Car. Antelmii,... (in Latin). apud Ant. Claudium Briasson.
  9. ↑ Beach, Alison I.; Cochelin, Isabelle (2020-01-09). The Cambridge History of Medieval Monasticism in the Latin West. Cambridge University Press. p. 155. ISBN   978-1-108-77063-7.
  10. ↑ Cecconi, Giovanni Alberto; Lizzi Testa, Rita; Marcone, Arnaldo, eds. (2019). The Past as Present: Essays on Roman History in Honour of Guido Clemente. Studi e testi tardoantichi. Vol. 17. Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols Publishers. doi:10.1484/m.stta-eb.5.117753. ISBN   978-2-503-58524-6. S2CID   211588972.
  11. ↑ Cooper-Marsdin, A. C. (20 June 2013). The history of the islands of the Lerins : the monastery, saints and theologians of S. Honorat. Cambridge. p. 217. ISBN   978-1-107-61546-5. OCLC   828670716.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.