Reception and Rejection: Thecla and the Acts of Paul and Thecla in the Passions of Eugenia and Other Latin Texts

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Abstract

In this chapter, I compare the characterization of Thecla in the Latin translation of the Acts of Paul and Thecla (henceforth APT) and of Eugenia in two Latin versions of the Passion of Eugenia (BHL 2667 and 2666). As scholars have already noted, the two Passions of Eugenia differ remarkably: the references to the APT in the oldest version (BHL 2667, second half of the fifth century) are removed in the later rewriting (BHL 2666, sixth or seventh century). Based on earlier scholarship, I contextualize this rewriting as a signal of the wider tendency to use Thecla as a model of virtue, while the APT is rejected for its problematic canonicity; I do so by delving deeper into the wider Latin literature of the late antique and medieval periods. I then demonstrate the ways in which both Passions of Eugenia engage with the figure of Thecla as a model to imitate even as Eugenia surpasses her in terms of rhetoric.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationThecla and Medieval Sainthood
Subtitle of host publicationThe Acts of Paul and Thecla in Eastern and Western Hagiography
EditorsGhazzal Dabiri, Flavia Ruani
PublisherCambridge University Press
Chapter9
Pages256-281
Number of pages26
ISBN (Electronic)9781009008631
ISBN (Print)9781316519219
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2022

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