The article analyzes the use of miracles as a means for creating a patron saint model in the Gallic hagiography of the IV—V centuries. The analysis of groups of miracles used by hagiographers in this context helps to understand on which topos of holiness the authors of the hagiography focused their attention. During the period under review, two trends in the formation of this model can be traced. The first is connected with the creation of the Latin features of the saint in the “Life of Martin of Tours” and focuses mainly on the fulfillment of social functions by the saint with the help of miraculous powers. The second, connected with the Southern Gallic tradition, focuses on the asceticism of the saint. The use of miracles here is limited and rather indirect. By the end of the fifth century, the first trend was further formalized in hagiographic literature. Miracles help the saint to successfully complete the work he has begun, placing the saint’s authority under divine protection.
For citation:
Babina A.A. Miracles as an element of the patron-saint model in the Gallic hagiography of the IV—V centuries, Ivanovo State University Bulletin, Series: Humanities, 2022, iss. 1, pp. 85—94.