Lexington Books
Pages: 192
Trim: 6½ x 9½
978-0-7391-2771-1 • Hardback • December 2008 • $120.00 • (£92.00)
John R. C. Martyn is associate professor and senior fellow in the School of Historical Studies at the University of Melbourne.
Part 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Summary of Leander's Life
Chapter 3 (a) The Latin Text
Chapter 4 (b) Historical Evidence
Chapter 5 (c) Leander's Literary Style
Chapter 6 (d) Dates for Leander and His Family
Part 7 Biography of Leander
Chapter 8 Biographical Note (Notitia)
Chapter 9 Isidore of Seville's Biography of Leander
Chapter 10 Isidore's Latin Poems
Chapter 11 The Life and Works of Leander
Part 12 On the Teaching of Nuns and Contempt for the Other World
Chapter 13 Introduction
Chapter 14 Chapter 1 Let laywomen be shunned
Chapter 15 Chapter 2 Let holy men be avoided
Chapter 16 Chapter 3 A nun should avoid young men
Chapter 17 Chapter 4 On abstinence
Chapter 18 Chapter 5 A nun must not talk to a man on her own
Chapter 19 Chapter 6 A nun must pray and read continually
Chapter 20 Chapter 7 Hebraic scriptures not to be read literally
Chapter 21 Chapter 8 On the degree of fasting
Chapter 22 Chapter 9 On the use of wine
Chapter 23 Chapter 10 How far should a nun bathe
Chapter 24 Chapter 11 Laughter, a sin for a nun
Chapter 25 Chapter 12 How should slaves be judged on becoming nuns
Chapter 26 Chapter 13 On the choice of an older nun with regard to individuals
Chapter 27 Chapter 14 A nun must be equable in poverty and in abundance
Chapter 28 Chapter 15 On the allowance and prohibition of meats
Chapter 29 Chapter 16 A nun must stay in the convent where she started
Chapter 30 Chapter 17 How may a private life be avoided
Chapter 31 Chapter 18 A nun must not have anything of her own in the convent
Chapter 32 Chapter 19 A nun must not swear an oath
Chapter 33 Chapter 20 A nun on her own should not talk with another nun alone
Chapter 34 Chapter 21 A nun must not want to return to the secular world
Part 35 Leander's Homily
Chapter 36 Homily in Praise of the Church (in eleven sections)
Chapter 37 An Epitaph for Saints Leander, Isidore, and Florentine
Part 38 Leander's Links with Pope Gregory
Chapter 39 Letters between Pope Gregory, Leander, and Reccared
Chapter 40 A Poem Praising Leander and Masona
Chapter 41 Addendum: Pope Gregory's Treatment of Nuns in Rome
In this welcome book, John Martyn does a great service to Early-Medievalists by rescuing Isidore of Seville's fascinating elder brother from the mists of obscurity. By highlighting the extraordinary lives of Leander and his saintly siblings, Martyn reminds us how much remains to be explored about this most exciting period in history. Martyn's intimate knowledge of the writings of Leander's contemporaries and of Classical Latin in general skilfully illuminate the nuances of Leander's writings.
— Pamela O'Neill, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, Australian Early Medieval Association
This volume provides a key, unusually early text about the way of life for religious women in the late antique and medieval periods. Martyn's translation is both elegant and accurate.
— Constant J. Mews, Monash University