Bauer, Stefan (2021) Who wrote the lives of the Popes? Permutations of a Renaissance myth. Catholic Historical Review, 107 (1). pp. 28-49. doi:10.1353/cat.2021.0001 ISSN 0008-8080.

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Abstract

Since the fifteenth century, scholars have wondered about the authorship of the anonymous series of papal biographies from St. Peter onwards, now known as the Liber pontificalis. Bartolomeo Platina (ca. 1421–81) and Onofrio Panvinio (1530–68) were responsible for the false notion that “Anastasius the Librarian” was the book’s principal author. This article reconsiders why the myth of Anastasius was created and how it was passed on. It rejects the thesis by Girolamo Arnaldi that Platina created this myth on purpose, with the intention of furthering his own career. Rather, Platina produced the myth more or less accidentally. Yet this myth proved so powerful that it was not completely dispelled until the late nineteenth century.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts > History
Journal or Publication Title:	Catholic Historical Review
Publisher:	Catholic University of America Press
ISSN:	0008-8080
Official Date:	6 March 2021
Dates:	Date Event 6 March 2021 Published 22 December 2020 Accepted
Volume:	107
Number:	1
Page Range:	pp. 28-49
DOI:	10.1353/cat.2021.0001
Status:	Peer Reviewed
Publication Status:	Published
Access rights to Published version:	Restricted or Subscription Access
Date of first compliant deposit:	7 January 2021
Related URLs:	Publisher

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