CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, saint, martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, there exist two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical core. The name of C. does not appear in any known literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity. Some have wished to identify C. with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various recensions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain Western versions of the *Passio* but has not yet been systematically published or studied in its literary tradition. Among the texts published recently are the anonymous Genoese text (late 13th–early 14th c.) and the poem by Bonino Mombrizio (15th c.).
The *Conversio*, besides mentioning the royal origin of C., contains among other things the account of her mystical espousal with Christ, which took place in the presence of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the first night after her baptism, during a vision. The *Passio* contains the discourses of C. to Maxentius [Maximinus], emperor of Alexandria, and to the philosophers whom the latter had assembled; their conversion and their martyrdom by fire; the scourging and imprisonment of C.; the conversion of the empress; the breaking of the spiked wheel with which C. was to be tortured; and finally her death by beheading, which according to different recensions occurred on 24 or 25 November 305. The *Passio* ends with the account of the transport of C.’s body to Sinai by angels. The Alexandrian origin of this *Passio* is not certain, according to Fr. H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery in the Claramontano manuscript of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) (*Iot. Anderson*)SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, virgin and martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, there exist two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical nucleus. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of early Christian antiquity known to date. It has been proposed to identify C. with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various recensions and versions, is now well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the former, and its existence is attested by Fr H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) was made in the Claramontan manuscript (*J. Anderson*).
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its notice is certain according to Fr. H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical to BHL, 1657) was found in the Claramontano manuscript
(*Jot. Anderson*)
CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, Saint, Martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, there exist two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late, and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek a primitive historical core. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity known to date. Some have wished to identify C. with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its existence is confirmed by Fr. H. Delehaye. As for the date of its composition, the discovery of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) was found in the Claramontane manuscript (Jot. Anderson)SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, virgin and martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, two hagiographical texts exist: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical nucleus. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity known to date. It has been proposed to identify C. with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its existence is attested by Fr H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery in the Claramontane manuscript (Jot. Anderson) of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657)CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, Saint, Martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, there are two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late, and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical nucleus. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity known to date. It has been suggested that C. be identified with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its existence is confirmed by Fr H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery in the Claramontan manuscript of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) was made by J. Anderson.
SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, virgin and martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina, whence by apheresis Catherine or Katherine, who became so popular after the year 1000, there are two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, which are documented as late, and in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical nucleus. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity hitherto known. It has been proposed to identify C. with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, who was slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its notice is certain according to Fr. H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) was made in the Claramontan manuscript (Jot. Anderson)SAINT CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA, virgin and martyr. — Of this martyr, called *Auxatoelev*, Ecaterina, Accaterina (whence, by apheresis, Catherine or Katherine), who became so popular after the year 1000, there exist two hagiographical texts: the *Conversio* and the *Passio*, both documented as late, in which it would be difficult if not useless to seek an original historical nucleus. The name of C. does not appear in any literary or liturgical text of ancient Christianity known to date. Some have wished to identify her with the anonymous Alexandrian virgin who resisted the blandishments of Maximinus Daia (Eusebius, *Hist. eccl.*, VIII, 14-15), but this Christian was exiled, not put to death. Others have even thought of the celebrated Hypatia, slaughtered by fanatical Christians in March 415, but as is well known, she died a pagan.
The *Passio* of C., in its various redactions and versions, is now very well known (BHL, 1657-67, 1673; *supplementum* [1911], pp. 70-71; BHG, 30-32; BHO, 26); the same cannot be said of the *Conversio* (BHL, 1668-72, 1676-78; *supplementum*, p. 71), which is prefixed to certain versions of the same, and its existence is confirmed by Fr H. Delehaye. As for its date of composition, the discovery in the Claramontan manuscript of the index of a lost passionary containing the notice: *Passio Ecaterine virginiis* (perhaps identical with BHL, 1657) (Iot. Anderson)
Sul calare del sec. x, C. doveva essere particolarmente conosciuta, se non oggetto di culto, a Montecassino; infatti un calendario dell'abbazia ( 2ª metà del sec. x) la ricorda al 25 nov. (cod. CCXXX, cf. Bibliotheca Casinensis, IV: Florilegium [Montecassino 1880, p. 370]); un lezionario e un passionario del sec. xi (ibid., III, 1877, pp. 74, 184) contengono la sua Passio (BHL, 1658, 1662) e il monaco cassinese, Alfano, poi arcivescovo di Salerno (1058-86), compone in suo onore tre splendidi inni (PL 147, 1240-41). Anche in Francia il principale centro propulsore del culto della Santa è il monastero benedettino di La-Trinité-au-Mont, presso Rouen, dove tra il 1033 e il 1054 furono portate reliquie di C. che divennero presto conosciutissime per le loro virtù taumaturgiche (cf. Miracula in BHL, supplementum, p. 71). Col sec. xi il culto di C. incomincia a diventare popolare e l'inserzione della sua festa diventa sempre più frequente nei sacramentari, nei messali e nei breviari (dapprima in aggiunte; poi nel testo), come risulta dai cataloghi dell'Ebner (l'attuale orazione figura già in un Messale del sec. xir: p. 160) e del Leroquais. Col sec. xir, il culto di C. si può dire diffuso in tutta l'Europa. Non v'è città di qualche importanza o diocesi che non eriga chiese e oratori in suo onore, e talvolta la sua festa è preceduta da una vigilia (cf. Breviario di Beauvais del sec. xi, in V. JALABERT, LOUIS, Les bréviaires, III, p. 419). Il AUSILIATORI, SANTI (v.). L'Università di Parigi la volle per sua patrona, e oggi ancora è protettrice degli studenti, dei filosofi e delle giovani. Il Doyé enumera altre 70 categorie di persone che la invocano come loro patrona.
A. Pietro Frutaz
Iconografia. - I motivi iconografici caratteristici della Santa sono: la ruota spezzata con talvolta le punte contorte, messa lateralmente in basso o sollevata nella destra; il libro, segno della scienza; la corona per indicare l'origine regale; e inoltre gli episodi riferentisi allo sposalizio mistico, al martirio e al trasporto al Sinai.
In Oriente la rappresentazione di Ecaterina è molto frequente, anche in miniature; una delle più antiche è nel Menologio di Basilio II. In Occidente singolare documento iconografico di C. è un dittico del sec. xv e di autore locale nel museo di Esztergom, in Ungheria, con scene del mistico sposalizio. Nella
cappella reale di Granata (Spagna) in una tavola con le varie leggende medievali del Sinai nel basso è raffigurato anche il trasporto di C. Il ms. lat. 540 della biblioteca Nazionale di Parigi (sec. xv) ha interessanti miniature con scene della vita e l'albero genealogico della Santa.
In Italia, si ricordano inoltre a Roma un affresco del xiri sec. nella chiesa dei SS. Quattro Coronati; a Pisa nel museo Civico un polittico del sec.
xiri con storie della Santa ancora chiamata Ecaterina. Nello stesso museo è ora ricomposto l'altro polittico che Simone Martini dipinse nel 1320 per la chiesa pisana dedicata alla Santa, nel quale C. è raffigurata in uno dei pannelli laterali. Ugualmente appare in uno scomparto, oggi nella raccolta Kress a Nuova York, del polittico dipinto da Giusto de' Menabuoni nel 1363 per suor Isotta Terzaghi a Padova.
Le storie della disputa, della conversione dei dottori e dell'imperatrice, e del martirio furono di frequente soggetto di interi cicli pittorici. Stefano da Zevio le narrò nella cappella di S. Giorgio a Padova, Masolino in S. Clemente a Roma, Mattia Preti in S. Pietro a Maiella a Napoli, Guglielmo Borremans nell'oratorio di S. C. annesso alla chiesa di S. Francesco d'Assisi a Cosenza. Uno Sposalizio mistico del Correggio è al Louvre, un altro del Van Dyck è nel museo di Vienna, una scena del martirio è in un'incisione del Dürer.
Anche scultori la raffigurarono spesso, sempre con la ruota uncinata. Notevoli i bassorilievi della scuola di Tino da Camaino (sec. xiv) in S. Chiara di Napoli.
Giovanni Carandente
Folklore. - La Santa, conosciuta comunemente dal volgo col nome di «s. C. della ruota», per il più vistoso emblema tratto dagli strumenti
of her martyrdom, she enjoys a widespread popular cult. She is the protector of young girls and unmarried women in general, and it is to them that her feast is dedicated.
In some countries, as for example in France, girls used to celebrate this day with games and dances, during which they elected a “queen”; children awaited gifts of sweets and toys in a stocking or empty shoe, left out on the evening before, as for the Befana. In Valtellina, besides the traditional games, the “vampate,” bonfires lit in honor of the saint, are typical on the eve of the feast. In popular tradition, the day of St. C., around which some meteorological proverbs revolve, announces the beginning of winter and the Christmas season. From this day, in Emilia, among religious families, the recitation of Ave Marias begins, which must reach the number of one thousand by Christmas Eve. In Rome, as one reads in a famous sonnet by Belli, it was customary to remove the mats from the stairs, the light covers from the beds, and to begin lighting fires in the rooms, while from the mountains of Abruzzo the pifferari descended for the Christmas novena.
A reflection of the popularity of the cult of St. C. is offered by the numerous production of popular poems inspired by her legend, which in their details present notable divergences due to their popular nature, tending toward the fantastic. In Italy the oldest of these poems were composed in the north, in styles resembling the lauda. Noteworthy are: the anonymous Genoese of the 13th century, published by N. Lagomaggiore; a Veronese text from a 14th-century codex of the Marciana in Venice, by Mussafia; a Tuscan-Venetian-Lombard version of the legend in verse, by Ranier; another in Franco-Veronese, by Beuer; an Abruzzese composition by Buccio di Ranallo of Aquila (d. 1363) in the meter and tone of the giullare (14th century). Somewhat later are the “stories” in ottave, of which manuscripts and incunabula are known; noteworthy is incunabulum no. 1617 (O. VII, 26) of the Casanatense, and another attributed to a Johannes dictus Florentinus, in the Palatine collection of the National Library in Florence; a cantare in 110 ottave is preserved in ms. 2273 (parchment, 15th century) of the Angelica Library in Rome. Such “stories” continued to be printed for several centuries and spread through popular booklets. There are also songs still alive in the oral tradition of the people, which briefly recount the main episodes of the legend. The legend has also been treated dramatically on several occasions. A grand representation of 204 stanzas (1,632 verses) in the ancient meter of the lauda is preserved in codex I, II, 33 of the Communal Library of Siena (perhaps the laudario of the Compagnia di S. C. della notte): it is divided into three days and is “the only large-scale representation that Italian medieval theater produced in this form.” A representation in ottave was composed in Florence in the 15th century. — See Pl. LXIII.