The Monastic Rules of Visigothic Iberia - eTheses Repository ...

of converts who have lives so lowly in the secular world that they seek fame as a monk; 129 of
rich converts who decide quickly to return to the secular world and demand their wealth be
returned; 130 of entire families entering a monastery; 131 of old converts who simply want to be
well looked after. 132 The Common Rule suggests the true spectrum: “siue liberi siue serui
[...] diuites an pauperes, coniugati an uirgines, stulti an sapientes, inscii an artifices,
infantuli an senes”. 133 It seems also to have happened that runaway slaves requested entry to
escape their servitude. 134
Both the rule of Isidore and the Rule of Fructuosus seem to have been written in the
first instance for male communities, for there is no mention of female ascetics. However, in
each case it is extremely likely that both authors came into contact with female communities:
Isidore mentions them elsewhere 135 and his sister Florentina was a nun, whilst Fructuosus, if
his Life is to be believed, attracted female followers such as Benedicta, who in turn attracted a
following of some eighty nuns in the wilderness. 136 The Common Rule makes explicit
129 Rule of Isidore 19, “nam plerique proinde reclusi latere uolunt ut pateant; ut qui uiles erant aut
ignorantur foris positi sciantur adque honorentur inclusi”.
130 Common Rule 18, “Conperimus per minus cauta monasteria qui cum facultaticulis suis ingressi
sunt, postea tepefactos cum grande exprobatione repetere”.
131 Common Rule 6, “Cum uenerit quispiam cum uxore uel filiis paruulis id est infra septem annos,
placuit sanctae communi regulae ut tam parentes quam filii in potestatem se tradant abbatis”.
132 Common Rule 8, “Solent plerique nouicii senes uenire ad monasterium et multos ex his
cognoscimus necessitatis inbecillitate polliceri pactumnon ob religionis obtentum”.
133 Common Rule 4.
134 Rule of Isidore 20, “Abbati uel monacho monasterii seruum non liceat facere liberum”; Common
Rule 4, “Quod si seruui sunt non recipiantur, nisi libertatem a proprio domino prae manibus
adtulerint praesentendam”.
135 De ecclesiasticis officiis 2.16.17, “Simili quoque modo exstant et coenobia feminarum Deo sollicite
casteque seruientium, quae in habitaculis suis segregatae ac remotae a uiris quam longissime pia
tantum sanctitatis charitate iunguntur, et imitatione uirtutis”.
136 Life of Fructuosus 15.
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