Albina (religious patron)

Albina (died c. AD 431) was a late Roman religious patron, correspondent of St Augustine and was the mother of Melania the Younger.[1]

Biography

Albina was born in Nola, possibly during the AD 360s based on the known date of birth of her daughter Melania in 383.[2] She was from a wealthy Roman family: her father was Ceionius Rufius Albinus and her brother was Rufius Antonius Agrypnius.[2] Her aunt was Avita, mother of Eunomia.[3] She married to Publicola and had a daughter who became the Christian Saint and Desert Mother, Melania the Younger.[4] Melania married her cousin Valerius Pinianus c.396.[2]

Albina went with Melania and Pinnanius to Campania and Sicily after Publicola's death prior to 408.[2] In c.410 the family moved to near Thagaste, where they stayed for seven years.[5] In c.417 Albina accompanied Melania to Palestine and remained there until her death fourteen years later, c.431.[2]

Religious Politics

It's clear from surviving correspondence that Albina was seen as an influential woman in her own right, beyond association with her daughter.[6]

Correspondence with Augustine of Hippo

Her most notable correspondence was with Augustine of Hippo, to whom she wrote over sixty-nine letters.[7] In his first letter to Albina, her daughter and son-in-law, Augustine regrets that he cannot travel to see them and misses their "vehement light".[5] It's clear that Albina is an important part of the religious network in the early fifth century, as she is mentioned in letters, such as Letter 125 from Augustine to Alypius.[8] Albina alone was addressed by Augustine in Letter 126, which reports on the aftermath of the incident at Thagaste, which is now known as the Pinian Affair.[9]

Pinian Affair

Albina was involved in an incident, whilst they were in Thagaste. Albina wrote to Augustine asking him to visit them, but he would not leave his church.[10] As a result, Albina, Melania and Pinnianus travelled to him. Once there, the congregation demanded that Pinnianus be ordained and the congregation became frenzied. Augustine threatened that he would leave as bishop. The episode shows how volatile communities could be.[7]

Pelagian Heresy

Augustine wrote addressed the letter refuting Pelagianism to Albina and her family.[11] Historian Peter Brown suggested that one of the reasons Augustine delayed attacking Pelagius until c.415 was because of the closeness of Albina and her family with him.[12]

Friendship with Paulinus of Nola

Albina was discussed by Paulinus of Nola, in Poem 21, dating to c.407.[13] He describes her as a leader of "the column of the singing chorus" with her aunt, Avita, and his wife Therasia.[3]

Correspondence with Jerome

Jerome dedicated his book De Gratia Christi et de Peccato Originali to her, Melania and Pinianus.[2] He also wrote to Augustine and Aypius in 419 in Letter 202,[14][2] discussing various church matters and sending greetings to the leader from Albina.[15]

References
  1. van Oort, J.; Mandouze, Andre (1909). "Prosopographie chretienne du Bas-Empire. I: Prosopographie de l'Afrique chretienne (303-533)". Vigiliae Christianae. 45 (3): 51. doi:10.2307/1584460. ISSN 0042-6032. JSTOR 1584460.
  2. Jones, A. H. M. (Arnold Hugh Martin), 1904-1970. (1971–1992). The prosopography of the later Roman Empire. Martindale, J. R. (John Robert),, Morris, John, 1913-1977. Cambridge [England]: University Press. p. 33. ISBN 0-521-20160-8. OCLC 125134.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Walsh, P G (1975). The Poems of St Paulinus of Nola. New Yorks: Newman Press. p. 181.
  4. "CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: St. Melania (The Younger)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  5. Melania : early Christianity through the life of one family. Chin, Catherine M., 1972-, Schroeder, Caroline T., 1971-. Oakland, California. 2016-10-25. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-520-96563-8. OCLC 948670853.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. Stark, Judith Chelius (2010-11-01). Feminist Interpretations of Augustine. Penn State Press. ISBN 978-0-271-04690-7.
  7. Wills, Garry (1999). "Augustine's Hippo: Power Relations (410-417)". Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. 7 (1): 98–119. ISSN 0095-5809. JSTOR 20163743.
  8. "CHURCH FATHERS: Letter 125 (St. Augustine)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  9. Chelius Stark, Judith (2010). Feminist Interpretations of Augustine. Penn State Pres. p. 192.
  10. Wills, Garry (1999). "Augustine's Hippo: Power Relations (410-417)". Arion: A Journal of Humanities and the Classics. 7 (1): 99. ISSN 0095-5809. JSTOR 20163743.
  11. Sparrow-Simpson, W. J. (William John) (1919). The letters of St. Augustine. PIMS - University of Toronto. London : Society for promoting Christian knowledge ; New York : Macmillan. p. 275.
  12. Chelius Stark, Judith (2010). Feminist Interpretations of Augustine. Penn State press. p. 207.
  13. Roberts, Michael (2010). "Rhetoric and the "natalicia" of Paulinus of Nola". Quaderni Urbinati di Cultura Classica. 95 (2): 65. ISSN 0033-4987. JSTOR 25747184.
  14. "CHURCH FATHERS: Letter 202 (Augustine) or 143 (Jerome)". www.newadvent.org. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
  15. Sparrow-Simpson, W. J. (William John) (1919). The letters of St. Augustine. PIMS - University of Toronto. London : Society for promoting Christian knowledge ; New York : Macmillan. p. 250.
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