Severinus as a socio-political leader in Noricum (5th century)

Abstract

The author presented the activities of St. Severinus of Noricum as a religious, social and political leader in the final period of the Western Roman Empire. The aim of the article is to present the importance of Severinus for the inhabitants of the Noricum province and to assess the source value of Eugipius's Vita Sancti Severini. The author used historical and source research methods. He analysed the messages of Eugipius and their interpretations in historiography. He discussed the circumstances of the creation of Seweryn's life, the author's profile and the state of preservation of the manuscript tradition. The article shows that Vita Sancti Severini is one of the most important sources on the history of the Danube border in the second half of the 5th century. The work contains numerous information about the political, social and religious situation during the collapse of the structures of the Roman state. Seweryn acted not only as an ascetic and organizer of monastic life, but also a mediator between the Roman population and barbarian chiefs, an organizer of aid for refugees and an initiator of activities to ensure the safety of residents. Its activities partially replaced the functions of the disappearing imperial administration. The analysis showed Seweryn as one of the most important social leaders of late antiquity in the Noricum area.