To understand European culture and society in the Middle ages it is
essential to understand the role of Christianity. And there is no
better way to understand that role than to study that
religion's greatest human heroes, the saints. For if medieval
Christians regarded God as their king, then the saints were the
Christian nobility, human members of the divine court. The purpose
of Soldiers of Christ: Saints and Saints' Lives from Late
Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages is to present some of the most
significant records of the lives of those people considered to be
saints. In exploring these works the reader will be presented with
rich evidence about the development of religion and society in
western Europe from the late Roman empire to the great changes that
transformed European society around the year 1000. Each text is
newly annotated and prefaced by the editors, and a general
introduction on saints and saints' lives makes this volume
ideal for students and general readers alike. Included are lives of
Martin of Tours, Augustine of Hippo, Germanus of Auxerre, Boniface
of Crediton, Strum, Willibrord, Benedict of Aniane, Leoba, Willehad
of Northumbria, and Gerald of Aurillac, as well as the Hodoeporicon
of Saint Willibald.
