Euprepius of Verona
Encyclopedia
Saint Euprepius of Verona (Euprepus, Puprepis), is venerated as the first bishop of Verona. Not much is known of his life beyond the fact that his name was Greek
(from the Greek words eu, "well," and prepein, "adapted, suited"), which is considered evidence of the antiquity of the Veronese see.
According to the local tradition of Verona, he was one of the Seventy Disciples
mentioned in the Gospel of Luke
, but this is "entirely unsubstantiated." and his name does not appear among the seventy in the 2nd-century list compiled by Hippolytus of Rome. Local tradition states that Euprepius was bishop of Verona from 60 to 72 AD. Euprepius' death may have occurred at the end of the 1st century or beginning of the 2nd century.
The 9th century Versus de Verona
of Anno, Bishop of Verona, which discusses the period in which Verona was converted from paganism
to Christianity, states: Primum Verona predicavit Puprepis episcopus (v. 40). This work, also known as the Carmen Pipinianum, includes a description of Verona and its churches, and gives a list of the first eight bishops: Euprepius, Dimidrianus (Demetrianus), Simplicius, Proculus
, Saturninus, Lucilius (Lucillus, Lucius), Gricinus (Cricinus), and Zeno. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
, "the period of St. Euprepius, and therefore of the erection of the see, must be placed not before the peace given to the Church under Gallienus
(260), but rather under the first period of the reign of Diocletian
, when the Church enjoyed peace."
The reconstruction of the chronology of bishops from the altar cover from San Firmo e Rustico in Verona known as the Velo di Classe (which dates from the end of the 8th century or beginning of the 9th), places Euprepius first in the list of bishops of Verona. His feast day in the Martyrologium Romanum is August 21.
s, along with those of other Veronese bishop saints, were rediscovered in the pieve
of San Procolo. The relics were translated
to the ancient basilica of San Zeno
in 1806, where an inscription on the altar reads: Euprepio Veronae a Christi ann. LXXII praesuli primo. In the 16th century, Domenico Riccio
(Domenico Brusasorci) painted a series of portraits of the bishops of Verona, ranging from Euprepius to one of Cardinal Agostino Valerio for the Palazzo del Vescovado di Verona. Francis Turner Palgrave
remarked in the 19th century that "of course the greater number are imaginary, and therefore as uninteresting as possible; but the artist has given his subjects expression and variety."
In 1961 the Sacred Congregation of Rites
, in accordance with a proposal of the bishop of Verona, Giuseppe Carraro, joined the bishop saints of Verona under a single feast day (October 30), although Euprepius' separate feast day (August 21) was conserved due to the fact that he was the city's first bishop.
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
(from the Greek words eu, "well," and prepein, "adapted, suited"), which is considered evidence of the antiquity of the Veronese see.
According to the local tradition of Verona, he was one of the Seventy Disciples
Seventy Disciples
The seventy disciples or seventy-two disciples were early followers of Jesus mentioned in the Gospel of Luke . According to Luke, the only gospel in which they appear, Jesus appointed them and sent them out in pairs on a specific mission which is detailed in the text...
mentioned in the Gospel of Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
, but this is "entirely unsubstantiated." and his name does not appear among the seventy in the 2nd-century list compiled by Hippolytus of Rome. Local tradition states that Euprepius was bishop of Verona from 60 to 72 AD. Euprepius' death may have occurred at the end of the 1st century or beginning of the 2nd century.
The 9th century Versus de Verona
Versus de Verona
The Versus de Verona, also Carmen Pipinianum or Rhythmus Pipinianus , formed a medieval Latin poetic encomium on the city of Verona, composed during the Carolingian Renaissance, between 795 and 806. It was modelled on the Versum de Mediolano Civitate , which is preserved today only in a Veronese...
of Anno, Bishop of Verona, which discusses the period in which Verona was converted from paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
to Christianity, states: Primum Verona predicavit Puprepis episcopus (v. 40). This work, also known as the Carmen Pipinianum, includes a description of Verona and its churches, and gives a list of the first eight bishops: Euprepius, Dimidrianus (Demetrianus), Simplicius, Proculus
Proculus
Proculus was a Roman usurper, one of the "minor pretenders" according to Historia Augusta; he took the purple against Emperor Probus in 280....
, Saturninus, Lucilius (Lucillus, Lucius), Gricinus (Cricinus), and Zeno. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...
, "the period of St. Euprepius, and therefore of the erection of the see, must be placed not before the peace given to the Church under Gallienus
Gallienus
Gallienus was Roman Emperor with his father Valerian from 253 to 260, and alone from 260 to 268. He took control of the Empire at a time when it was undergoing great crisis...
(260), but rather under the first period of the reign of Diocletian
Diocletian
Diocletian |latinized]] upon his accession to Diocletian . c. 22 December 244 – 3 December 311), was a Roman Emperor from 284 to 305....
, when the Church enjoyed peace."
The reconstruction of the chronology of bishops from the altar cover from San Firmo e Rustico in Verona known as the Velo di Classe (which dates from the end of the 8th century or beginning of the 9th), places Euprepius first in the list of bishops of Verona. His feast day in the Martyrologium Romanum is August 21.
Veneration
Euprepius’ cult did not gain much popularity until the 14th century. In 1492, his relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s, along with those of other Veronese bishop saints, were rediscovered in the pieve
Pieve
In the Middle Ages, a pieve was a rural church with a baptistery, upon which other churches without baptisteries depended.The Italian word pieve is descended from Latin plebs which, after the expansion of Christianity in Italy, was applied to the community of baptized people...
of San Procolo. The relics were translated
Translation (relics)
In Christianity, the translation of relics is the removal of holy objects from one locality to another ; usually only the movement of the remains of the saint's body would be treated so formally, with secondary relics such as items of clothing treated with less ceremony...
to the ancient basilica of San Zeno
Basilica di San Zeno
The Basilica di San Zeno is a religious building of Verona, Northern Italy. Its fame rests partly on its architecture and partly upon the tradition that its crypt was the place of the marriage of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Together with the abbey which forms an annex, it is dedicated to St....
in 1806, where an inscription on the altar reads: Euprepio Veronae a Christi ann. LXXII praesuli primo. In the 16th century, Domenico Riccio
Domenico Riccio
Domenico Riccio was an Italian painter in a Mannerist style from Verona....
(Domenico Brusasorci) painted a series of portraits of the bishops of Verona, ranging from Euprepius to one of Cardinal Agostino Valerio for the Palazzo del Vescovado di Verona. Francis Turner Palgrave
Francis Turner Palgrave
Francis Turner Palgrave was a British critic and poet.He was born at Great Yarmouth, the eldest son of Sir Francis Palgrave, the historian and his wife Elizabeth Turner, daughter of the banker Dawson Turner. His brothers were William Gifford Palgrave, Inglis Palgrave and Reginald Palgrave...
remarked in the 19th century that "of course the greater number are imaginary, and therefore as uninteresting as possible; but the artist has given his subjects expression and variety."
In 1961 the Sacred Congregation of Rites
Sacred Congregation of Rites
The Sacred Congregation of Rites was a congregation of the Roman Curia, erected on January 22, 1588 by Pope Sixtus V and dissolved by Pope Paul VI on May 8, 1969....
, in accordance with a proposal of the bishop of Verona, Giuseppe Carraro, joined the bishop saints of Verona under a single feast day (October 30), although Euprepius' separate feast day (August 21) was conserved due to the fact that he was the city's first bishop.