E01419: The short Life of *Gregory I ('the Great, bishop of Rome, ob. 604, S00838) in the Liber Pontificalis, written in Latin in Rome, probably early in the 7th c., mentions his enhancement of the tombs of the Apostles *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008), so that mass could be celebrated directly over their bodies; his dedication of the church of *Agatha, (virgin and martyr of Catania, S00794); and his burial at St Peter's, perhaps on 12 March; all in Rome.

Liber Pontificalis 66

Gregorius, natione Romanus, ex patre Gordiano, sedit ann. XIII mens. VI dies X.

'Gregory born in Rome, son of Gordianus, held the see 13 years 6 months 10 days.'

.....

Hic fecit beato Petro apostolo cyburium cum columnis suis IIII ex argento puro. Fecit autem vestem super corpus eius blattinio ex exornavit auro purissimo, pens. lib. C. Hic praecepit, ut super corpus beati Petri missas celebrarentur; item et in ecclesiam beati Pauli apostoli eadem fecit. Eodem tempore dedicavit ecclesia Gothorum, quae est in Subora, in nomine beatae Agathae martyris. Hic domum suam constituit monasterium. Qui mortuus est et sepultus in basilica beati Petri apostoli, .

'For the blessed Peter he provided a fine silver canopy [cyborium] with its four columns, provided a purple-dyed cloth to go above his body, and decorated it with the finest gold, weighing 100 lb; he brought it about that mass could be celebrated above the body of the blessed Peter. At the church of the blessed Paul the apostle he made the same arrangements. In the same period he dedicated the church of the Goths in the Subura in the name of the blessed Agatha the martyr. He established his own house as a monastery. He died and was buried in the basilica of the blessed Peter in front of the secretarium .'


Text: Duchesne 1886, 312. Translation: Davis 2010, 60, modified.

The passage in brackets, <>, is an interpolation, recorded in only some manuscripts of the Liber Pontificalis; it is uncertain when it was added to the text.