This article studies the role of the autobiographical element in confessional literature, particularly in St Patrick’s Confessio . After a general reflection on the function of autobiography in 5th-6th century confessions as subordinate to the praise of God, I analyse Patrick’s text, whose special situation – it was born as a self-defence before a court and later transformed into a confessional work – shows the link between the genus iudiciale and the confession/autobiography and allows to reflect on other aspects of the confessional genre, such as the ideas of the homo interior and self-knowledge, as paths to the love of God and neighbour, achieved by true devotion, which Patrick cultivates not only through his ministry and thanks to his designation as apostolus vocatus , successor of St Paul and the apostles; but also through the writing of his text.
University of Salamanca, Spain - ORCID: 0000-0002-8471-9797
Chapter Title
La Confessio di Patrizio d’Irlanda: il ruolo dell’elemento autobiografico nella letteratura confessionale tardoantica
Authors
Noelia Bernabeu Torreblanca
Language
Italian
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0676-1.20
Peer Reviewed
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Book Title
In aula ingenti memoriae meae. Forme di autobiografia nella letteratura tardolatina
Book Subtitle
Atti dell’International Workshop - Siena, 13 e 14 giugno 2024
Editors
Filomena Giannotti, Daniele Di Rienzo
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
240
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press, USiena Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0676-1
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0675-4
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0676-1
eISBN (epub)
979-12-215-0677-8
Series Title
Studi di Antichistica