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 ORIFLAMME

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ORIGEN

was sent by Thcodoric 1, King of the Goths, as ani- bivssador to the Koiiian gonorals .Etius and Litorius in 439 ("Vita f!. Oriontii" in "Acta SS.", I Mav, 61). The Commoniloriiim quotes classical poets — ^v'irgil, Ovid, Catullus — and is perhaps influenced by Pru- dentius. It exists in only one MS. (Cod. Ashbuni- ham. s;pc. X), and is followed by some shorter anony- mous i)oonis not by Orientius, and by two prayers in verse attributed to him. The first complete edition was published by Martcne, "Veterum Scriptoruin Monumenta", I (Rouen, 1700); then by Gallandi, "Bibliotheca veterum Patrum", X (Venice, 1774), 185-90, reprinted in "P. L.", LXI, 977-1006. The best modern edition is by Ellis in the "Corpus Scrip- torum Eecl. Latinorum", XVI (Vienna, 1888): "Poe- tic Christiani minores", I, 191-261.

Manitius. Gesch. d. Litt. d. Mittelalters im Abendlande, I (Leip- zig. 1SS9), 410—4; Fessler-Jcngmann, Institutiones Patrologia:, II, ii (Innsbruck, 1896), 374-6.

Adrian Fortescue.

Oriflamme. — In verses 309.'i-5 of the "Chanson de Roland" (eleventh century) the oriflamme is mentioned as a royal banner, called at first "Ro- maine" afterwards "Montjoie". According to the legend it was given to Charlemagne by the pope, but no historical text affords us any information with re- gard to this oriflamme, which is perhaps fabulous. As Eudes, who became king in 888, was Abbot of St. Martin, the banner of the church of St. Martin of Tours was the earliest military standard of the Prank- ish monarchy. It was a plain blue, a colour then as- signed in the liturgy to saints who were, like St. Mar- tin, confessors and pontiffs. The azure ground strewn with gold fleur-de-Us remained the symbol of royalty until the fourteenth century, when the white standard of Jeanne d'.\rc WTOught marvels, and by degrees the custom was introduced of depicting the fleur-de-lis on white ground. But from the time of Louis VI (1108-37) the banner of St. Martin was re- placed as ensign of war by the oriflamme of the Abbey of St. Denis, which floated about the tomb of St. Denis and was said to have been given to the abbey by Dagobert. It is supposed without any certainty that this was a piece of fiery red silk or sendal the field of which was covered with flames and stars of gold. The standard-bearer carried it either at the end of a staff or suspended from his neck. Until the twelfth century the standard-bearer was the Comte de Vexin, who, as "vowed" to St. Denis, was the temporal de- fender of the abbey. Louis VI the Fat, having ac- quired Vexin, became standard-bearer; as soon as war began, Louis VI received Communion at St. Denis and took the standard from the tomb of the saint to carry it to the combat. "Montjoie Saint Denis", cried the men-at-arms, even as in England they cried "Mont- joie Notre Dame" or " Montjoie Saint George". The word Montjoie (from Moris gaudii or Mons Jovis) des- ignates the heaps of stones along the roadside which served as mile-stones or as sign-posts, and which some- times became the meeting-places for warriors; it was applied to the oriflamme the sight of which was to guide the soldiers in the meUe. The descriptions of the oriflamme which have reached us in Guillaume le Breton (thirteenth cent.), in the "Chronicle of Flan- ders" (fourteenth cent.), in the" RegistraDelphinalia" (1456), and in the inventor}' of the treasury of St. Denis (1.5.36), show that to the primitive oriflamme there succeeded in the course of centuries newer ori- flamines which little resembled one another, .^t the battles of Poitiers (1356) and Agincourt (1415) the oriflamme fell into the hands of the English; it would seem that after the Hundred Years' War it was no longer borne on the battle-field. Galland, Dets anciennes enneigne^ ei Hendards de France (Paris, 1782); DrPEi, Retue dee aociittt eamnUs, 1 (1875), 153-5; Bau- dot, MorUjaie St. Denie in Rnue det Pyrentes, XIV (1902).

Georges Goyau.

Origen and Origenism. — I. Life and Work of Ori- gen. — A. Bioghai'H Y. — Origen, most modest of writers, hardly ever alludes to himself in his own works; but Eusebius has devoted to him almost the entire sixth book of "I'icclcsiiisiical History". lOusebius was thoroughly ac(iu;iiiil(Mi with the life of his hero; he had collected a huiidnvl of his letters; in colhiboration with the martyr l'iim|)hilus he had cuniposcd t,hc "Apol- ogy for Origen"; he dwelt at C;<'sarc:L where Origen's library was jireserved, and where his memory still lingered ; if at times he may be thought somewhat par- tial, he is undoubtedly well informed. We find some details also in the "Farewell Address" of St. Gregory Thaumaturgus to his master, in the controversies of St. Jerome and Rufinus, in St. Epiphanius (HiEres., LXIV), and in Photius (Biblioth. Cod. 118).

(1) Origen at Alexandria {IS:':- .'..'.'i -Horn in 185, Origen was barely seventeen wlim ;i lilniKiy persecu- tion of the Church of Alexaii(hi.-i I nuke out. His father Leonides, who admired his precocious genius and was charmed with his virtuous life, had given him an excellent literary education. When Leonides was cast into prison, Origen would fain have shared his lot, but being unable to carry out his resolution, as his mother had hidden his clothes, he wrote an ardent, enthusiastic letter to his father exhorting him to per- severe courageously. When Leoni'les had won the martyr's crown and his fortune had been confiscated by the imperial atithorities, the heroic child laboured to support himself, his mother, and his six younger brothers. This he successfully accomplished by be- coming a teacher, selling his manuscripts, and by the generous aid of a certain rich lady, who admired his talents. He assumed, of his own accord, the direction of the catechetical school, on the withdrawal of Clem- ent, and in the following year was confirmed in his office by the patriarch Demetrius (Eusebius, "Hist. eccl.", VI, ii; St. Jerome, "De viris illust.", liv). Origen's school, which was frequented by pagans, soon became a nursery of neophytes, confessors, and martyrs. Among the latter were Plutarch, Serenus Heraclides, Heron, another Serenus, and a female catechumen, Herais (Eusebius, "Hist, eccl.", VI, iv). He accompanied them to the scene of their victories encouraging them by his exhortations. There is noth- ing more touching than the picture Eusebius has drawn of Origen's youth, so studious, disinterested, austere and pure, ardent and zealous even to indiscre- tion (VI, iii and vi). Thrust thus at so early an age into the teacher's chair, he recognized the necessity of completing his education. Frequenting the philo- sophic schools, especially that of Ammonius Saccas, he devoted himself to a study of the jjliilosojihers, partic- ularly Plato and the Stoics. In this he w;is but follow- ing the example of his predcccsscirs Pantenus and Clement, and of Heracles, who w;is to succeed him. Afterwards when the latter shareil his labours in the catechetical .school, he learned Hebrew, ^nd commu- nicated frequently with certain Jews who helped him to solve his difficulties.

The course of his work at Alexandria was inter- rupted by five journeys. About 213, under Pope Zephyrinus and the emperor Caracalla, he desired "to see the very ancient Church of Rome", but he did not remain there long (Eusebius, "Hist, eccl.", VI, xiv). Shortly afterwards he was invited to Arabia by the governor who was desirous of meeting him (VI, xix). It was probably in 215 or 216 when the persecution of Caracalla was raging in Egypt that he visited Pales- tine, where Theoctistus of Ciesarea and Alexander of Jerusalem, invited him to preach though he was still a layman. Towards 218, it wo\ild appear, the empress Mamma;a, mother of Alexander Sf\'erus, lirnught him to Antioch (VI, xxi). Finally, at a nnich later period, under Pontian of Rome and Zebinus of Antioch (Eusebius, VI, xxiii), he journeyed into Greece, pass- ing through Caesarea where Theoctistus, Bishop of