Mapping the Church and Asceticism in Ostrogothic Italy 493
(Lecce).70 Nevertheless, at the end of 4th century, centres such as Paulinus’
monasterium remained an isolated experience in central and southern Italy; but
between the 5th and 6th centuries this changed, as refugees arriving from aban
doned areas of the Roman Empire organized new monasteries in these regions.
Two of the three centres known from Naples in this period were built by
Bishop Severus (d. 409) and the refugee bishop Gaudiosus, who had escaped
from Vandal Africa in 439 along with Quodvultdeus, almost certainly the epon
ymous bishop of Carthage.71 We do not know very much about Gaudiosus’
monastery, although it may be the earliest example of a new urban monastic
foundation in Naples.72 Far more is known of the third monastic centre, whose
abbot, Eugippius (ca. 460–535), was a disciple of Saint Severinus (d. 482), the
Roman monkapostle of Noricum. A refugee like Gaudiosus, Eugippius was
among the Romans of Noricum Ripense who fled this province in 488 at the
request of Odovacer. Bringing his saintly master’s body with him, he laid it to
rest in a monastery that an illustris femina (Barbara or Barbaria) had founded
at Castrum Lucullanum (Pizzofalcone) near Naples. In this monastery interest
ing debates on Arianism, Augustine’s thought, and the ideals of monasticism
developed,73 so that the monastic experience at Castrum Lucullanum and the
literary activity of Eugippius (contemporary with the intellectual monastic
life of Vivarium and the activity of St Benedict) ended up moving the creative
monastic nucleus of the West from Lérins to central—southern Italy during
the 6th century.74 In fact Castrum Lucullanum probably served also as a pro
pulsive centre for the many monasteries that were built in the second half of
the 6th century in and around Naples. The letters of Gregory the Great are a
valuable source for some of their peculiar aspects, which included a high level
of culture, extensive possessions, and close ties with the local aristocracy.75
The monastery of Eugippius was similar to Fulgentius’ centre in Cagliari,
having been provided with a scriptorium,76 and became no less famous for
70 Paul. Nol., Carm. 17.85–88, ed. Hartel, p. 85; Otranto, Per una storia dell’Italia tardoantica,
pp. 369–73.
71 Vict. Vitens., Hist. pers. 1.15, ed. Lancel, pp. 103–4, with Amodio, “La componente africana”,
p. 33.
72 Fiaccadori, Il Cristianesimo, p. 164.
73 Eugippius was the author of a collection of Augustinian excerpts, the Life of Saint
Severinus of Noricum (511) and perhaps a regula mixta (described below). See Pricoco, “Il
monachesimo nell’età di Teoderico”, p. 407.
74 Pricoco, “Il monachesimo nell’età di Teoderico”, pp. 406–8.
75 Colantuono, “Note per una ricostruzione”, pp. 248–9.
76 On the relationship between monasticism and culture, or better monasticism and books:
Cavallo, “Dallo scriptorium”, pp. 331–52.