Tutorial 8 - Egeria's Pilgrimage Account

Question 1

When was Egeria alive and how do we know this?

Answer 1

Late 4th century AD (dated by mention of Roman Emperor Jovian 363 - 4)

Question 2

What nationality was Egeria?

Answer 2

West European Christian woman in the Latin West (Iberia / Gaul)

Question 3

What language did Egeria write in?

Answer 3

Literate - writes in Latin but uses it in basic form

Question 4

Who was Egeria writing for and why was she writing?

Answer 4

Writing for ‘ladies’ back home, a guide for them - possibility that she was a female monastic
Never mentions any hardships - journey is glorified and cherry picked
Travels / writes to validate her faith
Potentially unreliable due to her faith, as it warps her narration - “god blessed mountains” description is skewed

Question 5

What was Egeria writing about?

Answer 5

First half of the text narrates her ‘pilgrimage’, the second portion of the text is a detailed account of the liturgical services and observances of the church calendar in Jerusalem