Building Name

:

Cathédrale Saint-Caprais  

Location

:

Choir

Capital

:

1

Subject

:

Martyrdom of St. Caprais

Description

:

The first line of text is written on the face above the figures. The second line is written on the astragal. The text on the astragal forms a leonine hexameter.

Reference

:

Four scenes are depicted on this capital. Each one is summed up by an inscribed verb on the corbeille. It is very probably, as suggested by Barrère, that one sould figure (anima, or spiritus?), was represented above the last scene (celestia scandit). The older passio of St. Caprais is not before the ninth century. Most of the hagiography relates the martyrdom of Caprais in assocation with that of St. Foy. According to the sources, Caprais, fleeing the persecution of Diocletian, took refuge in a cave. Learning of the arrest of St. Foy, he presented himself before the judge, Dacien, who sent a donkey. In the vitae the same words, Dacianus, praecipit and milites are found. This capital, which includes only Caprais, draws from the same sources: Dacien signifies the arrest of the dead, a soldier executes the sentence, Caprais, through his martyrdom, reaches paradise. The epigraphist and the art historian are in agreement for dating this text to the beginning of the 12th century.

Corpus Ref.

:

vol. 6, Gers, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, 112-113