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 CHAPTER 5

-pjvencja as Persecution in Ninth-Century

C6rdoba

Keneth Bamer Iff

enge faced by Christian dhimmis living under Muslim rule was

(o participate in a pluralistic society dominated by Islam witl'iout
Inising tlieir own religious identity. But wliat constituted sucli a
a was not set in stone; it varied from Clu-istian to Cliristian,
g on how the various allegiances tliat governed liis or her life
(irit.l Differences of opinion of tliis subject could be tlie sorirce
'derable friction. One of the best and most vividly captured
es of a community divided over precisely tliis issue is to be foiu'id
oba in the mid-ninth century. Tlianks to tlie writings of tlie
Eulogiris, we are in an unusually good position to appreciate it in
complexity.

the most elabcirateversionof tliis kind cif apliroacli to identity in religinusly pluralistic
in Medieval Eumpe, see:Brian Catlcis,MusLimsof MertievaZLatiyi Christendom,
j6M(Cambridge: Cainbridge University Press,2015), 508-515.

. Wolf (Z)
College, Claremont, CA, USA
akbwl4747@pomona.edu

Author(s) 2019 145

. Abate (ed.), Convivencia and Medievd Spaitt, Mediterranean
' https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-96481-25
 147
146 t<. t<.uicn.p (:OMVwENC.IA AS PERSECUTION IN ntn'rn-cpnruxyc(nuronh

Eulogius was a self-appointed apologist for wliat we I]Ow refer t@ ,1(<nlal'l')" among the faithful-even (heaven
forbid!)
priests-who,
"C6rdoban martyrs' movement,"2 involving son"ie four dozen 3§aic4 to rashly re+'nove thegloryofthese confessors, thatthey
demand
executedfor religious offensesagainst Islam betweentlie )7earS851
yeceived in the cataloguesof thesaints,
asserting
thatamartyrdomof
859. Eulogius began liis Mewtoricde sanctorum3 in tlie summer o[
pind is unusual and profane.Clearly110violence
onthepartof the
a' co+npelled the+'n to renounce their faith or separatedthemfi'Ol]]
after the first inodest wave of Cliristians was executed for
Muhammad. Six or seven years later, wlien tlie number of
yorsliip of the holyandpiousreligion.Insteadthey were killedoffering
to this danger of their own free will on account of tl'ieir pride-
had risen to more tlian 40, lie produced tlie Liber apoLogeticu.i
as they say,is the "begituting of everysin"-;ind thustheybeca+ne
E)ulogius wrote tliese hvo works partly to record the details oftliese pf tlieir own souls."
tions for liturgical prirposes. As far as lie was concerned, tliese "
deserved to be celebrated evei-y bit as nuicli as tlie original Cliristian nately for our purposes, Eulogius did not stop here, but pro-
tyrs who suffered under Rome more tlian l'ialf a millennium before, ( lay bare tlie reasoning tliat led liis opponents to this
not every Cliristian in C6rdoba saw it this way, and so Eulogius felt
pelled to defend tliese new "martyrs" from tliose of tl"ieir ' a
who saw them as boat rockers, unnecessarily incurring tlie wratl-l believe this can be demonstrated on the basisof evangelical precepts,
Mtslim authorities against the Cliristian connnunity as a wliole. ' to it is said:"Love yorir enemies,blessThemwho hate you,
which
none of tlie Clyistians representing tliis more moderate, "acco pra)t for those WIIO are persecuting and slandering you, so that you

tionist" point of view left bel'iind any writings tliat capture it, tlie l ' be sons of your Father, who is in heaven." [Matthew 5:44'l5] And
tlieir position is easy to reconstruct from Eulogius' works. Tbe tliree
"Do violence to no inan; nor com+nit slander." [Lulce 3:14] And
arguments advanced against treating tlie executed Cliristians as
- the Lord, "wlien he was reviled, reviled not. When he suffered, he
not: but delivered l'iimself to tlie judge who judged him unjustly."
the atycietqt Roman type were, first of all, tliat the executions were
Peter 2:23] Moreover, they argue the same point on the basisof the
marlced by any iniraculous signs; second, tliat tlie executed "
[Paul]: "Revilers sliall not possess the IGngdom of God." [I
not died at the hands of pagans; and tliird, tliat tlie Cliristians of 6:10]"
were not subject to any persecution. It is tl'ie tliird of tliese criti a
absence of a persecution-tliat is, tlie focus of this cliapter
is a significant disconnect between the stated objection-that is,
because it slieds SO I]'lLlCl] liglit 011 tlie differences of opinion uiitliin
Eulogius' martyrs "offered tlieinselves to this danger of their 01vl] free
cot'nmunity as to what it ineant to be a Cl'iristian living in a Muslim
-and the biblical passagesgarnered in its support. Far from challeng-
The argument that tlie C6rdoban "inartyrs" were not really
the martyrs for their excessive volition, tliese passageswere aimedat
lack of a persecution is captured twice in Eulogiris' writings, eacli
' militancy. Simply put, tlie "violence" of tlieir unprovoked denuncia-
a prelude to one of liis extended rebuttals. Tliis chapter is
of Muliammad was inconsistent witli Jesus' admonitions against hat-
accordingly, eacli lialf dedicated to one of Eulogius' responses.
slandering, reviling, and tlireatening one's enemies. It is easy to
Tlie first time Eulogius stated tlie "no persecution" argument, lie a how attractive sucli passages would be for Christians who were
tliis way:
inclined to accept tlie trials of dhimmi life and treat them as a fonn
daily ascesis tliat would ultimately lead to benefits in heaven.
" Two accessiLileciverviews of the inartyrs of C6rdoba.ire: Kenneth Bayter Wcilf,
Eulogius' first reaction to tliis argument was to in"ipugn his opponents'
Mattyyas iyr Mi.rslim Spain (Cainbridge, Cambridge University Press, 1988) and
bility as exegetes:
Coope, TheMartyrsofCorttoba.' Communi3iayxdFamilliConjlictin an.%eofMctss
(Linccil+i, Nebraska: University cif Nel'iraslca Press, 1995 ).
' Eulogius, Memoriale saitctrnayim, in Ctnlius Scriptorum hfvzarabictnaum [liereafter
ed. Juan Gil, 2 VolS. Ccinsejo Supericir de Investigaciones Cientificas (Madrid: "Eulo:us, Memoriale sanctorum 1.18, Gil, CSM 2:382.
Antonici de Nebrija, 1973) 2:366-459. "Ibid.
'Eulogius, Liber apr%cticus martyiaum, Gil, CSM 2:475-495.
 c(jxcinh 149
148 K B. WOLF CoNVIVENCIA AS l)ERSECUTION IN NINTH-CENTURY

in a sensible obtaining the salvation oftheir souls with prayers and entreaties in the
Theyarenot content to understandthe with
scriptures
O( G Od . l(l
interpreting them instead in accordance
dence thlLllsd"'lg
on thesurfaceof the words that seeins co'nes'ilstepilietawstlilteh'
simply,in tlie Christian ina+lner, I]O[ the "love" that properly governed the martyrs' relations
They donotuse[thescriptures] ess
it, releasethem frot'n the
they explore theexcellence l)Ymeansof [the efforts of)
of theirmea+ii+ig (lleir executioners did not, as Eulogius saw
more erudite." OIIIYtliing
' of liatingIslamandactivelydenouncing it: "Tlie abuse
he contended, "was that wliicli inflicted
]threatened,"
is to say, tlie
Asclear asit was toEulogius tliat this approach to scripture Wa8 that which impugned his tremendous
majesty; that

behadahardtimearticulatixig tlie criteria tliat led liim to tliis CO us prophecy of that most vain and lost
little man (homwculi),"

have tlieir enemies and tlieir

Thebottom lineforhimseet'ns to t+een tliat liis OppOllellts That is hovtr, despite tlieir "love" for

detracting fromthe "g{oryof the COurageOtlS[martyrsl wlio, ' 'on not to "revile" tliose XVIIO reviled tliem, tlie martyrs
could,

doubt, are already in tlie presence

faith, "rise up against those who [were] jealous
of God, armed,
'lee of
b'allllel'
victory,"andtherefore tliey simplyofli'ahde'tlo'bengvi:rroan'sg".18g lo the Psalmist, 'witli a perfect hate"' [Psalm 138:22]. This
Islam (that
Muchmoreinterestingis Eulogius' subsequent atteinpt to r ' between the Muslim (WIIO could be saved) and
tl'ie tables on liis
thevery passages thatliisopponents usedagainst liis l]]artyrS-the which lte had to be saved) allowed Eulogius to lurn
disavow even
: compared to his martyrs, tliey were too qriick to
Taking a page
ssaugcletsaabwoalyl'alsoVto"lsghool'ulye'hsoeinveli11ils'ensiaail'ltydrpsa'hsas'dveil%fea1c1
tliem.
ixi CO{lCert "perfect" kind of bate in the name of non-violence.
as a form
Arnobius, Eulogius thus cast the passivity of liis opponents
to spare tlie
mercy," analogous to I(ing Saul's ill-fated decision
These verysaints ... innowayturned awaitfi'om upholding the ;iforem
king after God specifically ordered him to destroy
tliat entire

tioned dictates. Loving their eneinieson aCCOLlntof GO('l and , [I Samuel15:9] "Who can doribt that wl'iat liappened
to Saril will

withtheirsalvation lestthey)+edetained any longer in this plal'tie)o+rci(nuthp and does

to him, who spareslieresiarclis or preacliers of falseliood
impiety, theydidnotstop challe+iging them, doing good to those whol
hated Christ.9 slay them with the sword of the faith?"
scriptural
Eulogius would provide liis reader witli plenty of
tliat no Christian sliould
of for "tliose who of his own in support of his contention
The "good" that they did out tlieir "love" focus on tliis
be chary of defending tlie faith. I liave cliosen to
par-

than their willingness to sacrifice tlieir lives in

Christ"wasnone other subset of his exegesisprecisely becariseit SIIOWS liim
trying to beat
ness to the truth of Cl'iristianity witli an eye to jolting tlieir tliat would seem
into seeuig tlie liglit ai-id converting. opponents at their own game: taking those passages
and mal6ng tliem
support a more passiveapproach to one's enemies
role ofa "bound-
[executionersl lucre I)y for his martyrs. B!IXdoing so, Eulogius assumed tlie
[The mart)trs] seemed to instruct their fienziec'l timeless scripture
of theirOWIIblood than by the words of tl'ieir teaching, SO keeper," claiming the right as a priest to interpret
shedding lived.
oncethevanit)tof superstitionliad been left beliind, thosewlio strive liad fi'e a g to the specific liistorical setting within wliich liis floclc
souls," baldly
quently andincessantly insulted tlie inembersof the cl'nirchcould was very clear about tliis dimension of liis "cure of
as the
onlyto believe in Christ but to fight to the death for his sake, without
at tlie beginningof the Mewtoriaje sctvxctovumtliat to'lust you.""
of preaching falls 011 us, so tlie need to listen pertains

' Ibid.
Ibid.
oThomas Sizgorich, BeliefiviLateAyitiqiu;5i:MiLitantDeiiotzon
Violenceand in

of Pennsylvania Press, 2009), p. 26. "Eulogius,Memririalesanctorymi 1.4, Gil, CSM 2:372. Joli+i Clirlisostom inade similar
avid
Islam University
(Philadelphia:
'Eulogius,Memorialcsayzctorum 1.20, CSM 2:383.
Gil, Violeizceavid Belief, p. 26.
a Sizgorich,
150 151
icn.wcn.p C:ONVwHNCIA ASPERSE(:UTION c(nu'tonh
INNINTH-CENTuRY
Unfortunately for Eulogius, lie was not tl'ie OIIIY priest in C61 ) [eSpOl]Se is one passages
of the t'nostrevealing in the
clearly not all of them were on tlie same page. Remember Eulogius' snvtctorum.
"Tliere are many among the faitliful-even (lieaven forbid!) '
rejected liis martyrs. As priests tliey would have felt oL+liged to do saythis]donotthinlc
[tbe OlleS wllO ofchurches,
oftltedestruction
wliat Eulogius was doing wlien faced ivitli sometliing as unusual andthefactthatwepayamonthly
clirected at priests, tributewith
spontaneoris, public demuiciations of Muhammad; tl'iey ... Whoainongall thepersecutors
(:o+istituting "troribles."

scoured the Bible for passages tliat justified tlieir opinions about
'ardS'p attaclcedthe churchascruellyasthisabominable
faithful'alsias one>
Hence tlie string of "evangelical precepts" tliat Eulogius ascribed
lias lieaped up sotnuch in subversion asthis
ofCatholics ill-omened
other priests before reinterpreting tliem for liis own purposes, And NOOlleofus [clerg)tp]
enlqlae)ut.wltaelk;eec,uerenCiilt0tlsAeleirsn:i.l:s
Eulogius' concern tliat lie was losing the battle
of tlie C6rdoban Cliristians to fellow clerics wliom lie described ;3't
for tlie "lqearts and
'f',:K;e'ci'lwolioe"neev'Thelraythe
needforanyordinary compels
thing ustogo
ing tlieir interpretations
and reciting
011 tlie tips of tlieir tongues,

tliem in tlie foruin,

displaying,
in tlie streets, among tlie people,
*inepfourbu:c prelecsess'sllegs
isno'tllliee
foro' odfololluer"hcut'ls,e(%hses'
of Ollr sacredorder,witli a shout ofderision
othuef
tllhsefyonloletiac
asifmad-
tlteyattack,
tlie markets."'2 Or fools. Thisis not to mention thedailytnockery 011thepartofthe
Riglit after Eulogius accused tlie otlier priests of falling into tl-ie for whoi'n it is not enoughto inflictverbal.abuse andheap up
"false mercy," lie stepped back and captured for a second time tlieiy [exarnples] of scurrility; they do not cease frompelting uswith
that tliere was no persecution in C6rdoba. froin beind. Wl'+yshoulci I mention whattheydoasaninsult tothe
sign! For when the appropriate timeforsingling psal+ns compels
They say that these ones ouglit not to lie regarded as inart>trs because to give a signalto the faithful, andthehourdetnands thatwemake
thecrowdsofpeople,
the
were not violently dragged to +nartyrciom but instead, going forth of indication of pra')tertO tlie people, enticed
owi'i free will, they hurled insults on tliose uilio had not caused them they are by lying superstition, try to detect theclang ofreverberating
troubles." and do not liesitate to exercise their tongues in everycurse and
' .Therefore not unfairly are the)icursed,WIIOinform theirfollowers
SO mucli liate aimed at God'sportion.Weare often-incfeed inces-
Oiice again tl'ie lieart of this criticism is that tliese "martyrs" by them and everywhere we endurettteir ferocit5t on
their executions "of tlieir own fi'ee will," >iet tlie en"ipliasis in tliis of religion. Many of them judgeus rinwortbyto touch
less the unacceptably liigli level of volition
theirgar-
011 or militancy than on and abhor our coming close to them.Theydeetnit pollution
of a persecutory
if we
context. Eulogiris' wording, wihicli conflates in any of their af&rs."
"dragged to martyrdom" uiitli being subject to unspecified "tro
strategic. Tlie juxtaposition of tliese two working definitions of Eulogius identifiesparticular
tliree "troubles"facedby dhimmi
tion" made it easier for Eulogius to ignore the one and focus on tlie "tlie desmiction tlie tauntsdirected
of cl'iurclies, at priests,
It was clear to anyone-including Eulogiris-tliat no one in C6rdoba tlie fact tliat we pay a monthly tribute"-addinga fourth-curses
being "dragged to martyrdom"; on tlie otlier liand it was equally ' at tlie sound of bells-ii"i medias res.It tutnsout tliat eacliof
tliat Cliristian life in Muslim "troubles" can be traced to a legalrestriction
C6rdoba came with its sliare of "tro imposed on the
troubles tliat, depending on yorir perspective, felt like persecution or a ' by virtue of tlieir status as 4himmis, thatis,asmembers of a
anotlier day in tlie plaza. of the Book" residing witliin tlie r)ar at-Islamandsubject to the
of a capitulation agreement or dhimnct. I wantto cottsiderthem
one at a time.

'Eulog'us, MeynoiaiaLesanctoruyn 1.19, Gil, CSM 2:383.

"'Eulogius, Memnrialesanctorum 1.21, Gil, CSM 2:385-386. Eulogius, Meynorialcsctnctorum 1.21, Gil, CSM 2:386.
152 I(. 13. WOLF 153
,,ou+xzyhut:uhsppupcuar+ontnnts'rn-cpn'ruayc0xonh

Tlie easiest of tliese forir "troubles" to contextualize in tliis alliat Eulogius wasaware of theprinciples atplay here isclear
"montlily tribute," a referenceto tlie liead tax or jizycth thH1 last part of hiscomplaint, where hecontends tliatanumber of
Cliristians were expected to pay as a symbol of tlieir political gffected l)y this edictwere, in fact,churches wltoseconstruc-
tion to Islam. That Eulogiris sliorild elevate tlie jizyah to a "trO tlie conquest, that is, thosetliat had "beenerected in the
corildjustify n"iartyrdom is not as strange as it miglit seem, given by tlie zeal and inctustry of [our] fathers, moretlyanthree
l'iyperbolic reactions to post-Conqriest taxation on tlie part o[ y(3(s liaving passed sincethedaysof theirconstruction."
Christians in the East.l5 But clearly tliis was not liow Eulogiu3' I-egard tO A4uslims cursing when thebells tolled, this,too,had its
saw it. I suspect that if asked they would liave said tliey were c0 tlie riniversal proscriptions placed all subject Christians. Theper-
dering unto Caesar tl'ie tliings tliat were Caesals" as long a5 of tlie Pact of Umar reads: "We [Christians] sballuseonly
allowed to "render unto God the things tliat were God's" [Mark in OLlr cliurcliesverysoftly."'8 Clearly,in mid-ninth-century
Tlie context for tlie "destruction of cl'uirclies" is less obvious sucli restrictionsWerel]Ot beingenforced, leading individual
glance, but its provenance becomes clearer wlien considered al 1@ take mattersinto theirOWIIhands, ritualisticallyprotecting
later reference in tlie Memoria[e sattctorum, one tliat reCOtllltS from tlie intrusiveness of the Christian sut'nmons. Incidentally,
emir Muhammad I, wl'io caine to power in tlie fall of 852, a reaction tO tlie ringing of tlie bellshadits Christian counter-
tlie spontaneous "martyrdoms" tliat }iad plagued tlie final montlis liis Liber apo[ogeticus martyrum,Eulogius teminisced abouthis
predecessols reign. According to Eulogius, the new emir: wlio, upon liearing the Musliin call to prayer, would"imme-
a his foreliead with tlie sign of tlie cross"andrecite aportion
orderecf churclies of inore recent construction to be destro)red, and 82; "O God, WIIO sliall be liketo tliee? holdnotthypeace, nei-
n"ianded that whatever stooc'l out iri the way of new constructio+i iil B( thou still, O God.For lo, thy enemies havetnadeanoise:andthey
c)i+rches-[that is,] anytffing that haci been added to tlieir original tliee have lifted up tlie liead."19 Eulogiuswentonto admitthat
nires during the tiine of the Ai'abs, be dismantled.'6 liad reCOtlrSe to tlie san'ie kind of ritual, though in liiscase it
praying-"Save ris, Lord, from the evil that wehave heard,IIOW
Tliis decision on tlie part of tlie emir to destroy clirirclies of all eternity" -and tlien recitinga versefromPsalm 96:"Let them
recent construction" instantly brings to mind tlie Pact of Umar, tliat adore graven tliings, and that glory in their idols.
tion of wl'iicli reads: "We [Cliristians] shall not build, in our citi liim, all you liis angels." Like grandfather, likegrandson.
their neighborhood, new monasteries, churches, convents, or connection behveen tlie "taunts directedat priests" andthelegal
cells, nor shall we repair, by day or by night, such of them as fall in aOllS placed on dhimmis is lessdirect, but no less significant.
The
or are situated in tlie qriarters of tlie Muslims."'7 Presumably a Umar proliibited Cliristians from "manifest[ing] [their]religion
140 years sittce tlie Muslim conquest of Spain, sucli restrictions 011 or convert[ing] anyone to it."2oAt the sametime, it insisted that
building aiid repair liad not been consistently enforced in C6rdo not dress like A4uslims, tlius inadvertently legislatinga kindof
that gave Mulian-unad I sometliing dramatic lie could do to get the 'c manifestation== of Cliristianity in tlie form of clearly identifiable
of

not
154 I(. B. wobp 0ouvrvEA"czahspbaspcunon+nxm'rn-cpn'rtrxyc(mnorra 155

liard to imagine liow a priest's mere presence in tl"ie plaza miglll ' priest thought hecoulddo sosafely if hisinterlocutors agreed
to
some "taruiting," maybe even tl'ie occasional projeciile. But it 5Bspension of tliis prohibition suggests tliat thiswasnot the
set the stage for more elaborate forms of excbange, as is cle31- tliat such a "gentlemen's agreement"hadbeennegotiated. In
Eulogius' accorint of tlie events leading up to tlie execution of a ' encounter witli tlie Muslims presupposesan environment
priest named Perfectus. One day, wliile running an errand in " it was not unusual for Christians and Muslims to engagein
Perfectus was "confronted witli the inquiries of certain gentiles debates, borind by mutually understood rulesof engagement,
Catliolic faitli, bidding liim offer, in tlieir presence,testimony aborit a 't and explicit. Thougl'i it was in Eulogius' rlietoricalinterests
and tlie propliet Muhammad."21 Perfectus complied uiitli tlieir tlie kind of taruiting, it is important to keep in mind that
sliare liis views about Clirist, but demurred when it came to of interactions were part of a larger spectrum of exchanges
views about Muhammad: "I do not dare say IIOW yorir propliet is 'ble by the visibility of priests, who "manifested their religion"
among tlie Catliolics, because witliout a doubt wliat I say will svo a they stepped forth in puL+lic.
causing you grave anxiet)t."22 0nly wlien the Muslims agreed to a point of considering the specific context for eachof theseforir
truce," allowing Perfectus to speak liis inind without fear of is, Ol'l tlie one liand, to appreciate l]Ow Eulogius managed to
did he sliare liis tliougl'its about A4uliammad, launcliing into an ' resembling a persecution out of tlie official restrictions
blistering diatribe against tliis "false propliet." Tliougli taken aback whicli Andalusian dhimmis hadbeenoperating for 140 years.With
ferocit5y of tlie attack, tl'ie A4uslims respected tlie agreement in mind, l"iecliallenged his readers to look at their circumstances
Perfectus go Oil liis way. Oi'ily later, wlien tliey ran into liim again, did eyes, to appreciate the "reality" of that unrelenting, insidious,
denounce him before a judge. What is notewortliy aborit P "persecution" tliat liad come to be so cleverly disguised as daily
exchange with tlie A4uslims is tlie unmistakable signs of its routine -nintli-century C6rdoba. In tlie process, lie relied on a number
To begin witli, Perfectus SIIOWS 110 sign of surprise wlien asked to of liand. For one thing, lie never bothered to point out that,
thoughts on sucli a loaded subject. Botl'i lie and the A4usliins would autliorities consistently enforced the laws governing dhimmi
to be acknowledging liis riglit as a priest to spealc about Cliristianity , tliere worild have been 110 "destruction of churches" nor any
impruiity. At tlie san-ie time, botli parties knew tl"iat lie, as a a and obscenities" directed at tlie sound of bells, sit'nply because
proliibited froin priblic expressions of disrespect toward M would have been 110 illegal cluirclies to tear down or bell ringing to
Moreover, Eulogius obscured the fact tliat Muhammad's sudden
of tlie 4hjmma was a reaction to tlie actions of l'iis martyrs,
"'Eulc+gius, MemoriaLe sa'm:torum 2.1.2, Gil, CSM 2:398. A monlc +iamed
precipitating factor leading to them. Froin Eulogiris' perspective as
into a similar sitriation soine five years later: "A+ier lie liad re+noveci liiinself frciin the
istratit+n tiF justice aiid was cultivating the leisure cif tlie incniastery in peace, lie
-appointed boundary keeper, tliis fudging of tlie facts was justified
rounded by tlie ifeceit and liate of certain pagans aiid was accused liefore tlie ' the circumstances. His cliurcli was under siege and its dozing mem-
mocking their pmpliet, claiming liiin to be tlie aritlicir of vanity acid a leader cif tlie had to be rallied to its defense.
and tvas reproaclied for l'iis professicin of the divinity of tlie So+'i of Gcid aiid fcir the other liand, tl'iis contextualization of tlie four "troubles" allows
tliat llo one was more powerful tlian tliis ciiie." Eulogius, Meynorialc sanctorum 3.1
deeper appreciation of Eulogius' imagined audience-the more
CSM 2:455-456.
' Janina Satran explains tlie legal Liasis for Andalusian pluralisin tliis way: "
Cliristians-and tlie way tliey looked at their relationship with
tlie general principles cif tlie 'ccwenant," Peoples of tlie Book' wlio aclcnnwledged surroru'iding world. Thougli Eulogius only devotes a few lines to rec-
rule, paid a Poll tax, and obeyed certain restrictions were free to practice tlieir a' ' this perspective, tlie imn'iense an'iount of energy that lie expended
live according tci tlieir commu+ial laws. Here we see they were fiee to salt, ' ter it can only be explained by tlie near universality of its appeal.
your propliet, Irut Jesus or Mcises is ours.' Tliey cciuld not, liowever, deny the trutli
bottom line is that tlie vast majority of the C6rdoban Christians who
siiabada. .... He wllO insults tlie Pmplxt vicilates tlie 'ccivenant of protecticin."'
M. S(lfrtul, "Identity and Differentiatic-in ill Nintli-Century al-AndaluS," SpCCldT4?n76 (
a Eulogiris' world did not see t}iemselves as"persecuted." How
p. 590. tliey? Tliey lived under tlie protection of a dhimma tliat for aln'iost
 157
156 I(. B. WoLF cONVIVENC:IA ASPEIRSECUTION C6R1)OBA
IN NINTH-CENTURY

a century and a lialf liad explicitly confirmed tlieir legal riglit t0

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Cliristian and to administer tlieir own internal affairs witliorit in

from tlie government. Even Eulogius liad to admit tliat "we ar( 13('ian. Christendovn,
MudimsofMedievcdLatin c.1050-1614.
Catnbridge:
' University Press,2015.
to bear tlie banner of the Cliristian faith freely ty tl-ie worshipper3
Jessica.The Arfartyrs ofCrwdt>ba:
Ctivnmutzityand Family
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inan%e
propliet amidst tlie privileges of their kingdom," althorigh instead of Comersxon. Lincoln, Nebraska:University Press,
of Nebraska 1995.
iting tlie Muslims for tliis, lie credited God, WIIO "preserved liis a
Corpus Sr:riptorumMvzarabicorum. Edited l'yyJuanGil.2 vols.Consejo
propliets, and apostles in tl'ie midst of tlie savagery of tlie gentiles, ' c'te Investigaciones Cientfficas.Madrici:InstmttoAntoniodeNebrija,
ing tliem to lionors and raising tliem to dignities."23 Regardlessof
tliis protection came from, it was awfully liard, rinder tlie ' a ' Liber apri%eticusmwtyrum. In Corpus ScriptortemMvzarabict>rum.
to make a case for persecution. Reliearsing tlie restrictions under by JuanGil. 2 vols. ConsejoSuperior de InvestigacionesCientfficas.
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Instituto

was not enorigli to counter tl"ie simple, rindeniable fact that ' MemoriaLe sarzctorum. In CorpusScriptorumMr>zarctbictwum. Editedby
Gil. 2 vols. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientfficas.
Macirid:
were allowed by law to remain Cl'iristian and practice tlieir faitli,
AntoniO de Nebrija,1973, 2:366-459.
To conclude, Eulogius' writings provide an invaluable windoqi a
Cmpus Scriptorum Mvsr,wabicoruvn. 2 vols. Consejo Superior de
Cliristian dhimmi connnunity tliat was divided as to IIOW to in ' Cientfficas. Madrid: Instituto Antonio ae Nebrija,1973.
"martyrdoins," a division tliat attests to deeper differences as to Robert G. SeeitB Islctmas OthersSaw It: A Surveyattd ExyaLuatimi tif
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menemical arenas. One of tliem-an exegetical arena-was tlie Bernard., ed. Islrtm: From the ProphetMubamwtctdto the Ctypture rf
strriggle over liow to interpret scripture. Tlie otlier-inore of an ' 2 vol. New Yorlc: Harper, 1974.
arena-featured a debate over l]Olv to interpret tlie life of a Janina M. "Identit)t and Differentiation in Ninth-Century al-Andalus."
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4hjmmi. Tliis was by 110 means an even fight. Tliough Eulogiris'
Thomas. T7ioLetrceavxd Bdief in Late Antiquity: MiLitatzt Devotirmin
tive is mucli better represented iii tlie extant sources (most of
' arid Idam. Pl'iiladelphia: Ui'iiversity of Pennsylvania
Press,2009.
wrote!), tliere is little doubt tliat his was tl'ie minority position, tliat
Kenneth Baxter. ChristiarrMartyrs itxMuslim Spain.Cambridge:Camlyridge
swin"iming against tlie Cliristian current in tlie nintli-century
a ' Press, 1988.
But if Eulogius' opponents liad tlie advantage of niunbers and tl'ie a
of 140 years of clhjmmi life, at least lie could tap into deeply seated
and narratives fi-om Christiai'iity's early, "lieroic" years, ones tliat
tively equated martyrdom with Cliristian perfection. Involcing tliis
tyrial discourse may liave seemed ludicroris from tlie perspective
opponents, but it nevertlieless put tl'ien'i on the defensive, forcing
articrilate a justification for tlieir OWII, decidedly less n'iilitant
the challenges of a Cliristian life lived witliin a non-Cliristian Call

" Eulcigius, Mciixorialc sanctorum 1.30, Gil, CSM 2:392.