Home›Saints›Historicity›Historically attestedBrowse ByHistorically attestedThis page groups figures by whether scholars consider them to have actually existed. Wikipedia notes that "the historicity of a claim about the past is its factual status." Browsing by historicity lets a visitor separate a documented historical person from one known only through legend.FactsLearn MoreHistorically attestedSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsOriginsWhose Classification This IsWell-attestedChristian recognition is not one procedure. The earliest cults arose by local acclamation; the Latin Church reserved the judgement to the papacy in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, entrusted it to the Congregation of Rites in 1588 and reformed the process in 1983; the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches recognise saints by decision of their own synods, with no comparable juridical process. 2OverviewWhat Defines This GroupingWell-attestedMen and women recognised by their tradition as holy, held up as models and often venerated as intercessors. Every figure gathered here is Christian; figures of exceptional holiness in other religions are recognised by quite different means and are not the same institution. 2DirectoryCategoryWell-attestedFigures 1Learn MoreThe Saints This group holds saints, men and women recognised by their traditions as holy, whose lives are held up as models and who are often venerated as intercessors. Sainthood is most formally developed in Christianity, with its processes of canonisation, but analogous figures of exceptional holiness appear across religions. The browser will find the saints the atlas gathers, from martyrs and church fathers to mystics and founders of religious orders. The entries describe each figure's life, reputation for holiness and the devotion attached to them.Historically attestedFilter Results48 entriesPlace of OriginAllAncient Israel (2)Ancient Rome (1)Britain (2)Byzantine Empire (1)Castile (1)England (2)Germany (2)Greece (1)Italy (5)Rome (1)Scandinavia (1)TraditionAllChristianity (48)Office HeldAllBishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia from 370 until his death (1)Bishop of Lyons (1)Bishop of Nyssa from about 372 until his death (1)Founding abbot of Clairvaux (1)One of the seven deacons of Rome under Pope Sixtus II (1)Veneration StatusAllActively venerated in a living tradition (39)Historically attested; no continuous cult (1)No Cult Attested (8)Revered InAllChristianity (46)Islam (1)Judaism (1)Manichaeism (1)Lifespan Start YearAll1 (1)100 (1)130 (1)225 (1)239 (1)296 (1)316 (1)329 (1)330 (2)335 (1)339 (1)347 (2)349 (1)354 (1)360 (1)480 (1)540 (1)614 (1)634 (1)673 (1)675 (1)949 (1)1033 (1)1080 (1)1090 (1)1098 (1)1170 (1)1181 (1)1182 (1)1194 (1)1195 (1)1225 (1)1296 (1)1303 (1)1314 (1)1347 (1)1412 (1)1491 (1)1515 (1)1542 (1)1754 (1)1844 (1)1908 (1)1910 (1)Manner Of DeathAllDied of natural causes (31)Executed (3)Martyred (2)Taken up without dying, as the tradition holds (1)GenderAllFemale (11)Male (37)CanonizationAllFormally canonized (37)Pre-Congregation: venerated before any formal process existed (19)Venerable: the stage after Servant of God, before beatification (2)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 48Ambrose of MilanHistorically attestedAnselm of CanterburyHistorically attestedAnthony of PaduaHistorically attestedAthanasius of AlexandriaHistorically attestedAugustine of HippoHistorically attestedBasil the GreatHistorically attestedBedeHistorically attestedBenedict of NursiaHistorically attestedBernadette SoubirousHistorically attestedBernard of ClairvauxHistorically attestedBridget of SwedenHistorically attestedCaedmonHistorically attestedCatherine of SienaHistorically attestedClare of AssisiHistorically attestedCuthbert of LindisfarneHistorically attestedDominic de GuzmanHistorically attestedFrancis of AssisiHistorically attestedFrancisco MartoHistorically attestedGregory of NazianzusHistorically attestedGregory of NyssaHistorically attestedGregory PalamasHistorically attestedGregory the GreatHistorically attestedGregory the IlluminatorHistorically attestedHilda of WhitbyHistorically attestedHildegard of BingenHistorically attestedIgnatius of LoyolaHistorically attestedIrenaeusHistorically attestedJacinta MartoHistorically attestedJames the JustHistorically attestedJeromeHistorically attestedJoan of ArcHistorically attestedJohn CassianHistorically attestedJohn ChrysostomHistorically attestedJohn of DamascusHistorically attestedJohn of the CrossHistorically attestedJoseph of NazarethHistorically attestedLawrence of RomeHistorically attestedMacrina the YoungerHistorically attestedMartin of ToursHistorically attestedMaryHistorically attestedNorbert of XantenHistorically attestedPatrickHistorically attestedSeraphim of SarovHistorically attestedSergius of RadonezhHistorically attestedStephen the ProtomartyrHistorically attestedSymeon the New TheologianHistorically attestedTeresa of AvilaHistorically attestedThomas AquinasHistorically attestedSources1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Treetier 12. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, 3rd revised editiontier 1F. L. Cross and E. A. Livingstone (eds.), Oxford University Press, 2005s.v. Canonization of SaintsView the SourceDivinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptionstier 1Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.