Lesson plan
Geniscus
Geniscus may be a form of the Roman Genius, pictured here in a 1st-century BC wall painting Geniscus (/ɡɛˈniːs.kʊs/) is a deity who appears in a sermon of Saint Eligius along with Neptune, Orcus, Minerva and Diana. These are all, the Christian homilist says, "demons" who should not be believed in or invoked. The warning implies cult activity for these deities in the northern parts of Merovingian Gaul into the 7th century. Geniscus may be a form of reference to the Genius, the Roman tutelary deity; in Gaul, the Genius is often hooded (Genius Cucullatus) and appears either singly or in a group of three. In another sermon in the same period, the Geniscus appears in the company of witches (striae) and other entities in whom "rustics" believe:
Article summary
Geniscus may be a form of the Roman Genius, pictured here in a 1st-century BC wall painting Geniscus (/ɡɛˈniːs.kʊs/) is a deity who appears in a sermon of Saint Eligius along with Neptune, Orcus, Minerva and Diana. These are all, the Christian homilist says, "demons" who should not be believed in or invoked. The warning implies cult activity for these deities in the northern parts of Merovingian Gaul into the 7th century. Geniscus may be a form of reference to the Genius, the Roman tutelary deity; in Gaul, the Genius is often hooded (Genius Cucullatus) and appears either singly or in a group of three. In another sermon in the same period, the Geniscus appears in the company of witches (striae) and other entities in whom "rustics" believe:
Key claims
No claims recorded.
Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
No sources recorded.
Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.