TARAZONA
452
TARAZONA
namely, that Tarasius tolerated and encouraged
simony, because those bishops who had given money
to obtain their positions were only commanded by him
to do a year's penance and were permitted to retain
their offices. The patriarch defended himself in
writing against this accusation which he denied in
toto; moreover, he issued a severe synodal letter
against Simonists. The monks, however, were not
satisfied; they maintained their accusations and also
attacked the Council of 787. At a later date Theo-
dore of Studium, who took part in these disputes,
changed his opinion of Tarasius, and also of the Sec-
ond Council of NicEea, the oecumenical character of
which he acknowledged. Many serious difficulties
still existed in regard to Western Europe. There were
also fresh disputes in Constantinople when the Em-
peror Constantine VI put aside his lawful wife and
wished to marry Theodata, a relative of Abbot Theo-
dore of Studium. Tarasius positively refused to
perform the second marriage and expressed his displeas-
ure at the conduct of the priest Joseph who had mar-
ried the emperor. The zealous monks, whose leaders
were the Abbots Plato of Saccudium and Theodore of
Studium, accused the patriarch of weakness, because
he took no further steps against the emperor. They
refused to have Church fellowship any longer with
Tarasius, and were, consequently, violently perse-
cuted by the emperor who, however, also treated the
patriarch harshly. After Irene had dethroned Con-
stantine in 797, Tarasius deposed the priest Joseph
and peace was once more restored between the patri-
arch and the monks. (See Theodore of Studium).
In 802 Tarasius crowned as emperor Nicephorus, who
had overthrown Irene, an act that greatly dissatisfied
the populace. The patriarch had nothing to do with
the intrigues of the Court. His life was ascetic and
simple, he checked the luxury of the clergy, preached
with great zeal, and was very benevolent to the poor.
After his death he was venerated as a saint. His
name is also placed in the Roman Martyrology under
the date of 25 February.
Ignatius Diaconus, Vita S. Tarasii, ed. Heikel (Helsing- fors, 1891); Hebgenrother, Pholius, I (Ratisbon, 1867), 264-61; Hergenrother-Kirsch, Kxrchengesch., II. 25 sq.
J. P. KlHSCH.
Tarazona, Diocese of (Turiasonensis), com- prises the Spanish provinces of Saragossa, Soria, Navarre, and Logrono. The city of Tarazona has a population of 8650, and is situated on a commanding point, surrounded by a beautiful open plain, through which the River Queiles flows. Turiaso was one of the principal towns of the ancient Celtiberian prov- ince, and within the confines of the diocese are found many very ancient cities: Bilbilis (Calatayud); Aquie Bilbilitanorum (Alhama); Atacum (Ateca); Augustobriga (Muro); Boverca (Buvierca); Bursao (Borja); Cascantura (Cascante); Gracuris (Corella); Mon6briga (Mun^brega) ; and Vergegium (Verdejo). Pliny numbers Tarazona among the principal cities of the Celtiberians, and its inhabitants had the privi- leges of citizenship. Its coat of arms bore the motto "Tubal-Cain built me and Hercules rebuilt me". Nothing definite is known of the origin of Christianity in Tarazona. Owing to its proximity to Saragossa it is supposed that it was visited at an early date by the disciples of St. James, but until the fifth century there is no reliable mention of a bishop of Tarazona. The chronicler Idatius names Leo and says that he lived in 449; the chronological list of bishops gives St. Prudentius, but the history of this saint is not positively known. The Tarazona Bre- viary gives 390 as the date, but other sources place him as late as the ninth century. Idatius says that Leo was killed in an uprising led by a certain Basilius where the Baganda> took refuge in the cathedral, and in which a great number were killed.
St. Gaudiosus, a former monk of the Monastery of
Asanense and a disciple of St. Victorian, was bishop in
530. He worked against the Arians, and died in his
native city, Escoron. His remains were translated
to the Monastery of Asanense, and King Sancho
Ramirez had them removed to Montearag6n. St.
Braulio, in his life of St. Emilianus, speaks of a
Didymus, Bishop of Tarazona. A Bishop Stephen
assisted at the Third Council of Toledo and at the
Council of Saragossa; Floridius, at that of Gundemar
(611); Elpisius, at the Fourth and Fifth Council of
Toledo; Antherius (683) sent a deacon to r?present
him at the Thirteenth Council of Toledo; and Xepo-
tianus assisted at the fifteenth and seventeenth. He
seems to have been the last bishop of the Visigothic
epoch. When the Moors took Tarazona they were
able to hold it for a long time on account of its forti-
fied position near the Moncaya, between the Douro
and the Ebro. The names of its Mozarabic bishops
have not come down to us, although it is very prob-
able there were such; on the other hand we know of
the Mozarabic saints, St. Attilanus, Bishop of Zamora
and St. liiigo of Calatayud. Alfonso I the Warrior
(H Balallador) took possession of Tarazona in 1119,
and named Miguel Cornel the bishop. Alfonso VII,
in an effort to get possession of Tarazona, intruded a
certain de Bujedo into the see; but de Bujedo re-
pented shortly afterwards, restored the see to its
rightful owner, Miguel, and retired to the Monastery
of Valpuesta. The Council of Burgos, which was con-
vened in 1139, and was presided over by the legate
Guido, took from the jurisdiction of Tarazona most
of the towns of Soria, but bestowed in its place the
Archdeaconry of Calatayud.
Miguel was the real restorer of the see. He governed for thirty-three years, and established the chapters of Tarazona, Calatayud, and Tudela, under the Rule of St. Augustine. In his time also were founded the Monasteries of Fitero and Veruela. Three bishops of the name of Frontin succeeded him : Juan (1173-94); Garcia, who was present at the battle of Las Navas, and Garcia II, the counsellor of Jaime the Conqueror {el Conquistador). In a species of national council held at Tarazona, the marriage of Jaime to Leonor of Castile was declared null on account of the relationship existing between them. The Franciscans, Mercedarians, Dominicans, and Trinitarians, and the Cistercian and Poor Clare nuns were established in the diocese at this time. Miguel Jimenez de LTrrea, bishop from 1309 to 1316, was pro- tected by Jaime II, and during the time of Pedro Perez Calvillo the war between Pedro IV the Cere- monious (cl Ceremonioso) and Pedro the Cruel of Castile took place. Tarazona was laid waste and its cathedral desecrated by the Castilians. The episcopal palace was burned, and la Zuda, sometimes also called Alcdzar de Hercules, the palace of the Arab governors, was taken to replace it.
The following bishops are also worthy of special mention: Jorje Bardaji (1443-64), son of an Ara- gonese magistrate; Cardinal Pedro Ferriz, favourite of Paul II and Sixtus IV; Guillen Ramon de Moncada; Pedro Cerbuna, founder of the seminary and of the University of Saragossa (1585-97); Jer6nimo Cas- tellon y Salas, last Inquisitor-General of Spain (1815-35). The Church of the Magdalen was the ancient cathedral, but the Moors, objecting to its prominent position, compelled them to use a church on the outskirts of the town. In the records left by Miguel this was variously called Santa Maria de la Hidria, de la Vega, or de la Huerta, on account of its position. It was endowed by Teresa Cajal, mother of Pedro de Atarc5s and wife of Borja, and had been commenced in 1152. Architecturally it is a combina- tion of Byzantine and Gothic, with a high portico en- trance and a high brick-trimmed tower. The centre nave with its pointed arches rises above the side aisles and merges into a spacious transept. In the
