ABSTRACT
The second chapter examines a series of saints’ Passions to trace references to the removal and preservation of martyrs’ bodies after their martyrdom. These episodes, due to their phenomenological and narrative connection with the furta sacra narratives, can be considered an ‘archaeology of relic theft’. A gender analysis is proposed, focusing on the respective roles of women and men in the recovery of martyrs’ bodies. Finally, the chapter analyses the translation of Sts Festus and Desiderius, one of the earliest texts that bridges the narratives of martyrdom and relic theft.
