Hagiographical image of the patron of Kyivan Rus Pope of Rome Clement I

In different monuments the life of the fourth Pope of Rome Clement I (Clemens Romanus) and especially the posthumous events concerning the finding of his relics are presented in different ways. The transfer of the saint’s remains to Rome is crucial for the official recognition of the Slavic translation of the Bible. Scholars usually turn to the historical and political reasons for these multi-vector data. However, with the help of literary studies it is possible to trace the influences of the Greek sophistic novel, hagiographic and legendary features on the creation of saint’s image.
The purpose of this article is to find out how the phenomenon of holiness – as the basis of any hagiographic image – affects the formation of the cult of St. Clement I. The typological analysis of the aspect of holiness is a methodological basis. The scientific novelty of the study is the analysis of some written monument that form the cult of Clement I. 
Alfred Maury’s аnalysis of the hagiographic legends helps to make the following conclusions: the life of the saint is assimilated to the life of Jesus Christ; literal and figurative expressions are mixed, and this affects the description of events in the monuments. For example, the early Christian image of the anchor – as a symbol of hope for eternal existence – becomes a literal understanding of the nature of the saint’s martyrdom (he was thrown into the sea with an anchor around his neck) and becomes one of the proofs when finding his relics. Time and space do not matter for the functioning of holiness, historical events are often leveled, instead of verification we are dealing with faith, traditions and legends.