renouatio

The noun renouatio , found exclusively in prose, first appears in Cicero and remains rare until Late Antiquity. During this period, it occurs primarily in the writings of Christian authors, for whom renouatio generally conveys the concept of spiritual renewal and regeneration. However, there are instances where the term simply denotes the renewal of an object, indicated in the genitive case. This entry focuses on the use of renouatio in the works of Ambrose and Augustine ( conf. and ciu. ) and finally examines its occurrences in the rhetorical treatise of Sulpicius Victor as well as in legal collections ( Cod. Theod . and Justinian’s legislation).