Non semel nec bis, sed crebro ad sepulchrum domini cucurrisse (Hier. Epist. 55,4): Ambrogio, Gerolamo, Agostino e altri autori latini alle prese con le diverse tradizioni sulle mirofore

This article examines the presence and treatment of the myrrh-bearing women in Latin Christian literature, with particular focus on Ambrose, Jerome, and Augustine. Although the Gospels mention women bringing spices to the tomb, Latin authors seldom emphasize the significance of this act. Instead, they primarily address the harmonization of the canonical discrepancies concerning the resurrection accounts, often downplaying the women’s role as bearers of unguents. Special attention is given to the influence of Eusebius’ Quaestiones ad Marinum, particularly in the writings of Ambrose and Jerome, who draw on his reconciling strategies while diverging in tone and conclusions. The article also explores how these authors negotiate the tension between the theological significance of the female presence at the tomb and traditional views on female nature, often invoking Eve as a typological counterpart. It highlights Jerome’s emphasis on the psychological fragility of the Magdalene, Augustine’s rhetorical and narrative harmonization strategies in De consensu evangelistarum, and the uniquely polemical, anti-feminine readings offered by Peter Chrysologus. These approaches may reflect contemporary debates over the role of women within the Christian community.