E00588: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (63), tells of the cult of *Patroclus (martyr of Troyes, S00346), in an oratory with only one priest at Troyes (north-east Gaul); the latter borrows and copies a Martyrdom of the saint but this is disbelieved by the bishop; later a second copy is found in Italy; the cult flourishes, a church is built, and the annual festival devoutly celebrated. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.
Creators: name: Pnowakowski
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 63<br><br>Patroclus quoque martyr, qui apud urbem Tricasinorum sepultus habetur, saepius se amicum Dei virtutibus multis ostendit. Erat enim super eum parvolum oratorium, in quo unus tantum clericus serviebat. Loci enim homines parvum exhibebant martyri famulatum, pro eo quod historia passionis eius non haberetur in promtu. Mos namque erat hominum rusticorum, ut sanctos Dei, quorum agones relegunt, attentius venerentur. Quidam igitur de longinquo itinere veniens, libellum huius certaminis detulit, lectori, quem in ipso loco servire diximus, prodidit ad legendum. Ille vero post decursa lectione valde gavisus, nocturno sub tempore, famulante lumine, velociter exemplavit. Hominibus quidem digressis, hic episcopo suo exhibet quae reppererat, putans, se per haec gratiam adsequere sacerdotis. At ille non credens, nisi confictum aestimans, caesum increpatumque clericum abscedere iubet, dicens: "Te haec iuxta votum tuum dictasse, manifestum est; nam numquam ea cum ullo homine repperisti". Post multum vero tempus, ut virtus martyris non esset occulta, abiit exercitus in Italiam; detulit passionis huius historiam, sicut a clerico tenebatur scripta. Tunc confusus valde episcopus, cognovit, vera esse quae a clerico dicebantur. Populus autem ex hoc magis honorare coepit martyrem, constructaque super eum basilica, festivitatem eius per singulos annos devote concelebrat. <br><br>'The martyr Patroclus is held to have been buried at Troyes. By his many miracles he often shows that he is a friend of God. Over his tomb was a small oratory (parvolum oratorium) where only one cleric served. The men of that region showed little respect for the martyr, because no account of his suffering (historia passionis) was at hand. For it was the custom of untutored men to venerate more carefully those saints of God whose struggles they could read about. Then a man arrived from a long journey and brought a small book [with an account] of Patroclus' struggle. He presented this book for the lector, who as I have said served at this shrine, to read. After quickly reading it the lector was very happy; during the night, with the assistance of a lamp, he rapidly copied the book. After the men left, he showed what he had discovered to his bishop, thinking that in this way he would acquire the goodwill of the bishop. But the bishop did not acknowledge the book and thought it was instead a forgery. After striking and rebuking the cleric, the bishop ordered him to leave and said: 'It is obvious that you have dictated these things in accordance with your wish; for you never found these things from any man.' But so that the power of the martyr would not be concealed, many years later an army marched into Italy; it brought back an account of the suffering of Patroclus, just as it had been written down by the cleric. The bishop was then very upset and realised that what the cleric had said was true. Thereafter, however, the people began to give more honour to the martyr. After constructing a church over his tomb [at Saint-Parres-au-Tertre], they piously celebrated his festival every year.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 81. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 60-61, lightly modified.