E05258: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Julian (45), describes how relics (wax and dust) were brought from the tomb of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035) in Brioude (central Gaul) to Aredius in the Limousin (western Gaul), and how along the way a young boy was freed from a demon. Written in Latin in Clermont and Tours (central and north-west Gaul), 573/587.
Creators: name: Kwojtalik
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Miracles of Julian (Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris) 45<br><br>Quae postquam gesta sunt, misit clericum suum, dicens: 'Vade', inquit, 'ad beati Iuliani basilicam, et fundens orationem, supplica, ut tibi aliquid cerae vel pulveris de sepulchro iacentis largire dignentur aeditui, ut delatum a me cum benedictione suscipiatur'. Ille vero veniens, quae sibi fuerant imperata flagitat ac suscipit. Et cum suscepta ferre vellet, tanto gravatur pondere, ut vix cervicem possit erigere. Unde tremore magno concussus, pavimento prosternitur, et iterum cum lacrimis orationem fundens, surrexit incolomes et acceptam sensit abeundi habere libertatem. Igitur arrepto itinere, incandescente nimium sole, siti corripitur. Veniens autem ad villam viae proximam, unam casolam adit, aqua deposcens; de qua egrediens iuvenis dare responsum, ut eos vidit, in terram corruit, factusque est sicut mortuus. Concurrentes autem parentes eius, calumniabant hominibus, adserentes, parentem suum eorum magicis artibus fuisse peremptum, et adpraehensum puerum, levaverunt eum semivivum. At ille de manibus eorum elapsus, percussis palmis, coepit debachando clamare vel dicere, quod martyris Iuliani virtute exuriretur. Clericus vero haec audiens, positam super caput eius capsulam cum pignoribus sanctis, fide plenus orare coepit attentius; ipse quoque cum vomitu sanguinem daemoniumque proiciens, purgatus abscessit. Dehinc firmatus in fide portitor, iter totum cum psalmis et gratiarum actionibus carpens, ad locum praeoptatum, martyre ducente, pervenit. Iam exinde tempore procedente quanti ibi inergumini, frigoritici vel diversis morbis obpraessi martyris virtute sanati sunt, nec nomina reteneri nec numerus potuit collegi. <br><br>‘After these events [Aredius] sent his cleric, saying: ‘Go to the church of the blessed Julian, offer a prayer, and ask that the wardens deign to give you some of the wax and dust that is lying by the tomb, so that once these relics are brought [here] I may receive them as a blessing.’ The man then went, requested what had been commanded of him, and received [the relics]. But as he wished to carry what he had received, he was burdened with such a weight that he was scarcely able to lift his neck. He was struck with a great shudder, prostrated himself on the pavement, and again wept and offered a prayer. Then he stood up unharmed and realized that he had received permission to leave. So he set out on his journey; but as the sun was very bright, he suffered from thirst. When he came to a village that was near the road, he went to one cottage and requested water. A young boy came out of the cottage to give a reply; but when he saw the man and his companions, he fell to the ground and seemed to be dead. His parents rushed out and blamed these men by claiming that their son had been killed by the men’s skills in magic They took their son who was almost dead and lifted him up. But the boy slipped from their hands, clapped his hands together, and began to dance and shout and insist that he was being burnt up by the power of the martyr Julian. When the cleric heard these words, he placed the reliquary that contained the holy relics (capsulam cum pignoribus) on the boy’s head and with complete faith began to pray passionately. The boy vomited blood and expelled the demon; then he left after being cleansed. The courier was confirmed in his faith and spent his entire journey chanting psalms and giving thanks. With the martyr as his guide he came to the chosen spot. Thereafter as time went by, the martyr’s power cured so many possessed people, so many people suffering from chills, and so many people afflicted by various illnesses, that their names cannot be remembered and their numbers cannot be counted.’<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 131. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 190-191; lightly modified.<br>