E00585: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (60), tells of a man struck dead in 577/593 after taking a golden belt offered to *Nazarius (martyr of Milan, S00281) in a church with his relics in a village of the territory of Nantes (north-west Gaul). 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 60<br><br>In territurio quoque urbis ipsius, in vico quodam supra alveum Ligeris beati Nazari reliquiae contenentur. Igitur quodam tempore homo devotus baltheum, ex auro purissimo cum omni apparatu studiosissime fabricatum, super altare basilicae illius posuit, orans, ut in causis suis martyris virtus dignaretur adesse. Quo recedente, Britto quidam ex satellitibus Warochi Brittanorum comitis et primus cum eo adfuit, ablatoque violenter apparatu balthei, ipsum quoque baltheum repetit. Renitente presbitero ac dicente: "Dei res hae sunt et ad reficiendos pauperes sancto martyri sunt conlatae, ne famem pessimam patiantur, qui huic templo fideli devotione deserviunt; unde tu potius hic aliqua inferre, non auferre debebas". Non mollivit hominis avari animum abbatis illius praedicatio; sed potius succensus, minare ei coepit ac dicere: "Nisi sine mora refuderis baltheum, manu mea interimeris". Tunc victus abba, speciem super altare, quo sancta teguntur pignora, collocavit, dicens: "En ipsam quam petis reiculam; si metus de virtute martyris nullus est, aufer. Erit enim, ut confidimus, de vestigio iudex, si ea auferre praesumpseris". At ille nihil metuens, abstulit, iubens sibi equum ante ipsam basilicae porticum praeparari. Cui ait sacerdos: "Nullus umquam in hoc loco equum praesumpsit ascendere. Da, quaeso, gloriam Deo et honora martyrem, ne mali aliquid patiaris". Ille vero mandata neglegens sacerdotis, ascenso in atrio sancto equite. At ubi egredi venit, percussum ad portae limen superius caput, ad humum, testo disrupto, corruit, manibusque suorum deportatus, ut tugurium cuiusdam pauperculi, quod erat proximum, est ingressus, protinus spiritum exalavit. Quod Warochus audiens, et res quas hic abstulit restituit et de suo proprio multa contulit, pavore perterritus.<br><br>'There are relics of the blessed Nazarius within the territory of the same city [Nantes] in a village on the bank of the Loire river: Once a pious man placed on the altar of this church a belt that had been most carefully crafted out of pure gold and its fittings. He prayed that the power of the martyr might deign to assist in his affairs. After he left, a man named Britto, the most influential of the retainers of count Waroch of Brittany, came, forcibly seized the fittings of the belt, and then coveted the belt itself. A priest resisted and said: 'These things belong to God and were presented to the holy martyr to assist the poor, so that those who serve with faithful devotion at this church do not suffer terrible hunger. Rather than removing them, you ought instead to present something here.' The speech of this cleric (abbas) did not soften the heart of this greedy man. Instead, all the more aroused he began to threaten him and said: 'If you do not immediately hand over the belt, you will die by my hand.' The cleric was overwhelmed and placed the ornamented [belt] on the altar in which the holy relics were kept. He said: 'Here is the worthless object that you covet. If you have no fear for the power of the martyr, take it. If you dare to take it, we believe that the martyr will be a judge on your heels.' But Britto had no fear and took the belt. He ordered his horse to be saddled in front of the porch of the church (ante ipsam basilicae porticum). The priest said to him: 'No one has ever dared to mount a horse in that spot. I ask you, give glory to God and honour the martyr, so that you do not suffer any misfortune.' Britto ignored the advice of the priest and mounted his horse within the holy forecourt (in atrio sancto). But when he came to leave, he struck the top of his head on the lintel of the gate and fell to the ground with a fractured skull. He was carried off by his servants and brought into the nearby cottage of a poor man; immediately he died. When Waroch heard of this, he was shaken with fear, restored the things that Britto had taken, and made many donations from his own possessions.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 79. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 58-59, lightly modified.<br>