E00626: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (82), tells of a miracle through relics obtained in Rome by his deacon: the ship carrying the deacon to Marseille was saved from shipwreck when he lifted up the relics and invoked their saints by name; Gregory lists the relics as of unnamed *Apostles (S00084), *Paul (the Apostle, S00008), *Laurence (deacon and martyr of Rome, S00037), *Chrysanthus and Daria (chaste couple and martyrs of Rome, S00306), and *Iohannes and Paulus (brothers and eunuchs, martyrs of Rome under the emperor Julian, S00384). Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 82<br><br>Per hanc enim confessionem martyres gloriosi ineffabilia semper salutarium munerum beneficia meruerunt ac petentibus se hoc praestiterunt virtute, quod eisdem domino inpertitum est Creatore, sicut nobis nuper a diacono nostro relatum, ita gestum esse cognovimus. Hic autem diaconus, a papa urbis Romanae Pelagio quorundam martyrum confessorumque adsumpta pignora, cum grandi psallentio vel clericorum officio ac populi inmensi obsequio usque ad Portum deductus est. Et ingressus navem, erectis velis ac per illum antemnae, quae modolum crucis gestat, apparatum extensis, flante vento, pelagus altum arripiunt. Qui dum navigant, ut Massiliensis urbis portum attingant, adpropinquare coeperunt ad locum quendam, de quo a litore maris lapideus mons exsurgens ac paulatim decedens, summa tenus unda in mari distenditur. Cumque inpellente vento carina magno impetu ferretur in praeceps, ut scilicet scopulo inlisa quassaretur, ac nautae discrimen intuentes exitu vociferarent, diaconus, elevatam cum sanctis pignoribus capsam, invocare nomina singulorum cum gemitu et voce maxima coepit, deprecans, ut eorum virtute ab hoc periculo perituri liberarentur. Iam iamque adpropinquabat navis, ut praefati sumus, ad scopulum; et statim in sanctorum contemplatione reliquiarum ab ipso loco commotus cum violentia maiori ventus huic vento contrarius fluctum elisit ventumque diversum repulit ac, navem in pelagus profundum revocatam, cunctos a mortis periculo liberavit. Sicque gyrata mole periculi, portum quem desiderabant cum Domini gratia ac sanctorum patrocinio contigerunt. Erant enim reliquiae sanctorum, quorum sacra vestigia Domini manibus sunt abluta, cum Pauli Laurentique atque Pancrati, Chrysanti Dariaeque virginis, Iohannis atque alterius Pauli, fratris eius, quorum certamina ac palmae victoriarum ipsa caput orbis urbs Roma devotae concelebrat.<br><br>'Through their confession the glorious martyrs have earned the unspeakable benefits of gifts that are always salutary. To petitioners they have revealed themselves by this power that the Lord Creator shared with them. From what my deacon recently told me, I know that this happens. This deacon received relics (pignora) of some martyrs and confessors from pope Pelagius of the city of Rome. A large chorus of monks who were chanting psalms and a huge crowd of people escorted him to Portus. After he boarded a ship the sails were unfurled and hoisted over the rigging of a mast that presented the appearance of a cross. As the wind blew, they set out on the high seas. While they were sailing to reach the port of Marseille, they began to approach a place where a mountain of stone rose from the shore of the sea and, sinking a bit, stretched into the sea to the top of the water. As the wind forced them on, the ship was lifted by a mighty blast into danger. When the ship was shaken as if struck by the rock, the sailors recognised their peril and announced their death. The deacon lifted the reliquary with the holy relics (cum sanctis pignoribus capsa). He groaned and in a loud voice began to invoke the names of the individual saints. He prayed that their power might liberate from danger those who were about to die. The ship, as I said, sailed closer and closer to the rock. Suddenly, out of respect for the holy relics (reliquiae), a wind blew from that spot with great force against the other wind. It crushed the waves and repulsed the opposing wind. By recalling the ship to the deep sea, the wind freed everyone from the danger of death. So they circumvented this impending danger, and by the grace of the Lord and the protection of the saints they arrived at the port they had hoped for. For these were relics of the saints whose sacred feet had been washed by the hands of the Lord [i.e. the Disciples], and of Paul, Laurentius, Pancratius, Chrysanthus, the virgin Daria, and John and his brother, the other Paul. Rome, the capital of the world, piously celebrates their struggles and the prizes of their victories.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 93. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 78.