E00053: Gregory of Tours, in his Life of *Gregory (bishop of Langres, ob. 539/540, S00038), recounts how, on the saint's death in Langres, his body was taken to Dijon for burial in the church of *John (presumably either the Baptist, S00020, or the Apostle and Evangelist, S00042); all in eastern Gaul. From Gregory's Life of the Fathers, written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 573/594.
Creators: name: Admin
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2014
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Life of the Fathers 7.3-4<br><br>Gregory dies while in Langres, on the day of Epiphany. His face is red and white like roses and lilies which renders him suitable for the future resurrection. <br><br>(Ch.3) Quod deferentes ad castrum Divionensi, ubi se iusserat tumulari, in campania illa quae a parte aquilonis habetur haud procul a castro adgravat, gestatores non sustenentes feretrum solo deposuerunt, ibique parumper resumentes vires et post paululum elevantes, ad intramuraneam eum eclesiam detulerunt. Advenientibus autem quinta die episcopis, ab eclesia ad basilicam beati Iohannis deferebatur; et ecce vincti carceris ad beatum corpus clamare coeperunt, dicentes: "Miserere nostri, piissime domne, ut, quos vivens in saeculo non absolvisti, vel defunctus [et] caeleste regnum possedens digneris absolvere; visita nos, quaesumus, et miserere nostri". <br>Haec et alia illis clamantibus, adgravatum est corpus ita, ut eum penitus sustenere non possent. Tunc ponentes feretrum super terram, virtutem beati antistitis praestolabant. His ergo expectantibus, subito reseratis carceris ostiis, trabis illa qua vinctorum pedes coartabantur, repulsis obicibus, scinditur media, confractisque catenis, omnes pariter dissolvuntur et ad beatum corpus, nemine retenente, perveniunt. Dehinc elevantes feretrum gestatores, hi inter reliquos obsequuntur, qui etiam iudice postea sine damno aliquo sunt dimissi.<br><br>(Ch.3) (...) As he was being carried to the town of Dijon, where he had ordered that he should be buried, those who carried him succumbed under the weight, while they were to the north of the town and quite close to it. Not being able to hold up the bier, they put it to the ground, and then, after they had rested and regained their strength, they picked it up and carried it into the church, which was inside the walls of the town. The bishops arrived on the fifth day, and the body was brought from the church to the basilica of Saint John. And behold, men in prison began to cry out, addressing the body of the saint, "Have pity on us, most pious lord, so that those whom you did not free while you were in this earth, may obtain their liberty from you now that you are dead and possess the heavenly kingdom. Come to us, we implore you, and have mercy on us." As they said these words, and others like them, the body grew heavy so that it could no longer be held up, and the bearers put the bier to the ground and waited to see what the power of the holy bishop would bring about. As they waited, suddenly the doors of the prison opened, the beam which held the feet of the prisoners broke in the middle, their bonds were loosened and the chains shattered, and they came to the body of the saint with nobody to stop them. Those who carried the bier lifted it again, and the prisoners followed it with the others. Later the judge ordered that they should be free from all punishments.<br><br>(Ch.4) On the day of the burial a man has a vision of the heavens opening; a prisoner passing by the body of Gregory on the way to Dijon is freed. <br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 238-240. Translation: James 1991, 45-48. <br>