E00516: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (33), tells of an oratory of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) in Tours, which after an enlargement ordered by Gregory was provided with his relics; these were collected from the oratory of the bishop's residence in Tours, from a reliquary containing the relics of several saints, which miraculously, and unaided, first sprung open and later locked itself. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.
Creators: name: Bryan
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 33<br><br>Stephanus autem primus vel diaconus eclesiae sanctae vel martyr apud Hierusolymam, sicut sacra apostolorum narrat historia, pro nomine sancto Christi, quem a dextris virtutis spiritali contemplatione cernebat, lapidibus est obrutus, pro persecutoribus ipsam supplicans maiestatem. Denique erat oratorium apud urbem Turonicam, ab antiquis eius nomine dedicatum, quem nos parumper iussimus prolongari. Quod cum factum fuisset, et altare ut erat integrum in ante promovimus. Requirentes vero in loculo, nihil de pignoribus sanctis, quod fama ferebat, repperimus. Tunc misi unum ex abbatibus, ut ab oratorio domus eclesiasticae nobis eius reliquias exhiberet, oblitus tamen clavem capsae porrigere, quae cingulo dependebat. Veniens vero abba, ablatum ab armario sigillum, capsam repperit obseratam. Quid faceret, quid ageret, in ambiguo dependebat. Si ad me rediret, longum erat venire et reverti; si ipsam capsam exhiberet, molestum mihi esse noverat, quia multorum ibi sanctorum pignora tenebantur; si non faceret, iussionem quam acceperat non implebat. Quid multa? Dum capsam in manu dubitans reteneret, resilientibus cum sonitu repaculis, capsam aspicit reseratam. Tunc cum gratiarum actione adsumptas reliquias non sine grandi admiratione nobis exhibuit, quas nos, dictis missis, Domino iubente, plantavimus. Regressus autem post multos dies ad urbem, capsam repperi, reducto pessulo, sicut reliqueram, obseratam.<br><br>'Stephen was the first deacon of the holy church and the first martyr at Jerusalem, as the sacred history of the apostles relates. He was stoned to death for the holy name of Christ whom he saw at the right hand [of God] in<br>a spiritual vision of power; he begged the mercy [of God] for his persecutors. Near Tours there is an oratory (oratorium) that people long ago dedicated in Stephen's name and that I ordered to be enlarged a bit. When the reconstruction was completed, we moved the altar forward, exactly as it had been before. But while we were looking in its reliquary, we found none of the holy relics that tradition claimed [to be there]. I sent one of the fathers to fetch relics of Stephen for us from the oratory of the church house, but I forgot to give him the key for the reliquary (clavem capsae), which was hanging on my belt. When the father arrived, he removed the seal from the cupboard but found the reliquary locked. He was uncertain about what to do or how to act. If he returned to me, it would require much time to go and come back; if he brought the entire reliquary, he knew I would be annoyed, because in it were the relics of many saints; if he did nothing, he would not obey the order he had received. Why say more? When he took the reliquary hesitantly in his hand, the bolts clicked back and he saw that it was unlocked. He gave thanks, took the relics, and with great amazement brought them to me. At God's command I transferred them [to the altar] during the celebration of mass. Many days later I returned to Tours; there I found the reliquary just as I had left it, locked and again bolted.'<br><br>There follow miracles of Stephen in Bourges (see $E00517) and Bordeaux (see $E00518). <br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 58. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 30-31, lightly modified.