E00721: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Confessors, describes two miracles at Troyes (north-east Gaul) in which the power of *Lupus (bishop of Troyes, ob. 479, S00418) punishes slave owners who try to prevent their slaves gaining sanctuary; on one occasion this is through a helper, Aventinus. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 587/588.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Confessors 66-67<br><br>(66.) Lupum antestitem apud Tricassinorum Campaniae urbem sepultum, nulli habetur incognitum. Ad cuius basilicam Mauri cuiusdam servus, neglegentia admissa, confugit. Frendens vero dominus eius de vestigio prosecutus, ingressus basilicam nec orationi prostratus, blasphemias in sanctum evomere coepit ac dicere: 'En tu, Lupe, servum meum auferes, et propter te non licebit mihi in eum ultionem debitam exercere?' Et iniecta manu, servum trahere coepit, dicens: 'Non mittit hodie hic Lupus manum suam de sepulchro, ut eruat te de manibus meis'. Haec dicente misero, extemplo lingua, quae in sanctum blasphemias effudit, divinitus obligatur, atque mutatus homo debacchare coepit per totam aedem, dans mugitum ut pecus, sermonem ut homo non proferens. Cumque haec suis nuntiata fuissent, adprehensum duxerunt ad domum suam. Uxor vero eius multa munera in basilicam posuit; sed hic tertia die cum gravi cruciatu vitam finivit. Quo defuncto, mulier quae dederat recipit; servus tamen permansit ingenuus. <br><br>(67.) Huic antestiti famulabatur Aventinus quidam religiosus, ad quem post huius obitum captivi fecere confugium. Quorum domino Aventinus pretium obtulit. Sed ille obligans se sacramento, ait: 'Numquam haec nisi in pago meo sum accepturus'. Deditque dexteram suam, quod, si hic pecuniam transmitteret, iste confestim captivus [sic] a vinculo servitutis absolveret. Transmisso itaque pretio, oblitus dominus fidei suae, dum captivos absolvere dissimulat, ipse ligatur. Nam statim summitas digiti de manu quae fidem fecerat dolere graviter coepit. Deinde paulatim dolor adcrescens, per manum brachiumque totum extenditur. Quid plura? Truncatum ad ipsam iuncturam cubiti brachium cum cecidit , et hic spiritum exalavit. Uxor vero eius post haec voluit eos iterum ad servitium revocare; sed capitis dolore percussa, virum secuta est. Et sic hii ingenuitate perpetua absque ullius scripturae munitione manserunt. <br><br><br>'(66.) No one is ignorant that Bishop Lupus is buried in the city of Troyes in Champagne. To his church fled the slave of a certain Maurus, after admitting to negligence. Raging, his master pursued his tracks, entered the church, and did not prostrate himself in prayer, but began to vomit out blasphemies against the saint and to say: "Hey you, Lupus, are you going to take away my slave, and because of you will I not be allowed to carry out against him the vengeance owed?" And putting out his hand he began to drag away the slave, saying: "Not today is this Lupus sending out his hand from the tomb, so that he can pluck you from my hands". When the miserable man was saying these things, immediately his tongue, which poured out blasphemies against the saint, was bound by divine power, and the man was changed and began to run mad through the whole church, lowing like a farm animal, not speaking like a human being. When these things were announced to his household they seized him and led him to his house. His wife took many gifts to the church, but on the third day he ended his life in great torment. When he was dead his wife took back what she had given; however, the slave remained free. <br><br>(67.) This bishop was served by Aventinus, a certain man of religion, with whom, after the bishop's death, captives took refuge. Aventinus offered a payment to their master. But he, binding himself with an oath, said: "I am never going to accept this except in my district." He offered his right hand that if Aventinus sent the money, he would immediately free the captives from the bondage of servitude. When the payment was sent, the master forgot his oath; while he pretended to release the captives, he himself was bound. For immediately the tip of a finger of the hand that had made the oath began to hurt severely. Then bit by bit the increasing pain was spread through his hand and his whole arm. What more is there to say? Although he hacked off his arm, severed at the very joint of the elbow, he still exhaled his spirit. His wife, after this, again wanted to call them back to slavery, but, struck with a pain in the head, she followed her husband. And thus they remained in perpetual freedom, without the protection of any document.'<br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 337-338. Translation: David Lambert.