E06094: Adomnán, in his On the Holy Places, relates two stories the Franco-Gallic bishop Arculf heard, during his recent visit to Constantinople, about an image of *George (soldier and martyr, S00259) in Diospolis (Palestine), which Arculf had himself visited. Written in Latin at Iona (north-west Britain), possibly 683/689.
Creators: name: Bsavill
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2018
Subjects: History

description: Adomnán, On the Holy Places - Book Three<br><br>IIII. DE GEORGIO CONFESSORE<br>1. Arculfus homo sanctus [...] nobis de alio confessore Georgius nomine relationem contulit, quam in Constantinopoli urbe a quibusdam expertis dedicit ciuibus, qui hoc modo narrare soliti eidem dicebant: 2. In Diospoli ciuitate cuiusdam confessoris Georgii in quadam domu statuta marmorea in columna, contra quam alligatus persecutionis tempore flagellatus est, formola depicta est; qui tamen post flagellationem e uinculis absolutus multis uixit annis. 3. Quadam uero die cum quidam duricors et incredulus homuncio in equo sedens eandem intrasset domum, eandem uidens marmoream columnam ab his qui ibidem inerant interrogat dicens: 'Cuius est haec imago in marmorea columna formata?' 4. Quibus respondentibus et dicentibus: 'Georgii confessoris haec figura est, qui ad hanc uinculatus et mastigatus est columnam' - quo audito ille stolidissimus homunculus ualde iratus contra insensibilem rem sancti confessoris formulam instigante diabulo lancea percussit. 5. Quae uidelicet eiusdem aduersarii lancea quasi per globum niuis mollem mirum in modum facile penetrans lapideam illam peforauit columnam exteriore parte eius; 6. cuius ferrum interius inherens retentum est nec umquam quo modo retrahi potuit [...] 7. Illius quoque misselli homuncionis aequus in quo sedebat eodem momento sub eo in pauimento domus cecidit mortuus; ipse autem simul missellus in terram cadens manus in illam marmoream misit columnam eiusque digiti quasi in poline uel luto intrantes et eadem inpressi inheserunt columna.<br><br>8. Quod uidens miser [...] nomen Dei aeterni eiusdemque confessoris agiens paenitudinem inuocat [...] 9. Quam eius lacrimosam paenitentiam misericors Deus suscipiens, qui non uult peccatoris mortem sed ut conuertatur et uiuat, non solum ab illo praesenti marmoreo uisibili absoluit uinculo sed etiam a peccatorum inuisibilibus alligamentis fide salutatum subueniens misericorditer liberauit. 10. Hinc itaque manifeste ostenditur quantae et qualis fuerit honorificantiae apud Dominum Georgius suus inter tormenta confessor [...] 12. Mirum dictu, usque in hodiernum diem eadem bis quinorum eius uestigia digitolorum apparent usque ad radices in marmorea insertorum columna; in quorum loco sanctus Arculfus suos denos proprios digitos similiter ad radices usque intrantes [...]<br><br>[...]<br><br>14. Aliam quoque de eodem Georgio confessore certam relationem nobis sanctus Arculfus intimauit, quam ab expertis quibusdam satis idoneis narratoribus in supra memorata Constantinopolitana urbe indubitanter dedicit [...] 15. Quidam homonculus saecularis Diospolim ciuitatem in equo sedens ingressus eo in tempore quo ad expeditionem faciendam multa populorum milia undique conueniebant collecta illam accedens intrauit in domum in qua supra memorata marmorea exstat columna in se sancti confessoris Georgii habens depictam imaginem; 16. ad quam quasi ad praesentem Georgium loqui cepit dicens: 'Me tibi Georgio confessori et meum commendo aequum, et per orationum uirtutem tuarum [...] ambo ad hanc usque urbem post expeditionis tempus incolomes reuersi perueniamus; 17. et si tibi ita Deus misericors nostram reuersionem donauerit prosperam secundum obtionem nostrae paruitatis, ego hunc meum quem ualde amo ippum tibi pro munere donandum offeram in conspectu tuae adsignaturus formulae' [...]<br><br>19. Qui post multa et diersa bellica pericula [...] ipse in eodem suo sedens dilecto aequo ab omnibus infestis cassibus [...] Diospolim prospere reuertitur (20.) illamque domum in qua eiusdem sancti confessoris habebatur imago secum defferens aurum in equi praetium sui daudenter intrat sanctumque Georgium ac si praesentem alloquitur dicens: 21. 'Sanctae confessor [...] hos tibi xx solidos auri adfero equi pretium mei[' ...] 22. Haec dicens supra discriptum auri pondus ante pedes sancti formulae confessoris deponit, plus equum amans quam aurum, et egressus foras ingeniculatione expleta tale iumentum supra sedens ad emigrandum instigat quidem sed nullo modo mouere potuit. 23. Quod ille homunculus uidens discendit de equo reuersusque domum intrat, alios x adfert solidos inquiens: 'Sanctae confessor, mansuetus quidem mihi aequitati tutor in expeditione inter pericula fuisti, sed tamen, ut uideo, durus et auarus es in commercio equi.' 24. Haec dicens x super xx adiciens solidos ad sanctum [...] 25. Hoc dicto egressus iterum ascendens aequum ad meandum incitat; qui quasi infixus in eodem stabat loco nec etiam unum poterat mouere pedem.<br><br>25. Quid plura? Post equum ascensum discensum per .iiii. singulas uices intrans in domum x secum solidos adferens et ad immobilem reuersus aequum iterum in domum regressus huc atque illuc currebat et tamdiu illius ippus nulla instigatione remoueri poterat usquequo numerus solidorum lx adimpleretur simul congregatorum [...] ad ultimum hoc modo sanctum alloquitur Georgium dicens: 28. 'Sanctae confessor, nunc tuam pro certo cognosco uoluntatem. Hoc itaque iuxta id quod desideras totum auri pondus, uidelicet lx solidos, tibi munus offero. 29. Ippum quoque meum, quem tibi prius comisseram post expeditonem condondandum[' ...] 30. Hoc terminato sermone egressus domum eodem horae momento absolutum repperit ippum, quem secum deducens in domum sancto donatum adsignauit confessori in conspectu imaginis ipsius indeque letabundus Christum magnificans discessit. 31. Hinc manifeste collegitur quod omne quodcumque Domino consecratur, siue homo erit siue animal, iuxta id quod in Leuitico scriptum est libro, nullo modo redemi possit aut motari [...]<br><br><br>'(4). CONCERNING GEORGE THE CONFESSOR<br>'The holy man Arculf ... brought us another story concerning a confessor, George by name. This he learned in the city of Constantinople from some well-informed citizens, who used to tell it to him in the following terms: In the city of Diospolis, in a certain house, the likeness of the confessor George is depicted set on a marble column. He was bound to the column and flogged during the time of persecution. After the flogging, however, he was released from his bonds and lived for many years. Now one day a hardhearted wretch, an unbeliever, entered that house mounted on horseback, and on seeing the marble column he questioned the inmates saying, 'Whose image is depicted on this marble column?' They answered, saying: 'It is the image of the confessor George who was bound to this column and flogged.' On hearing this the stupid fellow became very angry with the insensible object, and at the instigation of the devil struck at the likeness of the holy confessor with his lance. And the lance of the adversary easily penetrated the column, passing through the outer surface as if it were a soft mass of snow. Its point stuck fast in the interior and could not possibly be withdrawn ... Simultaneously the miserable fellow's horse too, on which he was mounted, fell dead under him on the pavement of the house; and as he was falling himself he placed his hands against the marble column and his fingers sank into it as if it were fine dust or mud and remained fast.<br><br>When the unfortunate fellow perceived this ... he did penance and invoked the name of eternal God and of the confessor ... The merciful God, who does not wish the death of the sinner but that he be converted and live, accepting this tearful repentance, released him not just from the visible marble bond of the moment, but absolved him also from the invisible fetters of sin, mercifully succouring him now saved by faith. This clearly shows the character and magnitude of the honour George, His confessor amid tortures, had before the Lord ... Wonderful to relate, to this day there remain in the marble column the prints of his ten fingers inserted up to the roots, and into their place Arculf inserted his own ten fingers, they likewise penetrating up to the roots ...<br><br>***<br><br>The holy Arculf gave us another true story also about this confessor George, which he learned accurately in the above-mentioned city of Constantinople from some well-informed and quite reliable narrators ... At a time when many thousands from every quarter were coming together to form an expedition, a certain fellow, a layman, mounted on horseback, entered the city of Diospolis. He approached the house where the above-mentioned marble column is, which has depicted on it the likeness of the holy confessor George, and entering it began to address the image as if George were present, saying, 'I commend myself and my horse to thee, George the confessor, that by virtue of your prayers we may both return safe ... And if, according to the prayer of our littleness, the merciful God grant to thee our successful return, I will bestow on thee as a gift this steed of mine, which I love exceedingly, assigning him in the presence of thy image ...'<br><br>Then after many and divers dangers of war ... he got back safely to Diospolis mounted on that same beloved horse of his ... He joyously entered the house where the image of the holy confessor was, bearing with him gold as the price of his horse, and he addressed the holy George as if he were present, saying: 'Holy confessor ... I give thee twenty gold sovereigns as the price of my horse ...' While saying this he laid the said sum of gold before the feet of the holy confessor's image, loving his horse more than the gold. His devotions completed, he went out, mounted the beast in question, and spurred him onward. But nothing would induce him to move. Realizing this the fellow dismounted, went into the house again, and offered ten more sovereigns, saying, 'Holy confessor, thou was indeed a gently protector to me as I rode amid the perils of the expedition; but nevertheless, I see, in horse dealing thou art hard and greedy.' With this he added 10 sovereigns to the 20 ... Then he went out again, mounted the horse, and urged him forward; but he kept standing as if fixed in that place, and could not move even one foot.<br><br>To