E00541: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (43), tells of the tombs of *Agricola and Vitalis (master and slave, martyrs of Bologna, S00310), in Bologna (northern Italy), which are above ground and touched and kissed by many; a man who attempted to steal from the tombs was punished; a tax collector who had lost his takings recovered them after appealing to the saints. 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 43<br><br>Gregory relates two miracles at the tomb of Agricola and Vitalis: <br><br>Agricola et Vitalis apud Bononiam Italiae urbem pro Christi nomine crucifixi sunt, quorum sepulchra, ut per revelationem fidelium cognovimus, quia nondum ad nos historia passionis advenit, super terram sunt collocata. Quae cum a multis, ut fit, vel tangerentur manu vel ore oscularentur, admonitus est aedituus templi, ut inmundi ab his arcerentur. Quidam audax atque facinorosus operturium unius tumuli removet, ut scilicet aliquid de sacris auferret cineribus; missoque introrsum capite, obpraessus ab eo, vix ab aliis liberatus, confusus abscessit; nec accipere meruit, quod temerario ausu praesumpsit, sed cum maiori deinceps reverentia sanctorum adivit sepulchra.<br><br>'Agricola and Vitalis were crucified for the name of Christ at Bologna, a city in Italy. Because I have no extant history of their suffering, I have learned from an account of trustworthy men that their tombs were placed above ground. Since, as happens, many people either touched the tombs with their hands or kissed them with their lips, the custodian of the church was warned to keep impure people from the tombs. One audacious scoundrel lifted the lid from one tomb in order to steal something from the sacred ashes. After putting his head inside the tomb, he was crushed by the lid and barely freed by other people. He left in a state of confusion, for he did not deserve to acquire what he had presumptuously and rashly attempted. Later he approached the tombs of the saints with greater respect.'<br><br>Alius quoque tributa publica deferens, sacculum pecuniae, dum iter ageret, neglegenter amisit. Adpropinquans autem civitati, recognoscit, se amisisse publicum quod ferebat. Tunc prostratus coram sepulchris beatorum, cum lacrimis deprecatur, ut perditum eorum virtute reciperet, ne ipse coniuxque ac liberi ob id captivitati subigerentur. Egressus autem foris in atrio, virum, qui hanc pecuniam in via iacentem repererat, nanctus est; scrutatusque diligenter, illius horae tempore hic sacculum invenisse se dixit, quo iste martyrum auxilium flagitavit. <br><br>'Another man collected the public taxes, but while he was travelling he carelessly lost a bag of money. As he approached the city [of Bologna], he realized that he had lost the public funds he was carrying. Then he knelt before the tombs of the saints and tearfully prayed that by means of their power he might recover what he had lost; otherwise he, his wife, and their children would be reduced to captivity for this loss. As he went outside into the courtyard, he met a man who had found the money lying next to the road. During careful questioning the man said that he had found this sack of money at precisely the hour when the tax collector had requested the assistance of the martyrs. <br><br>Text: Krusch 1969, 67. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 42-43, lightly modified.