E01530: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (1.30), describes how seven bishops were sent to seven cities in Gaul in the reign of Decius (249-251) and became martyrs or confessors: *Saturninus of Toulouse (S00289), *Dionysius/Denis of Paris (S00349), *Trophimus of Arles (S00617), *Gatianus of Tours (S01175), *Paulus of Narbonne (S00503), *Stremonius of Clermont (S01255), and *Martialis of Limoges (S01168). Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 575/594.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 1.30<br><br>Huius tempore septem viri episcopi ordenati ad praedicandum in Galliis missi sunt, sicut historia passiones sancti martyres Saturnini denarrat. Ait enim: Sub Decio et Grato consolibus, sicut fideli recordationem retenitur, primum ac summum Tholosana civitas sanctum Saturninum habere coeperat sacerdotem. Hic ergo missi sunt: Turonicis Catianus episcopus, Arelatensibus Trophimus episcopus, Narbonae Paulos episcopus, Tolosae Saturninus episcopus, Parisiacis Dionisius episcopus, Arvernis Stremonius episcopus, Lemovicinis Martialis est distinatus episcopus. De his vero beatus Dionisius Parisiorum episcopus, diversis pro Christi nomine adfectus poenis, praesentem vitam gladio inminente finivit.<br><br>Saturninus vero, iam securos de martyrio, dicit duobus presbiteris suis: 'Ecce ego iam immolor et tempus meae resolutiones instat. Rogo, ut, usque dum debetum finem impleam, a vobis paenitus non relinquar'. Cumque conpraehensus ad Capitulium duceretur, relictus ab his, solus adtrahitur. Igitur cum se ab illis cerneret derelictum, orasse fertur: 'Domine Iesu Christe, exaudi me de caelo sancto tuo, ut numquam haec eclesia de his civibus mereatur habere ponteficem in sempiternum'. Quod usque nunc in ipsa civitate ita evenisse cognovimus. Hic vero tauri furentes vestigiis allegatus ac de Capitulio praecipitatus, vitam finivit.<br><br>Catianus vero, Trophimus Stremoneusque et Paulos atque Marcialis, in summa sanctitate viventes, adquisitus eclesiae populos ac fidem Christi per omnibus dilatatam, felice confessione migrarunt. Et sic tam isti per martyrium quam hii per confessionem relinquentes terras, in caelestibus pariter sunt coniuncti.<br><br><br>'At this time [the reign of Decius, 249-251] seven men who had been consecrated as bishops were sent to preach among the Gauls, as we learn from the story of the holy martyr Saturninus, where we read the following sentence: "The record has been carefully kept of how, when Decius and Gratus were consuls, the city of Toulouse received Saint Saturninus as its first and greatest priest." The seven Bishops were sent to their sees: Bishop Gatianus to the men of Tours; Bishop Trophimus to the men of Arles; Bishop Paulus to Narbonne; Bishop Saturninus to Toulouse; Bishop Dionysius to the men of Paris; Bishop Stremonius to the men of Clermont-Ferrand; and Martialis was made Bishop of Limoges. Of these Saint Dionysius, Bishop of Paris, suffered repeated torture in Christ’s name and then ended his earthly existence by the sword. <br><br>When he saw that he was about to be martyred, Saturninus said to two of his priests: "Now I am about to be sacrificed and the moment of my immolation is at hand. Stand by me, I beg you, until I meet my end." He was seized and led off to the Capitol, but he was dragged there alone, for the two priests deserted him. When he saw that they had run away, he is said to have prayed in the following words: "Lord Jesus Christ, hear me from where You are in heaven: may this church never to the end of time have a bishop chosen from its own citizens." We know that this has never happened in the city down to our own days. Saturninus was tied to the heels of a wild bull and driven out from the Capitol, ending his life in this way. <br><br>Gatianus, Trophimus, Stremonius, Paulus and Martialis passed their lives in great holiness, winning many people over to the church and spreading the faith of Christ among all whom they met; then they died in joyous confession of their belief. They passed away from earthly existence, some in martyrdom, others in full confession, and now they are reunited in heaven.'<br><br>Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 22-23. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 86-87.