E02102: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (4.48), tells of relics of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), in a monastery 'of Martin' at Latta (probably La Chapelle-sur-Loire); soldiers who sack the monastery are miraculously punished. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 575/594.
Creators: name: Robert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2016
Subjects: History

description: Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 4.48<br><br>Quid de Latta monasterio referam, in quo beati Martini habentur reliquiae? Cum ad eum unus cuneus hostium adventaret et fluvium, qui propinquus est, transire disponeret, ut monastirium spoliaret, clamaverunt monachi dicentes: 'Nolite, o barbari, nolite huc transire; beati enim Martini istud est monasterium' . Haec audientes multi, conpuncti a Dei timore, regressi sunt. Viginti tamen ex ipsis, qui non metuebant Deum neque beatum confessorem honorabant, ascendentes navem, illuc transgrediuntur et, inimico stimulante, monachos caedunt, monasterium evertunt resque diripiunt; de quibus facientes sarcinas, navi inponunt. Ingressique fluvium, protinus vibrante carina, huc illucque feruntur. Cumque amisso solatio remorum, hastilia lancearum in fundum alvei defixa, remeare conarentur, navis sub pedibus eorum dehiscit, et uniuscuiusque ferrum, quod contra se tenebat, pectori defigitur, transverberatique cuncti a propriis iaculis interimuntur. Unus tantum ex ipsis, qui eos increpabat ne ista committerent, remansit inlaesus. Quodsi hoc quis fortuitu evenisse iudicat, cernat, unum insontem plurimis evasisse de noxiis. Quibus interfectis, monachi ipsos et res suas ex alveo detrahentes, illos sepelientes, res domi restituunt. <br><br>'What can one say, for example, of the monastery of Latte, in which relics of the blessed Martin are kept? A force of hostile troops approached and prepared to cross the river which runs by, so that they might loot this monastery. ‘This is the monastery of Saint Martin!’ cried the monks. ‘You barbarians must not cross over here!’ Most of those who heard this were filled with the fear of God and so withdrew. However, twenty of their number, who did not fear God and had no respect for the blessed confessor, climbed into a boat and crossed the river. Driven on by an evil spirit, they slaughtered the monks, damaged the monastery and stole its possessions, which last they made into bundles and piled on their boat. Then they pushed off into the stream, but their keel began to sway to and fro, and they were carried round and round. They had lost their oars, which might have saved them. They tried to reach the bank by pushing the butts of their spears into the bed of the river, but the boat split apart beneath their feet. They were all pierced through by the points of their lances, which they were holding against their bodies; they were all transfixed and were killed by their own javelins. Only one of them remained unhurt, a man who had rebuked the others for what they were doing. If anyone thinks that this happened by chance, let him consider the fact that one innocent man was saved among so many who were doing evil. After their death the monks retrieved the corpses from the bed of the river. They buried the dead bodies and replaced their own possessions in their monastery.'<br><br>Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 184-185. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 244-245, lightly modified.