Sulpicius Severus, in his Life of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), describes how the saint, through intercessionary prayer, raised a catechumen from the dead at his monastery at Ligugé, near Poitiers (western Gaul), in c. 361/372. Written Latin, in Primuliacum (south-west Gaul), c. 396.
E00791
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saint
Sulpicius Severus
Sulpicius Severus, Life of Martin 7
Martin returns from some days away, to find that a catechumen has died, before he could be baptised.
Corpus in medio positum tristi maerentium fratrum frequentabatur officio cum Martinus flens et eiulans accurrit. Tum vero tota sanctum spiritum mente concipiens egredi cellulam in qua corpus iacebat ceteros iubet ac foribus obseratis super exanimata defuncti fratris membra prosternitur. Et cum aliquandiu orationi incubuisset sensisset que per spiritum domini adesse virtutem erectus paululum et in defuncti ora defixus orationis suae ac misericordiae domini intrepidus expectabat eventum. Vix que duarum fere horarum spatium intercesserat videt defunctum paulatim membris omnibus commoveri et laxatis in usum videndi palpitare luminibus. Tum vero magna ad dominum voce conversus gratias agens cellulam clamore conpleverat. Quo audito qui pro foribus adstiterant statim inruunt. Mirum spectaculum quod videbant vivere quem mortuum reliquissent. Ita redditus vitae statim baptismum consecutus plures postea vixit annos primus que apud nos Martini virtutum vel materia vel testimonium fuit. Idem tamen referre erat solitus se corpore exutum ad tribunal iudicis ductum deputandum que obscuris locis et vulgaribus turbis tristem excepisse sententiam tum per duos angelos iudici fuisse suggestum hunc esse pro quo martinus oraret ita per eosdem angelos se iussum reduci et Martino redditum vitae que pristinae restitutum. Ab hoc primum tempore beati viri nomen enituit ut qui sanctus iam ab omnibus habebatur potens etiam et vere apostolicus haberetur.
'The body being laid out in public was being honoured by the last sad offices on the part of the mourning brethren, when Martin hurries up to them with tears and lamentations. But then laying hold, as it were, of the Holy Spirit, with the whole powers of his mind, he orders the others to quit the cell in which the body was lying; and bolting the door, he stretches himself at full length on the dead limbs of the departed brother. Having given himself for some time to earnest prayer, and perceiving by means of the Spirit of God that power was present, he then rose up for a little, and gazing on the countenance of the deceased, he waited without misgiving for the result of his prayer and of the mercy of the Lord. And scarcely had the space of two hours elapsed, when he saw the dead man begin to move a little in all his members, and to tremble with his eyes opened for the practice of sight. Then indeed, turning to the Lord with a loud voice and giving thanks, he filled the cell with his ejaculations. Hearing the noise, those who had been standing at the door immediately rush inside. And truly a marvellous spectacle met them, for they beheld the man alive whom they had formerly left dead. Thus being restored to life, and having immediately obtained baptism, he lived for many years afterwards; and he was the first who offered himself to us both as a subject that had experienced the miraculous power (virtutes) of Martin, and as a witness to their existence. The same man was wont to relate that, when he left the body, he was brought before the tribunal of the Judge, and being assigned to gloomy regions and vulgar crowds, he received a severe sentence. Then, however, he added, it was suggested by two angels of the Judge that he was the man for whom Martin was praying; and that, on this account, he was ordered to be led back by the same angels, and given up to Martin, and restored to his former life. From this time forward, the name of the sainted man became illustrious, so that, as being reckoned holy by all, he was also deemed a powerful and truly apostolic man.'
Text: Fontaine 1967.
Translation: Roberts 1894, lightly modified.
Considerations about the veneration of saints
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Power over life and death
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesUnbaptized Christians
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the veneration of saints
Source
Sulpicius Severus was a well-educated aristocrat who, after a career in the law, converted to the ascetic life under the influence of Martin, founding a monastic community on his estate of Primuliacum in Aquitania. He was a friend and close associate of Paulinus of Nola, from whose letters most of our knowledge of Sulpicius' life derives.Sulpicius began collecting material for his Life of Martin in the early 390s, in 393/394 visiting Tours to learn more from the saint himself and from his close associates. The work was completed no earlier than 395, but before Martin's death in November 397 (for the date, see Stancliffe 1983, 71) – it is therefore very unusual as a saint's life, being written and apparently diffused before the death of its subject. In the Life, as well as in three Letters (E00635, E00691, E00693) and in the Dialogues (E00845), all written after Martin's death, Sulpicius presents his hero as a perfect monk and bishop, and a great miracle-worker. He argues that there is no contradiction between being a good bishop and a monk, and even that only a monk makes a good bishop. This was a novel and controversial idea, since the Gallic episcopacy was generally reluctant to accept ascetic monasticism.
[Sulpicius also wrote a Chronicle which describes in detail the doctrinal disputes of the fourth century and includes an account of Martin's involvement in the debates around Priscillian; but it does not add to the image of Martin as a saint.]
Discussion
This passage presents the first miracle which Martin performed when living in the monastic community in Marmoutier, close to Poitiers, before his episcopal ordination. This episode is interesting because it is a very early testimony to the intercessory power of a non-martyr saint. Although the word patronus is not used (it will be used by Sulpicius Severus after Martin's death see E00693), Martin behaves here like a patron in late antique Roman society. It is thanks to his support that God, acting here like a Roman judge, decides to release the catechumen and bring him back to life.According to Sulpicius Severus the miracle of raising the dead convinces people that Martin is an apostolic man (vir apostolicus), because he performs miracles equal to those of the Apostles. At the same time the way in which Martin performs the miracle is similar to that in which Elijah brings back to life the son of the widow in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:17-24). In this and other passages Sulpicius often emphasises the parallels between his hero and the great prophet.
Bibliography
Edition, French translation and commentary:Fontaine, J., Sulpice Sévère,Vie de saint Martin. 3 vols. (Sources Chrétiennes 133-135; Paris: Cerf, 1967-1969).
English translations:
Burton, P., Sulpicius Severus' Vita Martini (Oxford: OUP, 2017), with Latin text and commentary.
Hoare, F.R., The Western Fathers, being the Lives of SS. Martin of Tours, Ambrose, Augustine of Hippo, Honoratus of Arles and Germanus of Auxerre (London: Sheed and Ward, 1954), 10-44.
Roberts, A., Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers. Second Series, vol. 11 (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1894).
Further reading:
Stancliffe, C., Saint Martin and his Hagiographer: Miracle and History in Sulpicius Severus (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983).
Vogüé, A. de, Histoire littéraire du mouvement monastique dans l'antiquité. Vol. 4 (Paris: Cerf, 1997), 19-91.
Robert Wiśniewski
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Certain |
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