Poem by Eugenius, bishop of Toledo, on a church of *Aemilianus (ascetic of Berceo/Cogolla, ob. 570s, S00578) in an unnamed place; it mentions miracles taking place in the church and ends with a request for prayers to the saint for the author of the poem. Written in Latin in Toledo (central Hispania), mid-7th c.
E00832
Literary - Poems
Eugenius of Toledo, Poems
XI. DE BASILICA SANCTI AEMILIANI.
Quem maeror, quem culpa premit, quem denique morbi
tabida, convexans aut valetudo quatit,
huc festinus agat devoto pectore cursum:
anxia deponens prospera cuncta geret.
certa salus aegris, spes et tutela misellis,
et pater et genetrix Aemilianus adest.
huius ad inperium dispulsus pectora daemon
tenta diu linquit, cum retinere nequit.
hic clodis gressus dantur et lumina caecis,
10 reddit et incolumem lepra repulsa cutem.
vita redit functis et langor pellitur omnis,
servit ad obsequium mox reparata salus.
hic sua signa deus respectans crescere gaudet
et daemon cernens hic sua damna gemit.
quisque precator ades, fidenter poscere noris,
inpos namque redit qui dubitanter adit.
cumque precum murmur te propter fuderis intus
et gemitum toto prompseris ex animo,
Eugenium, quaeso, propriis adiunge querellis:
20 sic culpis veniam promereare tuis.
'ON THE CHURCH OF SAINT AEMILIANUS
Who is oppressed by sorrow, who by guilt, who – finally – by the emaciation of an illness, or who is rocked by shaken health, let him hurry to this place with quick steps and pious heart: he will get rid of his disturbance and receive all prosperity. Secure health for the sick, hope and care for the poor – Aemilianus is both father and mother. At his command the demon leaves far behind the souls he possessed, since he is unable to keep hold of them. Here the ability to walk is given to the crippled and light to the blind, and leprosy, repulsed, restores unmarked skin. Life returns to the dead and all weakness is driven away; health, quickly restored, does its duty as a servant. Here God, looking on, happily multiplies his miracles (signa), and here the demon groans, realising his losses. And, whoever is present as a suppliant, learn to ask with faith, for who approaches in doubt, returns with nothing. When you pour out inwardly the whisper of prayers for yourself and give sighs from your whole soul, I ask you to bring Eugenius to your own grievances: in this way you earn forgiveness for your faults.'
Text: Vollmer 1905, 241.
Translation M. Tycner.
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivityComposing and translating saint-related texts
Prayer/supplication/invocation
MiraclesMiracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Healing diseases and disabilities
Exorcism
Healing diseases and disabilities
Power over life and death
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Source
Eugenius, bishop of Toledo in Spain in 646-657, was the most prominent poet of the Visigothic era, as well as the author of a theological treatise, liturgical works and letters. His works, composed in Latin, are of high literary quality: in his poetry he mastered diverse classical metres and chose a variety of topics, such as the human condition, illness and death. Among his poems we find four devoted to important churches and saints in Spain: two churches in Zaragoza (of the *Eighteen Martyrs of Zaragoza and of *Vincent of Zaragoza and Valencia), the church of *Emilianus (just possibly in today's San Millán de la Cogolla) and the church of *Felix in Tatanesium (probably near Toledo). It is impossible to say, what exactly made him choose these particular churches and saints. According to his Life, written several years after Eugenius' death by his successor Ildefonsus of Toledo, he himself collected his works in two books, one of which contained his poems; this composition does not survive as a whole, but numerous manuscripts preserve parts of it. Eugenius was an influential author and his poetry was admired, quoted and paraphrased by many medieval authors in Spain and beyond. We find his verses (primarily epitaphs, but not exclusively) also on medieval inscriptions.Discussion
Although there is nothing in the poem about the life of the saint commemorated, and therefore no way of identifying him with complete certainly, our Aemilianus is almost certainly Aemilianus of Berceo/Cogolla, a monastic founder about whom Braulio of Zaragoza wrote a Life in the earlier 7th century (E02685).The location of the church described in the poem is not mentioned. It might well be today's San Millán de la Cogolla, where Aemilianus lived and died in 570s after having founded a monastery.
The list of miracles mentioned in the poem is unsurprising (healings, exorcisms, etc.), apart from the suggestion that Aemilianus had the power to bring the dead to life – a rare ability among saints. Also striking is the request in the last two verses of the poem: Eugenius, its author asks the reader to pray on his behalf to the saint.
Bibliography
Edition:Vollmer, F., Fl. Merobaudis reliquiae, Blossii Aemilii Dracontii Carmina, Eugenii Toletani episcopi carmina et epistulae (Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Auctores Antiquissimi 14; Berlin: Apud Weidmannos, 1905).
Marta Tycner
20/12/2015
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00578 | Aemilianus, ascetic of Berceo/Cogolla, ob. 570s | Aemilianus | Certain |
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