The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Constantius of Lyon, Life of Germanus of Auxerre 29-30

For a full account of Constantius' Life of Germanus, see E05841.

When Germanus returns to Auxerre after his second mission to Britain (E06021), he learns that the Roman commander Aetius is threatening to punish the people of Armorica for rebellion by turning their territory over to the Alans for them to ravage (§ 28). Germanus travels to the king of the Alans, Goar, and rebukes him. Goar is overawed, and promises to withdraw, provided Germanus persuades Aetius or the emperor to rescind the order. Germanus therefore embarks on a journey to the emperor's residence, Ravenna in north-eastern Italy, to bring this about. The two incidents narrated here take place at Alesia (Alise-Sainte-Reine), scene of a previous miracle during Germanus' journey to Arles (E06020), and at Autun.

(29) Exin Italiam petiturus egreditur, cui id solum sufficeret, ne umquam labore uacuus quiete frueretur; sed, ut propheta ait, ambulat de uirtute in uirtutem. Nam dum praeterit, ex consuetudine pietatis familiarem suum Senatorem presbyterum iterum uisitauit. A quo illi annorum XX circiter muta offertur puella cuius os, frontem, uultumque totum cum olei adtrectatione benedixit; deinde conditum poculum praecepit adferri, in quo tres particulas panis manibus propriis comminutas infudit, unamque in os puellae ipse inseruit imperans ut, priusquam acciperet, petitionem benedictionis ediceret. Quam statim clara uoce, antequam panem sumeret, postulauit, ac deinceps usus loquendi, natus ex mirabilibus in reliqua eius aetate permansit. Deinde profecturus solito affectuosius in amicum inruit; os, frontem, oculos osculatur, inhaeret amplexibus et huiusmodi uerbis salutatum reliquit: "Vale in aeternum, frater karissime, uale, animae meae portio. Tribuat Deus ut nos in die iudicii sine confusione uideamus; ceterum in hac luce mutuo numquam fruemur aspectu."
      (30) Erat iter illius comitatu proprio solitarium sed occurentem agminibus constipatum in tantum ut per omnes aggeres, quos in itinere suo inlustratos reliquit, in hodiernum diem, ubicumque aut orauit aut docuit, oratoriae cellulae et signa crucis elata praefulgeant. Territorium sane Augustodunense dum praeterit, aduenienti multitudo indiscretae aetatis et sexus occurrit. Illic in conuentu omnium prostrati in terram parentes filiam in annis nubilibus obtulerunt, cui debilitas poenam saeuissimam temporis accessione generauerat. Ab ortu enim natiuitatis suae ita, contractis neruis, in palmam digiti curuabantur ut, crescentibus introrsum nimie unguibus, cedente carnis teneritudine tot inciperent esse uulnera quot digiti, et, nisi insistenti acumini ossa obiecta aliquatenus restitissent, palmam totam ulcera ulterius inmersa transfoderent. Huius dexteram conprehensam dum adtrectat sacerdos, tactus salubritate benedixit adprehensosque singillatim digitos, cedentibus neruis, in usum flexibilem reuocauit, redditurque ministerio manus quae inferebat sibi ipsa perniciem. Id insuper pietatis adiungit ut sanctis manibus, directis iam digitis, excessum unguium ad formam communis consuetudinis resecaret.

'(29) From there Germanus set out for Italy; it was enough for him that he should never be free from toil to enjoy a rest but, in the words of the Prophet, should go on from strength to strength [Ps. 83:8]. On the way he paid another visit for old times' sake to his friend Senator, the priest, who brought him a dumb girl, about twenty years old. First he blessed some oil and anointed her mouth and forehead and the rest of her face with it. Then he ordered spiced wine to be brought, in which he steeped three morsels of bread broken off with his own hands. He put one of these into the girl's mouth, telling her before she took it to ask him to bless it. This she did at once, before taking the bread, speaking quite distinctly; and the power of speech, thus miraculously acquired, remained for the rest of her life. On his departure he embraced his friend with more than usual affection, kissing him on the mouth and forehead and eyes. As he clasped him to his breast, his last words were: "Farewell till eternity, my very dear brother; farewell, part of my very soul. God grant that at the Day of Judgement we may see each other without being put to confusion; in this world we shall not look upon each other again."
      (30) He made the journey alone, except for his retinue, but he was constantly thronged by the crowds that came out to meet him, so much so, that every eminence associated with his journey is to this day crowned by a chapel, a hermit’s cell or a cross erected where he prayed or taught. At Autun, in particular, as he passed through its territory, the people came out to meet him regardless of age or sex. Among them were two parents, who knelt in front of everybody and showed him their daughter, whose malady had in the course of time reduced her to a terrible condition. From birth the fingers of her right hand had been bent towards her palm by a contraction of the sinews, so that as her finger-nails grew they pierced her tender flesh and every finger made a wound; and, had it not been that the bones of the palm to some extent checked the growing points, she would have had ulcers right through her hand. The Bishop took her hand and felt it and his healing touch brought a blessing. Then he took her fingers one by one and eased the tendons, restoring them to flexibility, and the hand which had caused its own destruction was thus made serviceable. Adding kindness to kindness, he himself with his own sacred hands cut the long nails on the straightened fingers down to the customary length.'

After describing how Germanus carried an elderly traveller across a stream in the Alps (§ 31), a story without any miraculous element, Constantius narrates Germanus' arrival in Milan (E08359).


Text: Borius 1965.
Translation: Hoare 1954.

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