Gennadius of Marseille, in his De viris illustribus ('On distinguished men'), describes how Lucianus, the discoverer of the relics of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), wrote an account of his discovery, which was translated into Latin by the presbyter Avitus, and circulated in the West by Orosius, who was also the first to bring relics of Stephen to the West. Written in Latin at Marseille (southern Gaul), c. 468.
E06063
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)
Gennadius, De viris illustribus 40, 47-48
(40.) Orosius presbyter, Hispani generis, vir eloquens et cognitor historiarum ... Hic est Orosius, qui ab Augustino pro discenda animae ratione ad Hieronymum missus, rediens reliquias beati Stephani, primi martyris, tunc nuper inventas, primus intulit Occidenti.
(47.) Lucianus presbyter, vir sanctus cui revelavit Deus, temporibus Honorii et Theodosii Augustorum, locum sepulchri et reliquiarum corporis sancti Stephani primi martyris, scripsit ipsam revelationem Graeco sermone ad omnium ecclesiarum personam.
(48.) Avitus presbyter, homo Hispani generis, ante latam Luciani presbyteri scripturam in Latinum transtulit sermonem et adiecta epistula sua, per Orosium presbyterum, Occidentalibus edidit.
'(40.) The presbyter Orosius, of Spanish origin, an eloquent man and an expert on history ... This is the Orosius who, sent by Augustine to Jerome to learn the nature of the soul, on his return first brought to the West the relics of the blessed Stephen, the first martyr, then recently discovered.
(47.) The presbyter Lucian, the holy man to whom God revealed, in the time of the emperors Honorius and Theodosius, the place of the tomb and of the bodily relics of St Stephen the first martyr, wrote about the revelation in the Greek language, to the authorities of all the churches.
(48.) The presbyter Avitus, a man of Spanish origin, translated into the Latin language the aforementioned work of the presbyter Lucian and after adding his own letter, put it into circulation in the West via the presbyter Orosius.'
Text: Richardson 1896.
Translation: David Lambert.
Composing and translating saint-related texts
MiraclesApparition, vision, dream, revelation
RelicsBodily relic - unspecified
Transfer/presence of relics from distant countries
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - lesser clergy
Source
Gennadius was a presbyter at Marseille in southern Gaul, active as a writer from approximately the 460s to the 490s. His main surviving work, De viris illustribus ('On distinguished men', CPL 957) provides short descriptions of the works of Christian writers, together with minimal biographical detail. It is a continuation of Jerome's work of the same name.Discussion
The entry on Lucian is the source of the account of the discovery of Stephen's relics in the Chronicle of Marcellinus Comes (E03592, E03593). Avitus' Latin translation of Lucian is extant (E02344).Bibliography
Edition:Richardson, E.C., Hieronymus, Liber de viris inlustribus. Gennadius, Liber de viris inlustribus (Texte und Untersuchungen 14/1; Leipzig, 1896).
Further reading:
Czapla, B., Gennadius als Literaturhistoriker (Münster, 1898).
David Lambert
01/08/2018
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Stephanus | Certain |
|---|
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