The Latin first Life of *Romanus, Priest of Blaye (S01129) presents its protagonist as a monk, presbyter and miracle-worker from Provence, who, prompted by God, travels to Blaye, near Bordeaux, by way of Narbonne and Toulouse, where he has a vision of *Saturninus (bishop and martyr of Toulouse, S00289); at Blaye, in collaboration with *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), he destroys a pagan temple and converts the local population; on his death, he is buried by Martin and miracles occur at his grave. Written possibly in the 5th c., probably in the region of Bordeaux (south-west Gaul).
E06490
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
First Life of Romanus, Priest at the Fort of Blaye (Vita Prima sancti Romani presbyteri in castro Blaviensi, BHL 7305g)
(p. 52) Romanus 'was born in the town (oppidum) of Aureca in Provence' (aurece prouinciae opido oriundus fuit). In youth he joins a monastery and serves as a deacon. He leads a very Christian life. (p. 53) One day he cures a man of his blindness and from then on acquires a reputation as a healer. One night the Lord visits him in a vision (visitauit eum dominus per uisum) and tells him to travel to the walled settlement (castrum) of Blaviae [Blaye] in the territory of Bordeaux, where, with the help of another priest, he is to destroy a pagan temple and expel the demons that are there. He leaves and reaches the port of Narbonne (narbona ciuitatis portum adtigit). There he brings back from the dead a young man serving in the praefectural office (prefectualis offitiis militantem).
Approaching Toulouse, he is visited in a vision by Saturninus [bishop and martyr of Toulouse, S00289] who encourages Romanus to fulfil the task required of him by the Lord.
(p. 54) Cumque uenisset terreturium burdegalensium ciuitatis blauia castellum incessabili portu super litus garonne fluuii, ibi sibi cellulam suis manibus construxit.
'When he reached Blaye in the territory of the city of Bordeaux, a fortress at the ever-active port on the bank of the Garonne river, he built there a cell for himself with his own hands.'
He is whipped and in other ways badly treated by the pagans who have a temple there, but wins many of them round by his patient suffering. The temple, however, still stands so he asks the Lord to send him his promised help. The Lord instructs Martin [ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050] to travel to Romanus, which he does, being joyously greeted by the latter.
(p.55) Together, after prayer, they cause the demolition of the temple when they place their staffs on it; everyone is baptised. Romanus asks Martin to make him a presbyter, which he does. With the former pagans now having a priest, Martin returns home.
Some time later, Romanus asks the Lord that Martin might be the man to bury him. Martin travels to Blaye, and Romanus expires on his arrival. A white dove is seen to fly from his mouth as he dies. Martin buries Romanus with suitable dignity.
In quo loco talis gratia usque in hodiernum diem exuberat, ut omni anno supra monumentum et pauimentum tumuli sui quasi flores in similitudine appareant, cumque fiale collegeret, multis benefitia sanitatis dominus dignatur operare. Nauigantibus, si inuocatus fuerit, praestus occurrit, merentibus tristiam auferet, uiduis et orfanis solatium tribuit, omnia in uota suspiciens, maximus interuentor; natale autem eius ab obsessis corporibus fugantur daemonia et multi infirmi ibi saluantur, et est ibi laus domini et benedicetur ibi christus, filius dei, qui regnat cum patre et spiritu sancto in saecula saeculorum. amen. Explicit
'In that place such grace has abounded to the present day, that every year on the monument and paving of his tomb appear things in the likeness of flowers (quasi flores in similitudine), and when they are collected in a flask the Lord deems it right to bring the benefits of health to many. He readily comes to sailors if he is invoked, he removes all sadness from the deserving, he brings solace to widows and orphans, accepting everything into his prayers, he is the greatest intercessor. On his feast-day, demons flee the bodies of the possessed and many of the sick are cured there, and there the Lord is praised and there Christ, the Son of God, who reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever, is blessed. Amen. The end.'
Text: Vielhaber 1907, 52-56.
Translation: Bryan Ward-Perkins and David Lambert.
Summary: Bryan Ward-Perkins.
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
MiraclesMiracle during lifetime
Miracle at martyrdom and death
Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation
Power over life and death
Exorcism
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - lesser clergy
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Pagans
Source
This first Life of Romanus is known from a manuscript of the late-eighth or early-ninth century in Vienna. As Vielhaber, the editor of the Life argues (Vielhaber 1926, 56-57), it is clearly earlier than the second Life of Romanus (for which see E01959), which adds more detail and more dialogue.Both first and second Lives must have been written after the successful spread of the cult of Martin (who features prominently in both), so no earlier than the early fifth century. As Vielhaber also points out (Vielhaber 1926, 57), Gregory of Tours, in his discussion of Romanus in Glory of the Confessors 45 (E02635), written towards the end of the sixth century, evidently knew the second Life, as he invoked Romanus when crossing the Garonne near Blaye in difficult weather conditions (a feature of the second, but not the first Life). A possible, but essentially hypothetical reconstruction might therefore date the first Life to the fifth century and the second to the sixth.
Discussion
The Life of Romanus in both its versions is one of a very few late antique Lives of presbyters, though Romanus is in fact shown acting more like a bishop than a priest: building churches, converting people, baptising, and acting as the equal of bishop Martin of Tours.The Life links its hero with two renowned Gallic saints: Saturninus, bishop and martyr of Toulouse, who appears to Romanus in a vision; and the living Martin, who plays a prominent role in the story, working alongside Romanus in suppressing the pagan cult at Blaye and eventually burying the saint. Such enhancing links with famous saints are a feature of the hagiography of lesser saintly figures.
As Vielhaber (1926, 57-58) points out, Romanus' Life certainly echoes and imitates Sulpicius Severus' depiction of Martin: Romanus is an ideal monk; he can cure people, even bringing them back from the dead; he destroys pagan cult; he converses with saints who are in heaven.
It is not at all clear what is meant by the 'something like flowers' (quasi flores in similitudine), which the author tells us appear once a year at the saint's tomb (possibly at the time of his feast, though this is not stated).
Bibliography
Edition:Vielhaber, G., "De codice hagiographico C.R. Bibliothecae Palatinae Vindobonensis Lat. 420 (olim Salisburg. 39)," Analecta Bollandiana 26 (1907), 33-65, at pp. 52-58.
Bryan Ward-Perkins
30/07/2022
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Certain | S00289 | Saturninus, bishop and martyr of Toulouse | Saturninus | Certain | S01129 | Romanus, priest of Blaye, ob. c. 390 | Romanus | Certain |
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