The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Life of Dalmatius, Bishop of Rodez (Vita sancti Dalmatii episcopi Ruteni, BHL 2084)

INCIPIT VITA SANCTI DALMATII RUTENE URBIS EPISCOPI.

INCIPIT PROLOGUS.

(1). Triumphalem hac venerabilem Dalmatii Rutene urbis pontificis vitam caelis inclytam terrisque diffusam ad novum huius temporis miraculum proferendum cupimus, si ipse sanctus dicendi vires ingesserit, nunc stilo retexere, qui nuper se universis terre provinciis per palmam gloriae et virtutum miracula munere aethereo propalavit.

EXPLICIT PROLOGUS.

INCIPIT VITA SANCTI DALMATII.

(2). Igitur beatissimum Dalmatium Rutena urbs civem habuit, locique illius indigena fuit, nunc apud Deum meretur habere patronum. Ipse autem, cum Githarum feritas territorio in quo altus est dominaretur, Narbonensium urbem, in qua tunc solium Gotorum tyrannus habuisse refertur, adivit. Nam cum in Arrianae heresis tunc temporis populus ipse detinetur errorem, ibi tamen aepiscopus preerat christianus, qui metropolitano iure cunctis illius provinciae cetu aeminebat. Beatus itaque Dalmatius, licet adhuc sub tenera corporis pubertate, iam tamen Christi adleta maturus, cui nunc urbi patronus est, tunc ab eodem papa episcopus ordinatur. Nam [cum] post discessum inclyti triumphatoris primique patroni dompni Amanti huius urbis episcopi inflicta diversarum gentium per totam Gallium bella detonarent, licet virtute locupletem, opibus tamen pauperrimam hanc ecclesiam Christi confessor invenit. Tanto ibidem iusto laboravit studio, ut non dicam, quod ceterioribus aecclesiis nunc minor sit, sed etiam cunctis olym fundatis atque antiquioribus munere divino iam praecellit.

(3). Igitur aliqua de virtutibus eius dicenda sunt, qua non longi temporis meta determinat. Cum Narbona frequenti iteratu tam pro consolandam religionem quam pro non arduam longinquitatem ipsius civitatis sanctus accederet, quadam vice, cum in hac urbe venisset ad locum, ubi severitas iudicum caerolo detruserat reus mortique destinatus ergastulo, sanctus accessit recordatusque est, humana iuditia alios sontes iactanter absolvere et alios innocentes crudeliter trucidare et per varios casos insontes simul ac criminosos perimere. Ad huius ergo locum carceris coepit vir sanctus pro condempnatis orare Dominum et indesinenti quadam oratione deposcere hac dicere: ‘Domine Iesu Christe, qui es rerum omnium primus conditor et ultissimus reparator, presta mihi servo tuo ad omnes hos qui his clavibus retinentur libertatem; et si iustorum hic et peccatorum commune periculum, hos pro innocentia qua merentur elibera et illos pro misericordia licet noxios, tamen absolve: sitque his omnibus salus, corum fuit hactenus commune periculum’. Et hac oratione conpleta, discessit ab eodem loco. Non enim incassum suo preces fuderat creatori: continuo in morem cere calibis resoluta materies solvitur; dissiliunt arta vincla, dampnatis ianua carceris divinitus reseratur. Libertatem recipiunt absoluti.

(4). Unum tamen ex illis ad ostendendum summum divine misterium pietatis sublimiori quodam arcis in loco praeceptio aeterna subvexit. Qui admiranti se universo populo clamitabat, quo ingenio discessisset a carcere, quoque arbitrio huius scandisset macheriae summitatem, se omnino nesciret. Stupebant omnes varia rerum vice perterriti, dicentes, si a carcere forsitan ingeniosa argumentatione videatur suos aufugisse comites, quomodo in hac summitate prosilivit? Alii commentum fraudis esse, licet inpossibile, inaniter clamitabant; tandem inter omnes una vox tollitur, Dei hunc misterium fore pontificisque illius qui illic ante paululum oraverat esse tropheum. Atque inde argumentoso populi more depositus, vitam simul recepit et libertatem.

(5). Alio quidem tempore ad Gotorum Amalarici regis Narbona venit occursum. Qui dum veterano errore sui populi patrumque suorum longevo ritu infelix est haereticus et universos christicolas despiceret atque omnes catolice aecclesiae episcopos execraret, illi tamen instinctu divini nominis mirum in modum insolitos onores hac novas venerationes exibuit, ita ut nec suis umquam tantum pro ritu sacerdotibus nec christianis pro veneratione debita detulisset; potuitque mens ceca iustum, instigante Domino, venerare, ut cunctis credentibus spem futurae conversionis ostenderet.

(6). Scilicet posteaquam pia atque inclita et christiane religionis cultrix Francorum ditio Rutenam urbem, coniurante sibi populi eius favore, subiecit, desiderio refectus pontifex christiani regis Theudoberti tendebat videre praesentiam. Cumque ad illum devotissimus ardue festinaret, in Ultralegeretanis partibus quodam loco, ubi aliqua, ut dicam, prope legio Bretonum manet, vespertinam ospitalitatem habuisse narratur, caelebrantique ei in crastina missas puella quaedam spiritibus vexata malignis occurrit. Que dum diversis ac crudelibus baccaretur in modis, tandem per os eius nequissimus ille furor demonis satellis exclamat: ‘Dicito mihi, Dalmati, quia iam tuis affecti tormentis hic manere nequimus, qua mihi licet e parte istius corpusculi, in quo vexor, egredere'. Audiens venerandus antestis, abbatem suum nomine Venerianum ire praecepit ad puellam, qui eius oculos obtestans Dominum consignaret, metuens, ne, dum in corpore illo sevus iam diutius manere non poterat inimicus, perinde temptaret egredere, quo vas in a quo fuerat laceraret. Exin per aurium meatus se demon ille minitabat exire; abbas vero signum crucis per aurem utramque constituit. Post haec cum iam nullum ad egredienduin aditum in superna corporis parte poterat reperire, ad digestorium locum digno sibi adito crudelis inimicus effertur, indeque egressus est. Tanto scilicet locum quo sacre inpendebantur aeterno regi cerimoniae paedore replevit, ut nullum alium foret inditium, nisi illinc diabolum processisse; reliquidque intemeratum corpus, ut sancti Dalmatii publycam gloriam demonstravit. Nam perinde rediens pontifex gloriosus, invenit in eodem locum pro sua virtute ab incolas eius loci baselicam celso aedificatam fastigio.

(7). Nec longo post tempore ad Aurelianensium urbem accersitus pro conciliabulo sinodalem sanctus properabat antestis. Et quoniam Biturice urbis territorium itineri eius interiacebat, Biturico veniens, dum ad missas celebrandas consistorio baselice illius resideret, demoniacus quidam ad eum ferreis artatus conplexusque catenis adducitur. Et sedente sancto vultu simplici vel mente sincera, crudelis Belial per os vexantis exclamat, his orsus: ‘Quid istud est quod agis, Dalmati, dure mentis, vultu crudelis, et nobis semper adversare dissimulas et infinitis hac execrabilibus poenis nosmet ipsos exerces? Vel quo iure est ista simplicitas, ut homo ore taceat et conscientiae iaculis clam vulneret inimicum?‘ His dictis, sanctus silentio solito ora conpescuit, sed ab intimis fybris celo orationem transmisit: ilico frustra blaterantem demonem ab hominibus archana dispellit, effugitque inimicus ipse par levibus ventis similisque sompno volueri, ceu solet pectora humana deludere.

(8). Igitur postquam ab Aurilianense urbe egressus est, ad beatissimi Martini baselicam, quem pium sibi confessorem Toronica urbis tenet membris conditum, sed toto orbe diffusa praestat virtute patronum, pro glorificande orationis praemium beatissimus Christi pergebat confessor. Nam quia Liger fluvius inter has urbes navalem fecit esse discursum, modica lintre delatus scandit: recordans, quid ei ante aliquod dies multitudo vexantium apud Breviam Corretiam vicum, sancti Martini baselicam, minitarent, quod ipsi in Ligere fluvium insidias praepararent, sed fidus oratione perrexit. O crudelis et semper adversa bonitati fraudes tua, diabole, tortuose celenter hac lubrice! Ubique bonum videris, adversaris; quicquid praeclarum hac sublimem perspexeris, conaris evertere. Quid multis? Cum primum radiis suis mundum Titan parat, ac roseum Aurora iubar adduxerate, venire subito visa est ante ipsius oculos confessoris demonum turba nigrorum et, navem eius in dirarum ceu Sirtium scopulus ceroleique gurgitis alta compellere. Impletur tunc navis invisa promissio! Illic Sirenica lintri cautis opponitur, et comminuta cumba per tot amnis fluenta conspargitur. Et de mediis fluctibus gloriosus confessor veluti e mari Petrus et Iordane Eliseus sospes cum suis omnibus liberatur nec quicquam de rebus ullis pertulit dampnum, que fuerunt ipsius inmixtis conlaticiis.

(9). Pange nunc iustam confessionem lingua peccatrix, expedire coepta ne desinas, quia non est tuum ipsa quod loqueris; pange virtutum, si quantum vales, insignia. Adest gloriosus ille Dalmatius, qui a te sine suo favore non dicitur; dabit fandi munificentiam, qui bona gerendo sic meruit. Videlicet in Brivatensem vicum, Arverne civitatis oppidum, Dalmatius sanctus advenit, ubi a quodam tribuno reus ad patibulum ultimo dampnatus supplicio ducebatur. Rogare tribunum beatus antestis pro vite huius indulgentia coepit instanter; qui omnino negavit nec voluit iusti preces confessoris accipere, sed durum peragi praecepit imperium. Ille tamen Dominum pro eius vita fideliter exoravit. Hora paene diei secunda reus ad dampnationem producitur hac sublimitate ultima aeculeo sublevatur. Diem hunc nox pepulit, noctem crastinam lux seclusit: reus semper pependit patibulo, et qui iam olym credebatur mortuus, vivens ab eis in crastina, qui ad eum sepeliendum venerant, invenitur. Perculsa est tanto plebs universa miraculo, ut cuius exequies orbi parentes, uxor viduae lamentatione solita prosequebantur, et illi novum se credebant edidisse filium, et ilia cominus nova nupta procedat in gaudio. Nec ista Dalmati Martino minor virtus adscribitur, qui mortuum legitur suscitasse. Ille vitam revocavit in corpore, iste contenuit. Ille iam vagantem animam homini reddidit, iste fecit in corpore vivere tumulatam. Ille absolutum spiritum a corpore remisit in corpore, iste dampnatum in corpore absolvi non permisit a corpore: par est utriusque virtus et gloria? Quid multis? Apud Evodium illius urbis comitem vite adhuc pendenti reo longeva securitas obtinetur.

(10). Haud procul post hac virtute transacta aream famulis suis triturare praecepit antestis. Cumque iam reiecta palea necdum purgatum triticum iaceret prostratum, orrere mundum aeterno cahos coepit ceruleisque nubibus imbre submittere et tonitruo; crebro velut caeli palatum concutere, decedente luce, nox intempestiva concrescere. Concurrent exsanguis famuli, beato pontifici nunciantes, tantam summam tritici deperisse, quod nec recondi ilia in hora possit nec imber imminens revocari. Non est commotus ista vociferatione tunc pontifex, sed duplices tendens ad sidera palmas, talia voce refert: Quo ruetis, famuli? Qua aesitatione estotes ipsi turbati? Ite, ne videamini a coepto labore recedere, exercite operam quam coepistis; scio enim de solita Domini mei pietate, quia nobis non aufert istas quas dedit ipse substancias’. Dixerat haec; illi consternata mente discedunt. Ruitque inmensa tantum e caelo pluvia, ut secundum crederes cataclysmum terras obtegere; ita se circum area ilia imbris diffudit inormitas, ut infra, vel ubi fratrum congestus stetisset, vel famuli, nec unius gutte impetum descendisset. Nam et trium valde hoc miraculo similitudo facta est puerorum, quos Babylonius rex conburendos suo praeceperat incendio; illos circumdatos igne ros madefecit, istos serenitas circumfultos nubibus operuit; illi digni fuerunt inter pyras algire, isti meriti sunt inter ymbrium cumulos aestuare.

(11). Sed iam sistere gradum dicendi debemus hac tantorum miraculorum metam concludere. O quantas beatissimus Dalmatius in quinquaginta sex annos aepiscopatus sui virtutes fecit in saeculo! Quantas nunc post discessum suum ad eius tumulum Dominus operare dignatur! Ibi e caelo caecorum lumen redditur, et surdorum reformatur auditus, et demonum sevitiae refringuntur, et egrotantium medicina refertur: quarum omnium, ut dicam, ultimas has septem virtutes verax fama commemorat. Sed ne dicendi schema destinata transiret, et numerus desideratus accederet, stili huius brevitate pauca perstrincximus, ut si septem his virtutibus septiformis spiritus enarratur et septem stelle, huius dictionis si quid obscurum videtur, in lumine perscriptoque in libro vite cum septem oculis suis agnus id relegat et cum septem cornua, si quid superfluum fuerit, eiciat. Et dominus noster Iesus Christus, qui tantam gratiam beatissimo confessori praestitit, per ipsius intercessionem veniam nobis peccatorum largire dignetur, et sit beato Dalmatio confessori Domini misericordia et veritas in vitam aeternam, in saecula saeculorum. Amen.


'PROLOGUE

(1.) We strive to set down in writing the triumphal and venerable life of Dalmatius, bishop of the city of Rodez, glorified in heaven and widely known on earth, in order to recall this new miracle of these times, if the saint himself grants me the strength. He who by the grace of heaven has recently become known to all the provinces on earth by the crown of glory and the miracles of his strength.

END OF PROLOGUE, BEGINNING OF THE LIFE OF SAINT DALMATIUS

(2.) The city of Rodez had the most blessed Dalmatius as its citizen, for he was a native of the town, and now it is honoured to have him as a patron with the Lord. He visited the city of Narbonne, when Gothic savagery reigned in the land where he grew up. In this city it is said that the tyrant of the Goths held sway. For, while at that time the people were held by the error of the Arian heresy, there [in Narbonne] a Christian bishop was in charge, who stood out from all those of that province through his metropolitan status. The blessed Dalmatius, although not yet mature in body, was already mature in his faith in Christ. Therefore, by that father (papa) he was appointed bishop of the city [in c. 524] of which he is now the patron. Since, after the death of the celebrated and triumphant first patron of this city, lord bishop *Amantius [bishop of Rodez, late 5th c., S00026], wars caused by various tribes had broken out throughout Gaul, the confessor of Christ [Dalmatius] found this church rich in virtue, but very poor in funds. There he worked with such zeal that I would say that now it is not only not less than other churches, but by the will of God is superior even to all those founded earlier and more ancient.

(3.) [First miracle – freeing prisoners] Now should be told some of his miracles separated by a short period of time. He often visited Narbonne, both for religious reasons and also because the distance to this city is not so great. Once, when he was going to this city, the saint came to the place where judges, with their severity, confined the guilty and those sentenced to death to a gloomy prison. He remembered that human courts arrogantly release some criminals, while others, who are innocent, are cruelly executed, and for various reasons they kill the innocent together with the guilty. At the site of that prison, the holy man began to pray to God for the condemned and in continuous prayer urgently asked: “Jesus Christ, You who are the Creator of everything and the greatest righter of wrongs! Grant, me, Your servant, freedom to all those who are held behind these bolts. And if there is here common danger to the righteous and sinners, free the former for their deserved innocence, and absolve those that are guilty through Your mercy. Let there be deliverance for them all, who have until now faced a common danger!”. When he had finished this prayer, he left the place. It was not in vain that he poured out prayers to his Creator. Immediately the material of the fetters melted like wax, strong chains burst, and the door of the prison miraculously opened for the condemned. Liberated they regained their freedom.

(4.) However, one of them, in order that the supreme mystery of divine mercy might be made manifest, was carried to a high place of the fortress by immortal command. From there, he loudly shouted to the people, who looked at him with surprise, that he did not know at all by whose efforts he was freed from prison and by whose will he ended up on the highest point of the wall. Everyone was amazed at this turn of events, saying: "If he could escape from prison and leave his companions, thanks to some trick, then how did he climb to this height?". Others shouted in vain that it was a trick and that it was impossible. One voice among all of them said that this was a divine mystery and a trophy for the bishop who had prayed there not long before. After that, he was deftly removed from the wall by the people, and so was granted both life and freedom.

(5.) [Second miracle – respected by the Arian Amalaric, through divine prompting] On another occasion, Dalmatius came to Narbonne to meet with Amalaric king of the Goths [r. 511-531]. Although Amalaric was a miserable heretic because of the long-standing error of his people and the ancient custom of his fathers, and despised all Christians and cursed all Catholic bishops, thanks to divine prompting, he miraculously displayed unprecedented honour and veneration towards Dalmatius, such that he had never shown before to his [Arian] clergy in accordance with custom, nor to Christians through due respect. A blind intellect, inspired by God, was able to honour Dalmatius, so that all believers realised that there was hope for a future conversion [of the Goths to Catholicism].

(6.) [Third miracle – exorcising a possessed girl] When that pious and glorified supporter of the Christian religion, the power of the Franks, later subjugated the city of Rodez, sealing the loyalty of its people with an oath, the bishop, overwhelmed with desire, set out to see the Christian king Theudebert [r. 534-48]. And while the most devout man was making the arduous journey towards him, he stopped in a certain place in the region beyond the Loire with some troops of the Bretons and was, they say, offered hospitality for the night. The next day, during mass, a certain girl, tormented by evil spirits, came before him. And while she raged in different and dreadful ways, the terrible raving of her attendant demon spoke through her mouth: “Tell me, Dalmatius, since now I can’t stay here because of your tortures, from which part of the body, in which I am tormented, am I allowed to leave?" Hearing this, the venerable bishop asked his abbot, named Venerianus, to approach the girl, and he, calling on God as a witness, signed [with the cross] her eyes, fearing that, since the cruel enemy could no longer remain in that body, he would try to get out and break the vessel that contained him. The demon then threatened that he would come out through her ears, but the abbot immediately made the sign of the cross over each of them. After this the cruel enemy now could not find any escape in the upper part of her body, and was driven to her digestive tract – the worthiest exit for him, from whence he left. And such a stench filled that place, where sacred ceremonies are held to our eternal King, that it was beyond any doubt that a devil had left her, leaving her body unharmed to manifest the evident glory of saint Dalmatius. Later, returning by the same route, our illustrious bishop discovered in the same place a basilica with a high roof, built by the inhabitants of this area for this miracle of his.

(7.) [Fourth miracle – another demoniac is exorcised] A short time later, he hurried to the city of Orléans, summoned to the church council [of 541]. As his route passed through the region of the city of Bourges, he arrived at this city, and, while he was celebrating mass in the hall of that basilica, a demoniac was brought before him, bound with iron and wrapped in chains. While Dalmatius sat with an open countenance and a clear mind, the cruel Belial exclaimed through the lips of the tormented man: “What is it that you are doing, Dalmatius? You hard-hearted and stern-faced man, you always pretend not to pursue us, but inflict endless and cruel torments on us. By what right is this simplicity, that a man without speaking can secretly inflict wounds on his enemy with mere spiritual weapons?”. When this was said, the saint kept his lips sealed with his habitual silence, but from the depths of his soul sent prayers addressed to heaven. Immediately, he expelled the idle-talking demon from the man, and the enemy himself fled, expelled like a light wind and a dream [compare Virgil, Aeneid 2.794: 'like the light breeze, most like a winged dream']. This is how the devil often deceives the souls of men.

(8.) [Fifth miracle – saved from shipwreck on the Loire] After leaving Orléans, our most blessed confessor of Christ went to the basilica of saint *Martin [ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050] the pious confessor, whom the city of Tours holds in body, and yet is available as a patron, through his wide power, to the whole world, there to glorify the saint in prayer. Since the river Loire provides communication by boat between the cities, Dalmatius climbed into a small boat. Remembering how a few days earlier a multitude of devils in the possessed, at the village of Brive-la-Gaillarde, at the basilica of St. Martin, had threatened that they were preparing to ambush him on the river Loire, he travelled on, trusting in prayer. O, your cruel deceit, Devil, always opposed to good, you are a crooked and slippery snake [reading chelydrus, 'water-snake', for celenter]! Whatever you see that is bright and sublime, you try to overturn. What more? When Titan awakened the earth with his rays and Aurora cast her pink light [compare Aeneid 4.118, 'Titan reveals the world with his rays', and 6.535, 'Aurora and her rosy chariot had passed'] a vision arose before the eyes of our confessor of a host of black demons, and his boat was driven onto the perils of the Furies and of Syrtis, into the abyss of the dark depths. A hateful promise about the ship is fulfilled! For here the rocks of the Sirens threaten, and the shattered barque is tossed through all the waves of the river [compare Aeneid 5.864; 'it was close to the Sirens’ rocks']. But the glorious confessor, like saint Peter from the sea and the prophet Elisha from the Jordan, is saved unharmed with all his household from the middle of the river, and did not suffer any harm from the various events that happened.

(9.) [Sixth miracle – preserving the life of a hanged man] My sinner tongue, speak now an honest confession and do not stop setting out what you have begun, because what you are saying is not yours! Tell now of the signs of his miracles, as well as you are able! That glorious Dalmatius is here, who cannot be spoken of by you without his favour; he will give you a flow of speech, who was so worthy in doing good. Saint Dalmatius came to the village of Brioude, a settlement in the territory of the city of Clermont, where a certain tribune was leading a man to the gallows who had been condemned to death. The blessed bishop began to urgently ask the tribune for forgiveness for the life of this man, but he refused and did not want to listen to the request of the confessor. He instructed that the strict order be carried out. However, Dalmatius offered up a prayer to our Lord for the life of that man. At just the second hour of the day, the guilty man was led to his end and hoisted up on the gallows. Night succeeded this day, till light closed that following night. The sentenced man hung on the gallows all this time; yet he who was believed to be dead was found alive the next day by those who came to bury him. All the people were amazed by such a great miracle. His parents and wife, with the usual tears of a widowed woman, came to his funeral, then suddenly they found him like a new son, and she, in joy, seemed to become a bride again. And this miracle of Dalmatius should be considered no lesser than that of Martin, about whom we read that he raised the dead. One restored life to the body, the other preserved it. One returned the already wandering soul to the person, the other made the buried soul live in the body. One replaced the spirit released from the body back into the body, the other did not allow the condemned in the body to be released from the body. Are their power and glory equal? What more? From Evodius the count of this city, he [Dalmatius] received a long-term guarantee of life for the condemned and hanged man.

(10.) [Seventh miracle – saving wheat from the rain] Shortly after this miracle, Dalmatius ordered his servants to go thresh some wheat at the threshing-floor. When the straw lay scattered, with the wheat not yet separated from it, the sky began to rage, and it began to send a downpour and thunder from the blue clouds, and the firmament appeared to shake, and as the light fell, an untimely night began to thicken. The servants fled, pallid with fear, informing the blessed bishop that a large amount of wheat would be wasted because it could not be covered in time, and the approaching downpour could not be stopped. But the bishop did not succumb to their cries, and stretching his two hands towards the heavens, he cries out in this voice [compare Aeneid 1.93-94, ‘and stretching his two hands towards the heavens, he cries out in this voice']: “Why hurry, servants? What doubts are you worried about? Go back, if you don’t want to be shying away from the work you have begun. Finish the work you started. For I know the love of my Lord, and that He will not take away from us what He Himself has given.” He said this, and the servants, confused in spirit, returned to work. It rained so ceaselessly from heaven that one might have thought that a second flood covered the earth. A huge amount of water poured around the threshing-floor, but where the brothers and servants stood, not a single drop fell. It was like the miracle of the three boys [= the *Three Hebrew Youths of the Book of Daniel, S01198] whom the king of Babylon ordered to be burned in the fire. They, surrounded by fire, were moistened by dew, while these [the threshers], surrounded by clouds, were under a clear sky. They were worthy of coolness in the middle of a fire, while these were granted warmth in the middle of a downpour.

(11.) But now we must set a step in our account, and reach the limit of so many miracles. Oh, how many miracles, during his fifty-six-year episcopate, did Saint Dalmatius perform in his lifetime! And how many miracles the Lord deigns to enact at his grave after his death! There, from heaven, sight descends to the blind, hearing returns to the deaf, the ferocity of demons is curbed, and the sick are cured. Of all these miracles, truthful repute commemorates the seven just recounted. But, so that the planned form of my words should not be exceeded and the desired number be reached, my pen has touched but briefly on a few things, so that his sevenfold spirit is told through these seven miracles and his seven stars; if anything seems unclear in this account, with His seven eyes the Lamb will read it, in the light and in the full record of the book of his [Dalmatius’] life, and with His seven horns He will reject what is superfluous [for the seven stars and for the lamb with seven eyes and seven horns, see Revelation 1:20 and 5:6]. And may our Lord Jesus Christ, who granted such grace to this most blessed confessor, deign to grant pardon to us for our sins through his [Damatius’] intercession; and may the mercy and truth of the Lord be with the blessed confessor Dalmatius throughout eternal life, for ever and ever, Amen.


Text: Krusch 1896, 545-9.
Translation: A. Kasparov

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Saint as patron - of a community
Composing and translating saint-related texts
Pilgrimage
Visiting graves and shrines

Miracle during lifetime
Miracle after death
Freeing prisoners, exiles, captives, slaves
Miraculous protection - of people and their property
Power over elements (fire, earthquakes, floods, weather)
Exorcism
Other miracles with demons and demonic creatures

Ecclesiastics - bishops
Heretics
Monarchs and their family
Prisoners
Demons

Source

Discussion

Bibliography