Constantius of Lyon, in his Life of *Germanus (bishop of Auxerre, ob. c. 448, S00455), reflects on the nature of Germanus' miracles. Written in Latin at Lyon (south-east Gaul) between c. 460 and c. 480.
E07555
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
Constantius of Lyon, Life of Germanus of Auxerre 6
For a full account of Constantius' Life of Germanus, see E05841.
Qui duplicem uiam Christo ad profectum religionis instituens, in conspectu oppidi, interposito Icauna flumine, monasterium conlocauit, ut ad fidem catholicam populi et congregationibus monachorum et ecclesiastica gratia raperentur, praesertim cum tali pontifice uel magistro, accedentibus miraculis, fides succensa ferueret. Et ut ad temptamenta uirtutum, crescentibus meritis, ueniretur, non praesumptionis, sed misericordiae principium fuit.
'Furthermore, for the advancement of religion he provided two roads to Christ, by founding a monastery within sight of the town, across the river Yonne, so that the surrounding population might be brought to the Catholic faith by contact with the monastic community as well as by the ministrations of the Church. This was all the more likely to succeed since the flame of faith was fanned by such a bishop and such a teacher, to say nothing of the miracles. As for these, when, as his holiness grew, he came to make proof of his spiritual powers, his motive was not presumption but mercy.'
This passage is followed by Constantius' account of Germanus' miraculous recovery of gold that had been lost by a tax-collector: E07550.
Text: Borius 1965, 130.
Translation: Hoare 1954.
Miracle during lifetime
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the nature of miracles
Source
Germanus of Auxerre (PCBE 4, 'Germanus 1', pp. 878-883) was the most important and revered episcopal saint of 5th-century Gaul. The Life of Germanus was written some years after his death (traditionally dated to 448, but perhaps earlier) by Constantius, a literary figure, possibly a cleric, attested in Lyon in the 460s and 470s (PCBE 4, 'Constantius 3', pp. 521-522). The precise date when he composed the Life is not documented, but it must have been sometime between the 460s and the early 480s. For full discussion of the authorship and date of the Life of Germanus, see its overview entry: E05841.Discussion
Constantius justifies Germanus' miracles by stating that they served the purpose of inflaming people's faith (fides succensa ferueret), and were therefore works of mercy not presumption (it is quite interesting that Constantius felt it was necessary to state this). His defence of Germanus can also be read as a justification for the central role he himself gave to miracles in the Life.Bibliography
Editions:Borius, R., Constance de Lyon, Vie de saint Germain d'Auxerre (Sources chrétiennes 112; Paris: Cerf, 1965), with French translation.
Levison, W., Vita Germani episcopi Autissiodorensis auctore Constantio, in: Passiones vitaeque sanctorum aevi Merovingici V (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 7; Hannover and Leipzig, 1919), 246-283.
English translation:
Hoare, F.R., The Western Fathers (London, 1954), 283-320. Reprinted in T.F.X. Noble and T. Head (eds.), Soldiers of Christ: Saints and Saints' Lives from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (University Park PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1995), 75-106.
David Lambert
15/05/2019
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00455 | Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, ob. 445/450 | Certain |
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