The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Miracles of Saint Martialis 2 (BHL 5562)

Cum quodam tempore Hlotharius rex Francorum in suo regimine consisteret, et secundum consuetudinem pontifex Lemovicum civitatis defunctus fuisset, ad venerabile sepulchrum sancti Marcialis concives urbis eiusdem deprecantes venerunt, ut, quem in ipsa urbe ad episcopatum culminis ordinare deberent, ostenderet. Sic eis visum fuit, ut mathorarium, qui et custos sepulture eiusdem erat, ipsum ad regem dirigerent et nomina conscripta de duobus sacerdotibus, Lupi et conpresbiteri eius, cum honore regio mitterent, et quem ipse vel optimates sui consentiebant, ipsum in prefata urbe secundum pastorale offitium surrogaret. Sed vix predicto martharario nomine Lupo compellere potuerunt, ut eundem regem adiret.
      Cum iter ceptum ad aulam regis festinus adiret, multos obtimates de sua peticione rogavit, ut in auribus regis eam innotescerent; sed nullus ei adquievit. Cumque ille cum lacrimis diebus ac noctibus Domini misericordiam et beatissimi sancti Marcialis intercessionem petisset, ut locum potuisset invenire, quomodo regi suam peticionem innotesceret, accidit, ut subito febris validissima filium regis invaderet et eum vehementer flagellaret, in tantum ut vix cognoscerent, utrum eius anima in ipso corpore anhelaret. Et cum regina illis triduano ieiunio cum gemitu et luctu celebraret, sic paululum, aurescente celo, obdormivit. Et ei visum fuit, ut predictus sacerdos, qui ex cenobio Sancti Marcialis ibidem advenerat, missam celebrasset et communionem in ore pueri posuisset, et quasi ipse expergefactus calicem amplexasset, et quod in calice sacrificium habebat totum bibisset, et sic sanus factus restitutusque fuisset.
      Et cum fervore prefata regina evigilans, cepit diligenter requirere, num de Galliis Lemovicum ibidem sacerdotem reperissent. Sed cum a nullo de eius habitaculo certum fateretur, surgentes ministri eius circumsallare ceperunt palacii sui amenitatem, ut, si quispiam eum invenire potuisset, festine ad cubiculum, ubi puer fessus iacebat, introduceret. Cum hinc et inde universa loca servi regis perlustrassent et ipsum non invenissent, regina cepit vocibus flere et Dominum deprecari, ut ipsum famulum beatissimi sancti Marcialis ei ostenderet.
      Ipse vero hora diei nona secundum morem in oraculum regis ingressus est. Cumque preces cum lacrimis funderet, eundem obtimates regis invenerunt et velociter ante iam dictam reginam ad cubiculum pueri perduxerunt. Et ipsa presencialiter cognovit, quem in visu antea viderat, et provoluta ad pedes eius, eum rogabat, deprecans, ut festinanter missam celebraret et communionem filio suo inferret. Sed et ipse cum lacrimis visionem regine implevit et communionem puero in ore porrexit; et amplexato calice, totum quod ibidem sacrifitium invenit velociter ausit; et sic sanus factus apparuit, quasi numquam infirmatus fuisset.
      Et statim ad regem Hlotharium puerum sanum eadem hora detulerunt; et quantus ei dolor antea accesserat, tantum gaudium tam ei quam universis assistentibus obvenit; et per singula peticionem suam iam dictus famulus Dei in auribus regis intulit, quem ipse percunctanter omnem peticionem suam adimplevit, et honorem, quem aliis pollicitus fuerat, intercedente sancto Marciale, sibi Dominus multiplicavit. Insuper munus quod portaverat secum retulit, et multis muneribus tam a rege quam a regina acceptis, una cum calice aureo, et in ipso nomen ipsius scriptum, sancto Marciali plenum solidis aureis direxit; qui usque hodie ministerio ipsius basilicae cernitur adesse. Et ipse Dei famulus, qui cum asello humiliter ad aulam regis perrexerat, predictus rex equum cum sella laminis aureis mirum in modum composita eum sedere fecit, et cum magno triumpho, intercedente sancto Marciale, auxiliante Deo, accepto pontificatus offitio, reversus est in pace.


'When, at the time when Chlothar king of the Franks was ruling, the bishop of the city of Limoges had died, according to custom the citizens of the city came to the venerable tomb of St Martialis, praying that he should reveal whom in the city they should ordain to the highest episcopate. Thus it was shown to them that they should send to the king the martyrarius who was guardian of the same tomb, and should send with royal honour the written names of two presbyters, Lupus and his fellow presbyter, and the one he and his optimates agreed to, they should appoint him to the pastoral office in the aforementioned city. But they were hardly able to compel the aforementioned martyrarius, named Lupus, to go to the king.
      When he swiftly made his way to the court of the king, he asked many optimates about his petition, that they should make it known to the ears of the king, but none agreed. And when with tears day and night he sought the mercy of the Lord and the intercession of the blessed saint Martialis, that he should be able to find an opportunity to make his petition known to the king, it happened that a powerful fever suddenly assaulted the king’s son and scourged him violently, so much that people could hardly tell whether his soul still breathed in his body. And when the queen undertook a three-day fast with groaning and grief, so, gradually, when the sky was growing light, she slept. And to her it was shown that the aforementioned priest, who had arrived there from the monastery of St Martialis, celebrated mass and placed communion in the boy’s mouth, and he, as if healed, seized the chalice and drank fully the sacrifice that was in the chalice, and so he was restored and made healthy.
      And with fervour, the aforementioned queen, when she woke, began urgently to seek whether they could find there the priest of Limoges in Gaul. But when she could be made certain about his dwelling by none of them, her servants, rising up, began to run around the estate of her palace, so that if anyone could find him they would bring him quickly to the chamber where the sick boy lay. When the servants of the king hurried here and there through all the places and did not find him, the queen began to weep aloud and to beseech the Lord, that he should show her the servant of the blessed St Martialis.
      He, at the ninth hour of the day, according to custom, entered the king’s oratory. And when he poured out prayers with tears, the optimates of the king found him and swiftly led him before the already-mentioned queen at the boy’s chamber. And in his presence she recognised the one she had seen before in the vision, and throwing herself at his feet, asked him, begging, that he should hurriedly celebrate mass and bring communion to her son. But he also with tears fulfilled the vision of the queen and placed communion in the boy’s mouth; and seizing the chalice, he swiftly drank the whole sacrifice that he found there; and thus he seemed to be made as whole as if he had never been ill.
      And straightaway they brought the healthy boy to King Chlothar the same hour; and as much joy befell him and all those around him as there had previously been grief; and in particular the already mentioned servant of God brought his petition to the ears of the king, and he eventually fulfilled his whole petition, and the honour that he had promised to others, through the intercession of St Martialis the Lord multiplied for himself. In addition, he brought back the gift that he had carried with him, and after receiving many gifts both from the king and the queen, together with a gold chalice, and his name written on it, he sent it, full of gold coins to St Martialis; to this day it can be seen in service in his basilica. And he, the servant of God who had arrived at the king’s court humbly on an ass, the aforementioned king made to sit on a horse with a saddle made in a marvellous way from gold plates, and in great triumph, through the intercession of St Martialis and the help of God, having received the office of bishop, he returned in peace.'


Text: Holder-Egger 1887, 280-81.
Translation: David Lambert.

Eucharist associated with cult

Prayer/supplication/invocation

Miracle after death
Healing diseases and disabilities
Miraculous appointment to office
Apparition, vision, dream, revelation

Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Monarchs and their family
Women
Children

Chalices, censers and other liturgical vessels
Precious material objects

Source

Discussion

Bibliography