List of relics and diptych from the monastery of the Holy *Apostles (S02422) and *Martyrs (S02818) at Arles (southern Gaul), giving the names of saints whose relics were deposited in the monastery and the people for whom prayers were to be offered in the liturgy. The list contains the names of all the Apostles, as well as *Mary (mother of Christ, S00033), *John the Baptist (S00020), and *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), together with four Gallic martyrs, *Genesius (martyr of Arles, S00263), *Symphorianus (martyr of Autun, S00322), *Baudilius (martyr of Nîmes, S00383), and *Victor (martyr of Marseille, S00382), and three Gallic bishops, *Hilary (bishop of Poitiers, ob. 367, S00183), *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050), and *Caesarius (bishop of Arles, ob. 542, S00491). Written in Latin at Arles, in 600/650.
E07748
Liturgical texts - Other
List of relics and diptych from the monastery of the Holy Apostles, Arles
In Christi nomine fundatum est monasterium virorum Dei in civitate Arelatensi a sancto Aureliano episcopo, iubente sanctae memoriae Childeberto rege Francorum, XV k(a)l(endas) dec(em)b(ris), indict(ione) XI, anno quinto post consulatum Basilii Iunioris v(iri) c(larissimi), et basilica ibidem in honore sanctorum apostolorum et martyrum. Habetque ibidem reliquias positas, id est de cruce Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, beatae Mariae, genetricis Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, Johannis Baptistae et praecursoris Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, Stephani, Petri, Pauli, Iohannis, Iacobi, Andreae, Philippi, Thomae, Bartholomei, Matthei, Iacobi, Simonis, Iudeae, Mathtiae [sic], Genesii, Symphoriani, Baudilii, Victori [sic], Hilarii episcopi et confessoris, Martini episcopi et confessoris, Caesarii episcopi.
Simulque praecantes oramus etiam, Domine, pro animabus famulorum tuorum, patrum atque institutorum quondam nostrorum, Aureliani, Petri, Florentini, Redempti, Constantini, Himiteri, Hilarini, Ianuarini, Reparati, Childeberti, Uultrogotum, vel omnium fratrum nostrorum, quos de hoc loco ad te vocare dignatus es, cunctorumque etiam huius loci memores fidelium, pariterque parentum nostrorum atque servientium huius loci; et pro animabus omnium fidelium famulorum tuorum vel famularum hac peregrinorum in pace Ecclesiae defunctorum: ut eis, tu, Domine Deus noster, peccatorum tribuas veniam et requiem largiaris aeternam, meritis et intercessionibus sanctorum tuorum Mariae, genetricis Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, Iohannis Baptistae et praecursoris Domini nostri Ihesu Christi, Stephani, Petri, Pauli, Iohanhis, Iacobi, Andreae, Philippi, Thome, Bartholomei, Matthei, Iacobi, Symonis, Iudae, Mathiae, Genesii, Simphoriani, Baudilii, Victoris, Hilarii episcopi et confessoris, Martini episcopi et confessoris, Cesarii [sic] episcopi. Hec propitius praestare et exaudire digneris, qui vivis et regnas in unitate Spiritus sancti, Deus, in secula saeculorum. Amen.
'In the name of Christ, the monastery of the men of God in the city of Arles was founded by the holy bishop Aurelianus, at the command of Childebert, king of the Franks, of holy memory, on the 15th day before the Kalends of December [= 17 November] in the 11th indiction, in the fifth year after the consulship of Basilius Junior, of clarissimus rank; also the basilica in the same place in honour of the Holy Apostles and Martyrs. It has relics deposited in the same place, that is: from the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, of John, the Baptist and forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Stephen, of Peter, of Paul, of John, of James, of Andrew, of Philip, of Thomas, of Bartholomew, of Matthew, of James, of Simon, of Jude, of Matthias, of Genesius, of Simphorianus, of Baudilius, of Victor, of Hilary, bishop and confessor, of Martin, bishop and confessor, of Caesarius, bishop.
And at the same time beseeching we pray too, Lord, for the souls of your servants, our fathers and past founders, Aurelianus, Petrus, Florentinus, Redemptus, Constantinus, Himiterus, Hilarinus, Ianuarinus, Reparatus, Childebert, Ultrogotha, also all our brothers whom you have deigned to call to you from this place, and also remembering all the faithful of this place, and equally our relatives and those serving in this place, and for the souls of all your faithful male and female servants who have died as exiles here in the peace of the church, so that you, our Lord God, grant them forgiveness of sins and bestow eternal peace, through the merits and intercessions of your saints: Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, John, the Baptist and forerunner of our Lord Jesus Christ, Stephen, Peter, Paul, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, Simon, Jude, Matthias, Genesius, Symphorianus, Baudilius, Victor, Hilary, bishop and confessor, Martin, bishop and confessor, Caesarius, bishop. May you deign kindly to hear us and offer these things, who live and reign in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.'
Text: Bernard 2003, 13-14 (first paragraph), 7 (second paragraph), lightly modified.
Translation: David Lambert.
Service for the saint
Eucharist associated with cult
Liturgical invocation
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Cult PlacesCult building - monastic
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
Saint as patron - of a community
RelicsUnspecified relic
Transfer, translation and deposition of relics
Source
The texts presented here, from the Monastery of the Apostles in Arles, founded in 547, are preserved in the Codex regularum, a collection of monastic rules compiled in the early 9th century by the monastic reformer Benedict of Aniane (ob. 821), in which they are appended to the Rule composed for the monastery by Aurelianus (ob. 551), the bishop of Arles who founded it (on the context, see Bernard 2003, 6-7). The Codex regularum itself survived through a single 9th c. manuscript, Munich, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 28118 (digitised: https://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0005/bsb00054966/images/), with the current documents on fol. 118r-v.In the manuscript the material in this entry appears as a single text divided into two paragraphs: the first recording the foundation of the monastery and the deposition of relics, the second recording the prayers offered to the saints and to the founders of the monastery. The layout of the text given here reflects that of the manuscript, but scholars have generally agreed that the two paragraphs were originally two independent texts, and that the second paragraph transcribes the monastery's diptych, the formal list of those for whom prayers were offered in the Eucharist (Février 1986, 82; Pietri and Pietri 1992, 49; Bernard 2003, 5).
The first paragraph dates from no earlier than 558, the year of the death of King Childebert, but its date is otherwise uncertain. The second paragraph – that is, the diptych – cannot be dated precisely, but includes the names of seven abbots of the monastery (identifiable thanks to the inscription from the tomb of Abbot Florentinus – see E07946). The first abbot, Florentinus, died in 553; part of his surviving epitaph was written by the fifth abbot, Hilarianus (spelled Hilarinus in the diptych), at a date at least thirty-five years after his death. The text by Hilarianus has been plausibly, though not certainly, dated to 599 (on these details, see E07946). Since the list of abbots in the diptych includes two further names after Hilarianus, this suggests that it dates from some point in the first half of the 7th century.
Discussion
The list of relicsThe first paragraph from the Codex regularum is a brief record of the establishment of the monastery by Aurelianus, bishop of Arles (546-551), 'at the command' (iubente) of the Frankish king Childebert (ob. 558), together with the monastery's basilica, which was dedicated to the holy apostles and martyrs (in honore sanctorum apostolorum et martyrum). It states that this took place on 17 November in the fifth year after the consulship of Basilius and in the eleventh indiction: unfortunately these two methods of dating conflict with each other, with the former implying the year 546 and the latter 547/8. Since 17 November fell on a Sunday in 547, it is presumed that the indiction year is the correct one, and therefore that the formal foundation of the monastery took place on 17 November 547 (Bernard 2003, 14; Heijmans 2004, 294). This is confirmed by the epitaph of the monastery's first abbot, Florentinus (E07946), which says that he died in May 553 after being abbot for five years and sixth months, thus dating his accession to the autumn of 547.
The document then gives a list of the relics deposited in the basilica. This begins with the Cross, then lists twenty-three saints in what is clearly a hierarchical order: first Mary, then John the Baptist, then Stephen the Protomartyr, then Peter and Paul, then the other apostles. Apart from the insertion of Paul after Peter, the apostles are listed in the order of Acts 1:13 (Vg) (Bernard 2003, 13). After these universal figures come saints of a more local character: four Gallic martyrs, Genesius of Arles, Symphorianus of Autun, Baudilius of Nîmes, and Victor of Marseille, two 'bishops and confessors', Hilary of Poitiers and Martin of Tours, and finally Caesarius of Arles, described simply as 'bishop'.
The New Testament saints listed are unsurprising: Mary, John the Baptist, Stephen, Peter and Paul are widely attested receiving cult in Gaul, as throughout the Christian world: Stephen was the patron of the cathedral at Arles (E08355) and churches dedicated to Mary were founded there by Caesarius (see e.g. E07949) and Aurelianus himself (E07947). Much more unusual – if not unique – is the claim to possess relics of all twelve of the apostles. The fact that the monastery had the backing of King Childebert must have helped in obtaining relics from outside Gaul: two surviving letters to Childebert from Pope Pelagius I (E05478) refer to relics being sent to him from Rome, including those of 'both the blessed apostles and the holy martyrs', though these letters date from several years after the foundation of the monastery. But even in Rome it would have been difficult to obtain relics of all the apostles.
Genesius, the first of the Gallic martyrs listed was local to Arles and had a shrine there (see E05724); the other three, Symphorianus of Autun, Baudilius of Nîmes, and Victor of Marseille, had no connection with Arles, and it is not clear why they in particular were chosen among the various Gallic martyrs with active cult at the time. The list concludes with three Gallic bishops: Hilary of Poitiers, Martin of Tours, and Caesarius of Arles. While Hilary and Martin had been established for generations among the chief Gallic saints, Caesarius had died only five years earlier, and his appearance in this list is important evidence for the establishment of his cult in the immediate aftermath of his death.
The document says nothing about the nature of the relics deposited, but the overwhelming likelihood is that they were contact relics such as cloths placed on a saint's tomb or dust from the tomb.
Given that Aurelianus was founding a monastic church in Arles, it is worth observing that the list does not include relics of the 5th c. bishops of Arles Honoratus (S00438) and Hilary (S00435), even though both were strongly associated with monasticism. Whatever the reason for this, it cannot have been difficulty in obtaining relics, since both were buried in the city.
The diptych
The second paragraph from the Codex regularum is a transcription of the monastery's diptych, the list of those for whom prayers were made during the liturgy (Bernard 2003, 5). This begins with those described as 'our fathers and past founders' (patrum atque institutorum quondam nostrorum): Aurelianus, the founding bishop, an otherwise unknown Petrus, and then the names Florentinus, Redemptus, Constantinus, Himiterus, Hilarinus, Ianuarinus, and Reparatus. Thanks to the survival of Florentinus' epitaph (E07946), which mentions most of them, we can identify these as the successive abbots of the monastery. The list concludes with the names of King Childebert and his wife Ultragotha (Bernard 2003, 10-11). The only individual who cannot be identified is the Petrus who comes between Aurelianus and Florentinus. From the positioning of his name he must have been a senior cleric involved in the monastery's foundation, but he cannot be identified with any known individual. Those mentioned by name are followed by the other, unnamed members of the monastery (omnium fratrum nostrorum) and the wider Christian community (omnium fidelium famulorum tuorum vel famularum). Inclusion by name was evidently limited to two specific categories, founders of the monastery (Aurelianus, Childebert, Ultragotha, presumably Petrus) and abbots of the monastery: no one else is named, not even any of Aurelianus' successors as bishop of Arles (pointed out by Bernard 2003, 17).
The text of the diptych concludes by asking God to forgive the sins of all those mentioned and grant them eternal life 'through the intercession of your saints', followed by a list of saints which is identical to the list of those whose relics were deposited in the basilica of the monastery.
Bibliography
Text:Bernard, P., "Les diptyques du Monastère des Saints-Apôtres d'Arles au VIIe siècle. Édition critique. Commentaire historique et liturgique," Revue d'histoire de l'Église de France, 89 (2003), 5-21, with French translation and discussion.
Further reading:
Février, P.-A., "Arles,", in: N. Gauthier and J.-Ch. Picard (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 3: Provinces ecclésiastique de Vienne et d'Arles (Viennensis et Alpes Graiae et Poeninae) (Paris: Boccard, 1986), 73-84.
Heijmans, M., Arles durant l'Antiquité tardive. De la Duplex Arelas à l'Urbs Genesii (Rome, 2004).
Pietri, C., and Pietri, L., "Un abbé arlésien promu à la sainteté: Florentinus," in: L. Holtz and J.-C. Fredouille (eds.), De Tertullien aux Mozarabes. Mélanges offerts à Jacques Fontaine, vol. 1 (Paris, 1992), 45-57.
David Lambert
15/06/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Paulus | Certain | S00020 | John the Baptist | Iohannes Baptista | Certain | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Stephanus | Certain | S00033 | Mary, Mother of Christ | Maria | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00042 | John, the Apostle and Evangelist | Iohannes | Certain | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Certain | S00108 | James, the Apostle, son of Zebedee | Iacobus | Certain | S00109 | Philip, the Apostle | Philippus | Certain | S00183 | Hilarius/Hilary, bishop of Poitiers, ob. 367 | Hilarius | Certain | S00199 | Thomas, the Apostle | Thomas | Certain | S00256 | Bartholomew, the Apostle | Bartholomeus | Certain | S00263 | Genesius, notary and martyr of Arles | Genesius | Certain | S00288 | Andrew, the Apostle | Andreas | Certain | S00322 | Symphorianus, martyr of Autun | Simphorianus | Certain | S00382 | Victor, martyr of Marseille, and his companion martyrs | Victor | Certain | S00383 | Baudilius, martyr of Nîmes | Baudilius | Certain | S00491 | Caesarius, bishop of Arles, ob. 542 | Cesarius | Certain | S00791 | Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist | Mattheus | Certain | S00792 | Jude Thaddaeus, Apostle, one of the Twelve | Iudas | Certain | S00835 | Simon Kananaios, the Zealot, apostle of Christ | Symon | Certain | S01784 | Matthias, the Apostle | Mathias | Certain | S01801 | James, the Apostle, son of Alphaeus | Iacobus | Certain | S02422 | All Apostles | Certain | S02818 | All martyrs | Certain |
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