The Latin Life of *Rusticula (abbess of Arles, ob. 627/632, S02433) describes how Rusticula dedicated a basilica in Arles (southern Gaul) first to the Cross, then to *Michael (the Archangel, S00181), and dedicated altars in a separate building to the Cross, and to the archangels *Gabriel and *Raphael (S00192, S00481), the Apostle *Thomas (S00199), and the martyrs *Sebastianus (martyr of Rome, S00400), *Mauricius (martyr of the Theban Legion, S00339), and *Pontius (martyr of Cimiez, S01486). Written in southern Gaul, c. 627/640.
E08000
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
Life of Rusticula 8
For an overview of this Life, see E06492.
His igitur sanctissima virgo florens, concepit animo, Spiritu sancto instigante, ut ampliorem orationis locum virginibus Christi institueret. Interea construxit templa, munivit menia sanctis. Ab incoatione vero ecclesiae, dum fundamenta ponerentur, manibus suis beatissma mater exultans lapides artificibus porrigebat; perfecto opere, Domino favente atque inspirante, ecclesiam in honore sanctae Crucis instruxit. Dehinc demonstratum est eidem per revelationem aedificium mirae magnitudinis in caelo aedificatum, quem intuens, iubetur a Domino ut similitudinem illius fabricaret in terris. At illa fida festinat gaudens implere iussionem Domini sui, perfecitque templum micanti pulchritudine constructum. Cogitavit autem apud se, ut in hoc aedificio, qui eminentior erat, crucem Domini conlocaret et illam quam prius fundaverat in honore sancti achangeli Michaelis adoptaret. Convocatis ergo sanctis sacerdotibus Christi, septem altaria ibidem conlocavit: primum in honore crucis Christi, dehinc sanctorum archangelorum Gabrielis atque Raphaelis, addens post aliquot annos sancti Thomae apostoli, sancti Mauricii, sancti Sebastiani et sancti Pontii. Vere enim secundum apostoli dictum ut sapiens architectus fundamentum posuit; aedificavit in terris, quod postea invenit in caelis. Ipsi namque eidem sidereas mansiones paradisi suis interpellationibus paraverunt, quos tanto amore venerabiliter excoluit in terris.
'As she flourished through these things, at the instigation of the Holy Spirit the holy virgin conceived the idea of establishing a larger place of prayer for the virgins of Christ. At the same time she constructed temples, she built fortresses for the saints. Indeed, from the commencement of the church, when its foundations were laid, the most blessed mother, exulting, handed stones to the craftsmen with her own hands. When the work was finished through the Lord's favour and inspiration, she fitted the church out in honour of the Holy Cross. Later a building built in heaven, of wonderful size, was shown to her in a vision. As she saw it, she was commanded by the Lord to build its likeness on earth. Faithfully she hurried, rejoicing, to fulfil the command of her Lord, and completed a temple constructed with glittering beauty. She thought to herself that she should place the Cross of the Lord in this building, which was more impressive, and that she should adopt the one she had founded earlier in honour of the holy archangel Michael. Gathering together the holy priests of Christ, she placed seven altars there: the first in honour of the Cross of Christ, then of the holy archangels Gabriel and Raphael. Some years later she added ones for St Thomas the apostle, St Maurice, St Sebastian, and St Pontius. Truly, according to the saying of the Apostle, like a wise architect she laid a foundation [1 Cor. 3:10]; she built on earth what she afterwards found in heaven. For they themselves, whom with so much love she honoured in veneration on earth, prepared starry mansions for her in paradise through their supplications.'
Text: Krusch 1902, 343.
Translation: David Lambert.
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - dependent (chapel, baptistery, etc.)
Cult building - oratory
Altar
Non Liturgical ActivityConstruction of cult buildings
Renovation and embellishment of cult buildings
Prayer/supplication/invocation
Saint as patron - of an individual
MiraclesApparition, vision, dream, revelation
RelicsTransfer, translation and deposition of relics
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits
Women
Source
The Life of Rusticula was written shortly after her death (in either 627 or 632) by Florentius, presbyter of Tricastrina (Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux). For full discussion, see E06492.Discussion
This passage deals with the construction of new religious buildings by Rusticula. The rather convoluted and bombastic language used by Florentius sometimes obscures precisely what was being built, but it is ultimately apparent that there are two building projects described. The first was to construct 'a larger place of prayer for the virgins of Christ' (ampliorem orationis locum virginibus Christi): in other words the reconstruction on a larger scale of the monastery's central place of worship. When this was completed it was dedicated to the Cross (the monastery of St John evidently possessed a relic of the Cross, and Rusticula seems to have had one which she carried with her – cf. Life of Rusticula 16). The 'temples for the saints' that Florentius says were constructed 'at the same time' (interea) may possibly have been separate buildings – small oratories or the like – but could have been chapels attached to the main basilica and dedicated to individual saints.At some point after her first building works were completed, Rusticula, having had a vision of a magnificent building in heaven, constructed a completely new place of worship. Since this building was more impressive (eminentior), she dedicated it to the Cross and moved the relic there, rededicating the older building to the Archangel Michael (who may have been personally significant for her – see E08505). She had seven altars placed in the new church, one dedicated to the Cross, two to the archangels Gabriel and Raphael, one to the Apostle Thomas, and three to martyrs: two well-known (Mauritius of the Theban Legion and the Roman martyr Sebastian), one local and relatively obscure (Pontius, martyr of Cimiez). These constructions must all have been within the boundaries of the monastery of St John, which was located on a restricted urban site within the walls of Arles. They were almost certainly smaller and less lavish in reality than one would infer from Florentius' descriptions, but would still have required substantial organisation and expenditure. For further discussion, see Heijmans 2014, 43-4.
Florentius' account shows the importance of veneration of the saints within the monastery and to Rusticula personally, firstly in the physical form of the 'temples for the saints' which she had built, but also in the form of her dedications, which were presumably to saints chosen by her, and therefore particularly important to her (there is no other discernible link between the particular figures who had altars dedicated to them in the new church). The dedication of Rusticula's buildings to the Cross has sometimes been linked to Radegund's Monastery of the Holy Cross in Poitiers (e.g. Riché 1954, 372; McNamara et al. 1992, 127, n. 27). There are attested contacts between the monasteries in Arles and Poitiers: Radegund adopted the Rule of Caesarius for her community and there is an extant letter to her from Caesaria the Younger (for discussion, see de Vogüé and Courreau 1988, 443-460), so it is not impossible that Rusticula's dedication was influenced by her example, but the idea that Radegund was the source of the relic(s) of the Cross held in Arles or that Rusticula's buildings were specifically intended to honour her is speculative. The latter suggestion, in particular, depends on the doubtful claim that Radegund actually visited the monastery of St John at some point in the late 560s (Riché 1954, 372): this is based on an ambiguous statement by Gregory of Tours in his account of Radegund's activities (Histories 9.40), which is not supported by any other source. Among other considerations, if Radegund had visited Rusticula's monastery when she was already a member of the community (or was even abbess), it is hard to see how this would not have been mentioned by Florentius.
This passage in the Life of Rusticula seems to be the earliest surviving reference by name to the martyr Pontius, whose shrine was located in Cimiez near Nice. Sermons by Valerianus, bishop of Cimiez, dating from the 5th century (E03604, E03607, E03608), refer to a martyr whose shrine was in the city but (at least in their surviving form) do not name him.
Bibliography
Edition:Krusch, B., Vita Rusticulae sive Marciae abbatissae Arelatensis, in: Passiones vitaeque sanctorum aevi Merovingici II (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 4; Hannover and Leipzig, 1902), 339-351.
Further reading:
De Vogüé, A., and Courreau, J., Césaire d'Arles, Œuvres monastiques. Tome I, Œuvres pour les moniales (Sources Chrétiennes 345; Paris, 1988).
Heijmans, M., "Arles," in: F. Prévot, M. Gaillard, and N. Gauthier (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 16: Quarante ans d'enquête (1972-2012): 1. Images nouvelles des villes de la Gaule (Paris, 2014), 37-45.
David Lambert
28/09/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00181 | Michael, the Archangel | Michael | Certain | S00192 | Gabriel, the Archangel | Gabriel | Certain | S00199 | Thomas, the Apostle | Thomas | Certain | S00339 | Theban Legion, commanded by Maurice, martyrs of Agaune, Gaul | Mauricius | Certain | S00400 | Sebastianus, martyr of Rome | Sebastianus | Certain | S00481 | Raphael, the Archangel | Raphael | Certain | S01486 | Pontius, martyr of Cimiez | Pontius | Uncertain | S02433 | Rusticula, also known as Marcia, abbess of Arles, ob. 627/632 | Certain |
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