The Latin Life of Hilary of Arles describes how the funeral of *Hilary (bishop of Arles, ob. 449, S00435) took place in the basilicas of *Stephen (the first martyr, S00030) and *Genesius (notary and martyr of Arles, S00263) at Arles (southern Gaul), and how the people of Arles sought to obtain relics from his body. Written in southern Gaul, possibly at Marseille, c. 470/490.
E08355
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives
Life of Hilary of Arles 28-29
For an overview of the Life of Hilary, see E06072.
(28.) [...] Ubi basilicae beati et primi martyris Stephani venerabile corpus illatum est, totius populi cum fletu vox una procedit: "Haec" inquit "dies querelas iniustae inputationis perpetuo resecavit." Ut amplius quam in praedictione sufficit non dicamus, fidei populus nimio ardore succensus, membra sancta, dum vult contingere, paene discerpsit.
(29.) Studio congregationis effectum est, ut columnis ardentibus cereorum hinc et inde populos abigerent irruentes. Noctis vigiliis expeditis, cum maestis solis claritas reputaretur obscura, ad exequias venerandas non solum fidelium, sed etiam Iudaeorum concurrunt agmina copiosa. Omnium lacrimae invicem se superare certabant: deficiente voce gemitus increscebant. Hebraeam concinentium linguam in exequiis honorandis audisse me recolo: nam nostros ita maeror obsederat, ut ab officio solito inpatiens doloris inhibuerit magnitudo.
Dein antequam beati Genesii basilicae sanctum corpus inferrent, utriusque sexus tantus cum lacrimis datus est clamor, ut astra ipsa percussa vicarium de caelo reddiderint insolitum et tonitruis comparandum fragore consono reboatum. Hic iterum nova dilectio, gravior in fletu, corda succendit, dum singuli cupiunt fimbriam decerpere corpusque contingere. Sancti Basilii tum presbyteri, nunc pontificis summi invenit industria, ut maximam partem coopertorii utraque manu discerptam, qua corpus eius tegebatur, arriperet, et longius recedens dividendo populis erogaret. Dum <im>pertiendi studio laetificat eos tanto munere, paululum retrahuntur. Angelico vultu corpus illud venerabile atque decorum, ne iterum devotis laederetur obsequiis, clam est depositum in sepulchrum. Quod ubi populi intellexerunt esse tumulatum, tantum subito omnes clamorem cum gemitu proprio reddiderunt, ut tecta ipsius basilicae discissa corruere et populos obruere putarentur.
'(28.) ... When his venerable body was brought into the basilica of the blessed first martyr Stephen, a single voice went forth with weeping from the whole people: "This day," it said, "has forever cut off the quarrels of unjust accusation." So that we do not say more than suffices in preaching, the people, inflamed by excessively passionate faith, when they wanted to touch the holy limbs, almost tore them apart.
(29.) The efforts of the [monastic] congregation, using burning columns of wax, managed to drive away the people rushing in from all sides. Once the night vigils had been celebrated, when, to the grieving, the light of the sun seemed dark, great crowds, not only of the faithful but even of the Jews, came together to the solemn funeral rites. The tears of all strove in turn to overcome each other; as voices failed, groaning increased. I recall hearing people singing in the Hebrew tongue while the funeral rites were being honoured: for grief had so taken hold of our people that the unbearable magnitude of pain prevented the usual liturgy.
Then, before they brought the holy body into the basilica of the blessed Genesius, such a great tearful clamour was given out by both sexes that the shaken stars themselves returned an echo from heaven, unaccustomed and comparable to thunder in the resounding noise it returned. Here once again a new love, heavier through weeping, inflamed hearts, while people were eager to pull away the fringe [of the covering] and to touch the body. The diligence of the holy Basilius, then a presbyter, now a supreme bishop, contrived that he seized the greater part of the covering by which the body was protected, tore it with each hand, and, withdrawing some distance, gave it out to the people by dividing it. While, by his eager sharing, he makes them joyful through such a great gift, they are gradually diverted away. So that the venerable and dignified body, with its angelic face, should not again be harmed by devout attentions, it was placed in the tomb by stealth. When the people understood that it was buried, all suddenly gave out such a great clamour, with a groan from each person, that it was thought that the roof of the church itself would fall, broken, burying the people.'
Text: Cavallin 1952, 105-6.
Translation: David Lambert.
Service for the saint
Chant and religious singing
Cult PlacesCult building - independent (church)
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Contact relic - saint’s possession and clothes
Contact relic - cloth
Division of relics
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Crowds
Jews and Samaritans
Source
The Life of Hilary of Arles was written sometime between about 475 and 500. Honoratus, bishop of Marseille in the late 5th century, is identified as the author in the De viris illustribus of Gennadius of Marseille (ch. 100), although he is not named in the manuscripts of the Life.For full discussion, see E06072.
Discussion
The account of the funeral of Hilary of Arles, following his death on 5 May 449, forms a climactic passage in the Life of Hilary, illustrating the devotion of the people of Arles, and showing, through their desire to obtain relics, that they already regarded him as a saint. A major theme of the passage is that the wish of the people to touch Hilary's body and obtain relics was so intense that it could barely be contained within the formal proceedings of the funeral: their wish to touch his limbs almost tears them apart; they rush into the church so uncontrollably that they have to be warded off by clergy brandishing large candles; their attempts to pull off pieces of the covering on Hilary's body are only satisfied by the quick-mindedness of the presbyter Basilius who divides up the covering himself, while drawing the crowd away from the body; Hilary's actual entombment has to take place by stealth (clam – literally 'in secret' but probably indicating that it happened when the crowd was distracted) for fear that the body will be harmed (laederetur), evidently by attempts to obtain relics from it.Since this is the only account of Hilary's funeral, we have no way of knowing how accurately it represents the event. The author writes as an eyewitness, mentioning his personal recollection (audisse me recolo) of hearing Hebrew sung at the funeral. There is no particular reason to doubt this, but the passage has an obvious resemblance to the account of the funeral of Hilary's predecessor Honoratus in Hilary's own Sermon on the Life of Honoratus (E00727), which stresses the disruptive effect of the mourners' eagerness to obtain relics of Honoratus. The author's emphasis on the participation of Jews in Hilary's funeral ceremonies also has a parallel in the Sermon on the Life of Honoratus, in this case its account of the funeral of Honoratus' brother Venantius (Sermon on the Life of Honoratus 14); the image of the stars being shaken by the cries of the mourning crowds in the depiction of Hilary's funeral also echoes part of this passage.
Hilary's funeral is depicted as taking place at two churches: the first is the basilica of St Stephen (present-day Saint-Trophime), known from other sources to have been the cathedral of Arles. This passage in the Life of Hilary is the earliest surviving reference to its dedication to Stephen. For discussion see Février 1986, 80; Heijmans 2004, 260-62; Heijmans 2014, 30-43. Hilary is then buried in the basilica of the martyr Genesius (present-day Saint-Honorat) in the extramural Alyscamps district, where his sarcophagus and epitaph (CIL XII, 949; ILCV 1062) were preserved until modern times. See further: Février 1986, 83; Heijmans 2014, 45.
Bibliography
Editions and translations:Cavallin, S., Vitae sanctorum Honorati et Hilarii episcoporum Arelatensium (Lund, 1952), 81-109.
Jacob, P.-A., La Vie d'Hilaire d'Arles (Sources Chrétiennes 404; Paris, 1995). Cavallin's text with French translation.
Clay, J.-H., 'The Life of Saint Hilary of Arles'. English translation, available online: https://www.academia.edu/12265722/The_Life_of_Saint_Hilary_of_Arles
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, 1986), 73-84.
Heijmans, M., Arles durant l'Antiquité tardive. De la Duplex Arelas à l'Urbs Genesii (Rome, 2004).
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.
Loseby, S.T., "Arles in Late Antiquity: Gallula Roma Arelas and Urbs Genesii," in: N. Christie and S.T. Loseby (eds.), Towns in Transition: Urban Evolution in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (Aldershot, 1996), 45-70.
David Lambert
06/07/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Stephanus | Certain | S00263 | Genesius, notary and martyr of Arles | Genesius | Certain | S00435 | Hilarius/Hilary, bishop of Arles, ob. 449 | Certain |
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