The will of Somnatius, bishop of Reims (c. 613 - after 626), leaves property and money to many churches at Reims and elsewhere in northern Gaul. Will of c. 620; summary, written in Latin in the 940s by Flodoard, in his History of the Church of Reims (2.5).
E08397
Documentary texts - Will
Will of Somnatius, from Flodoard 2.5:
Summary:
Somnatius made the basilica of *Remigius (bishop of Reims, ob. c. 533, S00456) his principal heir, 'where he also chose to have his tomb' (ubi et sepulturam se habiturum delegit), granting it property, and gilded and silver plate. To the basilica of *Timotheus and Apollinaris (martyrs of Reims, S00329) he gave houses near it and inside the city. To the basilica of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, S00050), his 'personal patron' (peculiaris patronus), property, gold and a chalice.
Five gold solidi were to be given to each of the following basilicas: of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035), of *Nicasius (bishop of Reims, 5th c., S02061) and of *John (probably the Baptist, S00020).
Three gold solidi to each of the following basilicas: of *Sixtus (first bishop of Reims, S02452), of *Maurice (commander of the Theban Legion, martyr of Agaune, S00339), of *Medard (bishop of Vermand buried at Soissons, S00168), the basilica 'called at the *Apostles' (S00084) (basilicam que dicitur Ad apostolos), and that of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) 'in the city' (in civitate).
To the 'monastery of the girls' (monasterium puellarum) a vineyard and some vases. [Here its dedication is not mentioned, but this is assumed to be the female monastery dedicated to *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) that received legacies in the wills of both Bishop Romulf and Bishop Lando - E08396 and E08398.]
To the basilica of *Theuderic (monastic founder near Reims, early 6th c., S03040) some property; also 'silver with which to make or ornament the grave of Lord *Theodulf' (abbot near Reims, 6th c. S03041) (argentum quoque ad sepulchrum domni Teodulfi fabricandum vel exornandum).
Fifteen gold solidi to each of the following basilicas: of *Vitus (perhaps the martyr of Sicily and Lucania, S00559), with a silver vase with which to make a chalice, of *Rufinus and Valerius (martyrs of Soissons, S02700), of *Crispinus and Crispinianus (martyrs of Soissons, S01174), and of *Medard (bishop of Vermand buried at Soissons, S00168).
Several gifts to the poor relief (matricula) of the cathedral (ecclesia) of Reims, and gifts to other matriculae and communities.
He freed several slaves and made them gifts.
His will had royal endorsement.
Text: Stratmann 1998, 145-146
Summary: Bryan Ward-Perkins
Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - monastic
Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Non Liturgical ActivitySaint as patron - of an individual
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Source
Flodoard, who was a priest and canon of the cathedral of Reims, wrote his Historia Remensis Ecclesiae (History of the Church of Reims) in the 940s, telling the story of the see in the form of an account of each bishop's episcopacy, up to the year 948. He was a well-informed writer and had access to the archives of the church.Since he was a tenth-century writer, we have not included in our database every piece of evidence that Flodoard provides regarding the early cult of saints at Reims, although much of it may well be accurate. But we have included three passages where it is clear that he is summarising original documents: the will of Bishop Romulf of 590/596 (E08396), that of Bishop Somnatius of c. 620 (presented here), and that of Bishop Lando of the mid-7th century (E08398).
Discussion
Somnatius (whose name can be spelled in several different ways) was bishop of Reims from sometime before 613 until 626/627 (Pietri and Heijmans 2013).The identification and location of the churches mentioned in his will are discussed by Schenk zu Schweinberg (1971, 129-131), as well as in a general discussion of all three episcopal wills by Sot (1993, 676-79). Those in Reims are also considered in Pietri and Neiss 2006.
The majority of the churches mentioned were in Reims or its immediate territory. Namely:
The basilicas of Remigius, of Timotheus and Apollinaris, and of Martin, which are the first-named beneficiaries.
The basilicas of Julian of Brioude, of Nicasius of Reims, and of John (probably the Baptist), which each received five solidi.
The basilicas of Sixtus of Reims, of Maurice of the Theban Legion, of Medard of Soissons, and of Peter 'in the city', and that called 'At the Apostles', which each received three solidi.
The female monastery, which other sources tell us was dedicated to Peter.
The monastic church of Theuderic (Saint Thierry in modern French, supposedly a disciple of Remigius of Reims), to which Somnatius also gave silver to ornament the grave of Theodulf (Saint Thiou in modern French), Theuderic's successor as abbot. Flodoard's summary does not tell us why Somnatius felt particular devotion to Theodulf. (For a full account of the monastery of Theuderic and Theodulf, and of their lives and miracles as presented by Flodoard, see Sot 1993, 408-15).
The identity of the churches that each received fifteen solidi is somewhat more problematic. It is generally assumed, and we think correctly, that the basilicas of Rufinus and Valerius, of Crispinus and Crispinianus, and a second basilica of Medard, were the major shrines of these five saints, all in the diocese of Soissons, rather than of Reims, although Flodoard's summary does not specify this. The basilica of Vitus, however, is puzzling - it is extremely unlikely that the south Italian saint had cult in Gaul, but no other saint Vitus is known in our period. Probably the text is corrupt here (Sot 1993, 678 wonders whether 'Vitus' might be an error for 'Victor', a saint with a basilica that received a legacy in the will of Lando; but, if so, it is strange that it is listed with churches outside Reims and that it received such a substantial legacy from Somnatius).
Bibliography
Edition:Stratmann, M., Flodoard von Reims, Die Geschichte der remser Kirche, (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores 36, Hannover 1998).
Further reading :
Pietri, L and R. Neiss, "Reims," in: N. Gauthier, B. Beaujard, and F. Prévot (eds.), Topographie chrétienne des cités de la Gaule des origines au milieu du VIIIe siècle, vol. 14: Province ecclésiastique de Reims (Belgica Secunda) (Paris, 2006), 21-45.
Pietri, L. and Heijmans, M., Prosopographie chrétienne du Bas-Empire, 4 Prosopographie de la Gaule chrétienne (314-614), 2 vols. (Paris 2013), vol. 2, 1826-27, 'Sonnatius'.
Schenk zu Schweinsberg, G., Reims in merowingischer Zeit: Stadt, Civitas, Bistum (Bonn 1971), 130-31.
Sot, M., Un historien et son église au Xe siècle: Flodoard de Reims, (Paris 1993), 672-78.
Bryan Ward-Perkins
20/03/2023
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00020 | John the Baptist | Iohannes | Uncertain | S00035 | Julian, martyr of Brioude (southern Gaul) | Iulianus | Certain | S00036 | Peter, the Apostle | Petrus | Certain | S00042 | John, the Apostle and Evangelist | Iohannes | Uncertain | S00050 | Martin, ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397 | Martinus | Certain | S00084 | Apostles, unnamed or name lost | Apostoli | Certain | S00168 | Medard, bishop of Vermand buried at Soissons, ob. c. 560 | Medardus | Certain | S00329 | Timotheus and Apollinaris, martyrs of Reims | Timotheus, Apollinaris | Certain | S00339 | Theban Legion, commanded by Maurice, martyrs of Agaune, Gaul | Mauricius | Certain | S00456 | Remigius, bishop of Reims, ob. c. 533 | Remigius | Certain | S00599 | Vitus and companions, martyrs of Sicily and Lucania | Vitus | Uncertain | S01174 | Crispinus and Crispinianus, martyrs of Soissons | Crispinus et Crispinianus | Certain | S02061 | Nicasius, bishop of Reims, 5th c. | Nichasius | Certain | S02452 | Sixtus and Sinicius, first bishops of Reims | Syxtus | Certain | S02700 | Valerius and Rufinus, martyrs of Soissons | Rufinus Valerius | Certain | S03040 | Theuderic, monastic founder near Reims, early 6th c. | Theodericus | Certain | S03041 | Theodulf, abbot near Reims, 6th c. | Theodulfus | Certain |
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Bryan Ward-Perkins, Cult of Saints, E08397 - http://csla.history.ox.ac.uk/record.php?recid=E08397