The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

Testamentum Leudegarii

Ego Leodegarius, etsi indignus episcopus Aeduorum, septimo episcopatus mei anno, considerans uarias rerum immutationes, sed et ineuitabliem mortis terminum [...] pro amore diuinitatis, pro remissione peccatorum, pro pia quoque recordatione domini Chotharii et Baldechildis reginae, pro statu necne regis Theodorici et regni ac cunctorum procerum eius, praecipue pro his qui in dicendis rebus conquirendis adiutores, donatores et collaboratores nobis existerunt, dono, trado, transfundo et heredem statuo ecclesiam beati Nazarii, titulum mei praesulatus, de rebus meis [...] Quas uillas cum catallis suis seruis utriusque sexus, terris, uineis, pratis, aquis, stagnis, cursibus, recursibus, siluis, pascuis maioris peculii uel minoris, de statu nostro proprio in statum matriculae nostrae, quam ad ostium ecclesiae sancti Nazarii fabricauimus, cum omnibus appendiciis delegamus, secernimus, transfundimus, ea ratione ut tam a praeposito eiusdem matriculae Bercarius quam a successoribus eius, quos nostri successores pontifices ordinauerint, quadraginta fratres quotidiana diaria et stipendia omni tempore accipiant, ut liberius pro salute regni et principum ac totius orbis Deum deprecari possint [...] Si uero deinceps alicuius obstinatio contra haec se erexerit, nouerit se etiam quinquaginta quattuor coepiscoporum, qui a principibus nostris Christiaco congregati sunt, quibus praesentibus, uel quorum consilio hanc donationem ecclesiae matriculae quae nostrae celebrauimus, et nostra, quamuis extrema, auctoritate excommunicatum et inuocatione sanctae Trinitatis, ex parte beati Petri apostolorum principis [...] in perpetuum puniendum. Amen. Amen. Actum Christiaco, publice, tertio anno regni Theodorici regis. Ego episcopus Leodegarius huic donationi factae sub anthemate subscribo, et manu propria firmo.


'I, Leudegar, bishop, although unworthy, of Autun, in the seventh year of my episcopate, mindful of the diverse changes in things, but also the inevitable terminus of death... for my love of the divinity, for the remission of sins, and for the pious memory of Lord Chlothar (III) and Queen Balthild, and also for the well-being of King Theuderic (III), his kingdom, and all his noblemen, and especially for those who have been helpers, donors and fellow labourers for us in the acquisition of these said things: I grant, hand over, and transfer (the following) from my properties to the church of blessed Nazarius, the titulus of my episcopate, and I establish it as my heir... And these villas, with their livestock, slaves of both sexes, lands, vineyards, fields, waters, marshes, courses and concourses, woods, and pastures of cattle great and small, we sever from our right and delegate and transfer it to that of our alms-house (matricula), which we have built by the door of the church of Saint Nazarius, with all appurtenances, so that both Bercarius, the provost of that alms-house, and his successors, whom our successor bishops shall ordain, might be able to hand out daily provisions and stipends to forty brothers, every day, for all time, so that they might be able to pray to God more freely for the salvation of the kingdom, the princeps, and the whole world... And if henceforth anyone should raise some objection to these things, let them know that they will - both by the authority of ourselves, however unworthy, and the forty-four fellow bishops who have been gathered here at Christiacum (Cressy-sur-Somme?) by the principes, by whose counsel we have enacted this donation of ours to this matricula of the church - be excommunicated and, with the invocation of the Holy Trinity, through blessed Peter, prince of the apostles... be punished forever. Amen. Amen. Enacted at Christiacum, publicly, in the third year of the reign of King Theuderic. I, Bishop Leudegar, have subscribed this donation under anthema, and confirmed it with my own hand.'


Text: Krusch 1957 (reprint).
Translation: B. Savill.

Cult building - independent (church)
Cult building - dependent (chapel, baptistery, etc.)

Prayer/supplication/invocation
Bequests, donations, gifts and offerings
Distribution of alms
Construction of cult buildings

Ecclesiastics - bishops
Monarchs and their family
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Aristocrats
Ecclesiastics - monks/nuns/hermits

Source

Discussion

Bibliography