Braulio, bishop of Zaragoza, in 646 petitions King Chindasuinth to send back to Zaragoza from Toledo the archdeacon Eugenius, so that he may be restored to service in the basilica of *Vincentius/Vincent (deacon of Zaragoza and martyr of Valencia, S00290). Letter 27 (=33 Riesco Terrero), written in Latin in Zaragoza (north-west Hispania).
E08559
Literary - Letters
Letter 27 = 33 Riesco Terrero
Suggerendum glorioso domino nostro Chindasuintho regi, Braulio seruus inutilis sanctorum Dei et uester. Etsi disrupto potius quam scisso societatis uinculo, quo cum seruo tuo Eugenio arce|diacono in Domino conectebar, tamen eum ad uestram, ut iussio gloriae uestrae habuit, misimus praesentiam, non sine spe pietatis uestrae, qua soliti estis et miseros respicere et adflictis subuenire, scilicet ut restituatis eum patrono uestro sancto Vincentio, in eo quo usque fuit officio. Ceterum, si supernae dispositionis prouidentia cor clementiae uestrae nostra prece auertit, cedat necesse est quod mortalis uolumtas expetit atque, dum gloriae uestrae ordinatio suppleta fuerit, commendamus quanta possumus obsecratione eius deplorandam peregrinationem.
'Although the chain of the ties by which I was joined in the Lord with your servant, the Archdeacon Eugenius, has been temporarily separated rather than broken, still I have sent him to your presence, as commanded by your excellency, not without hope of that piety with which you have been wont to regard the miserable and succor the afflicted; namely, that you may restore him to your patron, Saint Vincent, in that office which he held until now. If, however, the providence of the divine disposition turns the heart of your clemency from our prayer, then I must give him up as mortal will determines. Until the ordination given by your excellency is accomplished, I commend with all my powers of prayer his lamentable transfer.'
Text: Miguel Franco and Martin Iglesias 2018, p. 97
Translation: Barlow, 1969, pp. 74-75
Cult building - independent (church)
Non Liturgical ActivitySaint as patron - of an individual
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Monarchs and their family
Source
Braulio came from a clerical family of the Iberian Peninsula. He was a monk, a pupil of Isidore of Seville and then archdeacon in Zaragoza, where he eventually became bishop, succeeding his brother John in 631. He probably died in 651. For his biography and works, see Lynch 1938.His collection of letters, known as the Epistularium, consists of 37 letters written by both Braulio and his correspondents. There is a complete manuscript of the letters, Léon, Archivo Capitular 22, from the 9th century.
Discussion
The present letter is one in an exchange considering Eugenius, who served as archdeacon in the basilica of Vincentius/Vincent in Zaragoza but by the decision of King Chindasuinth was appointed archbishop of Toledo in 647 (he is thus better known as Eugenius II of Toledo, 647-657). The exchange should be dated to 646 the year of the death of Eugenius I of Toledo (and thus the year of the vacancy). On those letters see (Miguel Franco 2011).Braulio first wrote a petition (suggerendum), Letter 25 (=31 Riesco Terrero) asking the king to change his decision and leave Eugenius in Zaragoza. He receives a negative response from the king (Letter 26 = 32 Riesco Terrero) arguing that Eugenius II is a native of Toledo and there is no reason not to make him a bishop there. This letter, Letter 27 (= 33 Riesco Terrero), is another petition in which Braulio concedes to the sending of Eugenius to Toledo, but expresses the wish that the latter will be 'restored to Saint Vincent' (that is, to the basilica to which Eugenius had been assigned as archdeacon). He also notes that Vincent is the king's patron (presumably trying to indirectly suggest that the king risks the saint's discontent by removing Eugenius from his service).
Bibliography
Editions:Riesco Terrero, L., ed. Epistolario de san Braulio. Annales de la Universidad Hispalense. Serie Filosofía y Letras, v. 31 (Seville: Universidad de la Sevilla, 1975).
Miguel Franco, R. and J. C. Martín-Iglesias, eds., Braulio of Zaragoza, Isidore of Seville, Epistulae, Confessio uel professio Iudaeorum ciuitatis Toletanae, Corpus Christianorum Series Latina 114a, (Turnhout: Brepols), 2018.
Translation:
Barlow, C. W., Iberian Fathers, v. 2, Braulio of Saragossa, Fructuosus of Braga (Washington D.C.: Catholic University Press, 1969).
Further reading:
Lynch, C.H., San Braulio de Zaragoza (631-651). Su vida y sus obras, (Madrid: Instituto Enrique Flórez, 1938)
Miguel Franco, R., "Braulio de Zaragoza, el rey Chindasvinto y Eugenio de Toledo: imagen y opinión en el Epistularium de Braulio de Zaragoza", Emerita 79 (1), 155-176.
Marta Szada
23/07/2025
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00290 | Vincentius/Vincent, deacon of Zaragoza and martyr of Valencia | Vincentius | Certain |
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