The Presbyters Project

15.

A shepherd called Ingenuus had done much injustice to the basilica of Saint Julian in Brioude. Finally, he even dared to seize for himself some of the land owned by the Church.

Ad quem sacerdos loci, cum aliquos de clericis quasi legatos mitteret, ut, accepta ratione, quod male pervaserat, relaxaret, ille quasi contra iniquum hostem telis correptis, prosiluit, fugatisque sagittis clericis, res sancti in sua dominatione retinuit.

Ingenuus is then punished by death by Saint Julian.

(ed. de Nie 2015: 338, summarised by J. Szafranowski)

15.

A shepherd called Ingenuus had done much injustice to the basilica of Saint Julian in Brioude. Finally, he even dared to seize for himself some of the land owned by the Church.

When the priest of the place sent him some of the clergy as messengers to persuade him to see reason and to let go of what he had wrongly seized, he took up his weapons and assaulted them as though they were a wicked enemy; and when the clergy had been put to flight with arrows, he retained the saint's land.

Ingenuus is then punished by death by Saint Julian.

(trans. de Nie 2015: 339, summarised by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

Since Brioude was not a bishopric, sacerdos loci quite certainly refers to the presbyter who was in charge of the basilica of Saint Julian.

Judging by the place of this passus in Gregory's narrative, this anonymous presbyter, most probably the one from the record [1969], was active around the same time, when Duke Sigivald was governing Auvergne in the name of King Theuderic I (ca 525–533).

Place of event:

Region

Gaul

City

Brioude

About the source:

Author: Gregory of Tours
Title: The Miracles of the Martyr Julian, The Suffering and Miracles of the Martyr Saint Julian, De passione, virtutibus et gloria sancti Iuliani martyris, Virtutes sancti Iuliani
Origin: Tours (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

It seems that Gregory of Tours (Gaul) started to collect the stories of Julian`s miraculous interventions and his sanctuary at Brioude since the very beginning of his ecclesiastical career. In the second chapter of "The Miracles of Saint Julian" (Virtutes sancti Iuliani), Gregory mentions his journey to Brioude while still serving as deacon in Lyon. This is not surprising, as Brioude lies just some sixty kilometres south of Gregory`s hometown, Clermont. Julian maintained his position as a very important saint to Gregory after his episcopal ordination. During Gregory`s episcopate, Julian`s relics were brought to Tours and a basilica was built there in his name. By cross-reference, Raymond Van Dam proved that Gregory had finished his book on Julian`s miracles in the early 580s (Van Dam 1993: 162-163).

Recently, Giselle de Nie proposed a new edition of "The Miracles" which combines the earlier editions by Ruinart, Bordier, and Krusch. She normalised the spelling and punctuation, and provided a new translation "that stays as close as possible to the author`s train of thought" (de Nie 2015: xxv).

Edition:

Gregory of Tours, Lives and Miracles, ed. and trans. G. de Nie, Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library 39, Cambridge, MA and London 2015, pp. 299-419.

Translation:

Gregory of Tours, The Suffering and Miracles of the Martyr St. Julian, trans. R. Van Dam, in: R. Van Dam, Saints and their Miracles in Late Antique Gaul, Princeton 1993, pp. 162-195.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Parish presbyter

PR892.

Described by a title - Sacerdos/ἱερεύς

PR892.

Ecclesiastical administration - Administering Church property

PR892.

Conflict

PR892.

Relation with - Noble

PR892.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1961, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1961