The Presbyters Project

40.

Cum autem ad me Aredius presbyter ex Lemovicino venisset, vir valde religiosus, cuius etiam in secundo virtutum beati Martini libro memini, dum sollicite vitam eius perscrutarer et actionem inquirere coepi quae ibidem beatissimus Iulianus in miraculis prodidisset; on honore enim beati martyris basilicam aedificavit, quam et eius reliquiis ilustravit.

Aredius then tells the story of how he obtained the relics of the saint during his journey to the basilica in Brioude.

(ed. de Nie 2015: 398, summarised by J. Szafranowski)

40.

When the presbyter Aredius, a truly religious man whom I commemorated in the second book of the miracles of the blessed Martin, came to me from Limoges, I asked him most attentively about his life and deeds, and also what miracles the most blessed Julian had brought about there; for he had built a basilica in honour of the blessed martyr, which he enhanced with his relics.

Aredius then tells the story of how he obtained the relics of the saint during his journey to the basilica in Brioude.

(trans. de Nie 2015: 399, slightly altered and summarised by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

Aredius was active in the second half of the 6th century (he died in 591). On two separate occasions, he sent the same or two different clerics to Brioude to collect relics of Saint Julian, see [1975] and [1980].

Place of event:

Region

Gaul

City

Tours
Limoges
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:

Travel and change of residence

PR881.

Functions within the Church - Urban presbyter

PR881.

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

PR881.

Ecclesiastical administration - Construction/Renovation

PR881.

Relation with - Bishop/Monastic superior

PR881.

Devotion - Veneration of saints and relics

PR881.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1979, http://www.presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1979