E00725: Victricius of Rouen, in his description of the arrival of relics of saints from Milan at Rouen in c.396, compares the festivity to the arrival (adventus) of an emperor. Account in Victricius' Praising the Saints, written in Latin, c.396 in Rouen (northern Gaul).

Victricius of Rouen, Praising the Saints 12, lines 11-42

For a summary and discussion of the whole text, as well as other details concerning the festivity see E00717.


Eriguntur altaria: de gaudio sacerdotis populus sumat exordium. Quis, rogo, tam brutus, quis tam profanus, quis tam legis et religionis ignarus, ut gaudia ista non sentiat?

Si quis saecularium principum nostram nunc uiseret ciuitatem, protinus sertis spatia omnia redimita riderent, matres tecta conplerent, portae undam populi uomerent, omnis aetas in studium diuisa adoreas et bellica facta cantaret, paludamenti flammas ac tyrium muricem miraretur, stuperet Rubri pretium maris et gelatas lacrimas belluarum: et haec quidem miranda, si uideas, contemnenda si cogites. Denique lapides appellantur. Haec, inquam, hiantem populum detinerent. At uero, beatissimi, cum martyrum triumphus et pompa uirtutum nostra tecta succedunt, cur non soluamur in gaudia?

Non hic eloquentia quaeritur, sed laetitiae pura simplicitas. Nec deest quod miremur: pro regali amictu praesto est aeterni luminis indumentum. Hanc purpuram togae bibere sanctorum. Sunt hic diademata uariis gemmarum distincta luminibus sapientiae, intellectus, scientiae, ueritatis, consilii, fortitudinis, tolerantiae, temperantiae, iustitiae, prudentiae, patientiae, castitatis. Istae in lapidibus singulis sunt singulae expressae scriptae que uirtutes. Hic spiritalibus gemmis coronas martyrum artifex Saluator ornauit. Ad has gemmas animarum uela tendamus. Nihil in his fragile, nihil quod maius minuat, nihil quod sentiat detrimentum. Magis ac magis in specie florescunt; aeternitatis insignia edita esse etiam sanguis ostendit, qui ignem Spiritus Sancti adhuc signat in ipsis corporibus reliquiisque membrorum. Gratulamur, carissimi, quotiens uidemus tenebras luce discussas. Cur non effusius in gaudia proruamus, cum cernamus salutarium aeternorum que luminum iubar adlatum? Dies mihi uidetur clarioris serenitatis sumpsisse laetitiam. Nec inmerito: septuplo enim, ut dixi, martyres sole sunt clariores.


'The altars are being erected: let the people take their lead from the joy of their priest. Who, I ask, is so stupid, who so profane, who so ignorant of law and religion, as not to feel this joy?

If one of the princes of this world were visiting our city now, every open space would at once be bright with garlands, matrons would fill the rooftops, the gates would pour forth a surge of people, every age, divided in its enthusiasm, would sing of glory and warlike deeds, would admire the brilliance of the military cloak and the Tyrian purple, would marvel at the treasure of the Red Sea and the frozen tears of monsters - and indeed these things are to be marvelled at if you see them, despised if you think about them, for, after all, we call them stones. These, I say, would keep people agape. But, blessed ones, when it is the triumph of the martyrs and procession of the powers that reaches our houses, why should not we be overcome with joy?

It is not eloquence which is needed here, but the pure simplicity of happiness. There is no lack of things for us to admire: in place of the royal cloak, here is the garment of eternal light. The togas of the saints have absorbed this purple. Here are diadems adorned with the varied lights of the jewels of wisdom, intellect, knowledge, truth, good counsel, courage, endurance, self-control, justice, good sense, patience, chastity. These virtues are expressed and inscribed each in its own stone. Here the Saviour-craftsman has adorned the crowns of the martyrs with spiritual jewels. Let us set the sails of our souls towards these gems. There is nothing fragile in them, nothing that diminishes the greater, nothing that experiences loss. They bloom in beauty more and more; even the blood shows that they are presented as signs of eternity, the blood which is still the sign of the fire of the Holy Spirit in the very bodies and relics of the limbs. We rejoice, dearest ones, whenever we see darkness dispersed by light. Why do we not rush to rejoice with yet more exuberance, when we see that the salvific radiance of eternal lights has been brought to us? The day seems to me to have taken on the gladness of brighter clarity. And rightly so: as I have said, the martyrs are seven times brighter than the sun.'


Text: Mulders and Demeulenaere 1985, 89-90. Translation: Clark 1999, 396-7.