E01104: Augustine of Hippo, in his City of God (22.8), tells of the healing of a demoniac at a memorial shrine (memoria) of *Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313), probably containing their relics, on the estate of Victoriana, near Hippo (North Africa), at the beginning of the 5th c. Written in Latin in Hippo Regius, c. 426/427.

Augustine of Hippo, City of God 22.8

Victoriana dicitur villa, ab Hippone Regius minus triginta milia abest. memoria martyrum ibi est mediolanensium Protasii et Geruasii.

'There is a villa estate called Victoriana, less than thirty miles from Hippo Regius. At it there is a memorial shrine (memoria) to the Milanese martyrs, Protasius and Gervasius.'

There follows a story of a young man who was possessed by a demon and brought to the the aforementioned shrine.

Ibi cum iaceret uel morti proximus uel simillimus mortuo, ad uespertinos illuc hymnos et orationes cum ancillis suis et quibusdam sanctimonialibus ex more domina possessionis intrauit atque hymnos cantare coeperunt.

'As he lay at the memorial shrine (memoria), near death, or indeed very like a dead person, the lady of the villa, with her maids and religious attendants (sanctimoniales), entered the place for evening prayer and praise, as her custom was, and they began to sing hymns.'

The demon is expelled, but when leaving the young man makes his eye fall out of its socket.

Ibi maritus sororis eius, qui eum illo detulerat: "potens est, inquit, Deus sanctorum orationibus, qui fugauit daemonem, lumen reddere".

'But his sister's husband, who had brought him there, said, "God, who has banished the demon at the prayers of His saints, is also able to restore his sight".'

Finally, the young man is completely healed.

Text: Dombart and Kalb 1955. Translation: Dods 1887.