E01116: Augustine of Hippo, in his City of God (22.8), tells how relics of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), were deposited in Calama (North Africa); a few men, from Calama and other places, were healed there and one man was converted. Written in Latin in Hippo Regius (North Africa), c. 426/427.

Augustine of Hippo, City of God 22.8

Eucharius est presbyter ex Hispania, Calamae habitat, uetere morbo calculi laborabat; per memoriam supradicti martyris, quam Possidius illo aduexit episcopus, saluus factus est. Idem ipse postea morbo alio praeualescente mortuus sic iacebat, ut ei iam pollices ligarentur; opitulatione memorati martyris, cum de memoria eius reportata esset et super iacentis corpus missa ipsius presbyteri tunica, suscitatus est.

'Eucharius, a priest from Spain, residing at Calama, was for a long time a sufferer from stone. By the relics (memoria) of the same martyr, which the bishop Possidius brought him, he was cured. Afterwards the same priest, sinking under another disease, was lying dead, and already they were binding his hands. By the succour of the same martyr he was raised to life, the priest's cloak having been brought from the memorial shrine (memoria) and laid upon the corpse.'


There follows a story of a pagan nobleman, Martialis from Calama. When he gets seriously ill his daughter and son-in law beseech him to become Christian, but Martialis refuses. His son-in-law prays at the memorial shrine (memoria) of Stephen, takes a flower from this place and puts it at the head of Martialis. In the morning the latter calls for the bishop, is baptised, and dies in peace.

Sanati sunt illic per eundem martyrem etiam podagri duo ciues, peregrinus unus: sed ciues omni modo; peregrinus autem per reuelationem, quid adhiberet quando doleret, audiuit; et cum hoc fecerit, dolor continuo conquiescit.

'There, too, by the same martyr, two men, one a citizen, the other a stranger, were cured of gout; but while the citizens were absolutely cured, the stranger was only informed what he should apply when the pain returned; and when he followed this advice, the pain was at once relieved.'

Text: Dombart and Kalb 1955. Translation: Dods 1887 (slightly changed).