E02838: In the Life of *Severinus (hermit and monk in Noricum, ob. 482, S00848), the saint obtains relics of *Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313), and adds them to relics of other (unnamed) martyrs in his monastery at Favianis (on the upper Danube), between around 454 and 482. Account by Eugippius, written in Latin near Naples (southern Italy) in 511.

Eugippius of Lucullanum, Life of Severinus 9

Severinus instructs a man he had redeemed from captivity to cross the Danube and seek out a specific individual at a market (without giving any indication as to why he should do this):

Profectus itaque cuncta sic, ut vir dei praedixerat, miratus invenit. Is igitur ab eodem homine, quem repperisse se mirabatur, interrogatus audivit dicentem: "Putasne possum invenire hominem, qui me ad virum dei, cuius ubique fama diffunditur, qua voluerit mercede perducat? Diu est enim, quod ipsos sanctos martyres, quorum reliquias fero, suppliciter interpello, ut a tali ministerio tandem aliquando solvar indignus, quod huc usque non temeraria praesumptione, sed religiosa necessitate sustinui. Tunc nuntius hominis dei eius se aspectibus praesentavit. Qui debito sanctorum Gervasii et Protasii martyrum reliquias honore suscipiens in basilica, quam in monasterio construxerat, collocavit officio sacerdotum. Quo loco martyrum congregavit sanctuaria plurimorum, quae tamen praeeunte semper revelatione promuierit, sciens adversarium saepe subrepere sub nomine sanctitatis.

'So the man went and, to his surprise, found everything as the man of God had foretold him. As soon as he so surprisingly had found that man, he heard himself being addressed by him and asked: “Do you think I can find somebody who, for any sum of money he might name, would lead me to the man of God whose fame is spreading everywhere? It is a long time that I am instantly beseeching these holy martyrs here, whose relics I carry with me, to be at least released from this service of which I am unworthy, and which, so far, I have undertaken, not in bold presumption, but by a pious compulsion”. Then the messenger of the man of God made himself known to him. St. Severin received with due honor the relics of the holy martyrs, Gervasius and Protasius, and placed them at the disposal of the priests in the basilica which he had built in his monastery. In that place, he united the shrines of many martyrs; he was always deigned to know about them beforehand by revelation; for he knew that the enemy often creeps in under the name of holiness.’

Text: Noll 1981, 70-72 (from which paragraph numbers are taken). Translation: Bieler-Krestan 1965, 67-68.