E04430: Gregory the Great, in his Dialogues (1.4), describes a castration vision experienced by *Equitius (6th c. abbot in central Italy, S01710), which cured him of lust, and two posthumous miracles which took place at his tomb in the church of *Laurence (deacon and martyr of Rome, S00037) in central Italy. Written in Latin in Rome, c. 593.

Gregory the Great, Dialogues 1.4

Gregory tells of Equitius' castration vision.

Hunc cum iuuentutis suae tempore acri certamine carnis incentiua fatigarent, ipsae suae temptationis angustiae ad orationis studium sollertiorem fecerunt. Cum que hac in re ab omnipotente deo remedium continuis precibus quaereret, nocte quadam adsistente angelo eunuchizari se uidit, eius que uisioni apparuit quod omnem motum ex genitalibus membris eius abscideret, atque ex eo tempore ita alienus extitit a temptatione, ac si sexum non haberet in corpore.

‘Finding himself much distressed as a young man by violent temptations of the flesh, Equitus turned with all the greater zeal to fervent prayer. One night while he was earnestly begging God for aid in this matter, he saw himself made a eunuch while an angel stood by. Through this vision, he realised that all disturbances of the flesh had been taken away, and from that time on he was a complete stranger to temptations of this kind as though his body were no longer subject to the tendencies of human nature.’

On another occasion, Equitius was able to see that Basil, a magician who disguised himself as a monk was a devil and not a monk. He was ejected from the monastery after tempting a nun with a fever. He struck fear into the hearts of two proud men: Julian, a protector of the church, and his servant. Gregory also describes his virtues as a preacher.

Equitius’ burial place is given as the church of Laurence. Several posthumous miracles took place here. One time, a farmer set a box of grain on the tomb. A gust of wind then blew only the box of grain off the tomb.

During the attack of the Lombards, several monks from Equitius’ monastery fled to his tomb at the church of St Laurence. When the Lombards broke into the tomb and forced the monks outside, intending to torture and kill them, one monk cried out to Equitus.

Ad cuius uocem protinus saeuientes langobardos inmundus spiritus inuasit. Qui corruentes in terram tandiu uexati sunt, quousque hoc cuncti etiam qui foris erant langobardi cognoscerent, quatenus locum sacrum temerare ultra non auderent.

‘At the sound of his voice, an unclean spirit seized the Lombards. They fell to the ground and were tormented relentlessly until all, even those outside, came to realise what was happening. After that, they no longer dared to profane the holy place.’

Text: de Vogüé 1978. Translation: Zimmerman 1959. Summary: Frances Trzeciak.