E06068: Gennadius of Marseille, in his De viris illustribus ('On distinguished men'), written in Latin at Marseille (southern Gaul) c. 468, mentions that Sulpicius Severus wrote works recording the life and miracles of *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, ob. 397, S00050).

Gennadius, De viris illustribus 19

Gennadius begins his entry on Sulpicius Severus by mentioning his adoption of voluntary poverty, and the fact that he had been a friend of Martin of Tours and Paulinus of Nola. He then lists his literary works, starting with his letters and his chronicle, then moving onto his works on Martin:

Scripsit et ad multorum profectum Vitam beati Martini, monachi et episcopi, signis et prodigiis ac virtutibus inlustris viri, et Conlationem Postumiani et Galli se mediante et iudice de conversatione monachorum Orientalium et ipsius Martini habitam in dialogi speciem duabus incisionibus conprehendit.

'He also wrote, to the profit of many, The Life of the Blessed Martin, monk and bishop, with the signs and prodigies and miracles of the illustrious man, and The Dialogue of Postumianus and Gallus, with himself mediating and acting as judge of the way of life of the eastern monks and of Martin himself, he arranged in the form of a dialogue in two sections.'

Text: Richardson 1896. Translation: David Lambert.