E06428: A letter of Pope Gregory the Great (Register 13.5) of 602, to Brunhild, queen of the Franks, mentions a church dedicated to *Martin (ascetic and bishop of Tours, S00050) in the suburbs of Autun (central Gaul). It also refers to an oath sworn before the body of *Peter (the Apostle, S00036) in Rome. Written in Latin in Rome.

Pope Gregory the Great, Register of Letters 13.5


Extracts from a long letter dealing with a number of matters:

Epistulis autem uestris indicantibus agnoscentes ecclesiam uos sancti Martini in suburbano Augustodonensi atque monasterium ancillarum dei nec non et xenodochium in urbe eadem construxisse, ualde laetati sumus et gratias omnipotenti deo retulimus, qui cordis uestri sinceritatem ad haec operanda compungit. Qua de re ut et nos bonis uestris in aliquo participes haberemur, priuilegia locis ipsis pro quiete et munitione illic degentium, sicut uoluistis, indulsimus nec excellentiae uestrae amplectenda nobis desideria uel ad modicum differre pertulimus.
[...]
Menan uero reuerentissimum fratrem coepiscopum que nostrum, postquam ea quae de eo dicta fuerant requirentes in nullo inuenimus esse culpabilem, qui insuper ad sacratissimum corpus beati Petri apostoli sub iureiurando satisfaciens ab his quae obiecta eius opinioni fuerant se demonstrauit alienum.


‘‘We learnt from what your letters indicated that you have built a church of Saint Martin in the suburbs of Autun and a monastery for nuns and also a hostel in the same city, for which we were extremely happy and gave our thanks to almighty God, who goads the sincerity of your heart to do these works. On this matter, so that we might also be thought to participate in some way in your good deeds, we have granted privileges to those places for the peace and protection of those living there, as you wanted, and have not allowed ourselves even a short delay in embracing the desires of your Excellency.
[...]
But as for Menas [bishop of Toulon], our most reverend brother and fellow-bishop, after we had inquired into what had been said about him, we found him in no way culpable. As well as this, he satisfied us under oath at the most sacred body of Saint Peter the apostle and demonstrated that the charges made against his reputation were not connected with him.’


Text: Norberg 1982, vol. 2, 997-8. Translation: Martyn 2004, vol. 3, 826.