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E07553: Constantius of Lyon, in his Life of *Germanus (bishop of Auxerre, ob. c. 448, S00455), written in Latin at Lyon (central Gaul) between c. 460 and c. 480, describes how during his visit to Britain in 429, Germanus' injured foot was miraculously healed when he had a dream vision of an angel.

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posted on 2019-05-07, 00:00 authored by dlambert
Constantius of Lyon, Life of Germanus of Auxerre 16

For a full account of Constantius' Life of Germanus, see $E05841.

This incident takes place in Britain, during Germanus' visit in 429, after he and his colleague Lupus of Troyes have defeated the British Pelagians and visited the shrine of St Alban at Verulamium. It follows immediately on Germanus' miraculous preservation from a fire (E06862): the 'poor man's hut' in the passage is the one saved from the fire by Germanus' presence.

Excubabat diebus ac noctibus ante tugurium pauperis turba sine numero, hi animas curare cupientes, hi corpora. Referri nequeunt, quae Christus operabatur in famulo qui uirtutes faciebat infirmus; et cum debilitati suae nihil remedii pateretur adhiberi, quadam nocte candentem niueis uestibus uidit sibi adesse personam, quae manu extensa iacentem uideretur adtollere eumque consistere firmis uestigiis imperabat. Post quam horam ita, fugatis doloribus, recepit pristinam sanitatem ut, die reddito, itineris laborem subiret intrepidus.

'Day and night a countless throng lay around the poor man's hut, some wanting healing for their souls, others for their bodies. It would be impossible to record all that Christ did through his servant, who exercised these powers when impotent himself. But, although he would allow no one to bring remedies for his own infirmity, one night he saw before him a shining figure in snow-white garments, which stretched out its hand to him as he lay there and raised him up, telling him to stand firmly on his feet. From that moment the pain left him and he so completely recovered his soundness of limb that, when day returned, he resumed the toil of his journeyings without a qualm.'

Following Germanus' recovery, he and Lupus return to Gaul: E05846.

Text: Borius 1965. Translation: Hoare 1954.

History

Evidence ID

E07553

Saint Name

Germanus, bishop of Auxerre, ob. c. 448 : S00455

Type of Evidence

Literary - Hagiographical - Lives

Language

  • Latin

Evidence not before

460

Evidence not after

480

Activity not before

429

Activity not after

429

Place of Evidence - Region

Gaul and Frankish kingdoms

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Lyon

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Lyon Tours Tours Toronica urbs Prisciniacensim vicus Pressigny Turonorum civitas Ceratensis vicus Céré

Cult Activities - Miracles

Miracle during lifetime Miracles experienced by the saint Healing diseases and disabilities Apparition, vision, dream, revelation Unspecified miracle

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - bishops Angels Crowds

Source

Germanus of Auxerre (PCBE 4, 'Germanus 1', pp. 878-883) was the most important and revered episcopal saint of 5th century Gaul. The Life of Germanus was written at an uncertain date, some years after Germanus' death, which is traditionally dated to 448 (but some scholars would place up to twelve years earlier). The Life was probably written at some point between about 465 and 480. The author was Constantius (PCBE 4, 'Constantius 3', pp. 521-522), a literary figure, possibly a cleric, attested as active in Lyon in the 460s and 470s. For full discussion of the issues relating to the authorship and date of the Life of Germanus, see E05841.

Bibliography

Editions: Borius, R., Constance de Lyon, Vie de saint Germain d'Auxerre (Sources chrétiennes 112; Paris, 1965), with French translation. Levison, W., Vita Germani episcopi Autissiodorensis auctore Constantio, in: Passiones vitaeque sanctorum aevi Merovingici V (Monumenta Germaniae Historica, Scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 7; Hannover and Leipzig, 1919), 246-283. English translation: Hoare, F.R., The Western Fathers (London, 1954), 283-320. Reprinted in T.F.X. Noble and T. Head (eds.), Soldiers of Christ: Saints and Saints' Lives from Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages (University Park PA, 1995), 75-106.

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