E00542: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (44), describes *Victor (Victor 'Maurus'/the Moor, soldier and martyr of Milan, S00312) as effective in freeing captives; an imprisoned Gallic aristocrat, Apollinaris, prayed at his tomb during his feast in Milan (northern Italy) and was able to flee undisturbed to Clermont (central Gaul), in c. AD 500. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.

Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 44

Magnificatur etiam apud Mediolanensium urbem Victor inclytus martyr, quod saepius vinctos ab ergastulis dissolvat captivosque liberos abire permittat. Igitur quodam tempore Apollinaris cum Victorio duce Italiam petiit, quod agunt apud urbem Romam interfectum; Apollinarem incolae loci quasi captivum retenebant, dicentes: "Non videbis patriam tuam, sed dignas ut satelles tuus poenas exsolves". Haec autem comminati, miserunt eum in exilio apud urbem Mediolanensim. Factum est autem, ut adveniente festivitate sancti Victoris, convenientibus populis, et hic vigiliis interesset - sub libera enim custodia absolutus adtendebatur -, prostratusque coram sacro sepulchro sancti, cum semper tum inpensius orare coepit, ut eum virtus martyris ab hoc exilio liberaret.

Circa medium vero noctis egressus ab aede, audivit unum de aegenis loquentem ad alium atque dicentem: "Quid putas, o conpauper, quae virtus sit huius martyris? Verum dico nec fallor, quia in hac nocte quisquis captivus domino per fugam dilabitur, absolutus in patriam accedit, nec prorsus ultra repperitur". Haec Apollinaris verba quasi auspicium ex Dei nutu missum accipiens, iterum atque iterum provolutus ad tumulum martyris, orat, ut virtute eius adiutus absque inpedimento possit abscedere. Moxque vocato puero, equum sterni praecepit, dicens: "Hodie absolvendi sumus a vinculo isto custodiae". Et ascendentes ita Alpium iuga, congeriorum oppleta multitudine, pertransierunt atque Arvernum perlati sunt, virtute beati martyris praeeunte, ut a nullo interrogarentur, quo tenderent vel unde venirent. Manifestumque est, eos praesidio beati martyris ab hac aerumna fuisse salvatos.

'At Milan the illustrious martyr Victor is honoured, because often he releases bound men from prisons and allows captives to depart as free men. At one time Apollinaris was travelling to Italy with duke Victorius, who some say was killed in Rome. The inhabitants of one region seized Apollinaris as a captive, and said: "You will not see your fatherland, but like your companion you will suffer an appropriate penalty." After making these threats they sent him into exile at Milan. But it happened that it was the time for the festival of St Victor and people were assembling. Since he was constrained without restriction by an open custody, Apollinaris attended the vigils. He knelt before the holy tomb of the saint and began to pray more fervently than always that the power of the martyr free him from this exile.

As he left the church about midnight, he heard one of the beggars talking with another. The beggar said: "O fellow beggar, what do you think of the power of this martyr? I tell the truth and I am not mistaken that tonight whatever captive flees and is liberated from his master will return to his fatherland as a free man and will be pursued no further." Apollinaris took these words as a sign sent by the will of God. Again and again he knelt at the tomb of the martyr and prayed that he be helped by the martyr's power and that he be able to leave without any opposition. Next he called his servant and ordered his horse to be saddled; he said: "Today we must be freed from the chain of this captivity." After mounting their horses they crossed the peaks of the Alps that were covered with drifts of snow and reached Clermont. The power of the blessed martyr preceded them, so that no one asked where they were going or whence they had come. It is obvious that they were saved from this tribulation by the assistance of the blessed martyr.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 68. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 43-44, lightly modified.