E00652: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Martyrs (99), tells of *Domitius/Dometios (monk and martyr of Syria under Julian, S00414), a specialist at curing sciatica (because he himself had suffered from it); how he cured and converted a Jew, thereby angering (but subsequently curing) Christian sufferers at his shrine. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 580/594.

Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Martyrs 99

In the previous two chapter, Gregory discusses two saints from Syria (E00650, E00651), and continues:

Domitius equidem alius martyr in hac habetur regione, qui cum multa beneficia incolis praestet, sciaticis tamen veloci virtute medetur. Nam fertur ab hoc sanctus fuisse, dum in corpore esset positus, dolore detentus. Denique cum multis, ut diximus, in hac necessitate laborantibus mederetur, quidam Iudaeus ab ipsa infirmitate correptus sancti basilicam, quamquam Christo non crederet, devotus tamen expetiit, seque ad ianuam atrii deponi praecipiens, indignum se esse vociferans, qui sanctum limen ingrederetur. Aiebat enim: "Scio, me quidem, gloriose martyr, legis velamine obcaecatum, cui tu inpertire misericordiam dedigneris; sed nunc ad te confugio et supplex tuam misericordiam posco, ut, aversa prius infirmitate corporea, languorem incredulitatis avellas". Haec cum ante portam aulae fateretur, adveniente nocte, obdormivit; sed martyr beatus non longi spatio temporis distulit miserere. Igitur ea nocte visitans aegrotum per somnium, iussit recedere sanum. At ille expergefactus sentit se redditum incolomitati, confessusque, Christum filium Dei esse salvatorem mundi, sanus abscessit. Quod videntes christiani, qui in ipsa tenebantur infirmitate, quaerimonias sancto inferunt, dicentes: "Ecce, nos bene Deum confessi necdum meruimus liberari, et hic incredulus in Christum regem, circumcisus carne, non corde, sanus abscedit!" Et haec dicentes, cum ira lychnos basilicae, qui ex camera dependebant, comminuere coeperunt. Sed nec his defuit misericordia postulata; nam ipsa die sanati ad propria sunt regressi.

'Domitius is another martyr from this region, who, although he offers many blessings to the local inhabitants, with his quick power heals those suffering from sciatica. For the saint is said to have been hampered by this pain when he was alive in the flesh. Since, as I said, he heals many who ache from this affliction, a Jew who suffered from this infirmity piously went to the saint's church, even though he did not believe in Christ. He asked to be brought to the doorway of the forecourt (ianua atrii) and cried that he was unworthy to cross the holy threshold. He said: 'I know, glorious martyr, that I with whom you refuse to share your compassion am blinded by the veil of the law. But now I take refuge with you and as a suppliant beg for your compassion, so that after first removing the illness of my body you might remove the illness of my unbelief.' After he said this in front of the gate of the courtyard, night came and he fell asleep. But the blessed martyr did not postpone his compassion for long. During that night he approached the ill man in a dream and ordered him to depart with his health. The Jew awoke and realised that he had been restored to health. He confessed that Christ, the Son of God, was the Saviour of the world and he left with his health. When the Christians who suffered from the same infirmity saw this, they complained to the saint and said: 'Behold, we who faithfully believe in God do not deserve to be freed [from our infirmities], but this man who does not believe in Christ the king and who is circumcised in the flesh but not in his heart departs with his health!' And as they said this, they began angrily to smash the lights of the church that were hanging from the rafters. But the compassion they demanded was not lacking for these people; for on that very day they were cured and returned to their own homes.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 103-104. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 92, lightly modified.