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E02560: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Confessors (17), tells how a certain Bishop *Benignus (bishop buried in the Touraine, S01247) punished a man who stole the lid of his tomb, but restored him to health when he returned it. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 587/588.
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posted on 2017-03-12, 00:00 authored by kwojtalikGregory of Tours, Glory of the Confessors 17
In alio loco pago Turonico erat inter vepres et rubos sepulchrum positum, in quo ferebatur episcopum quendam fuisse sepultum; nomen ignari erant [incolae, et licet pauci, tamen officium inpendebant]. Contigit vero, ut cuiusdam pauperis filius moriretur. Quo sepulto, cum operturium sarcofagi non inveniret, ad hunc locum accessit, ablatumque de hoc sepulchro cooperculum, qui tam inmanis erat, ut trium duceretur paria boum, texit corpusculum fili furto alterius de sepulchri. Quod cum fecisset, surdus, mutus, caecus ac debilis est effectus; mansitque in hoc supplicio integrum fere annum. Dehinc apparuit ei quidam sacerdos per visum, dicens: 'Quid?', inquid, 'tibi tuisque vim intuli, o vir, quia detexisti me, auferendo operturium tumuli mei? Vade nunc, si vis sanus fieri, iube eum velociter revocari. Quod si nolueris, protinus morieris. Ego enim sum Benignus episcopus, qui in hac urbe peregrinus adveni'. At ille suis innuens, accessit ad monumentum filii sui, elevatumque lapidem plaustro inposuit, reportatumque ut sarcofago reddidit, ilico sanus effectus est. Nam ad redeundo ita lapis levis erat, ut, quem tria paria boum evexerant, boves deinceps duo revocarent.
'In another district of Tours a tomb was situated among thorn-bushes and brambles. It was said that a bishop was buried in this tomb, but they did not know his name. It happened that the son of a poor man died. After the boy was buried, the poor man did not find a cover for his sarcophagus; so he went to this spot and took the lid from this tomb. The lid was so huge that three yoke of oxen dragged it. By stealing from the tomb of another man the poor man covered the body of his son. But once he had done this, he became deaf, mute, blind, and crippled. For almost an entire year he suffered from this distress. Then a bishop appeared to him in a dream and said: ‘What evil, o man, have I inflicted upon you and your family because you have uncovered me by removing the lid of my tomb? Go now if you wish to be made healthy, and order that this lid be quickly restored. If you do not do this, you will die immediately. For I am bishop Benignus, who came as a foreigner to this city.’ The man nodded to his servants and went to his son’s grave. He lifted the stone lid and put it on a wagon. Once he brought it and restored it to the tomb [of the bishop], he was immediately healed. On its return the stone lid was so light that two oxen could haul back what three yoke of oxen had removed.'
Text: Krusch 1969, 307. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 14.
In alio loco pago Turonico erat inter vepres et rubos sepulchrum positum, in quo ferebatur episcopum quendam fuisse sepultum; nomen ignari erant [incolae, et licet pauci, tamen officium inpendebant]. Contigit vero, ut cuiusdam pauperis filius moriretur. Quo sepulto, cum operturium sarcofagi non inveniret, ad hunc locum accessit, ablatumque de hoc sepulchro cooperculum, qui tam inmanis erat, ut trium duceretur paria boum, texit corpusculum fili furto alterius de sepulchri. Quod cum fecisset, surdus, mutus, caecus ac debilis est effectus; mansitque in hoc supplicio integrum fere annum. Dehinc apparuit ei quidam sacerdos per visum, dicens: 'Quid?', inquid, 'tibi tuisque vim intuli, o vir, quia detexisti me, auferendo operturium tumuli mei? Vade nunc, si vis sanus fieri, iube eum velociter revocari. Quod si nolueris, protinus morieris. Ego enim sum Benignus episcopus, qui in hac urbe peregrinus adveni'. At ille suis innuens, accessit ad monumentum filii sui, elevatumque lapidem plaustro inposuit, reportatumque ut sarcofago reddidit, ilico sanus effectus est. Nam ad redeundo ita lapis levis erat, ut, quem tria paria boum evexerant, boves deinceps duo revocarent.
'In another district of Tours a tomb was situated among thorn-bushes and brambles. It was said that a bishop was buried in this tomb, but they did not know his name. It happened that the son of a poor man died. After the boy was buried, the poor man did not find a cover for his sarcophagus; so he went to this spot and took the lid from this tomb. The lid was so huge that three yoke of oxen dragged it. By stealing from the tomb of another man the poor man covered the body of his son. But once he had done this, he became deaf, mute, blind, and crippled. For almost an entire year he suffered from this distress. Then a bishop appeared to him in a dream and said: ‘What evil, o man, have I inflicted upon you and your family because you have uncovered me by removing the lid of my tomb? Go now if you wish to be made healthy, and order that this lid be quickly restored. If you do not do this, you will die immediately. For I am bishop Benignus, who came as a foreigner to this city.’ The man nodded to his servants and went to his son’s grave. He lifted the stone lid and put it on a wagon. Once he brought it and restored it to the tomb [of the bishop], he was immediately healed. On its return the stone lid was so light that two oxen could haul back what three yoke of oxen had removed.'
Text: Krusch 1969, 307. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 14.
History
Evidence ID
E02560Saint Name
Benignus, the bishop in Gaul, ob. AD 370/594 : S01247Saint Name in Source
BenignusRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Other saint-related textsLanguage
- Latin