E02713: Gregory of Tours, in his Glory of the Confessors (80), tells of *Marianus (recluse near Bourges, early 6th c., S01295) buried in the church of Evaux, near Bourges (central Gaul); there his annual festival was celebrated and the sick healed; the house of a man who worked, rather than attend the festival, was destroyed by fire; another man, after praying to the saint, miraculously recovered his stolen oxen. Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 587/588.

Gregory of Tours, Glory of the Confessors 80

In the territory of Bourges there was a hermit named Marianus. He was found dead under an apple tree.

Tunc viri qui advenerant elevantes, adtulerunt ad vicum Evaunensim. Quo abluto dignisque indutum vestibus sepelierunt in eclesia, festa obitus eius per singulos caelebrantes annos; atque convenientes populi crebro ab infirmitatibus sanabantur.

'The men who had come lifted [his body] and brought it to the village of Evaux. After washing the body and dressing it in worthy garments the people buried it in a church. Each year they celebrated the festival commemorating
his death, and the people who came were often healed from their illnesses.'

One of the locals, however, instead of attending the festival, lit a fire in order to make beer.

Accedens autem unus vicinorum eius, ait: "Quid tu, o homo, hoc deteneris in opere? An ignoras, quod solemnitas est beati Mariani?" Qui cum furore respondit: "Putasne, o tu qui haec loqueris, quid homo elisus ex arbore propter conpendia gulae angelorum sit relatus consortio, ut sanctus debeat adorari? Melius est enim opus necessarium in domo exercere, quam talem sanctum excolere". Quod ille audiens, discessit et cum reliquis ad basilicam sancti abiit, relicto domi vicino in opere laborantem.

'One of his neighbours came and said: ‘Why, oh man, are you occupied in this task? Do you not know that it is the festival of the blessed Marianus?’ The man angrily replied: ‘Oh you who say this, do you think that a man who slipped
from a tree while satisfying his appetite has been included in the company of the angels, so that he ought to be venerated as a saint? It is better to do what is necessary at home than to honour such a saint.’ The other man listened and then left, and with the other people he went to the church of the saint; his neighbour remained at home working at his task.'

Shortly afterwards fire broke out and burnt down the man's house, with everything he owned, while leaving all the surrounding properties unscathed.

Gregory then recounts a second miracle of Marianus: how a man whose oxen had been stolen had them miraculously returned after he had prayed to the saint.

Quae postquam gesta sunt, dilegentiore cura confessorem Dei plebs coepit excolere Bituriga.

'After these things happened, the people of Bourges began to honour this confessor of God with more diligent concern.'


Text: Krusch 1969, 348-349. Translation: Van Dam 2004, 61-62.