E05137: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Julian (2), recounts how the head of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035) and the body of *Ferreolus (soldier and martyr of Vienne, S01893) were found uncorrupted in the tomb of Ferreolus in Vienne (south-east Gaul), in 452/475, and quotes the inscription on the tomb. Written in Latin in Clermont and Tours (central and north-west Gaul), 570/587.

Gregory of Tours, Miracles of Julian (Liber de passione et virtutibus sancti Iuliani martyris) 2

Once Gregory travelled to Vienne to pray at the tomb of Ferreolus. After his prayers, he noted some verses written on the platform (tribunal) of the tomb:

Heroas Christi geminos haec contenit aula:
lulianum capite, corpore Ferreolum.

'This shrine contains two warriors of Christ:
Julian and his head, and Ferreolus and his body.'

Gregory asked the warden of the shrine what they meant and he replied:

Basilica sancti martyris Ferreoli super ipsum Rhodani litus ab antiquis fuerat collocata. Denique cum, inpulsante violentia amnis, porticus, quae ab ea parte erat locata, corrueret, providens sacerdos Mamertus nomine, qui tunc Viennensim regebat eclesiam, ruinam futuram praeveniens, aliam basilicam eleganti opere et in ipsa mensura sagaci
intentione construxit, illuc sanctum martyris transferre cupiens corpus. Advenit autem ad hoc opus abbatum atque monachorum magnus numerus, vigilataque nocte, accepto sarculo fodere coeperunt. Cumque in profundo discenderent, tria sepulchra repperiunt, at confestim stupor mentes spectantium invadit. Nec quisquam erat certus, quisnam esset beati martyris tumulus. Igitur cum starent omnes in hebitate mentis attoniti, inspirante, ut credo, Divinitate, unus ex circumstantibus exclamat, dicens: 'Antiquitus referri solitum erat, et celebri per populos sermone vulgatum, caput Iuliani confessoris in sepulchro retenere martyris Ferreoli. Si, operturio amoto, unusquisque consideretur, potest, quae sint membra Ferreoli martyris, protenus inveniri'. Haec audiens sacerdos, cunctos iubet in oratione prosterni. Qua inpleta, procedit ad tumulos, detectosque duos, singulos in his quiescentes invenit viros. Cumque aperuisset et tertium, invenit in eo virum iacentem inlaeso corpore, integro vestimento, qui, deciso capite, caput amplexus aliud brachio retenebat. Erat enim acsi nuper sepultus neque pallore faciei demutatus neque capillorum decisione turpatus neque ulla putredine resolutes, sed ita integer, inlaesus, ut putares eum adhuc sopore corporeo detenere. Tunc antistis gaudio magno repletus, ait: 'Hoc esse cadaver Ferreoli, hoc esse caput Iuliani martyris, dubium non habetur'. Tunc cum magno psallentio, plaudente populo, in loco ubi nunc adoratur, Domino annuente, perducitur'.

'Long ago men founded the church of the martyr Saint Ferreolus next to the bank of the river Rhône. But because of the strong pressure of the river the colonnade on that side [of the church] collapsed. The bishop then serving the cathedral at Vienne was named Mamertus. He foresaw the ruin [of the rest of the church]. So with keen attention to its design he constructed another church of elegant workmanship to which he wished to transfer the holy body of the martyr [Ferreolus]. A large crowd of abbots and monks assembled for this task, and after keeping a night vigil, they took a hoe and began to dig. Once they dug down deep, they found three tombs; immediately the thoughts of the onlookers were bewildered. For no one was certain which was the tomb of the blessed martyr. While everyone was standing around in confusion because of their ignorance, one of the bystanders (at the inspiration of God, I believe) shouted out and said: 'Ancient tradition has customarily claimed that the head of the confessor Julian was buried in the tomb of the martyr Ferreolus; and frequent repetition has publicized this tradition among the people. If each tomb is investigated by removing its lid, it is possible to discover immediately which are the limbs of the martyr Ferreolus.’ The bishop listened to this advice and ordered everyone to kneel in prayer. After prayer he went to the tombs, uncovered two, but found in them single men at rest. But when he opened the third tomb, he found in it the body of a man at rest that was uncorrupted and in intact clothing; the man’s head had been cut off, and he held another head embraced in his arm. The man looked as if he had been recently buried. His face was neither disfigured by any paleness nor deformed by the thinning of his hair nor decayed by any putrefaction; instead he was so fresh and so untouched that you might think he was still preserved in a sleeping body. Then the bishop was overwhelmed with great joy and said: 'There is no doubt that this is the body of Ferreolus and this is the head of the martyr Julian.' Then the people applauded and loudly chanted Psalms. With the approval of the Lord [the tomb] was brought to this place where it is now venerated.'

At the end of this chapter Gregory adds that Sidonius Apollinaris also gave evidence of this translation in his letter to Mamertus and quotes from his letter ($E06742).

Text: Krusch 1969, 114-115. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 165-166; lightly modified.