E05142: Gregory of Tours, in his Miracles of Julian (4), how a woman successfully obtained the release of her husband, under sentence of death from the emperor in Trier, by praying at the tomb of *Julian (martyr of Brioude, S00035) in Brioude (central Gaul) and vowing to cover his tomb if her husband was saved; and how she fulfilled her vow. 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) 4

At the beginning of this chapter Gregory tells that, after news spreads of the old men who were restored to their former strength when they committed Julian’s body to burial (chapter 1, see E05131), many people obtained Julian's assistance. Then he describes the story of the woman whose husband was imprisoned:

Vinctus ab Hispaniis et carceri deditus, apud imperatorem Trevericum capitali diiudicatus sententia tenebatur. Quod coniux illius cognitum, dum tumulare viri membra festinat, ad Brivatinsim vicum pervenit, repertosque viros, dum diversa studio intento rimaretur, cognoscit, quid in eo loco vel de martyre vel de senibus fuerit gestum; fidelique insinuatione credens, ad sepulchrum beati martyris deliberat properare, ut causas suggerat, casus reseret vel cunctum laborem sui doloris exponat, adserentibus tum praeterea hominibus: 'Absque dubio pollicemur, domina, tibi a martyre reddi laetitiam, qui senum quondam decrepitae aetatis membra rigentia antiquo vigore restituit'. Impletaque haec oratione, promittit, ut, si sospitem reciperet coniugem, martyris sepulchrum, in quo possit spatio, cimento contegerit. Fide plena et de martyris pietate secura Treverus est ingressa, inventumque virum gratia imperiali receptum, laeta regreditur; inquisitumque tempus, quo vir relaxatus esset e carcere, haec fuit absolutionis hora, qua illa martyris est auxilium inprecata; dehinc pollicitationem quam promiserat cum inmensis muneribus adimplevit.

'A man was [brought] fettered from Spain, thrown into a prison, judged at the court of the emperor at Trier and sentenced to death. His wife learned of his fate. While she was hurrying to bury her husband's body, she came to the village of Brioude. There she found some men, and after eagerly and earnestly asking various questions, she learned what had happened to the martyr and to the old men at that spot. She believed that this was a reliable recommendation and decided to hurry to the tomb of the blessed martyr so that she might present her case, reveal her misfortune, and expose all the suffering of her grief. For the men had in addition made this claim: 'Mistress, we promise for certain that you will be made happy again by the martyr who once restored to their former vigor the limbs of old men that had stiffened from the decay of age.' After praying she vowed that if she received her husband back alive, she would cover the martyr’s tomb with a solid structure, as large as possible. She was full of confidence and trusted the goodwill of the martyr when she arrived at Trier, where she found her husband and as a favor from the emperor received him back; she left in happiness. Inquiry was made about the time when her husband had been released from prison; the moment of his acquittal turned out to have been that hour when she requested the martyr’s assistance. Then with lavish gifts she fulfilled the vow she had promised.'

Text: Krusch 1969, 116. Translation: Van Dam 1993, 166-167; lightly modified.