E05211: Ambrose of Milan, writing in Latin in Milan (northern Italy) in c.386, in his Letter 77 narrates the discovery of the relics of *Gervasius and Protasius (martyrs of Milan, S00313) and their subsequent translation to the Basilica Ambrosiana in Milan.

Ambrose of Milan, Letter 77

Ambrose addresses this letter to his sister. When he came to dedicate the newly built basilica in Milan, he was asked to ‘consecrate this as you did the Roman basilica' (sicut in Romana basilicam dedices). He said he would if he found the relics of martyrs (1). Motivated by a prophetic inspiration, he bade the clergy to clear earth from before the chancel screen at the shrine of *Nabor and Felix (soldiers and martyrs, buried in Milan, S00609) at it was apparent they were at a holy burial place (2).

Inveni signa convenientia; adhibitis etiam quibus per nos manus imponenda foret sic sancti martyres imminere coeperunt ut adhuc nobis silentibus arriperetur una et sterneretur prona ad locum sancti sepulchri. Invenimus mirae magnitudinis viros duos ut prisca aetas ferebat. Ossa omnia integra, sanguinis plurimum. Ingens concursus populi per totum illud biduum. Quid multa? Condivimus integra ad ordinem, transtulimus vespere iam incumbente ad basilicam Faustae; ibi vigiliae tota nocte, manus impositio. Sequenti die transtulimus ea in basilicam quam appellant Ambrosianam. Dum transferimus caecus sanatus est.

‘I found promising signs. When some persons were brought up on whom I was to perform the laying on of hands, the martyrs began to make their presence felt to such effect that instantly, without a word from me, a woman was seized and flung headlong towards the site of the tomb. We found two men of amazing stature, such as were produced in the old days. All the bones were intact. There was abundance of blood. There was a great thronging together of people throughout that two-day period. To be brief: we tidied up the remains, taking care to leave them intact and as evening was falling transferred them to the basilica of Fausta. All night there was a vigil and laying on of hands. On the following day we transferred the relics to the basilica which is known as the Ambrosian. During the transfer a blind man was healed.’

Ambrose then gives the text of a sermon he preached at the deposition of the relics. He states that the discovery of the relics is a sign of God’s favour (3-4), affirms the sanctity of the martyrs (5-7), and identifies the martyrs as Gervasius and Protasius (7). The fact that the skeletons survived whole, and are accompanied by a profusion of blood, marks these men out as martyrs. They will be buried in the spot beneath the altar previously reserved for Ambrose himself (12-13):

Eruuntur nobiles reliquiae e sepulchro ignobili, ostenduntur caelo tropaea. Sanguine tumulus madet, apparent cruoris triumphalis notae, inviolatae reliquiae loco suo et ordine repertae, avulsum humeris caput. Nunc senes repetunt audisse se aliquando horum martyrum nomina titulumque legisse. Perdiderat civitas suos martyres quae rapuit alienos. Etsi hoc dei munus est, tamen gratiam quam temporibus sacerdotii mei dominus Iesus tribuit negare non possum; quia ipse martyr esse non mereor hos vobis martyres acquisivi.
 
Succedant victimae triumphales in locum ubi Christus est hostia. Sed ille super altare qui pro omnibus passus est, isti sub altari qui illius redempti sunt passione. Hunc ego locum praedestinaveram mihi, dignum est enim ut ibi requiescat sacerdos ubi offerre consuevit; sed cedo sacris victimis dexteram portionem: locus iste martyribus debebatur. Condamus ergo reliquias sacrosanctas et dignis sedibus invehamus totum que diem fida devotione celebremus".
 
‘The glorious relics are dug out of an inglorious tomb, the trophies are exhibited to heaven. The burial is moist with blood. The marks of the triumphant blood appear, the relics are found in their proper place and arrangement, the heads torn from the shoulders. Now old men relate that they had sometime or other heard the names of these martyrs, and read their inscriptions. The city which stole the martyrs of others had lost its own. Although this is a gift of God, I cannot deny the act of grace which the Lord Jesus conferred on the times of my episcopacy; because I do not deserve to be a martyr, I have acquired these martyrs for you.

Let the triumphant victims take their place where Christ himself is the sacrifice, but he above the altar, since he has suffered for all, they below it since they have been redeemed by his suffering. In fact I had designed this place for myself, for it is right that a priest should repose where he was wont to make his offering. But I yield the right-hand site to the holy victims. That place was owed to the martyrs. Let us therefore bury the sacred relics, and carry them to a resting place worthy of them, and let us celebrate the whole day with loyal devotion.’

Ambrose states that the congregation demanded that the deposition of the martyrs be postponed until the Lord’s Day, but it was agreed it would take place the next day. He gives the text of the sermon he preached at the deposition. Here, he deals with the doubt of the Arians, comparing them to the Jews who denied that Christ was the son of God (16-17).

Et nunc audistis clamantes daemones et confitentes martyribus quod poenas ferre non possent et dicentes: "Quid venistis ut nos tam graviter torqueatis?" Et Arriani dicunt: "Non isti martyres nec torquere diabolum possunt nec aliquem liberare", cum tormenta daemonum ipsorum voce prodantur et beneficia martyrum remediis sanatorum et absolutorum indiciis declarentur.

Negant caecum illuminatum, sed ille non negat se sanatum. Ille dicit: "Video qui non videbam", ille dicit: "Caecus esse desivi" et probat facto. Isti beneficium negant qui factum negare non possunt. Notus homo est, publicis cum valeret mancipatus obsequiis, Severus nomine, lanius ministerio; deposuerat officium postquam inciderat impedimentum. Vocat ad testimonium homines quorum ante sustentabatur obsequiis, eos indices suae visitationis arcessit quos habebat testes et arbitros caecitatis. Clamat quia ut contigit fimbriam de veste martyrum qua sacrae reliquiae vestiuntur redditum sibi lumen sit.

‘And even now you have heard the evil spirits shouting and confessing to the martyrs that they were unable to bear the punishment, and saying: ‘Why have you come to torture us so severely?’ And the Arians say: ‘Those people are not martyrs, neither can they torture the devil, nor set anyone free’, although the torments of the evil spirits are made known by their own voices, and the benefits of the martyrs are declared by cures of those healed, and the testimonies of those set free.

They deny that the blind man has been given back his sight, but he does not deny that he has been healed. He says: ‘I see, who used not to see’, he says: ‘I have ceased to be blind’, and he proves it by his action. They who cannot deny the action, deny the benefit. The man is well known. When he was well he was obligated to public duties. Severus was his name, a butcher by trade. He had given up his occupation after the disability had befallen him. He calls in evidence the men by whose dutiful assistance he had previously been supported. He summons as witnesses of his recovered sight the same men whom he had to give evidence and testimony of his blindness. He shouts that as soon as he touched the fringe of a garment of the martyrs with which the sacred relics were covered, light was restored to him.’

Ambrose continues by describing how the evil spirits tormented by the martyrs provide evidence of their genuine nature (20-22). Yet even more persuasive than this is the testimony of those who have been cleansed (absoluti) by the martyrs and the blood present at the tomb.

Text: Zelzer 1982. Translation: Liebeschuetz 2005.
Summary: Frances Trzeciak.