E06932: The will of Caesarius, bishop of Arles (southern Gaul), makes provisions for ecclesiastical foundations dedicated to *John (the Baptist, S00020), *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), and *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033) at Arles. Written in Latin at Arles, c. 512/42.

Testament of Caesarius

Extracts:

[1] Pax ecclesiae Arelatensi. Caesarius episcopus presbiteris et diaconibus, sanctae ac venerabili Caesariae abbatissae,quam dominus per meam parvitatem in monasterio nostro praeposuit, ac universae congregationi, quam ibi dominus sua gratia collocaverit, in domino deo aeternam salutem. [...]

[3] Ego Caesarius peccator dum debitum humane carnis reddidero, cunctum monasterium Arelatense sancti Iohannis, quod ego condidi, sub potestate Arelatensis pontificis canonice sit, heredemque meum esse volo ac iubeo; ceteri ceteraeve exheredes sint totae. Quod cuique aut per hoc testamentum meum dedero, legavero, darive iussero, ut detur fiat. Ceterum autem Arelatensi episcopo coheredem meum monasterium relinquo; quos quasque liberos liberasve esse iussero, liberi liberaeve sint totae. [...]

[5] [...] Ea vero quae monasterio ante per donationem contulimus ☩ affirmo; et si cui aliquid per epistolam aut per pitacium aut verbo pietatis intuitu contuli, valere volo. Hoc etiam assuete precor, quatenus cellam, quam bonae memoriae Augustus subdiaconus in atrio sancti Stephani euntibus parte dextra habuit, provisoribus monasterii propter custodiendam illorum famam domnus episcopus perpetuo dignetur iure concedere, ita ut eam sibi succedentes monasterii provisores habeant. Et hoc specialiter volo, et ita domne episcope precor, ut sive provisorem ad monasterium sive presbiterum ad basilicam sanctae Mariae nullum alium habeat congregatio sancta, nisi quem sibi ipsa elegerit vel petierit ordinari. [...]


'1. Peace to the church of Arles. Bishop Caesarius to the priests and deacons; to the holy and venerable abbess Caesaria [the Younger], whom the Lord, through my humble self, has put in charge of our monastery; and to the whole congregation which the Lord will have gathered there by his grace: eternal salvation in the Lord God! [...]

3. When I Caesarius, a sinner, will have repaid the debt owed by human flesh, let the whole monastery of St John in Arles, which I founded, be under the authority of the bishop of Arles, as the canons stipulate. And I wish and order that it be my heir. In addition, I designate the bishop of Arles as co-heir with my monastery. Let all other heirs or heiresses be disinherited. Anything I have given to anyone before or through this will of mine or have bequeathed or have ordered to be given, let it be given. Any men or women I have ordered to be free, let them all be free [...]

5. [...] I confirm the gifts that I previously conveyed to the monastery. And if I have bestowed anything on anyone by a motive of piety, either by letter, written conveyance or orally, I wish it to be valid. Regarding the cell in the atrium of St Stephen, on the right as you enter, which the subdeacon Augustus of blessed memory occupied, I ask the lord bishop to deign to grant it by perpetual title to the stewards of the monastery in order to protect their reputation, so that the stewards of the monastery who succeed them might have it. And I particularly wish and so ask the lord bishop that the holy congregation have no one as steward for the monastery or as a priest for the church of St Mary except whom it has chosen for itself and has sought to have appointed [...]'

Text: Morin 1942, 279-89. Translation: Klingshirn 1994, 71-3, lightly adapted.