E07536: The Latin Martyrdom of *Albanus (martyr of Verulamium, Britain, S01364) relates the death of the saint, and describes a visit to his tomb by *Germanus (bishop of Auxerre, ob. c.448, S00455), who leaves relics (membra) of apostles and other martyrs and takes with him soil stained with the blood of Albanus. Written probably in Verulamium and possibly before 400, with an interpolation added at Auxerre (central Gaul) c. 450 or later.

The Martyrdom of Saint Albanus (Passio sancti Albani, BHL 211a)

(1.) Tempore persecutionis sanctus Albanus quantum antiquitas tradidit adhuc paganus clericum persecutores fugientem hospitio recepit. Ipsiusque habitu, id est caracalla qua ipse uestiebatur indutus, pro eodem se obtulit. Statimque iudici oblatus est.

(2.) Qui cum ante christianitatis agnitionem christianum se esse in quaestione fateretur, gladio percuti iubetur.

(3.) Cumque ad uictimam duceretur, peruenit ad fluuium †qui muros et harenam ubi feriendus erat meatu rapidissimo diuidebat†. Uidit ingentem hominum multitudinem utriusque sexus condicionis et aetatis, qui sine dubio diuinitatis instinctu ad obsequium martyris uocabantur, ita occupasse pontem ut intra uesperam transire uix posset. Denique iudex sine obsequio in ciuitate substiterat.

(4.) Confert se ad torrentem cui †diu erat† ad martyrium peruenire. Et dirigenti ad caelum lumina ilico siccato alueo suis cessit immo praecessit unda uestigiis.

(5.) Cumque ad locum destinatum morti uenisset, occurrit stricto gladio carnifex precans qui martyrem percussurus erat pro martyre se puniri. Proiectoque impio ense ad sancti Albani pedes aduoluitur, repente factus ex persecutore collega.

(6.) Uerum dum iacente ferro esset inter carnifices iusta cunctatio. Montem cum turbis sanctus martyr ascendit. Qui oportune editus gratia ineffabili quingentis fere passibus ab harena situs est, uariis floribus pictus atque uestitus, in quo nihil est arduum nihil praeceps, nihil abruptum, quem lateribus longe lateque deductum, a facie aequoris natura conplanat.

(7.) Quem haut dubie martyri praeparatum. Iam prius quam sacro consecraretur cruore, sacrum similis fecerat pulchritudo. In cuius uertice dari sibi sanctus Albanus aquam rogauit. Statimque incredibili meatu ante martyris pedes fons perennis exortus est, ut omnes agnoscerent etiam torrentem martyri obsequium detulisse.

(8.) Neque enim fieri poterat ut in arduo montis cacumine aquam martyr peteret, quam utique in flumine non reliquerat, †si fluuium non uideret†. Qui denique ministerio persoluto deuotione completa officii testimonium relinquens reuersus est ad naturam. Nec illud praetereundum putaui, quod carnifici illi radicitus ad terram lumina, qui piis ceruicibus intulit impias manus cum sancti martyris capite conciderunt.

(9.) Ibique etiam carnifex ille qui sanctum Dei ferire noluerat in laude dei et ipse percussus est. Tunc iudex exanimis tanta nouitate perculsus, iniussu etiam principum iubet de persecutione cessari, referens augeri potius religionem caede sanctorum per quam eandem opinabantur aboleri.

(10.) Ad cuius basilicam cum sanctus Germanus episcopus cum omnium apostolorum diuersorumque martyrum reliquiis peruenisset, pretiosa in eodem loco munera conditurus reuelli sepulchrum iubet, ut membra sanctorum ex diuersis regionibus collecta, quos pares merito receperat caelum sepulchri unius teneret hospitium.

(11.) Quibus honorifice depositis atque sociatis, de loco ipso ubi martyris sanguis effluxerat, massam pulueris rapuit, uiolenta quidem deuotione sed pio sacrilegio, in qua apparebat cruore seruato erubuisse terram martyris caede persecutore pallente.

(12.) Quibus rebus manifestatis atque patefactis ingens hominum eadem die ad Deum turba conuersa est. Praestante Domino nostro Iesu Christo cui est honor et gloria in secula seculorum. Amen.

In two places words in the text marked with † represent emendations undertaken to rectify a textual crux.


(1.) In the time of the persecution Saint Albanus, as antiquity has passed down, whilst still a pagan took into his home a cleric who was running away from his persecutors. Dressed in the man’s own garment, that is the cloak (caracalla) that he was wearing, [Albanus] put himself forward instead of the man and immediately he was taken before the judge.

(2.) When, before the recognition of Christianity, he confessed under questioning that he was a Christian, he was ordered to be executed by the sword.

(3.) And, as he was being led to the place of sacrifice, he came to a river, which separated the walls and the arena where he was to be executed with its very rapid flow. He saw that a vast multitude of people of both sexes and every situation and age, who were summoned without doubt by divine prompting to offer deference to the martyr, had occupied the bridge so that he could scarcely cross before the evening. Indeed, the judge had remained without any deference in the city.

(4.) He directed himself towards the rushing stream by which he was still [?] to come to his martyrdom. And, raising his eyes to heaven, the channel having immediately been drained, the flood yielded to, or rather paved the way for, his footsteps.

(5.) And, when he had come to the place appointed for his death, the executioner with sword drawn approached him, begging that he who was to execute the martyr be himself punished in the martyr’s place. Throwing away the impious sword, he prostrated himself at the feet of Saint Albanus, suddenly changed from a persecutor to a partner.

(6.) In truth, while the weapon was lying idle, there was an understandable delay among the executioners. The holy martyr together with the crowds climbed the mountain. This, favourably elevated with indescribable grace, was situated about five hundred paces from the arena, painted, or even clothed, with many coloured flowers, on which nothing is arduous, nothing steep, nothing precipitous. Nature smoothes [it] out on its sides, far and wide, stretched out after the appearance of a plain.

(7.) Without doubt [the mountain] was prepared for the martyr. Already, before it was consecrated by his holy blood, a similar beauty had made it holy. On its summit Saint Albanus asked for water to be given to him and, straightaway in an extraordinary manner, before the martyr’s feet a continual spring sprang up, so that everyone might acknowledge that even the rushing stream rendered deference to the martyr.

(8.) Neither, indeed, could it be that on the lofty peak of the mountain the martyr might have sought water, which in any case he had not left in the river, if he had not seen [?] the river. Finally, its duty complete, it reverted to its natural course, leaving behind the witness of service discharged with devotion. Nor did I believe that it should be omitted that, from that executioner who thrust his impious hands on those pious necks, his eyes entirely dropped to the ground at the same time as the head of the holy martyr.

(9.) And there too that executioner, who had been unwilling to slay the holy man of God, to the praise of God was himself also executed. Then the terrified judge, struck down by so great a novelty, even without the command of the rulers, gave the order for the persecution to be stopped, reporting back that the religion was instead being increased by the slaughter of the saints—the same means by which they were thinking it was being destroyed.

(10.) When the holy Bishop Germanus had arrived at [Albanus’] basilica with relics of all the apostles and diverse other martyrs, intending to deposit these precious gifts in that same place, he ordered the tomb to be opened, so that the limbs (membra) of saints brought together from different regions, whom heaven had received as equal in merit, the hospitality of a single tomb might [also] keep.

(11.) When these had been both deposited and united with due honour, from the very spot where the blood of the martyr had poured out, he seized a clod of soil with violent devotion but pious sacrilege, in which it was apparent that the earth, preserving the blood, blushed from the slaughter of the martyr whilst the persecutor paled.

(12.) When these things were disclosed and made public that same day, a huge crowd of people turned to God. With our Lord Jesus Christ prevailing, to whom be honour and glory for evermore. Amen.

Text and translation: Mark Laynesmith.