History of the FranksGregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
History
History of the Franks
Gregory, Bishop of Tours, Saint
France -- Church history -- To 987; France -- History -- To 987; Franks -- History -- To 768
36. Constantine was the thirty-fourth emperor of the Romans, and he
reigned prosperously for thirty years. In the eleventh year of his
reign, when peace had been granted to the churches after the death
of Diocletian, our blessed patron Martin was born at Sabaria, a city
of Pannonia, of heathen parents, who still were not of the lowest
station. This Constantine in the twentieth year of his reign caused
the death of his son Crispus by poison, and of his wife Fausta by
means of a hot bath, because they had plotted to betray his rule. In
his time the venerated wood of the Lord’s cross was found, through
the zeal of his mother Helen on the information of Judas, a Hebrew
who was called Quiriacus after baptism. [K]The historian Eusebius
comes down to this period in his chronicle. The priest Jerome
continues it from the twenty-first year of Constantine’s reign. He
informs us that the priest Juvencus wrote the gospels in verse at the
request of the emperor named above.
[37. James of Nisibis and Maximin of Trèves. 38. Hilarius bishop of
Poitiers.]
39. At that time our light arose and Gaul was traversed by the rays
of a new lamp, that is, the most blessed Martin then began to preach
in the Gauls, and he overcame the unbelief of the heathen, showing
among the people by many miracles that Christ the Son of God was
the true God. He destroyed heathen shrines, crushed heresy, built
churches, and while he was glorious for many other miracles, he
completed his title to fame by restoring three dead men to life.
At Poitiers, in the fourth year of Valentinian and Valens, Saint
Hilarius passed to heaven full of sanctity and faith, a priest of
many miracles; for he too is said to have raised the dead.
[40. Melania’s journey to Jerusalem.]
41. After the death of Valentinian, Valens, who succeeded to the
undivided empire, gave orders that the monks be compelled to serve in
the army, and commanded that those who refused should be beaten with
clubs. After this the Romans fought a very fierce battle in Thrace,
in which there was such slaughter that the Romans fled on foot after
losing their horses, and when they were being cut to pieces by the
Goths, and Valens was fleeing with an arrow wound, he entered a small
hut, the enemy closely pursuing, and the little dwelling was burned
over him. And he was deprived of the burial he desired. And thus the
divine vengeance finally came for shedding the blood of the saints.
Thus far Jerome; from this period the priest Orosius wrote at greater
length.
[42. The pious emperor Theodosius. 43. The emperor Maximus with
capital at Trèves. 44. Urbicus, second bishop of Clermont, and his
wife. 45. Hillidius, third bishop of Clermont, and his miracles. 46.
Nepotian and Arthemius, fourth and fifth bishops of Clermont. 47.
Legend of the two lovers of Clermont.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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