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E02239: Gregory of Tours, in his Histories (1.33), recounts the stories of several martyrs. He records the following martyrs of Clermont (central Gaul): *Antolianus (S00347), *Liminius (S01193), *Cassius (01157), and *Victorinus (S01194), and their tombs outside Clermont. He describes the martyrdom of *Privatus (bishop and martyr of Javols, S01184) near Mende (southern Gaul), and of *Quirinus (bishop and martyr of Siscia, S00614) at Siscia (Dalmatia). Written in Latin in Tours (north-west Gaul), 575/594.

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posted on 10.01.2017, 00:00 by kwojtalik
Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 1.33

Iuxta hanc urbem Liminius Antolianusque martyres requiescunt. Ibi Cassius ac Victorinus in dilectione Christi fraterno affectu sociati, per effusionem cruoris proprii caelorum regna pariter sunt adepti. Nam refert antiquitas, Victorinum servum fuisse ante dicti templi sacerdotis. Qui dum plerumque vicum, quem christianorum vocant, ad persequendos christianos adit, Cassium repperit christianum. Cuius praedicationibus atque miraculis motus, credidit Christo, relictisque fanaticis sordibus ac baptismo consecratus, magnus in virtutum operatione enituit. Nec multo post per martyrium, ut diximus, in terris sociati, ad caelestia pariter regna venerunt.

'The two martyrs Liminius and Antolianus are buried outside this town [Clermont]. It was here, too, that Cassius and Victorinus, united as brothers in their love of Christ, both won their place in the kingdom of heaven by pouring forth their blood. An old tradition maintains that Victorinus was the servant of the priest of the temple about which I have told you. He often used to go into that quarter of the town where the Christians lived, and there he made the acquaintance of Cassius, who was himself a Christian. He was greatly moved by the sermons of Cassius and by the miracles which he performed, and so himself came to believe in Christ. He abandoned his wretched heathen practices, accepted the consecration of baptism, and became famous for the miracles which he himself performed. Not long afterwards these two, who had been friends on earth, suffered martyrdom and so went together to the kingdom of heaven.'

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 25. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 89.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 1.34

Inruentibus autem Alamannis in Gallias, sanctus Privatus Gabalitanae urbis episcopus in criptam Memmatinsis montis, ubi ieiuniis orationibusque vacabat, reperitur, populum Gredonensis castri monitione conclusum. Sed dum oves suas ut bonus pastor lupis tradere non consentit, daemoniis immolare conpellitur. Quod spurcum ille tam exsecrans quam refutans, tamdiu fustibus caeditur, quoadusque putaretur exanimis. Sed ex ipsa quassatione, interpositis paucis diebus, spiritum exalavit.

'During the invasion of Gaul by the Alamanni, Saint Privatus, Bishop of the town of Javols, was found in a mountain cavern (cripta) near Mende, where he was fasting and praying while his people were shut up in the fortified castle of Grèzes. This good shepherd was not willing to surrender his sheep to the wolves, and so the Alamanni tried to force him to make sacrifices to their demons. Privatus refused to do anything so foul and he made his revulsion clear. They beat him with sticks until he was thought to be dead. Within a few days he died as a result of the beating.'

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 26. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 89-90.

Gregory of Tours, Histories (Historiae) 1.35

Eo tempore Quirinus Sisciensis ecclesiae sacerdos gloriosum pro Christi nomine martyrium tulit, quem, ligato ad collum molare saxo, in fluminis gurgite sevitia inpulit paganorum. Igitur cum cecidisset in gurgite, diu super aquas divina virtute ferebatur, nec sorbebant aquae, quem pondus criminis non praemebat. Quod factum admirans multitudo populi circumstantes, dispecto furore gentilium, ad liberandum properant sacerdotem. Haec ille cernens, non passus est, se a martyrio subtrahi, sed erectis ad caelum oculis ait: 'Iesu domine, qui gloriosus resedis ad dexteram Patris, ne patiaris me ab hoc stadio removeri, sed suscipiens animam meam, coniungere me tuis martyribus in requiae sempiterna dignare'. Et his dictis reddidit spiritum. Cuius corpus a christianis susceptum venerabiliter sepulturae mandatum est.

'At that time [under Diocletian] Quirinus, who was Bishop of the church of Siscia, suffered the glory of martyrdom in Christ’s name. A millstone was tied to his neck and the savage pagans threw him into a swift-flowing river. As
he fell into the whirlpool, through God’s intervention he floated for a long time on the waters, which could not pull him to the bottom because no weight of sin dragged him down. The crowd of people which stood on the banks were astounded at what had happened: they took no notice of the fury of the Gentiles, but rushed forward to free their Bishop. Quirinus saw what they were going to do, but he did not want to be rescued from his martyrdom. He raised his eyes to heaven and said: ‘Lord Jesus. You who sit in glory on the right hand of the Father, do not allow me to be taken from my course, but receive my soul and deign to add me to Your martyrs in eternal rest.’ As he said these words he died. His body was recovered by the Christians and was buried with great reverence.'

Text: Krusch and Levison 1951, 26. Translation: Thorpe 1974, 90.


Evidence ID


Saint Name

Antolianus, martyr at Clermont (Gaul), ob. in the late 3rd c. : S00347 Cassius, martyr in Clermont-Ferrand, ob. 3rd century AD : S01157 Privatus, bishop and martyr at Javols (south Gaul), ob. 3rd/4th/5th century : S01184 Quirinus, bishop and marty

Saint Name in Source

Antolianus Cassius Privatus Quirinus Liminius Victorinus

Type of Evidence

Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)



Evidence not before


Evidence not after


Activity not before


Activity not after


Place of Evidence - Region

Gaul and Frankish kingdoms

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc


Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)


Major author/Major anonymous work

Gregory of Tours

Cult activities - Places

Burial site of a saint - tomb/grave

Cult Activities - Miracles

Miracle during lifetime Miracle at martyrdom and death

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Pagans Foreigners (including Barbarians)

Cult Activities - Relics

Bodily relic - entire body




A story about Antolianus' tomb and church in Clermont is told by Gregory in his Glory of the Martyrs 64 (see E00603). He records the tomb of Liminius, inside the church of *Venerandus, in his Glory of the Confessors 35 (see E02598). The tombs of Cassius and Victorinus were in the church of Saint Cassius in Clermont (Prévot 1989, 34).



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