ON SAINT AMANTIUS, MARTYR, AT CLERMONT IN GAUL.
CommentaryAmantius, Martyr at Clermont in Gaul (Saint)
G. H.
[1] The Church of Clermont among the Arverni in Gaul venerates a great many Saints, very many Saints at Clermont, of her own people, enrolled among the heavenly ones on account of a life either passed with the highest piety and virtue, or consummated by blood shed for the Christian faith. Of these we have given various ones in the month of January, and we shall also bring forward many in February: and already on the 6th day we celebrated the martyrdom of Saint Antholianus, slain there under Chrocus, King of the Alamanni, and Martyrs: in whose persecution we said there that Saints Cassius, Victorinus, Liminius, with six thousand two hundred and sixty-three companions, were also put to death.
[2] In an old little book on the Churches and Saints of Clermont, published by John Savaron, these words are read in book 1, number 25: the altar of Saint Amantius in the church of Saint Genesius "In the church of Saint Symphorian, the altar of Saint Symphorian, the altar of Saint Amantius, the altar of Saint Marcellus, where Saint Genesius rests." Whence that church has now for several centuries been called Saint Genesius's. Certainly, as is clear from the old donation of Roger, a knight, noted here by Savaron, about the year 1090 it was written: "The Church of Saint Symphorian, which is now called Saint Genesius's": before the year 950: so that, moved by this and by other reasons, he judges that little book to have been written about the year 950: at which time the altar of Saint Amantius was already there. We shall treat of Saint Symphorian on 22 August, and of Saint Genesius on 3 June. That church, moreover, is collegiate and parochial, as the same Savaron writes.
[3] That this Saint Amantius is a Martyr, and is venerated on the 7th before the Ides of February, the same author reports from an old manuscript Calendar in his Notes to book 1, chapter 22; on which day Hermann Greven in his addition to Usuard veneration on 7 February: lists Amancius, but as a Bishop and Confessor. Better Ferrarius, citing the tablets of the Church of Clermont: "Among the Arverni," he says, "of Saints Amantius the Martyr and Amandinus the Confessor." Savaron observes that a commemoration of the latter is made on that day in the Church of Clermont, but adds from a manuscript martyrology that his birthday is the 7th before the Ides of November, on which day we shall treat of him.
[4] Andrew Saussaye in the Gallican Martyrology on 7 February adorns Saint Amantius with this eulogy: "Among the Arverni, of Saint Amantius the Martyr, who, excelling in faith, His martyrdom, from Saussaye. and distinguished for chastity of morals, being accused of the Christian religion, was harassed with dreadful torments by order of the Judge: the more bitterly he was tortured, the more boldly and freely he confessed the name of Christ the Lord: and at last, persevering to his last breath in the constant affirmation of the faith, by a noble contest he received the gift of immortal glory." Thus Saussaye. He is silent about the time of the contest, nor have we read it elsewhere. Whether he suffered under Chrocus, King of the Alamanni, and is to be counted among the Martyrs enumerated above, we do not conjecture.