Tarsitia

CONCERNING ST. TARSITIA, VIRGIN, AMONG THE RUTENI IN GAUL.

Tharsitia, Virgin at Rodez in Gaul (St.)

[1] The Ruteni are a people of Gaul, celebrated from the age of Julius Caesar, neighbors of the Gabali and the Cadurci. Among these lived and is venerated St. Tarsitia, a virgin of royal blood, concerning whom we have found nothing beyond a eulogy from the Gallican Martyrology of Saussay and a genealogy. Saussay writes thus on this day in his Supplement: "Among the Ruteni, the feast day of St. Tarsitia the Virgin, who was born in Germany of the royal blood of Pippin, most beautiful in appearance, most learned in the arts of her sex; St. Tarsitia fled from home: coming to Aquitaine for the defense of her chastity, to a fortified place called Rutenula, she took refuge, fleeing, in a cave of the nearby mountain; where, serving the Lord unceasingly and at times fed from heaven, and nourished by the udders of a goat that divinely came to her daily, she was fed from heaven: she gave back her soul to God. Her venerable body, surrounded by the greatest splendor, she is translated, not without miracles, when the Bishop of the Ruteni discovered it filled with a fragrant odor, he reverently placed it in the church of St. Vincent, with the Clergy and people assisting." When he writes that she was born of the royal blood of Pippin, this is to be understood as meaning that she was descended from the family from which Pippin later came.

[2] The same Saussay mentions her in his Supplement under January 2, in these words: The Ruteni. "In the Ruthenian city Segodunum in Aquitania Prima, of St. Vincent the Confessor, to whose famous memory a church there is dedicated, in which St. Tarsitia the Virgin rests." But when he says "in the Ruthenian city Segodunum," it would be more correctly said "at Segodunum, city of the Ruteni," for Segodunum was a city, not a people called the Sigodunes. Thus Ptolemy, book 2, chapter 7: Ὑπὸ δὲ τούτους Ρουτανὸι, καὶ πόλις σεγόδουνον — "Below these are the Rhutani, and their city Segodunum." That city is now called Rodez in French.

[3] Ferrarius also records St. Tarsitia in the Catalogue of Saints absent from the Roman Martyrology, but calls her Tarcilia: "In the territory of the Ruteni," he says, "of St. Tarcilia the Virgin." Her genealogy. The genealogy of St. Tarsitia was published by Henry Canisius in volume 5 of his Antiquae Lectiones, part 2, which we have collated with a manuscript from the monastery of St. Maximin at Trier.

GENEALOGY OF ST. TARSITIA, FROM MANUSCRIPTS.

Tharsitia, Virgin at Rodez in Gaul (St.) — BHL Number: 0696

Anspert, who was of the senatorial class, an illustrious and noble man, powerful in great riches, took as his wife a the daughter of Lothar, King of the Franks, the parents of St. Tarsitia, named Blithild, and had by her three sons and one daughter. His firstborn was named b Arnold, the second Ferreolus, the third Modericus, her saintly brothers, and his daughter was Tarsitia. Ferreolus was made Bishop in the city of c Uzes and was d crowned with martyrdom, and there he rests in peace. Modericus was ordained Bishop in e Arisitum, and there he rests in peace as a Confessor of Christ, where God works many miracles on account of his merits. Tarsitia, a Virgin of Christ, persevering in her virginity, miracles, rests in the city of f Rodez, where the power of Christ is daily displayed on account of her merits; she is also said to have g raised a dead person. Arnold the firstborn begot the Lord Arnulf; the Lord Arnulf begot Flodulf and Ansgisus. Flodulf, with divine grace favoring him, was ordained Bishop. Ansgisus begot Pippin; Pippin begot Charles; Charles begot the Lord King Pippin. The Lord King Pippin begot the Lord King Charles. Charles the Great, Emperor, begot Louis the Pious, Augustus; who begot the illustrious Kings Lothar, Charles, and Louis.

a The Genealogy of St. Arnulf, Bishop of Metz, published by Pithou, Scipio du Pleix, and the Sainte-Marthes agree. Those who make her the daughter of Clothar II err entirely, since St. Ferreolus, son of Blithild, Bishop of Uzes, died at about the very time when Clothar II was born, so that the latter could not possibly have been her grandfather.

b In the Genealogy of St. Arnulf he is called Arnuald. We have learned from our Francis Lahier that he is venerated somewhere in Lorraine as a Blessed, with a chapel dedicated to him.

c The fortified place of Uzes is an episcopal city in Gallia Narbonensis, now called Uzes in French, the city of Uzes, by others called Ucetica or Utica; whence in Councils the Bishops are often called Uticenses.

d The name of this St. Ferreolus is wanting in the Gallican Martyrology, and his feast day is unknown to us. St. Gregory of Tours, book 6, chapter 7, writes of him thus: St. Ferreolus, Bishop of Uzes. "At that time Ferreolus, Bishop of Uzes, a man of great sanctity, died, full of wisdom and understanding. He composed certain books of Epistles, following the manner of Sidonius, as it were."

e Canisius had published "Harisio." Others call it Arisita. Charles de Saint-Paul in his Sacred Geography says that the Bishop of Arisitum was subject to the Archbishop of Bourges. St. Modericus, Bishop of Arisitum. St. Gregory of Tours, book 5, chapter 5, treating of Modericus, whom he calls Mondericus, having mentioned his exile, says: "And at the village of Arisitum he was made Bishop, having under him more or less fifteen dioceses, which certain Goths had formerly held, but which Dalmatius, Bishop of the Ruteni, now claimed." We have not yet found the feast day of this St. Modericus in the Martyrologies. Among his successors was Emmon of Arisitum, who was present at the Council of Reims under Bishop Sonnatius, about the year 630.

f The manuscript of St. Maximin reads: "Rodonis."

g Canisius: "a dead woman raised dead persons."