Flamina

ON ST. FLAMINA

VIRGIN AND MARTYR AT DAVAJACUM IN AUVERGNE.

UNDER DIOCLETIAN.

Flamina, Virgin and Martyr at Davajacum in Auvergne (St.)

BY THE AUTHOR D. P.

The city and territory of Clermont in Auvergne

is much indebted to Jean Savaron,

formerly President and Prefect of Auvergne, on account of his singular

learning and accurate diligence,

by which all its antiquity has been illustrated and as it were revived. He

in book 2 on the Saints, Sacred worship Churches, and monasteries of Clermont, from

ancient MSS. chapter 19 these hands down: In the Church of St. Hilary,

the altar of St. Hilary: there rests St. Flamina. To which

Savaro adds, the said Church of St. Hilary already with old

ruins is deformed, placed between Rubiacum and

the Valerian hill, commonly Royat and Valière, in an ample

territory of vineyards, not far from the city of Clermont

toward the West. That very Church of St. Hilary, afterward the name

of St. Flamina assumed, commonly St. Cliamine. There is even now

a church of St. Flamina at Daviacum, commonly Davayac, at the village

of Arthonna, in which church the birthday feast is venerated

on the VI Nones of May; and the feast of the Translation on the III Nones

of August: of which days into the former the same inserted in the general Catalogue

Ferrarius, into the Menology of Virgins Lahierius,

into the sacred Gynaeceum Arturus.

[2] From the aforesaid church, by the care of the RR. PP. Paul

Suffren of Lyon, and N. Courboulles of the Clermont College

Rectors, The Lessons of the proper Office: we received Lessons for the second Nocturn

three, of composition not very ancient; which following Savaro,

went before others in writings on this Saint, and some compendium of her life

wove: which Saussaye in the Gallican Martyrology

much amplified, and Jacobus Branche in the Lives of the Saints

and Holy Women of Auvergne rendered into French. Of the same

Saint makes mention Arturus du Monstier in the sacred Gynaeceum, and

Ferrarius in the general Catalogue of the Saints who are not in

the Roman. In the last of the said Lessons most weigh,

as worthy of the greatest consideration (as truly it is)

that at the end of the said lessons it is said of her sacred remains

laid up at Davajacum, that namely to them is a frequent concourse of the sick,

and of diseases by the art of medicine

despaired of they confer healings, especially to the blind

and to those laboring with infirmity of the eyes, who their virtue

perceive.

[3] The same grace flowing from them confirms a much more ancient

Office, for the grace of curing the eyes: from a monument of the same Davajacensian church

described, and together with the Relics thither brought:

in which was read the Passion of the Saint herself by old use into nine

lessons distributed, and at its end a proper Antiphon

with a Prayer, which to be older than that very Office I would scarcely doubt.

The Antiphon is this: O excellent Virgin Martyr, for

us, St. Flamina, pour forth prayers to the Lord, lest

for the guilt of crimes, we be burned with disease of the eyes.

The Prayer: Almighty everlasting God, for whose

most lofty name's honor, the Blessed Virgin and Martyr

Flamina constantly sustained horrible pain of the eyes;

grant, suppliantly we beseech, that those who

her memory with pious devotion frequent, by her

prayers and merits from all infestation of the eyes may

be freed, and to the supernal mansion of the heavens to live

perennially may be led; through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

[4] But the ancient Office, the place for which it was first

composed, The first place of the sepulcher at Ambra, and which gloried in the deposit of the sacred body,

before it was translated into Auvergne, in these words indicates:

After the passion of the same Martyr, her body

was taken up to the place namely of Amber,

distant from the city of Ambum about nine

miles toward the North, in which place by the invocation

of the blessed Virgin many blind men coming, enlightened

depart. I judge there is indicated a place, commonly called Ambres,

distinguished with the title of a Marquisate, at the river Agut,

before it, here joined to the Dolona, pours itself into the Tarn.

But how here the city of Ambum, and indeed nine miles

toward the North distant from the place? Faultily written

without doubt is the name, in place of which Albigenses I would gladly understand,

that is of Albi: for in their confines Ambres

is. Yet a scruple here makes that neither Montauban,

nor Albi itself, from which nine leagues this way and that is distant Ambres,

are held in such a situation, that it should square with the aforesaid

designation; for this from the East, that from the West rather should be said

to look upon the place of Amber. It can nevertheless be said, that so absolutely

this is not true, but that some bending toward the North is noted

and greater indeed toward Montauban, plainly in a middle

situation between North and West with respect to the said Ambres

located, which therefore can be reckoned to be named the city of Albi.

[5] and not far thence the place of Martyrdom. This we propose to be discussed by those more skilled in those places;

for it is enough to be known, that in that passion which together

with the body the men of Auvergne received, Ambres as the first

place of burial is indicated to us not many centuries ago,

which seems not to be sought outside the Gauls. But neither far

thence ought the Saint to be believed to have suffered. The Davajacensian Lessons indeed,

and from these Savaro and others, yet at Nicomedia it is written to. say she suffered at Nicomedia,

under Diocletian and Maximian the Emperors: but

on no other foundation, as it appears, than that the more ancient

Lessons narrate the passion, as performed under the prefect Blasius,

who his betrothed St. Juliana Virgin Martyr for the faith's

cause tore with torments. We gave the double Acts of St. Juliana of Nicomedia

on February XVI, where the Virgin's spouse,

and the same Judge and torturer, is named Eleusius; which name

variously corrupted by the scribes, in Baronius Euilasius,

in several Eulasius, in one MS. even Eblesius is turned, to

pass over other readings.

[6] on occasion of St. Juliana suffering there. It is therefore likely enough, that not only the author of the Davajacensian

Lessons, who wrote Eulasius, and Nicomedia

without hesitation joined; but also the writer of the Amberensian Office

who named Blasius, looked to the Acts of that

Juliana, whom we confess to have suffered at Nicomedia. But not

therefore are we persuaded that this one is rightly joined with St. Flamina:

rather I would say, on occasion of some Juliana in Gaul itself

suffering with St. Flamina, there crept into this one's history, not

written until several centuries after, the prefect Blasius or Eulasius'

name; but Juliana, and taken for another suffering in the Gauls. whose memory together with the worship

of St. Flamina endured to posterity, no better to be esteemed

of Nicomedia, than is esteemed in several cities of Gaul,

into which her Relics were divided, although she was venerated on February XII,

as appears from Saussaye, when the Nicomedian one

is to be venerated on the day XVI. Namely, because the Passion of Juliana

of Nicomedia in almost all Legendaries was had transcribed, to

other Martyrs of the same name, whose history was unknown,

it was easily translated, and so several were confused into one person.

[7] Still more displeases in both the Lessons, that,

whereas in the ancient Prayer so plainly it is said, The Passion, written late and little accurately. that St. Flamina

for God's honor horrible pain of the eyes

constantly sustained: as likely from the perpetual tradition of the peoples

was had; nothing of such torture of hers

do those Lessons say. Only the Amberensian Lessons have, that she spurned

the threats of torments, and was enclosed in prison and again

brought out and beaten with blows the Virgin by order of the Prefect;

and finally by him commanded, that, led outside the walls, her hair

should be removed: where probably head should have been written:

for soon, without any mention of the hair, she is said to be led

to be beheaded; and after a prayer completed, with one stroke of the sword's point

beheaded. The Davajacensian Lessons, the phrase of the former being changed,

in this manner exaggerate the matter: By a foul prison

and frequent blows imposed by no means is broken Flamina's

constancy: bearing the torments generously, brought out of the prison,

when in the very praetorium the glory of Christ

the Saviour with a more magnificent proclamation of faith she extolled,

shorn through ignominy, the glorious martyrdom at length

by the cutting off of her head she accomplished.

[8] The same lessons of both places much exaggerate

the grace of miracles, the faculty especially of curing the eyes

granted to the Virgin still living, to her living it gives that frequency of miracles, on account of her exceeding

sanctity, and her largesse toward the poor; whence it came about

that her fame flying, many feeble and lame,

weak and many blind came to her, and

by her prayers and merits returned whole.

But the contracted lying in beds and those who by infirmity

so great could not walk, having heard and invoked

her name were cured: and especially in that province

no blindness, blearedness, or spot in the eyes

of the inhabitants adhered. So far the Amberensian lessons, which seem wrought at the invocation of her dead.

not without exaggeration setting forth a multitude of miraculous

curations, through St. Flamina's merits obtained,

as wrought by her living: which that I should believe to be deferred after

her death, makes one that which alone for example's sake thus

is set forth: Then it happened in those bounds that a certain

rich man … had suddenly hurt himself with his own staff in the eye,

and is made blind, and he was called Baldericus, who

on account of the too great pain of the eye could neither sleep nor rest

… Then his children announced to him that St. Flamina

was helping him, if he should be obedient to his God.

And he hearing this rejoiced, and as quickly

as he could come to her, he walked. But it came about,

he coming, and Flamina's name often

recalling, that his eye suddenly was made whole,

as if in it there had never been any blemish.

[9] The Lessons then go on to narrate, how, coming to the Saint,

Baldericus, an innumerable sum of money

brought to B. Flamina, such is the cure of Baldericus the blind. which she refusing to accept

ordered to be distributed to the poor: and how from this

miracle's celebrity becoming known to the Prefect, she was brought to him.

It would suffice the name alone of Baldericus, as being Gothic

Frankish or Burgundian (if it were established that he was cured by Flamina living)

to subvert the credulity of those,

who said she suffered martyrdom at Nicomedia after St. Juliana.

But about the place of the contest I no longer labor, which above

I said is not to be sought outside the Gauls. The very Time

of the miracle wrought, I deny can be drawn to Diocletian's persecution

under which otherwise I would easily believe the Saint to have lived, if, as

is supposed, she died a Martyr for the faith. For the name, as I said

barbarous, given to a man in that province where the Saint was celebrated

opulent and a resident, argues an age much later,

at which the aforesaid nations possessed the Gauls, not yet

entirely to the Catholic faith from Arianism or Heathenism

reduced. But perhaps this Baldericus, of many

once cured, alone remained in the mouth of the peoples; because by the moneys offered

by him chiefly was increased the worship of the Saint the healer,

and by the celebrity of the miracle through all Languedoc divulged.

[10] Now what in the same Lessons is narrated that the Saint

before her decollation thus prayed, Lord God I pray thee still

that whoever shall have invoked my name no

infirmity of the eyes be to him; whether it should be believed that the Saint asked that grace before death? and where my body shall be;

whoever shall have come thither, and with a good heart shall have prayed,

and my name in his heart shall have recalled, from

his infirmity may be freed, and if blind he come, seeing

may return: which likewise is said this her petition was granted to her

by a voice brought from heaven: both is common, of the holy

Martyrs patronizing certain diseases, in Passions

those, which many centuries after their death with greater simplicity

than certitude are written; namely that, the grace of such curations,

before they subjected their neck to the sword, they asked

and obtained are read. For this the more of several it is asserted,

the less likely it is of individuals, and it can be presumed

that the other for the most part has no foundation, than a true

frequency of similar curations, by which it came about, that what

after death the Saints are known to obtain and bestow, they are commonly

believed to have asked and from heaven to have received promised on earth.

In the more sincere Acts of Martyrs, whose antiquity is greater,

and more certain faith, more rarely such a thing wilt thou find: therefore the grace granted

to St. Flamina now in heaven glorious, by the very facts proved

content to believe, we think not her faith from a heavenly voice which

living she heard to be sought: and the whole history of the Passion, which

is ascribed to Flamina, as apocryphal from this work

we think to be excluded.

[11] Of the Time, when the Saint suffered, I define nothing. That she suffered

for the faith, and indeed was tortured in the eyes, I believe the tradition. Translation from Languedoc into Auvergne.

But because thus tortured she was reported, therefore I judge (as almost in

others is done) that she was honored by God with that prerogative, and the peoples

moved to hope from her a remedy for infirmities of the eyes.

That her fatherland was Gaul I judge, and likely

the Albigensian tract; where by a Roman name Flaminia called

first she was then (when by a common name she was called Flamine)

in Latin also began to be written and called Flamina. At

Ambres that the body long rested, makes credible the style of the lessons there

composed. Thence into Auvergne translated,

first in the old church of St. Hilary it was laid, where

a part still to be under the altar Savaro seems to indicate. Yet the

better part, after the ruin of that church, can be ascribed to the men of Davajacum;

among whom, perhaps not so long ago with such

a treasure enriched, the more recent Office is closed with such a Prayer:

O God who this church of B. Flamina, Virgin

and Martyr of thine, with precious Relics and title hast adorned;

grant to thy suppliants, that we may with religious veneration

celebrate her, and by her merits be protected and

by her examples profit.