ON SS. GERONTIUS AND EDENTIUS
AT ATURUM OR VICO-JULIUM IN AQUITAINE.
CommentaryGerontius, at Aturum or Vico-Julium in Aquitaine (S.)
Edentius, at Aturum or Vico-Julium in Aquitaine (S.)
G. H.
Aturum or the Episcopal city of the Aturenses, commonly Aire, in the Novempopulana Province of the region of Aquitaine, took its name from the river Aturus, when formerly it was called Vico-Julium. Aturum formerly Vico-Julium. For thus Marcellus the Bishop of the Vico-Julian city was present at the Synod of Agde in the year DVI, and Rusticus the Bishop Vico-Julian at the second Council of Mâcon in the year DLXXXV. In this place once flourished SS. Gerontius and Edentius: whose memory is preserved on this day VI of May in the ancient MS. Martyrologies of Arras of the Cathedral Church, of Tournai of the monastery of S. Martin, and of Laon of S. Lambert with these words: In Gaul at Vico-Julium the deposition of S. Gerontius the Confessor and Edentius. SS. Gerontius and Edentius, In MS. Martyrology of the monastery of S. Sabinus of Levitania, in the Tarbe field very nearby, these are read: On day V of May in Gaul at Vico-Julium the deposition of S. Nerontius Confessor and Eventius: Thus prints Saussay in his Gallican Martyrology page 1248. But Saussay himself in the Supplement seems to have emended his errors, when he refers these to this VI of May: On the same day in Gaul at Vico-Julium the deposition of SS. Gerontius the Confessor and Edentius. They are placed afterwards by the same Saussay in the Index of names of Saints both Gerontius the Confessor of Vico-Julium and Edentius the Confessor of Vico-Julium. Of these Gerontius the Confessor, We find no more about S. Edentius. Various omitting the name of Vico-Julium treat of S. Gerontius, whom they celebrate as Confessor in Gaul: the Apograph of the Hieronymian Martyrology of Lucca, MS. Florarium and MS. Ado of the Liège monastery of S. Lawrence. But for "in Gaul" is read "of the Galicians, Galacus, Galatia," in MSS. Blumianus and Corbie of the same Hieronymian Martyrology apograph and MS. Corbie and in the Appendix of Ado. In MS. Cologne of S. Mary ad Gradus is read "in Africa," through error of place, taken from other holy Martyrs who suffered this day in Africa.
[2] In the most ancient codex of the Hieronymian Martyrology, which we restored, written almost a thousand years ago, to the Echternach, also called Presbyter and Bishop. S. Gerontius is called Presbyter: in MSS. Casinensi, Altempsiano and Trier of S. Maximinus he is called Bishop: which we judge less likely. But in no place, not even with "Gaul" appended, is "Geronus the Confessor" had in MS. Paris of Labbe, and the bare name of "Gerontius" in MSS. Tamlactense and Augsburg of S. Udalricus. And these are what we have about the said Saints: whom we do not doubt to have been illustrious defenders of the Catholic faith, and S. Gerontius, to whom the name of Confessor is ascribed, also to have suffered many things, and at length with S. Edentius to have rested in peace, and that in the first centuries of the Christian era, when after S. Matthew the Apostle in the most ancient apographs of the Hieronymian Martyrology, before other Martyrs, S. Gerontius is read.
[3] Antonius Dadinus Altaserra, in book 4 of Aquitanian Affairs chapter 11 treats of the mission of S. Clarus the Bishop into Gaul, whether companion of S. Clarus in the 1st century? about the end of the 1st century, under Pope Anacletus; which mission
we shall examine on June 1, if in the meantime we obtain the manuscript Life of the same S. Clarus. But here belongs that the same author, I do not know whether from the said life, joins as companions of the Evangelical preaching to Clarus SS. Justinus, Severus, Geruntius with three others: with no mention made of Edentius. About Justinus we treated on the 1st of this month: Severus is venerated August 1, and gave splendor by the deposition of his body to the town of the same name near Aturum. Concerning S. Gerontius Altaserra says, His body was buried near the river Gertamus not far from Auch, body in town of his name, in the same Novempopulania: Whence afterwards translated to the place which was called Sonvicus in the diocese of Conserans, he gave a name to the place commonly S. Gerons. Thus he, in this, as it seems, to be corrected, that to SS. Severus and Gerontius he attaches the palm of Martyrdom: when the aforementioned monuments commonly make S. Gerontius a Confessor. And these indeed also assign Gerontius to Vico-Julium: but it would not contradict that the body was afterwards translated to that, which now holds his name, place: but this 30 and more leagues from Aturum across the Garonne toward the Pyrenees, lies adjacent to the town of S. Licerius. Similarly nothing prevents some notable part of S. Gerontius, some part at Bordeaux, just as of S. Clarus and other companions attributed to him, from being held at Bordeaux in the parish church of S. Eulalia, placed there by Charles the Great, as we said from an old chapel inscription, where concerning S. Justinus.