ON ST. PROBUS, BISHOP OF RAVENNA,
THIRD–FOURTH CENTURY
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY
Probus, bishop of Ravenna. (S.)
BY H. D.
[1] Of St. Probus, the first of this name Of the bishops of Ravenna there has been talk in our work whenever we have come upon one of them inscribed in the sacred calendars, and most recently where, on St. Aderitus, who is said to have succeeded St. Apollinaris, our Pereira gathered many things Act. SS., Sept. vol. VII, p. 398.. Accordingly what our predecessors have touched on more than once will have to be dispatched briefly, so that we may speak of Probus alone, who is the first of this name, but seventh in the order of bishops. Very few are the things which can be gathered about his history, both from Agnellus, in the Pontifical Book of the church of Ravenna, and from the Life of St. Probus, which rather narrates the invention and translation of the relics, and above all from a homily, a transcript of which we have come upon in codex H. 8. 1 of the Vallicelliana Library, fols. 345–47. This, since it entirely passes over the saint's deeds and consists of praises alone, we have wholly neglected.
[2] The elogium from Agnellus; Agnellus surpasses the others in age [On Agnellus read D. Giani, Alcune osservazioni su la cronologia di Agnello Ravennate, in Studi Storici, vol. VII (1898), pp. 399–409, 461–79; F. Lanzoni, Il Liber Pontificalis Ravennate, in Rivista di scienze storiche, vol. VI (1909), pp. 345–70, 425–64, 571–92; A. Testi Rasponi, Note marginali al Liber Pontificalis di Agnello Ravennate, I–III, Bologna, 1909–1911. By the distinguished author, who has undertaken to edit Agnellus with new care (Codex pontificalis ecclesiae Ravennatis, vol. I, Bologna, 1924), the first leaves of the book, already printed, have been kindly sent to us. To the most reverend and most learned man we render very many thanks.], whose words receive, from the celebrated Este codex, collated with the Life of Probus.
On St. Probus.
Probus the sixth, gentle and pious, illustrious also in appearance Vita Probi; et in spē cod.; A. Testi Rasponi thinks it corrupted from aspectu., shining in work, wise in speech, prudent in heart, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Whatever sick person had been able to come to him returned saved by his prayers, by whatever quocumque cod. infirmity he had been held. And he drove out unclean spirits, and in crowds catervatim Vita Probi; catervarum cod. made sound bodies that were wounded or broken down. After at the setting of his life vita cod. he beheld the angelic hosts, at once his soul slipped out of his body on the fourth of the ides of November. Then the whole people, mourning, buried his body with exceeding reverence, and his sepulchre is venerated among us to the present day; and his church is situated in the eastern parts. And in no ullis cod. churches within the city of Ravenna or of Classe is mass celebrated over the people except in this one alone. The aforesaid basilica was built beside the narthex of blessed Euphemia, which is called Ad Mare, which qua cod. we now see has been demolished. And he sat … years … months … days …
[3] His basilica and feast. Probus is placed sixth by Agnellus, not indeed in the series but after St. Apollinaris, and what he narrates of him is expressed in mere trite and common sentences, so that it is plain that no history was found by him nor any authority whatever (so he says himself in Exuperantius XIX), and that he composed the Life of Probus from his own wit indeed, but yet "without a lie". The day of death he took from the liturgical usage of the church of Ravenna, at least if the tenth of November is not rather the anniversary of the dedication of the church of Probus, as the learned man who last edited Agnellus thought Testi Rasponi, Codex pontificalis, p. 29.. Which indeed I would not dare to deny. This, however, I think must be noted: from the silence of the Hieronymian martyrology, which besides Apollinaris, Eleucadius and Severus records none of the bishops of Ravenna among the saints, it is by no means deduced that Probus was not inscribed in the ancient calendars. For the rest, I think it probable that the church which is named of St. Probus was first called the basilica of Probus, or Probiana, from its founder, not from its patron, just as the Petriana from Peter, the Ursiana from Ursus. Accordingly it must have been founded not by that Probus of ours, who sat while the peace of the Church had not yet been restored, but by another of the same name, who ascended the see of Ravenna as the fourteenth. And the body of the latter, not of the former Probus, together with the other bodies of the holy pontiffs, the bishop Maximian (546–556) placed well in the same church, who also on the front of that church decorated the images of the blessed Probus and Eleuchadius and Calocerus with various mosaic tesserae Agnellus, in Maximian, Testi Rasponi, p. 199.. That other bishops were buried in the same church, Aderitus, Datus, Liberius, Agapitus, Marcellinus,
as some assert, Agnellus noted in their places; of Proculus he doubts: "it is uncertain to me whether he was laid in the basilica of blessed Probus or in that of St. Eleuchadius the confessor." Further, the church of Probus was in Classe, not far from the church of blessed Apollinaris, about one stadium Agnellus, II, in Aderitus., beside the narthex of St. Euphemia Ad Mare, and it was, as long as the bishop's see remained in Classe, the cathedral church [Cf. F. Lanzoni, San Severo vescovo di Ravenna nella storia e nella leggenda, vol. I (Bologna, 1911), pp. 15–23.]. When the eighth century was verging to its end, the bishop Valerius built a ciborium over the altar of St. Probus Life of St. Probus, 5.. And the body of the saint was translated into the city in the tenth century Life of St. Probus, 6.. The traces of the church of St. Probus are now effaced.
[4] The reckoning of times. The time spent by the bishop Probus Agnellus did not know, and he frankly confessed it by using an empty formula, nor did he indicate in what century he lived. The opinion of those who hold with Amadesi [J. A. Amadesi, In Antistitum Ravennatum chronotaxim disquisitiones perpetuae, vol. I (Faenza, 1783), p. XCI.] that Probus was elected about the year 142, sat 33 years and more, and finally died in the year 174 seems to need no refutation, since the foundation of such computations has already been shaken, namely that St. Apollinaris was a disciple of St. Peter. For now every sensible man confesses that the first bishop of Ravenna flourished not in the first century but at the end of the second or in the third [G. Zattoni, Il valore storico della Passio di S. Apollinare, in Rivista storico-critica, vol. II (1906), pp. 684–87; F. Lanzoni, Le fonti della Leggenda di Sant' Apollinare di Ravenna (Bologna, 1915), p. 23.]. If therefore we judge the matter from the common span of human life, Probus must be said to have sat when the third century was growing old or the fourth was not yet grown.
[5] The codices of the Life of St. Probus. The Life of St. Probus (BHL. 6946) we have in three codices, which are:
E = the Este or Modena codex V. F. 19, of parchment, of 99 leaves, 0m,29 × 0,225, written in two columns in the fourteenth century, the Pontifical Codex of the pontiffs of the church of Ravenna, printed more than once [More recently by O. Holder-Egger, in M. G., Scr. rer. Langob., pp. 265–70; most recently begun to be edited by A. Testi Rasponi. Above, p. 475, note 2.], of which these are the principal items for our purpose: (fols. 2v–33v) the Pontifical Book of the church of Ravenna of Agnellus; fols. 55v–57: the Life of blessed Probus, archbishop of Ravenna. He who copied the book uses everywhere a strange form of writing, especially in the use of consonants, which he puts now single, now double, at pleasure: disoluta, occassum, solla; he writes also cumspexit, cumsortiis, cumsilio, prefactus and other similar things, which you will find collected elsewhere M. G., work cited, pp. 266–67.. We have tacitly brought these back to the norm.
R = the Vatican Latin codex 1190, of parchment, of 264 leaves, 0,m38 × 0,282, written in two columns in the twelfth century Catal. Lat. Vatic., p. 34.. Lives of saints to be read through the year, and, at fols. 189–93: the Life of St. Probus, confessor. The beginning, that is the interpretation of the name, is missing.
B = the Brussels codex 8936–38, from the Bollandist Collectanea prepared for the month of November. Fols. 210–211: the Life of St. Probus, bishop of Ravenna; we received it from Fr. John Gamans, S.J. The Life, moreover, was copied from the remarkable manuscript parchment Passional for the month of November of the monastery of Böddeken, of the 〈Canons〉 Regular of St. Augustine, which book we grieve has been lost Anal. Boll., vol. XXVII, p. 337.. B narrates the same things as R, and in the same words, but more briefly and in a simpler style. We have adduced select readings of this codex.
Muratori used only the Este codex, he who first edited the Life entire, and so did the others who brought forward excerpts from it, Mittarelli and our Pereira Act. SS., Sept. vol. VII, pp. 401–402, 403–404.. We call the codices R and B to our help, so that we may try to make plain, so far as could be done, the most intricate and wrongly transmitted discourse of the little book.
[6] The translation of the relics under Peter; The Life of St. Probus consists of three parts, unless you would rather call it (ch. 12) a homily. The first is very brief, and seems to be the work of the collector of the Lives of the holy bishops Aderitus BHL. 80., Eleucadius BHL. 2449., Calocerus BHL. 1533., Proculus BHL. 6959., Probus, Liberius BHL. 4908.; for each begins with a similar interpretation of the name. There follows the second part, which is the Life or elogium of St. Probus, copied word for word from Agnellus. Finally the history of the relics of St. Probus from the time of Maximian to their translation into the city with the bodies of other bishops. He who wrote these things betrays himself as a canon of Ravenna. For, when about to speak of the canons, he says that he must rather keep silent about our order. He was present at the translation, which he testifies in more than one place: "when we came, we offered prayers" (no. 7); "together with us he made manifest the great works of God" (no. 8); how the use of his ears was restored to him by the saints he narrates a little more fully (no. 10). And the event took place while Peter the younger, the fourth, sat, who was also called of Bologna and sat in the see of Ravenna in the years 927–971 [Peter the fourth is also called the younger in an instrument of the year 955, 〈Fantuzzi〉, Monumenti Ravennati, vol. I, p. 93. On the method of computation cf. Testi Rasponi, work cited, pp. 93–94.]. The year in which the bodies of St. Probus and others were raised and deposited in the Ursian basilica can be deduced to some extent from the series of events as it is set out by the writer. For he says that on 22 April he was seized with an infirmity of the ears, and healed on the third day; that on the fourth or fifth day after he had been cured, which was 27 or 28 April, it was revealed to a certain Urban that other bodies of saints lay in the basilica of Probus; that these, finally found, were brought to Ravenna on the second day of the Rogations before the feast of the Ascension of the Lord; which Mittarelli not improbably determined to belong to the year 965 Annales Camaldulenses, vol. I, p. 102.. For in this year the day of the Ascension fell on 4 May, and therefore the second day of the Rogations on the second of the same month. Nor does Muratori disagree, who asserts that the anonymous of Ravenna flourished about the year 963 Rerum italicarum scriptores, vol. I, 2, pp. 554, 555..
[7] under Honestus. You will indeed wonder that Honestus, who succeeded Peter, could attribute to himself the translation of the body of St. Probus, in a charter given in the month of February 974, by which he confers certain goods on the altar of St. Probus: "I, Honestus, by the mercy of Christ humble archbishop, we give or transfer and in perpetuity make over to the holy and venerable altar of blessed Probus, confessor of Christ, within our holy church of Ravenna, where his sacred body has been placed by us, under the dominion and power of both schools, namely of the cantors and of the lectors, that is our estate in its entirety, which anciently was called de Molino" [Mittarelli, Annales Camaldulenses, vol. I, appendix, pp. 92–94; M. Fantuzzi, Monumenti Ravennati, vol. II, pp. 38–39.]. The translation under Archbishop Peter narrated by the anonymous Mittarelli understands to have been less solemn, but he thinks that a more solemn placing under the altar was made by Honestus Work cited, p. 102.. Which Rossi too seems to have thought Historiarum Ravennatum book V, p. 266., nor is there anything else at hand by which the matter may be better made clear.
[8] The epitome of the Life of St. Probus. The Life of Probus was reduced to an epitome and interpolated by him who wrote nine lessons on the saint, such as are found at fol. 61 of the Classe codex marked Mob. 3, 2. G2. a. c., written in the sixteenth century, under this lemma: "On St. Probus, archbishop and confessor of Ravenna, Columbinus" [The little book was copied for us by the distinguished S. Bernicoli, to whom we are most grateful.]. That recension is of almost no importance, nor to be compared with the other codices. It is, however, enlarged by two additions which it is worthwhile to copy out. The first lesson is completed with these words: "after he came to the setting of his life, he beheld the angelic hosts. He, after Proculus his predecessor, a most holy prelate, visibly beheld the Holy Spirit descending upon him, in the form of a most white dove, upon his head." And in the eighth lesson, where there had been talk of the holy bishops Marcian and Eleucadius, disciples of St. Apollinaris, these things were added: "Some assert that Martianus was crowned with martyrdom at Cerdona (read Terdona), which however is by no means to be believed, since the contrary evidently appears from the testimony of Peter Damian, from the third sermon on the solemnity of the most blessed Apollinaris [Sermons on St. Apollinaris are not found in the edited works of St. Peter Damian.]. For it is proved that only another martyr Martianus is of Cerdona, but the revered body of blessed Martianus, disciple of Apollinaris, as one may read from most ancient annals, lies in the church of blessed Eleucadius, whence the suspicion arose, since it was not found with the others, where it is to be believed to be. But Eleucadius was carried off to the city of Ticinum by Aistulf, king of the Italians and Lombards. It is gathered therefore that the bodies of the other saints down to blessed Severus, except that of blessed Eleucadius, remained among the people of Ravenna."
[9] The fable of the indication of the dove. And in the first place there is recorded that tradition of the people of Ravenna about the election of the first twelve bishops, which was made by the Holy Spirit appearing in the form of a dove. That this was unknown to Agnellus, who narrates the matter only of Severus, Pereira had already noted Act. SS., work cited, p. 400, no. 10., nor did the anonymous bring forward any such thing in the Life of Probus. For what the Este codex has in the margin at no. 11 is plainly not Agnellus's, but added by the copyist himself in the manner of a gloss. Of the pious little fable, which Muratori less happily deduced from a misunderstood picture Rerum italicarum scriptores, vol. I, 2, p. 527., since it is rather a hagiographical commonplace applied, after very many others, to St. Severus, then, either as the report grew or as the opinion of Agnellus suggested the matter, to the other bishops who sat in the see of Ravenna before him [On these at length F. Lanzoni, San Severo vescovo di Ravenna, vol. II (1912), pp. 21–37.]. Hence it is that in the proper offices of the saints of the church of Ravenna there was announced on 10 November the feast of St. Probus, archbishop and confessor, elected by a dove and lesser principal patron of Ravenna, and it was celebrated under the rite of a greater double, with a brief lesson in the second nocturn taken almost entirely from Agnellus, with mention added of the indication of the heavenly dove, of the pastoral office
administered for a long time, of the year of his death 175, of the church which he himself had built near Classe, of the translation of his body to the metropolitan church, where it rests honourably laid under the high altar [Officia propria sanctorum pro ecclesia metropolitana Ravennatensi (Lugo, 1828), pp. 476–77.]. Which of these things are truly said, and which are to be rejected, is plain. The rest which we have adduced from the Classe codex is excellently said about St. Martianus, as we shall try to make clear in its place at the Life of St. Probus.
[10] Probus wrongfully claimed by the Spaniards. The Spanish robberies which rage almost daily through other people's calendars it shames one to record. Yet, so that nothing may be lacking of what belongs to the memory of St. Probus, it is pleasant to copy out the entry of Tamayo at 10 November: "At Laminium near Lybisosa in Spain, St. Probus, who while still a layman happily exercised the office of governor in the territory of Laminium, where he took to wife Xanthippe, a most holy woman, with whom he received the Catholic faith there from St. Paul, apostle of the gentiles; afterwards, having returned to Italy and been made bishop of Ravenna, renowned there for miracles and teachings, he passed to heaven a renowned confessor Martyrologii Hispani vol. VI, pp. 91–92.." To these things, which cohere with the inventions of Flavius Dexter, he added: "The Acts of Lucius Sabinus Probus, collected from various sources." Away with the trifler.
THE LIFE OF ST. PROBUS
Probus, bishop of Ravenna. (S.)
BHL Number: 6946
From the codices of Este V. F. 19 (= E), the Vatican Lat. 1190 (= R), and Brussels 8936–38 (= B). Cf. Prelim. Comm., no. 5.
The Life incipit vita E, R. of blessed Probus, archbishop of Ravenna (arch. Rav.) confessoris R..
[1] The saint's name, And first of the name. Probus, that is, always watchful for good things, or a pious ruler among all who live well or who keep a good life, or a good protector bonis E., or a procurator of the benefits of true salvation, or approved by holiness of life capitulum 1 omits R..
[2] the elogium from Agnellus. Probus, seventh prelate of Ravenna presulum R., gentle and pious, illustrious in appearance, shining in work, wise in speech, prudent in heart, full of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Whatever sick person had been able to come to him returned saved by his prayers, by whatever infirmity he had been held. And he drove out unclean spirits and in crowds made sound bodies that were wounded or broken down. After at the setting of his life he beheld the angelic hosts, at once sancta adds R. his soul slipped out of his body on the fourth of the ides of November. Then the whole cunctis E, corrected R, previously cunctus. people, mourning lugendum, corrected, previously lugendus R., buried his body with exceeding reverence, and his sepulchre is venerated among us to the present day et adds R.. And omits R. his church is situated in the eastern parts, and in no churches within the city of Ravenna and of Classe Clasim ue E. is mass celebrated over the people except in this one alone (et in-sola) omits R.. And omits R. the aforesaid basilica was built beside the narthex of blessed Euphemia Eufemiae R., which is called Ad Mare, which we now see has been demolished. But of the glory of so great omits R. a man, as his dignity deserves, our slender faculty does not suffice to his greatness, since his unspeakable goodness, as will appear below by Christ's bounty and continually does appear, will rouse our sloth, and with truthful eloquence facunda E. will fill our mouth.
[3] His basilica under Maximian; The church, then, of the blessed bishop Probus, which he himself made celebrated by his holy body, the venerable pontiff Maximian Maximian sat in the years 546–556. Cf. Act. SS., Feb. vol. III, pp. 293–94. most devoutly built in his honour, and decorated it on the outside with a devout diversoque R. array of mosaic [Agnellus, Liber pontif., XXVII, in Maximian: "But the body of blessed Probus, with the other bodies of the holy pontiffs, this holy man embalmed with spices and placed well, and on the front of the church itself he decorated the images of blessed Probus and Eleuchadius and Calocerus with various tesserae, and under their feet you will find their 〈names?〉." Testi Rasponi, Codex pontificalis, vol. I, pp. 199–200. That the church of St. Probus was built by Maximian our anonymous asserts with no right.], and there under the altar he set his sarcophagus statu////it R., with two companions of his own order joined adhītus E., 〈whom omits E, R.〉 he laid fittingly in the tomb together with him, as was proper; but so that no one may be troubled further, we add ad inde E. that qui R. he carefully took up their holy bodies from elsewhere, and placed them together under the altar of almighty God, as we have said before; but about the companions there is doubt specifically by what name they went while they were alive adviverent R.. Yet it is believed for certain that quia R. they were extiterunt R. wholly of his order. Finally some suppose that they are Aderitus adheritum R. and Calocerus [That Eleucadius, not Aderitus, was laid together with Probus under the altar by Maximian is openly deduced from Agnellus. Of Eleucadius nothing is said, because they supposed that his body had been carried off to Pavia by Aistulf (749–756). Of these below.], whom indeed we venerate like the venerable Probus. Whether they are or not we neither deny [utrum sed si (by a later hand above the line) ipsi sunt nec inficimur (corrected and B inficiamur) R.] nor affirm. The kindly alius E. pontiff Maximian, whom we mentioned before, to celebrate the offices numina E. of the saints, tirelessly established most numerous bands //// agmina R. of various clerics, so that by their services the peoples might entreat the Lord for their sins, saying so E, dicent R. therefore, by which deeds very many obtained health from various sicknesses by their prayers.
[4] under Sergius; Meanwhile, some times having followed after corrected on an erasure R. Maximian, there were prelates by the divine will, until they came to ab R. the kindly Sergius [On Sergius, Agnellus, XLI. He seems to have been ordained after the year 742, before the year 752. Cf. Amadesi, work cited, vol. II, p. 12.], a man of the people, who, taking up the insignia of the highest priesthood from the lay state, nevertheless kept the divine precepts with a pure and sincere et sincera R. will. He at length established the church of blessed Apollinaris, which previously consisted of the order of canons, with the order ordinum E. of monks corrected, previously canocorum R., with the workshops of cenobites zenobitarum E, and so quite often. [Agnellus, XLI, in Sergius: "He built the cell of blessed Apollinaris on the men's side, where he also established monks."], and left many estates there with households of both sexes. But it seems absurd to us that the order of canons should be mixed permiserit R., since qui R. they lead the active life to the utmost, with the cenobites, who, spurning the miry, that is the worldly life, if they are true cenobites, 〈embrace Muratori; omits E, R.〉 the contemplative heavenly life, that is, hasten with the highest summus E. zeal to the fatherland. At that time, however, each order duly rendered diligent praises to God our founder. At the churches, then, of the blessed Probus and Eleuchadius [Agnellus, III, in Eleucadius: "He was buried outside the walls of Classe, where to this day a church has been built to the praise of his name and consecrated to God."] the order of canons performed inpendebant R. the divine offices with untiring corrected, previously defessis R. vigils, and at the same time also with the cenobites performed separately the services of God in the church of blessed Apollinaris so mostly E, R..
[5] under Valerius; And as time stretched on through its gliding courses, Valerius took up the offices of the first rank of the church of Ravenna [Valerius sat before Martin; he was elected about the year 789, and died before the year 810. Holder-Egger, in M. G., Scr. rer. Langob., p. 386.], who ordered a ciborium to be made over the altar of the most holy man, as the dignity of Probus himself deserves, and decorated the various diversis E, R. walls //// parietibus R. with various variisque R. colours 〈and Muratori; omits E, R.〉, restoring both, that is the offices of the cenobites and of the canons, he faithfully feliciter R. in his time, God everywhere assenting, arranged everything. At length, as time declined, both orders, having slid into disgraceful and slippery ways, made the God who could be entreated not to be entreated. For by profaning his omits E. holy statutes issued by the ancient fathers, by exchanging love for hatred B; omits E, R., peace for quarrelling, chastity for nefarious wedlock, liberality for the chain of tenacity, by lavishing the estates bestowed for the sustenance of pilgrims on most foul harlots and their children by various devices, we, with our predecessors precessoribus R., following † eorumque † wickednesses, made God, as we have said, who could be entreated, not to be entreated. Then the nation of the Hagarenes, having issued from its borders, or of the Slavs Sclavanorum R., as most say plerisque a. sancti E., trampling all the holy things of blessed Apollinaris, carrying off the ornaments of silver both of the confession and quamque E, R. of the ciborium cyuorii R., bringing everything to nothing, went back to their own On these Mittarelli, Annales Camaldulenses, at the year 927, vol. I, pp. 29–31.. After these the cruel quia adds E, R., seeing omits E. holy things profaned, took away the Christian christiani E, R. estates which had been bestowed for the sustenance of the needy, and continually laying waste the rest, brought everything to nothing. In these pressures and straits none out of all clung to God with all [se] effort and endeavour, but sliding more and more into worse things they committed all unlawful things illicite E. publicly. The cenobites, for whom it is not lawful to give a kiss to anyone (fas-praebere) omits E., caring not a straw for the monastery, using the company of women feminarum R., carrying off whatever they could from the brothers of the monastery, secretly brought it to their nefarious and unlawful children, and to the consorts consortibus R. dear to them as well. Of our own order too I think one should rather keep silent than bring forth anything, † ut ego † since it diligently inserts itself wickedly in the same wallowing-place voluta E, volutabrum R. of mud. Meanwhile the very offices which they were accustomed to perform in word only with a barking mouth, often deserting them day and night diei noctisque E, R. for weeks, gaping after inhyandi E, innihandis R. secular things, devoting their efforts outside themselves, abandoning the churches with the monastery, they were reduced redate E., alas for grief, to omits R. dens of pirates pirotarum R.. So far interim E. did this disgrace grow that the workshops of the monastery monasterium E. became folds for cattle pecodum R., and finally the bodies of the saints, long multo dudum E. venerated with zeal by omits R. Christians, were at times aliquo forent modo E. despised by the inhabitants ut nec adds E..
Afterwards omits R. ignorant and unknowing men spread their beds within their enclosures scepta R., and made troops of dogs, the followers of wild beasts, lie down there with them, the cruel guardians and prefects perfectisque E. permitting it. In all things pre omni R. the church of blessed Probus had become forgotten by the inhabitants nam adds R. as regards its established services, yet never deprived a adds R. of divine ones. Amid these cruel portents some tried to carry off the bodies of the saints sanctorum auferre R.. But almighty God did not allow the city of Ravenna Ravennam R; Ravene E and thereafter. to be cheated of them by them, although quemquam E. not by its own merits; yet by whose holy prayers it is preserved I do not doubt, but firmly believe, that they would rather male E. remain for the protection of the city itself ipsius ad R., where they were born gemiti E. and nourished to their last breath, and exalted exalati R., if offices are worthily rendered to them there, than be carried off anywhere by anyone quodam R..
[6] under Peter. Now in the course of times temporis R. the younger, the fourth, a bishop antistitis R. who que E. bore the name of the prince of the apostles, was ruling the pontifical church of the prelates of Ravenna Prelim. Comm., no. 6.. He quite often admonished the abbot of the monastery of blessed Apollinaris, with his subjects, that they should bring the established offices to the churches of Saints Eleuchadius and Probus at the several times. These he was neither able voluit E. to provoke to this zeal by blandishments nor did he bend them by terrors, often with scourges. The same man, seeing such things, having taken adebito R. the counsel of the clergy and the nobles of the city, strove to bring deferri R. the body of blessed Probus into a church within the city, as, God assenting, he accomplished. Some, however, raising certain objections against those who were to do such things, the bishop, touched with dread, refused to take part in these proceedings; which, therefore, lest they bring weariness to the hearers, we have omitted to relate, for the renowned prolixity of a great narrative. Not only himself, but et adds above the line R. others too, whom he was strenuously strengthening se adds E; si R., the bishop subtrahere antistes R. wished diligently diligere R. to withdraw. But the predestination of almighty God prevailed in these deeds and (et) ut in R. in all.
[7] The body of St. Probus On the day before the kalends of February, therefore, on which God deigned to reveal this which was done to those gathered conglobatus E. together, some clerics from almost all the orders came, as men in doubt, to the church of blessed Apollinaris, and having poured out there much prayer with groans and laments, with this firmness conceived conceptu R. they came permanere E. to the church of St. Probus. While they were going, one of the monks related to one of the Nethinim 1 Esdras 7:7, 24. a vision which he had seen. For he said agebat R.: "I saw you in my sleep this night coming to the church of our holy founder institoris E. Apollinaris and carrying off from it three huge books libro R. written in great letters; but you left sinebat E. some letters of the books there." When the Nethinite heard this, he exulted with great jubilation, yet he was turning over volūptas E. and pondering much within himself what he had heard audierat R. from the monk ad monaco E.. "I trust," he said, "in the Lord, that today our wish will come pervenit R. to effect." This Nethinite was busying himself not moderately that the body of St. Probus should be brought within the walls, trusting that qui R. for his labour in this he would obtain a benefit from him. And when we came most devoutly convenimus devotissime R. to the same eadem E; edem R. church omits R. of the oft-mentioned blessed Probus, prostrate on the ground we offered many prayers to the Lord, that he would deign to fulfil our wish, if it were pleasing to him. Rising, however, we discussed many things among ourselves, what was to be done about so tremendous an act, not knowing where the sacred body lay lateret R. buried. Some said algebant R. that they would not dare to begin such things, because they did not know the arts artem R. of the masons, lest, while they handled the stones incautiously inchaute E; incautos R., it should be essent R. more to the heaping up of damage than to increase. The same Nethinite as above sent a horseman with hurried concitu E. speed for a mason, and yet urged on his companions to dig all around, that God might give the desirable treasure to his servants. And so omits R. one of the feeble priests, having seized a hoe, went all round the altar digging. Others raised stones of wonderful size with fitting corrected digne, previously digno R. zeal, but did not find (s. m. r.) omits R. the desired treasure. And this hii E. priest, who carried the hoe with smallness of strength, digging all around, as we have said (ut d.) omits R., about iuxta R. the altar ut diximus adds R., striking a brick stone, opened a tiny hole of the chest hidden latentis R. under the altar. When this qui R. was seen, we moved away the table of the altar altari R., with in the margin R. certain priests resisting, rejoicing with great joy. We lifted the lower stone, with the little columns by which the table was supported; invoking the names of the saints we came to the lid of the chest. Which huge lid the unknowing mind of men did not suppose estimabant E. could be lifted iuuari E. without danger by corrected, previously pe R. these men who were present, it was easily lifted by ten men, God Deo viris R. being pleased allubescentes R..
[8] found with two others; These things having been done by the gift of the Almighty, without the industry of the masons, the master of the stonecutters arrives, wet because of the greatness of the rains, who, seeing such things taliam E. done even by unknowing and feeble men, glorified together with us the great works of God. All who were present, looking in with bowed face, saw a wooden vessel, already consumed in its lower part in some places by rot because of age, but whole in the upper. When it was opened (superiore-apertum) omits R. they see three bodies of saints buried there, two together, the third separated by the interposition of wood. They also debated among themselves innumerable in. quoque R. things, since they found nothing of annotation or inscription, who they were esset E., or by what name they were called in the world while they lived. Those present, however, supposed that the separated one qui erat sequestratus E. was blessed Probus, the united uniti E. ones Saints Adheritus and Calocerus. With the greatest devotion, therefore, they took up the bodies of the saints out of the chest with the wooden vessel. There they left some things from the bodies of the blessed, for ad R. their commemoration, and fastening linen cloths around the vessel, and the desired treasure, diligently, as was fitting, with bands institiis E., they put everything back on the bishop's seat. Then omits R. the vision which the cenobite had related to the Nethinite was clearly fulfilled. At once, as we have said, since there was an excessive enormity inormitas R. of rains, the serenity of the sky shone out clear. This the pious ipsius R. Lord deigned to show as the first miracle for his saints to the faithful. For so great tantaque E. was the inundation in the past month of rains that almost the whole church was flooded innundarentur ecclesie R. after the manner of a river annis E.. the relics taken up, But as soon as the bodies of these horis E. saints were carried from the tomb, the sky shone out, as has been written, with clear serenity. A certain man etiam adds R; in adds E. named Moses Moyses R. is seized with an excessive fever; soon, at the urging of very many monks and of ours, as soon as he touched the bier of the saints to carry it, he recovered the health of all his limbs. He raised praises to our God and to the saints with a lofty voice, as was fitting. Then with hymns and sacred praises the bodies of the blessed were carried to the church of St. Apollinaris. There songs were sung by his disciples with fitting weeping and laments. From there to the equal blessed Severus Severum beatum R., whose feast made the following sequenti R. day dum E. radiant irradiabant R. [St. Severus is also inscribed in the martyrology on the kalends of January, but wrongly. Agnellus, Liutolf in the Life of St. Severus (BHL. 7681–82) and our anonymous testify to the usage of the church of Ravenna.], we hastened properaverimus R. with great joy leticiam E.. Masses and vespers having been duly performed paratis E., our bodies were refreshed with food because of the labour. But lest anything be snatched by a clandestine thief from the bodies of the saints, they were guarded with due honour by the Christian faithful. And as the sun declined, the night omits E. gave its sign with shining stars, which we spent sleepless insompne E. through great spaces of hours, worthily singing to God and his saints. At length, as Titan shone, the sacred solemnity of masses having been performed, the bodies of the saints having been taken up sunt adds E., all cantico E. with fitting service and contrite heart went on to Ravenna.
brought to Ravenna The whole people ran to meet so wonderful aureum R. a spectacle E writes these lines in the manner of prose.; splendid in shining garments it carried lights. A troop of young boys adoloscentum E; adhulescentum R. separately with the youths, and apart, the female sex was present; very many plurimorum E. among inter adds R. these omits R. with sobs, as is the custom mox E; moris R. of the old senilum E.; for the choir of priests worthily praised laudabant E. God dominum R.. The prelate came, his face suffused behind tetro R. with tears, clad in his robe, showing how much he bore in his mind; lavishly bestowing a little gift of food sibi E; ibi R. on the needy, he himself too was then present as a relief, in place of a father pro ptre E; propter R. of the poor. At once he stretched himself wholly on the ground with bowed mind. Having poured out worthy prayers, the suppliant rose forthwith. Then he commands that the gleaming stars of the lofty sky should resound pulsent R. with lofty voice in sweet-sounding songs. Meanwhile, the journey having been begun, as (c. ut) cernerent corrected by a later hand R. the prelate had said, with songs, both sexes, added, ran together concurrebant R. through the various parts of the city with the greatest devotion. How great a river of tears grew there illi E; ibi R. from the happy omen homine E, R. human speech could not nequiuit E; nequid R. unfold with a hundred throats.
[9] and deposited in the Ursian basilica. When therefore he had come pervenissent R. with all devotion to the Ursian church [The Ursian church, named after its founder (Agnellus, XVII), is to this day the cathedral church.], as he had determined, the prelate ordered ibi adds R. the bodies of the saints to be laid there. So at length all returned to their several lodgings. And when their bodies had been refreshed with food, the Nethinite above-mentioned returned to the aforesaid Ursian instantem E. church, and seeing the bodies of the saints not omits E. placed as was fitting, he strove missus E. with a certain priest to transfer them where it had seemed better to him. But when he tried to lift them, because he did not act fittingly, as he ought, the strength of his body corpora E. failed. He, with better
counsel, therefore, strengthened, he reproached himself. With the aforesaid priest he sang spiritual spicialia E. songs suppliantly to God and the saints. While at length they were doing such things, by the prayer of the saints the strength of his body returned, and so their bodies were lifted by them, so that they scarcely felt the weight ponderis R. compared with the former mass molem R. (e. p.) omits R.. Various miracles; At the very same moment a certain woman, Perpetua by name, sent them oil in a glass vessel, on account of the immense sickness of body which she was suffering: to whom they soon ut adds E. granted most vigorous health suavitatem E. from the affliction of her body. If we desire to relate all the signs of holiness santitatis E; sanitatis R. which they granted, night nos R. will render tamen E. the last office to the earth before we relate referimus R. them eam E. in proper order ordinabiliter R.. How many indeed were restored omits R. to health by their prayers omits R. from fevers, and from how many quantique R. adverse a diversis R. sicknesses of body corporibus R., we cannot tell. For by the common decree of the prelate and ut R. of all, a mausoleum was built of those Proconnesian omits R. stones in the aforesaid church ecclesiam R. some time ago, to which qui R., while it was being built, a certain sharer of our blood, when he was suffering an immense burning of fevers, came, not hesitating at all, but firmly believing. He supplied the masons cementariis R. with what they needed; when the work was finished he rose up sound from the burden honere R. of his infirmity through their merits. And on the third of the nones of March, for their most happy honour, an altar was most zealously and perfectly dedicated by the prelate of Bologna [On Peter called of Bologna, read Amadesi, In antistitum Ravennatum chronotaxim disquisitiones, vol. II (Faenza, 1783), pp. 91–107.], where hubi R. their intercessions are suppliantly besought so E; expositur R; read exposcuntur. by all with bowed mind.
[10] The writer himself is healed. Since we have related the benefits conferred externally by the saints, we must not keep silent about those which have been bestowed on us inwardly. For it is seen by dear men a garis videlicet vir R. what qui E, R. of benefits received ceptis R. one does not freely grates R. bestow on those who minister. On the tenth of the kalends of May an immense sickness of the ears omits R. crept upon inrepsit R. me; it brought no pain, but almost took away my hearing. For I recognized words more from the shaping of the mouth than from the office assigned atributo R. to the ears. And if by chance I had perceived with my ears the words of him who was speaking around me, it seemed to me (verba-videbatur) omits R. as if the wall of a building divided videre R. the speaker from me. On the night, therefore, of the following day, I took myself wholly to the bodies of the saints with a slender gift, and most devoutly asked them for what I needed agebam E.. At the third hour of that day, having applied a remedy of swallows [A very obscure sentence. Of the use of the swallow in medicine as it is described by Pliny, Nat. Hist., 29, 37, 30, 21, one can scarcely think.], by their ipsius E, R. intercession I recovered the offices of my ears entirely. I soon brought praises to the Lord and to them with bowed mind, and finally postmodum R. I cast myself wholly upon them, so that no day shall pass, as long as I live, on which I do not desire to be supported by them, my own zeal doing its part.
[11] The vision of Urban. On the fourth or fifth day after the carrying out of these saints, there stood by a certain omits R. man of ours viro R., Urban, a man honourable in face, adorned with grey hair to see, who had instructed him with such words dictus E.: "You have indeed acted justly enough peregisti., who did not allow quod s. n. permisisti R. the bodies of the saints to be without divine service factione E.; but se R. you have left sinistis E; sinisti R. five others there too, who are not inferior to those whom quod R. you carried away detulisti R.." When Urban had related detulisset R. these things hoc E. which we have told, they came to the ears of the prelate by the report relationes R. of many, and he began to turn over within himself who they might be esset E. whom God had decreed to manifest in such a way tali (?) E.. Having summoned the orders of the churches, he inquired what they knew about the aforesaid vision. But through the vim R. oft-named Nethinite he learned omits E. that they were disciples of blessed Apollinaris, as he had found in the deeds of the prelates of Ravenna That is, in Agnellus.. He asserted, however, that he knew seriose E. this especially, that quia R. he had seen written in the contest agonis E. of the most blessed Apollinaris that the aforesaid pontiff and athlete had ordained Aderitus Adheritum R. and Calocerus priests, had appointed Marcianus and Eleuchadius the philosopher deacons, and had also promoted six clerics with whom he sang psalms to the Lord day and night [ubi sunt corpora Marciani et Eleucadii archiepiscoporum Rauenate electorum per columbam spiritus sancti E in the margin, first hand.] Passion of St. Apollinaris (BHL. 623, no. 7).. But Marcianus, after the pontifical insignia of the church of Ravenna aeclesiae Ravennae (previously Ravenae) R., was crowned with martyrdom at Terdona idoneo in the margin, uerdone R; tandem Muratori. [About Marcianus, bishop of Ravenna and then of Tortona and martyr, a sharp controversy blazed up, which F. Lanzoni sets out in a few words, Le origini delle diocesi antiche d'Italia, pp. 477–78. Nothing such had been handed down by the ancients. Of Marcianus Agnellus has this, IV: "And by the most blessed Apollinaris he was ordained deacon together with the most prudent Eleucadius, as is found in the Passion of the very one who ordained him, as it says: He consecrated Marcianus, a most noble man, and Eleucadius deacons. After many miracles he rendered his soul in peace to God the creator. Whence I have judged that he was buried in the church of blessed Eleucadius." Already in the sixteenth century credit was openly denied to the testimony of the Life of Probus in this matter. Prelim. Comm., no. 8.]. But Eleuchadius was carried off to the city of Ticinum by Aistulf Austulfo E., king of the Italians habitalorum R. [Certainly Aistulf carried from Ravenna to Ticinum relics which he persuaded himself were those of St. Eleucadius. Liber de laudibus civitatis Ticinensis, in Raccolta degli storici Italiani, vol. XI (1903), pp. 18, 55. But in truth at that time (749–756) the body of St. Eleucadius no longer rested in its own church, since it had been placed by Maximian in the church of St. Probus (above, p. 478, note 2), where it was also found by the bishop Peter.]. From which it is manifestly gathered 〈that supplied; omits E, R.〉 of the ten aforesaid disciples discipulorum R. the bodies of eight remained among the people of Ravenna Rauenates E., whose names are these: Aderitus Adheritus R., Calocerus, Proculus, Probus, Datus, Liberius, Agapitus and omits R. Marcellinus Marcelinus E. In reality the bodies of ten bishops remained among the people of Ravenna.; these being known, the prelate sent the same Nethinite with certain chief men and kinsmen illique R. of that city to search for their bodies. Strenuously searching for these in the oft-mentioned church of blessed Probus, at length with much sweat they found two sepulchres, lying hidden and opened with diverse zeal and ingeniously, and in one of them three, The invention of five saints. in the other two bodies they saw buried [What were then found they reckoned to be the bodies of Proculus, Datus, Liberius, Agapitus and Marcellinus.]. Drawing these out of the wooden caskets, since they were very old, and laying them in a shroud, they brought them to Ravenna with many hymns, exulting with great joy. But since qui E. it was the second day of the Rogation before the celebration of the Lord's Ascension, the whole people with the prelate himself, as we have said before, came to meet us. Then a certain man, constrained by an nimia adds R. infirmity which physicians call mania, while the bodies of the saints were being carried gestaretur E; gestarent R. to the Ursian church, was brought to them by his sons, very furious, whom, as far as he was able, he strove to devour with his bite. Yet, compelled thus, he was brought with them as far as the aforesaid prefactam E. church, and was placed beneath these and the three earlier ones with much force. Although he was not at once, as we conjecture comicius E. (but we affirm it), his own sin hindering him, delivered essent R. from the sickness, yet not long through their prayers was the time protracted until he was restored to health; whom we afterwards saw, quite modest and devout, supplicating at the bodies of the aforesaid saints. Him too que R. we asked whether he was well; he so conducted himself that, not by his own merit but by the prayer of the saints, with a modest face, God favouring, he was sound, so that he felt nothing of the weakness of his former sickness. But finally the bodies of these five saints have not yet been laid in the ground; for enim R. they still remain wrapped in the shroud upon a certain quendam R. vault uolta adds above the line E. beneath the arch testudinem R. of the church eclesia E..
[12] Exhortation. Of blessed Probus, therefore, whose day we solemnly celebrate today, while we have related some of his wonders, by lingering over his companions, although culling (q. ex h. d.) omits R. from these, we have digressed very far from him. But now let us return to his patronage, and let us beseech him with all our might with his companions, that as they brought the beginnings of pious preaching to our fathers cunpatribus E., so they may intercede for us with the author and prince of all goodness, so that, all our crimes having been removed by him through their intercession, by our worthy repentance plenitudine R., we may be able to be partakers of eternal joy omits E.; which may he deign to grant whose kingdom's majesty magestas R. neither begins nor ends, for ages of ages. Amen.