ON ST. GERONTIUS, BISHOP OF ITALICA IN SPAIN,
In the First Century.
HISTORICAL COLLECTION.
The ancient worship of this Saint, the age in which he flourished or died, the place of his death, and the scanty knowledge of his deeds.
Gerontius, bishop of Italica in Spain (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. C.
Among the ancient Martyrologists of whom we have knowledge, This holy Prelate today Usuard alone in our edition thus announces this Prelate: In Spain, in the city of Italica, of holy Gerontius the bishop, resting in prison. Whence our Sollier on this day, at the Martyrology of Usuard illustrated, gives the following warning: Gerontius or Geruntius is unknown to all the more ancient Martyrologists, nor do I sufficiently perceive whence Usuard could have received him, unless in his Spanish journey he got some knowledge of him, which he thereupon judged worthy to obtain a place in the sacred Fasti. That he lived or preached in the time of the Apostles he nowhere hints; whence by the reformers of the Roman Martyrology this must have been added from other documents, upon which matter Baronius's note may be seen for a while.
[2] related in the ancient Usuardine codices For the rest, with this announcement various Usuardine codices agree, which Sollier recounts in the same place. But the Prato codex, which the Benedictines of Paris contend to be the autograph, the name of Spain being erased, assigns only the city in which this holy Prelate died, in these few words: In the city of Italica, of holy Geruntius the bishop, resting in prison. Wherefore the anonymous editor of this Prato codex, who first published at Paris in the year 1718 the autograph Martyrology of Usuard, monk of Saint-Germain, and vindicated it from the observations of our Sollier, notes this at that day's announcement: Usuard deleted in his codex in Spain. For what cause, who shall say? Was it because, speaking of a city sufficiently known, he judged it useless to name the region in which it was situated? Further, that editor, concerning the origin of this announcement, agrees with Sollier, or has followed him, when in the same place he presently subjoins this: Of holy Geruntius there is nothing among the Martyrologists who surpass Usuard in age. His worship he doubtless received in Spain.
[3] Doubtless St. Gerontius was carried over from the Martyrology of Usuard into the modern Roman one, and in today's Roman Martyrology, which thus records him on this day: At Italica in Spain, of holy Geruntius the bishop, who in the time of the Apostles, preaching the Gospel in that province, after many labors rested in prison. But why in this Roman Martyrology this holy Prelate is said to have preached the Gospel in the time of the Apostles, which is not read in the Usuardine Martyrology, we easily gather from the notes of the most eminent Baronius, who today at that announcement of the Roman Martyrology observes the following: His Acts are described in a sacred hymn which we read in the ancient Breviary of Toledo: which we wonder was passed over by those who have most lately treated of Spanish affairs, and have written of him very meagrely.
[4] The most eminent writer by this note designates the proper hymn of the old Mozarabic Breviary, he is also honored in the old Mozarabic Breviary, which I copied out at Toledo in the year 1722, and which, the copyist's faults being removed, runs thus:
Christ's consecrated bishop, Gerontius the confessor, let us sing with worthy praises, and celebrate with our voices. He is reported to have shone as a seer in the Apostolic time, and to have preached the supreme Father of the mighty Son . And while, illustrious, he ran through the Western region, at length by the wrath of the heathen he is dragged to his passion. But presently, by the governor's command, weighed down with iron knots, to the horrid shadows of the prison he is given into the executioner's power. Whom, bound with chains, amid the pallid darkness, they report to have given up to heaven the soul snatched from his sacred body. Thus, now placed among the Apostolic fellowships, he rejoices in heavenly glory and in the bright grace of Christ. For, mitred, he shines and gleams with a twofold reward; with the priestly title and with the reward of confession. Let glory resound to the Father and to Christ the only-begotten, to the Paraclete Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
[5] From this old Breviary of the Mozarabs it appears first and already in the 7th century he had a basilica marked with his name. that the yearly festival of St. Gerontius was solemnly celebrated from immemorial time. But a still more ancient and more distinct knowledge of his worship we dig out from the Life of St. Fructuosus, prelate of Braga, who flourished in the VII century. In it a nearly contemporary biographer, in Mabillon at the Benedictine second century, page 586 and following, narrates a miracle to our purpose in these words: On a certain day the most blessed Fructuosus himself, for the sake of fulfilling his devotion, set out by ship from the city of Seville to the basilica of holy Gerontius. When there he had devoutly paid the vows of his desire, the Lord helping, and when, the day drawing toward evening, he had arranged to return again whence he had come, those sailors who had steered the ship over long spaces of the sea, wearied with the labor of the sailing, not only said that they had not strength to steer the ship, but also, because the last part of the day now remained, began to complain.* Then that ancient writer sets forth how that ship, of its own accord, the sailors sleeping, and St. Fructuosus reciting the ecclesiastical Office, swiftly put in without oars at the farther bank of the river and at the appointed place. Here what pertains to our purpose is that at that time St. Gerontius already had there a basilica or church dedicated to his name, and that holy Fructuosus visited it for devotion's sake. Let these things said about the immemorial and ancient worship of today's holy Prelate suffice.
[6] He seems to have flourished in the first century, Also from the hymn already related we learn that the Mozarabs then thought, from common tradition, that St. Gerontius flourished in Apostolic times. Yet Juan Vaseo in the Chronicle of Spain in our possession, page 279, reckons that same holy Prelate among those who in the persecution of Diocletian and Maximian Herculius underwent martyrdom, as will be made manifest to the curious reader who shall be willing to run through the cited Chronicle of Vaseo from page 271 as far as page 183. But to the opinion of this more recent writer is to be preferred the ancient tradition of the Mozarabs, which would be greatly confirmed if that epigram were genuine which Juan Tamayo de Salazar ascribes to St. Isidore of Seville, and thus relates in his Spanish Martyrology from manuscripts (if one please to believe him who asserts it) at the day XXV of August:
This temple holds the long-hallowed bones of Geruntius, prelate of Italica, who was the love of that city. He also increased with his ploughshare the Apostolic seed, and that of the Christ-bearing Cross, whereby the kindly faith is renowned. At last beneath the sword thou sufferest, O Bishop, the unworthy torments of Nero, of prison, and of hunger.
[7] although his age is not confirmed by Tamayo's forged epigram, I have already said above that the chronological tradition of the Mozarabs would be greatly confirmed by this epigram, if it were genuine, and written by St. Isidore of Seville himself: for from it we should prudently conclude that our Saint preached under the reign of Nero and died in prison, since more ancient monuments do not contradict this chronology. But we have already so often and so evidently convicted this Spanish Martyrologist of imposture that we give no credit to him when he brings forward testimonies of this kind. Wherefore we rather assent to Nicolás Antonio, the learned Spaniard, who in the Old Spanish Library, tom. 1, page 267, passes such a judgment about writings of this kind alleged by Tamayo de Salazar: In the Spanish Martyrology of Juan Tamayo we now see brought forth anew certain verses of the holy Father (namely Isidore of Seville, whose true lucubrations Antonio there separates from the supposititious ones), which he says he gives from manuscripts; against whose liberality it is pleasing to chant that Virgilian line: I fear the Greeks even when they bring gifts. For Tamayo's codices are not such as they wish to seem. And that this is said by me not calumniously, we make attested more often. Certainly Nicolás Antonio shows this often through the course of his Works, and especially in tom. 2 of that same Library, page 20, uncovers like frauds of Tamayo.
[8] whom the anonymous editor of Usuard's Prato codex Therefore the anonymous editor of the Saint-Germain Usuard did not sufficiently know this author, when after the other things related above, he confidently in his observation at today's announcement of our Saint adds this: What is held more ancient about that Geruntius is the epigram of Isidore of Seville, which Juan Tamayo de Salazar read written by hand, and wove into his Spanish Martyrology. In that epigram Geruntius is said to have suffered the torments of prison and hunger under Nero. Whence Salazar gathers that he suffered about the year LXVIII, in which the cruelty of Nero raged more vehemently in Spain. On this occasion there could be turned back upon that editor of the Prato codex the very words with which he himself, on page XL of his Preface, thus addresses our Sollier: These things I readily forgive thee. For how couldst thou have rightly judged about that codex, who wast using another's eyes, and those not very sharp-sighted … I am persuaded that thou wouldst have dealt much more kindly with the Prato codex, if it had been permitted thee to survey it with thine own eyes.
[9] With a few words changed, these things could without difficulty be fitted to the anonymous editor of the Saint-Germain Usuardine Martyrology: believed too lightly. for that learned and critical man could not so affirmatively pronounce upon the authentic credit of this epigram, who was using another's eyes, and those very deceitful. Too lightly indeed did he at once give credit to Tamayo, who ascribed that epigram to St. Isidore of Seville, and boasted that he had seen it in manuscript. Certainly I am persuaded that that editor would not so quickly have believed this Spanish Martyrologist, if he had read the judgment of Nicolás Antonio or of the most eminent Cardinal Aguirre about Juan Tamayo de Salazar. Although from that epigram I dare not assign the time of his death, yet on account of the authority of the Mozarabic Breviary I probably judge that St. Gerontius flourished in the time of the Apostles, and therefore above, at the beginning of this collection, I bound his age in the margin to the first century. Now about the place of his death and of his see I shall subjoin a few things.
[10] Of the arena of his last struggle, or of his martyrdom broadly so called, our Papebroch in the Life of St. Ferdinand the king at the day XXX of May, Although this Saint died at Italica in Spain, or in tom. VII of that month, page 340, thus discourses: Further, going on according to the flow of that same river (namely the Baetis, of which the discourse there is), the same map shows the ruins of a most ample amphitheatre, with the monastery of St. Isidore, and places that have taken their name from holy Brigid and Pontius; and there is added the inscription Sevilla vieja, that is, Old Seville. Hence at one time it seemed likely to me that the Moors, who left scarcely any city of Spain, or not even scarcely any, which they did not either utterly abolish or transfer elsewhere, transported that Hispalis which had been under the Romans and Goths from the right side of the river Baetis to the left. But all learned Spaniards laugh at that appellation of old Seville, as an insipid invention of the rude common folk, and teach by sure arguments that the traces of the most ample ruins which are still found there are remains of old Italica, not of Hispalis. For frequent coins are dug up there having the name of Italica inscribed on the reverse face; and he whom the common folk call Santiponce seems to be St. Gerontius, bishop and martyr of Italica in Spain, inscribed in the Roman Martyrology on the XXV of August. But the Itinerary of the emperor Antoninus sets Italica VI Roman miles from Hispalis, and that across the river toward the west. And there is in the same place still a place called Talca, in the partition of the territory of Seville decreed by the holy King, which more nearly represents the name of old Italica.
[11] About the site of old Italica the Spanish writers themselves dispute among themselves, as Luis Nonio shows in his Topography of Spain, where in chapter 17 he gives the following: about the site of which city the authors disagree, Although Italica shows nothing but shapeless ruins and scattered rubble, yet let these few things be given to the shades of the best emperors, that the soil of their birth may be known to all: for by many its ancient site is unknown. Appian of Alexandria is authority, in the Iberica, that it was founded by Scipio Africanus, the Spanish war being finished, where he left his veteran soldiers and those maimed in some limb; yet in what place he founded it he does not express. Ptolemy places it in Baetica; but from Pliny some gather that it was formerly called Ilipa … Vaseo is authority that its ancient site is unknown to very many; some think it is Niebla; Ambrosio de Morales shows that it is Sivilla la vieja, and Jerónimo Zurita. Then he also mentions the place today called Talca, whose name seems derived from Italica corrupted; and after other notices of that same destroyed city he at last concludes that chapter in these words: It was an episcopal city in ages past; its first bishop it had in St. Geruntius the confessor. Whatever be the true site of old Italica, it suffices us that that city once stood in Baetica, a province of Spain, not far from Seville, and that there St. Gerontius had a basilica marked with his name, as we related above from the Acts of St. Fructuosus.
[12] yet about his episcopate at Italica Ambrosio de Morales and other sincere writers of Spanish affairs give few things about the deeds of this holy Prelate, because antiquity has left scarcely any to posterity. Whence Thomas of Trujillo, a Dominican, in tom. 2 of the Thesaurus of preachers, Col. [ ], adorns him with this brief eulogy: Blessed Gerontius was bishop of the city of Italica near Seville. And when he had been cast into prison because he professed the faith of Christ, he died there. Nay, it can be doubted whether St. Gerontius was bishop of Italica, even if, being apprehended at Italica, he died in prison: for in those times various apostolic or regionary prelates were appointed, to run through divers provinces or cities for preaching the faith of Christ, even though they held no fixed see. We at least have hitherto found in the councils of Spain no bishop of Italica before Eulalius, who subscribed the third Toledan synod, which was celebrated in the year 589, as may be seen in the most eminent Cardinal de Aguirre, tom. 2 of the councils of Spain, page 350, and in our Hardouin, tom. 3, col. 485.
[13] and his other deeds we know nothing certain. Wherefore we leave to learned Spaniards the more ancient prelates of this see to be searched out, and we suspect not altogether rashly that St. Gerontius was perhaps one of those Apostolic bishops who in the first centuries of the Church had no fixed see, and discharged episcopal ministries in some region or province. Certain writers surname this holy Prelate a martyr, some a confessor, since he did not expire amid torments, and yet, being thrust into prison for the faith of Christ, died there. Whence both these titles are easily reconciled, as Ambrosio de Morales shows in the History of Spain, book 10, chapter 28. If anyone therefore should wish to call this Saint a martyr in the broad sense, I shall not gainsay it. These are all the things which about St. Gerontius we can probably assert: for we make nothing of the Acts which Tamayo amplified. If anyone, however, shall find more, and those more likely, we shall gladly congratulate him on the new knowledge.
Annotationsperhaps Patris potentis Filium* (the Son of the mighty Father).
* That is, of Seville