Gerontius and Edentius
Acta Sanctorum, May 6
Source text: Public Domain. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://actasanctorum.org/may/day-06/gerontius-and-edentius.html
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ON SS. GERONTIUS AND EDENTIUS

AT ATURUM OR VICO-JULIUM IN AQUITAINE.

[Commentary]

Gerontius, 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.
