Iberian Fathers, Volume 1

Introduction

INTRODUCTION IJBOUT THE YEAR 550, a ship from the Holy Land ar- ~ . rived at a harbor on the western coast of what is now Portugal, carrying among its passengers a young missionary named Martin who was destined to play an important role in the history of the Catholic Church among the people called Sueves. Of Martin's earlier life, we know only that he was born in Pannonia, part of which is now Hungary, and that he was educated in the East, where Greek was the common language. His training as a monk was based on the model of the ascetics in the Egyptian desert, but he realized that such a strict life could not be followed by the religious-minded Spaniards, and he lessened the severity of monastic regulations, just as Cassian had adapted oriental living for the Gauls.1 The Sueves in northwestern Spain had long been politically independent of the Visigoths, but Catholicism in their territory was mostly dominated by the Priscillianist heresy. It is reported that a king received Christian baptism in 448, but Full details of the ancient sources for the life of St. Martin of Braga are found in the first chapter and the appendices of Martini Episcopi Bmcm'ensis opera omnia (ed, C. W, Barlow, New Haven 1950). All the texts here translated are based on the editions in that volume, with a few small corrections from notes by reviewers. The projected new edition of Martin of Braga by A, Moreira de Sa of the University of Lisbon and Arnaldo Miranda Barbosa of the University of Coimbra will undoubtedly add much of importance from manuscripts now preserved in Spain and Portugal. Contemporary sources, in addition to Martin's own works and a metrical epitaph, include a dedication by Paschasius, monk of Martin's monastery at Dumium, a letter and a poem from Venantius Fortunatus, two references in works of Gregory of Tours, and the important chapter 35 in Isidore of Seville's De viris illustribllS. The exact dates of the elevation and the death of Martin have been preserved in a breviary in use at the Cathedral of Braga. All of these are printed in full in the Appendices of the edition just mentioned. 3 4 MARTIN OF BRAGA this had little effect on the religious affairs of his realm. Profuturus was Bishop of Braga in 538, and we have a letter to him from Pope Vigilius, from which we know that, shortly before Martin's arrival, the way was being prepared for the tremendous strides which he achieved. Martin settled first at Dumium, a short distance from the capital at Braga, where he founded a monastery, and where he was created bishop on April 5, 556. Just two years later, a new basilica was dedicated there in honor of Martin's namesake, St. Martin of Tours. Martin of Dumium signed his name third among the eight bishops who attended the First Council of Braga in May, 561. Priscillianism was vigorously attacked in the minutes of this Council. When the Second Council of Braga met in June, 572, Martin had become, during this period of eleven years, the metropolitan bishop of the church provinces of Braga and Lugo and was probably in charge of both Braga and Dumium. The Council was attended by six bishops from Braga and six from Lugo. Martin's direct influence on this Council is shown by several of the canons, which are adapted from those of Eastern churches, and by a special collection of canons made on this occasion, mostly translated from Greek. Martin still had nine more years of work, for his death is recorded in the Braga breviary on March 20, 579.2 There is no hint in any of Martin's surviving works of impending political disaster; yet by 583, the Sueves had completely lost their independence to the Visigoths, and for a brief 2 Many literary histories give the year of his death as 580, because the references in Gregory of Tours are inexact. The date in the breviary seems to have been based on a contemporary record made locally and is probably precise. It is of interest that a funerary sculpture in the Braga Museum has been published by G. Gaillard in the Bulletin de la Societe nationale des antiquaires de France 1950-51 (Paris 1954) 191195 and pI. V. The figures represent Christ in a halo of glory, sup· ported and surrounded by winged angels. Gaillard believes, in consideration of the date...