| Crusades-Encyclopedia Return to Primary Sources Return to Crusades-Encyclopedia Gunther von Pairis: Historia Constantinopolitana |
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| Provided below is a selection from Gunther von Pairis' Historia Constantinopolitana listing the relics stolen by Abbot Martin during the Sack of Constantinople in 1204.
Gunther, ch. xxiv, in Riant: Exuviae, Vol. 1, p. 120 ff. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ List of Relics Stolen by Abbot Martin during the Sack of Constantinople Therefore " Blessed be the Lord God, who only doeth wondrous things," who in His unspeakable kindness and mercy has looked upon and made glorious His church at Paris through certain gifts of His grace, which he deigned to transmit to us through the venerable man, already so frequently mentioned, abbot Martin. In the presence of these the church exults and by their protection any soul faithful to God is aided and assisted. In order that the readers' trust in these may be strengthened, we have determined to give a partial list. First, of the highest importance and worthy of all veneration: A trace of the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was shed for redemption of all mankind. Second, a piece of the cross of our Lord on which the Son of the Father, the new Adam, sacrificed for us, paid the debt of the old Adam. Third, a not inconsiderable piece of St. John, the forerunner of a Lord. Fourth, the arm of St. James, the Apostle, whose memory is venerated by the whole church. There were also relics of other saints, whose names are as follows: Christopher, the martyr. George, the martyr. Theodore, the martyr. The foot of St. Cosmas, the martyr Part of the head of Cyprian, the martyr Pantaleon, the martyr A tooth of St. Lawrence Demetrius, the martyr. Stephen, the proto-martyr. Vincentius, Adjutus, Mauritius and his companions. Crisantius and Darius, the martyrs. Gervasius and Protasius, the martyrs. Primus, the martyr. Sergius and Bacchus, the martyrs. Protus, the martyr. John and Paul, the martyrs. Also relics from the following: the place of the Nativity of our Lord; Calvary; our Lord's sepulchre; the stone rolled away; the place of our Lord's ascension; the stone on which John stood when he baptized the Lord; the spot where Christ raised Lazarus; the stone on which Christ was presented in the temple; the stone on which Jacob slept; the stone where Christ fasted; the stone where Christ prayed; the table on which Christ ate supper; the place where He was captured; the place where the mother of our Lord died; His grave; the grave of St. Peter, the apostle; the relics of the holy apostles, Andrew and Philip; the place where the Lord gave the law to Moses; the holy patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; St. Nicholas, the bishop; Adelasius, the bishop; Agricius, the bishop; John Chrysostom; John, the almsgiver; the milk of the mother of our Lord; Margaret, the virgin; Perpetua, the virgin; Agatha, the virgin; Agnes, the virgin; Lucia, the virgin; Cecilia, the virgin; Adelgundis and Euphemia, the virgins. Written and sealed-- in this year of our Lord's incarnation, 1205, in the reign of Philip, King of the Roman's, Innocent the supreme pontiff presiding over the holy Roman church, -- under the direction of the bishops Lutholdus of Basel and Henry of Strassburg. Source: Dana C. Munro, "The Fourth Crusade ", Translations and Reprints from the Original Sources of European History, Vol 3:1, (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1901), 18-19. |
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