Marius Aventicensis

Marius of Avenches (St. Marius Marius Marius Aventicensis or Aventicum; * 530 or 531 in Autun in Burgundy, † December 31 594 in Lausanne) was Bishop of Aventicum, but moved its headquarters after the first half of his term to Lausanne. Marius was an eminent historian of the Burgundian and Frankish Early Middle Ages. In the Catholic Church he is venerated as a saint.

Life

Marius came from a noble Burgundian family, possibly belonged to the late Roman senatorial aristocracy of Autun. From 574 he was bishop in Aventicum (now Avenches ). In 585 he took part in the Frankish Synod of Mâcon. 587 let it build and dedicate a church in Payerne. Because of the decreasing importance of the city Aventicum he moved the episcopal seat to Lausanne. The exact year can not be determined; may Lausanne was intended in the first years only as a temporary home. Marius had allegedly craftsmanship and also worked as a goldsmith. He was buried in the church of St. Thyrsius, which was later renamed St. Marius. His feast day is December 31.

Work

His history book is a continuation of the chronicle of Prosper Tiro of Aquitaine. The reporting period covers the years 455-581, the first hundred years have only just described as consul row. Historically valuable are the reports of the fighting between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines and the presentation of the attacks of the Franks. In the work of Marius for the first time the term is mentioned for smallpox variola.

Expenditure

• Theodor Mommsen, eds: Monumenta Historica Germaniae: Auctorum Antiquissimorum 11 Berlin 1894 (older text output; online here ).
• Justin Favrod: La chronique de Marius d' Avenches ( 455-581 ). Lausanne 1991. ( Text edition of the Chronicle with French translation and commentary )