MARIUS OF AVENCHES, ST.

Chronicler and bishop of Avenches from 574; b. Autun, 530–31; d. there, Dec. 31, 594. As bishop he transferred the episcopal see from Avenches to Lausanne, Switzerland. Marius's Chronicle of the years 455–581, a continuation of the work of prosper of aquitaine, reported important contemporary events in Italy and the Orient and is especially valuable for its account of Burgundian affairs after 533–534, which it uniquely transmits. Books 2–4 of gregory of tours's Historia Francorum show striking textual similarities with Marius's Chronicle, indicating their dependence on common sources (Burgundian annals). He was thoroughly Roman in his culture and, despite contemporary barbarian rule, was convinced that the Roman Empire, "the fourth empire of Daniel," would continue till the end of time. He was buried at Lausanne, where the church first consecrated to St. Thyrsius was renamed for him. His cult was approved in 1605.

Feast: Dec. 31; Feb. 9 (Basel); Feb. 12 (Lausanne).

Bibliography: m. bouquet, Recueil des historiens des Gaules et de la France (Rerum gallicarum et francicarum scriptores), 24 v. (Paris 1738–1904) 2:12–19. Patrologia Latina, ed. j. p. migne, 271 v., indexes 4 v. (Paris 1878–90) 82:21–25. Monumenta Germaniae Historica: Auctores antiquissimi (Berlin 1826–) 11:227–239. g. j. j. monod, Études critiques sur les sources de l'histoire mérovingienne, 2 v. (Paris 1872–85) 1:147–163. j. favrod, tr. La Chronique de Marius d'Avenches (Lausanne 1991). l. duchesne, Fastes épiscopaux de l'ancienne Gaule, 3 v. (2d ed. Paris 1970–15). h. leclercq, Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, ed. f. cabrol, h. leclercq, and h. i. marrou, 15 v. (Paris 1907–53) 10:2167–77. É. brouette, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) (1966) 7:88.

[b. d. hill]