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Catalogus Alter Episcoporum Vesuntionensis Ecclesiae

Protandius Vesuntinus Archiepiscopus · ogl-pl

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machine-draft · no human review 4 passages · 556 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

The Catalogus Alter Episcoporum Vesuntionensis Ecclesiae is a medieval Latin episcopal list for the Diocese of Besançon, traditionally attributed to Archbishop Protandius (fl. 7th century). The work survives in a single lost manuscript, known only through early modern copies and edited in the Patrologia Latina. It presents a third catalogue in a series, explicitly omitting bishops deemed unworthy, and includes otherwise unattested names, likely reflecting local traditions or lost records. The list was used in later ecclesiastical historiography to establish episcopal succession and influenced local liturgical calendars. Its core may date from the Carolingian period, but the attribution to Protandius is unverifiable, and the text likely underwent later additions.

The Catalogus Alter is significant as a rare witness to local episcopal traditions in early medieval Gaul, preserving names and narratives otherwise unattested. It illustrates how later communities constructed apostolic and papal links to legitimize their sees, and its exclusion of 'unworthy' bishops reveals local criteria for orthodoxy and authority. The work influenced later ecclesiastical historiography and liturgical calendars, though its historical reliability is limited.

Historical context

The Catalogus Alter was produced for the Diocese of Besançon, an important see in eastern Gaul (modern France). The traditional attribution to Archbishop Protandius places its origin in the 7th century, but the surviving form likely dates from the Carolingian period (8th–9th centuries), when episcopal lists were often compiled to assert continuity and authority. The text is transmitted in a single manuscript, now lost, known only through early modern copies; the Patrologia Latina edition relies on these, introducing potential scribal errors. The list reflects local traditions, such as the association of Helena, mother of Constantine, with rebuilding the church of Saint Stephen at Besançon, and claims of papal ordination for early bishops (e.g., Pancratius ordained by Pope Julius I, 337–352). These claims are typical of later episcopal lists seeking apostolic or papal validation. The catalog was used in medieval and early modern historiography to establish episcopal succession, but discrepancies in names or dates remain unresolved, as it was not collated with other lists or charters.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

23 commentary units 7 background4 structure3 term3 caution2 dating2 reception1 transmission1 sense 0 derived notes 8 open questions 4 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • coverageNo English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed.
  • limitThe English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve.
  • registerRegister: other in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 4 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1:1 · narrativehigh
Source
III. CATALOGUS ALTER EPISCOPORUM VESUNTIONENSIS ECCLESIAE; Exceptis illis a quos reproba vita vel introitus de catalogo radi fecit, sicut Chelmesigelum, Tetradium, Felicem, Hayminium, et quosdam alios. LINUS (S.). Hic primus aedificavit Bisuntinensem Ecclesiam sancti Stephani, quae usque ad Hilarium permansit. MAXIMINUS (S.). Iste sexto ab urbe milliario, vitam eremiticam duxit, ubi et requiescit. PAULINUS (S.). Iste fuit discipulus beati Maximini; post cujus obitum, in eadem eremo sub persecutione Maximiani latuit. Requiescit autem in ecclesia sancti Stephani, ante altare. EUSEBIUS (S.). Hic fuit discipulus Melchiadis papae. Duobus annis episcopatum tenuit. HILARIUS (S.). Hujus tempore reaedificata est ecclesia sancti Stephani, ab Helena regina, matre Constantini, cum nulla adhuc ecclesia fuisset Bisuntii. PANCRATIUS (S.). Hic fuit contemporaneus Julii papae, a quo etiam episcopus est ordinatus.
English
III. ANOTHER CATALOGUE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF VESONTIO; Excepting those whom a reprobate life or entry caused to be erased from the catalogue, such as Chelmesigelus, Tetradius, Felix, Hayminius, and certain others. LINUS (Saint). He first built the church of Saint Stephen at Besançon, which remained until Hilarius. MAXIMINUS (Saint). He lived a hermit’s life six miles from the city, where he also rests. PAULINUS (Saint). He was a disciple of the blessed Maximinus; after the latter’s death, he hid in the same hermitage during the persecution of Maximian. He rests, however, in the church of Saint Stephen, before the altar. EUSEBIUS (Saint). He was a disciple of Pope Melchiades. He held the episcopate for two years. HILARIUS (Saint). In his time the church of Saint Stephen was rebuilt by Queen Helena, mother of Constantine, when as yet there was no church at Besançon. PANCRATIUS (Saint). He was a contemporary of Pope Julius, by whom he was also ordained bishop.
tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1:2 · narrativehigh
Source
JUSTUS (S.). Hic tempore Juliani Apostatae multam legitur habuisse familiaritatem cum Eusebio martyre, Vercellensi episcopo. ANIANUS (S.). Hic tempore Valentiniani et Valentis aedificavit ecclesiam sanctorum Ferreoli et Ferrucii, milliario ac semis ab urbe distantem. SILVESTER (S.). Hic aedificavit ecclesiam sancti Mauritii. FRONIMINUS (S.). DESIDERATUS (S.). Iste apud villam Ledonis sanctissimam vitam finivit, ubi et requiescit. GERMANUS (S.). Pro isto maximum miraculum operatus est Dominus, apud sanctum Vitum. LEONTIUS (S). CELIDONIUS (S.)· Hujus tempore exstilit adventus brachii sancti Stephani, ad urbem Bisuntinam. ANTIDIUS (S.). Iste decimo ab urbe milliario ubi sepultus fuit, capitalem suscepit sententiam, sub Crosco Vandalorum rege. NICETIUS (S.). Hic fuit contemporaneus et familiaris beati papae Gregorii. Addebatur alia paulo recentiore manu. AEdificavit autem ecclesiam sancti Petri.
English
JUSTUS (S.). He is read to have had much familiarity with Eusebius the martyr, bishop of Vercelli, at the time of Julian the Apostate. ANIANUS (S.). He built the church of Saints Ferreolus and Ferrucius, a mile and a half distant from the city, at the time of Valentinian and Valens. SILVESTER (S.). He built the church of Saint Maurice. FRONIMINUS (S.). DESIDERATUS (S.). He ended his most holy life at the estate of Ledon, where he also rests. GERMANUS (S.). For him the Lord worked a very great miracle at Saint Vitus. LEONTIUS (S.). CELIDONIUS (S.). In his time occurred the arrival of the arm of Saint Stephen at the city of Vesontio. ANTIDIUS (S.). He suffered capital sentence ten miles from the city, where he was buried, under Crosco, king of the Vandals. NICETIUS (S.). He was a contemporary and familiar of the blessed Pope Gregory. Another, slightly later hand added: He also built the church of Saint Peter.
tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1:3 · narrativehigh
Source
PROTADIUS (S.). 18.DONATUS (S.). Per isTum recepit ecclesia villas Domblingum et Arflatum. AEdificavit autem ecclesiam sancti Pauli, in qua etiam in Domino requievit; et Jussanum monasterium cum matre sua Flavia, quae ibi scpulla est. MIGETIUS (S.). TERNATIUS (S.). GERVASIUS (S.) CLAUDIUS (S.). ABBO. Hic magnae abstinentiae fuit, pro qua episcopatum obtinuit. GUADALBERTUS. EVRARDUS. AURULSUS. ERVEUS. GEDEON (S). BERNUINUS. Hic aedificavit ecclesiam sancti Joannis Evangelistae. AMALWINUS. ARDUICUS. Iste acquisivit ecclesiae sancti Stephani ad luminaria concinnanda, salarium Ledonis, de manu Clotarii, nepotis Caroli regis. Abbatiam vero de Bergill, et Toloneum Bisuntii, obtinuit a rege Carolo. THEODORICUS. Per hunc restituit Zuentebolus rex ecclesiae saneti Stephani villam Pauliaci. BERENCARIUS. Iste fuit nepos Theoderici, cui successit in archiepiscopatum; raptus et intronizatus communi electione, ante altare sancti Stephani, cujus erat canonicus. Sed propter Haguinum haereti cum excaecatus. Vicarium habuit in officio pontificali, Stephanum, Belicensem episcopum.
English
PROTADIUS (S.). 18. DONATUS (S.). Through him the church received the estates of Domblingum and Arflatum. He built the church of Saint Paul, in which he also rested in the Lord; and the monastery of Jussanum with his mother Flavia, who is buried there. MIGETIUS (S.). TERNATIUS (S.). GERVASIUS (S.). CLAUDIUS (S.). ABBO. He was of great abstinence, for which he obtained the episcopate. GUADALBERTUS. EVRARDUS. AURULSUS. ERVEUS. GEDEON (S.). BERNUINUS. He built the church of Saint John the Evangelist. AMALWINUS. ARDUICUS. He acquired for the church of Saint Stephen, for the arranging of the lights, the salary of Ledon, from the hand of Clotarius, grandson of King Charles. He obtained the abbey of Bergill and the toll of Besançon from King Charles. THEODORICUS. Through him King Zuentebolus restored the estate of Pauliacus to the church of Saint Stephen. BERENCARIUS. He was the nephew of Theodericus, whom he succeeded in the archbishopric; he was seized and enthroned by common election before the altar of Saint Stephen, of which he was a canon. But on account of the heretic Haguinus he was blinded. He had as his vicar in the pontifical office Stephen, bishop of Belley.
tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1:4 · narrativehigh
Source
GIRFREDUS. GUIDO. GUICHARDUS. LEOTOLDUS. HECTOR. GUALTERIUS. Ilic iterum coepit reaedificare ecclesiam sancti Stephani, ad modum Romanae ecclesiae sancti Petri. HUGO. Iste consummavit, sed multum retractam.
English
GIRFREDUS. GUIDO. GUICHARDUS. LEOTOLDUS. HECTOR. GUALTERIUS. There he again began to rebuild the church of Saint Stephen, after the manner of the Roman church of Saint Peter. HUGO. This man completed it, but greatly reduced in size.
Citation. Tergwame, “Catalogus Alter Episcoporum Vesuntionensis Ecclesiae”, tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/tmp1369.tmp1369.opp-lat1#s1
Colophon. Source: ogl-pl · licence: Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0024 · generated 2026-11-15.