AURELIANO di ARLES. - He held the episcopal see of this city in the years 546–55. For the two monasteries founded at Arles by the Frankish king Childeberto, one for men and the other for women, A. composed two rules:
Ad monachos and Ad virgines, which are expanded reworkings of the rules of St. Cesario.
Some prescriptions are noteworthy: it was forbidden to send or receive letters without the abbot’s permission (art. 6); no one could keep food or drink beside his bed, but everything had to be deposited in the common storeroom (art. 7); only free men were admitted as religious (art. 18); manual labor was recommended and was to be joined with prayer (art. 24); all were to learn to read (art. 32); except for rare exceptions, only the abbot could be ordained a priest (art. 6); the monks were vegetarians: meat was tolerated only in case of illness (art. 51), and it was forbidden to take food or drink outside mealtimes (art. 52).
There also survives a letter to King Teudeberto, written in accordance with the practice of the Roman Chancery, in rhythmic prose.
A. is venerated as a saint, and his feast falls on 16 June.