GEREON, Saint, Martyr. - The information concerning him is uncertain and confused. St. Gregory of Tours recalls a splendid basilica in Cologne built in honor of 50 unknown martyrs and commonly called, because of the beautiful mosaics that adorned it, "Ad sanctos aureos." In the Jeronymian Martyrology, 318 martyrs called "Mauri" are commemorated on October 10 in Cologne. On the preceding day, however, G. is commemorated together with 392 companion soldiers, put to death by Maximian in the same Cologne, on the occasion of the war against the Bagaudae.

It seems certain that the three notices concern the same group of martyrs. There also exists a Passio from the 10th century in which it is narrated that G., together with 318 fellow soldiers of the Theban legion, was beheaded at Cologne and thrown into a well for having refused to sacrifice. In their honor St. Helena had a great and beautiful basilica built, called precisely "Ad sanctos aureos." In 1121, under Bishop Norbert, a sarcophagus was opened in the cathedral of Cologne and it was believed that the body of G. was recognized in it.

Bibliography6 works

BIBL.: Gregorio di Tours, In gloria martyrum, 62; Acta SS. Octobris, V, Paris 1868, pp. 14-60; Martyr. Hieronymianum, pp. 547 ff., 550; Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri, Note agiografiche, VII (Studi e Testi, 49), Rome 1928, p. 245 ff.; H. Delchaye, Les origines du culte des martyrs, Brussels 1933, p. 360; Martyr. Romanum, p. 445.

Agostino Amore

@incollection{ec6_gereone_santo_martire, author = {Amore, Agostino}, title = {Gereone, santo, martire}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {110}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/gereone-santo-martire} }

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Gereon, Saint, Martyr

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