Gervasio and Protasius, Saints and Martyrs. — They are commemorated in the *Martyrologium Hieronymianum* on 19 June, the day of their translation to the Ambrosian Basilica in Milan. Their bodies, however, had been discovered two days earlier in the basilica of SS. Nabor and Felix by St Ambrose in 386, at the height of the struggle between the holy bishop and the Empress Justina. The discovery was recounted by the Saint himself in a letter to his sister Marcellina, and is attested by St Augustine and by Paulinus the deacon and biographer of St Ambrose, who were present at the event. The memory of the two martyrs had, however, until that day been almost entirely forgotten in the Milanese Church, and at the time of the discovery only a few elderly people remembered having heard their names and having read the funerary inscription. The time of their martyrdom therefore remains uncertain.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th did a forger compose a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who would have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, G. and P. were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After the death of their parents, they sold all their goods, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day a certain Astasius passed through Milan, on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and invited to sacrifice, but they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while G. died under the lash, P. was beheaded.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th did a forger compose a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who would have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, G. and P. were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After their parents’ death, they sold all their goods, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day a certain Astasius passed through Milan on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and invited to sacrifice, but they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while G. died under the lash, P. was beheaded.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th did a forger compose a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who was said to have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, Gervasius and Protasius were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After their parents’ death, they sold all their possessions, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day, a certain Astasius passed through Milan on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and ordered to sacrifice, which they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while Gervasius died under the lash, Protasius was beheaded.
Gervasius and Protasius, Saints, Martyrs. — They are commemorated in the *Martyrologium Hieronymianum* on 19 June, the day of their translation to the Ambrosian Basilica in Milan. Their bodies, however, had been discovered two days earlier in the basilica of SS. Nabor and Felix by St. Ambrose in 386, at the height of the struggle between the holy bishop and the Empress Justina. The discovery was recounted by Ambrose himself in a letter to his sister Marcellina and is attested by St. Augustine and by Paulinus the Deacon, Ambrose’s biographer, who were present at the event. The memory of the two martyrs had, however, until that day been almost entirely forgotten in the Milanese Church, and at the time of the discovery only a few old men recalled having heard their names and having read the sepulchral inscription. The time of their martyrdom thus remains uncertain.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th did a forger compose a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who was said to have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, Gervasius and Protasius were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After their parents’ death, they sold all their possessions, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day, a certain Astasius passed through Milan on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and ordered to sacrifice, which they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while Gervasius died under the lash, Protasius was beheaded.
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Gervasius and Protasius, Saints, Martyrs. — They are commemorated in the *Martyrologium Hieronymianum* on 19 June, the day of their translation to the Ambrosian Basilica in Milan. Their bodies, however, had been discovered two days earlier in the basilica of SS. Nabor and Felix by St. Ambrose in 386, at the height of the struggle between the saintly bishop and the Empress Justina. The discovery was recounted by Ambrose himself in a letter to his sister Marcellina and is attested by St. Augustine and by Paulinus the Deacon, Ambrose’s biographer, who were present at the event. Until that day, however, the memory of the two martyrs had been almost entirely forgotten in the Milanese Church, and at the time of the discovery only a few elderly men recalled having heard their names and having read the sepulchral inscription. The time of their martyrdom therefore remains uncertain.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th, a forger composed a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who would have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, G. and P. were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After their parents’ death, they sold all their goods, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day, a certain Astasius passed through Milan on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and invited to sacrifice, but they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while G. died under the lash, P. was beheaded.
Gervasio and Protasius, Saints and Martyrs. — They are commemorated in the *Martyrologium Hieronymianum* on 19 June, the day of their translation to the Ambrosian Basilica in Milan. Their bodies, however, had been discovered two days earlier in the basilica of SS. Nabor and Felix by St. Ambrose in 386, during the struggle between the holy bishop and the Empress Justina. The discovery was recounted by the Saint himself in a letter to his sister Marcellina and is attested by St. Augustine and by Paulinus the Deacon, Ambrose’s biographer, who were present at the event. Until that day, however, the memory of the two martyrs had been almost entirely forgotten in the Milanese Church, and at the time of the discovery only a few elderly people recalled having heard their names and having read the sepulchral inscription. The time of their martyrdom therefore remains uncertain.
Only between the end of the 5th century and the beginning of the 6th did a forger compose a *Passio*, inserting it into a pseudo-Ambrosian letter and attributing it to a certain Philip, a contemporary of the martyrs, who was said to have buried them in his own house. According to this *Passio*, G. and P. were twin sons of the saints Vitalis of Ravenna and Valeria of Milan. After their parents’ death, they sold all their goods, distributed them to the poor, and shut themselves up in a small house, where they spent ten years in prayer and meditation. One day, a certain Astasius passed through Milan on his way to war against the Marcomanni; the two brothers were denounced to him, interrogated, and invited to sacrifice, but they refused. They were therefore tormented, and while G. died under the lash, P. was beheaded.