Saint Armogastes

The following year , Armogas Armogaste Count and confessor of the faith, victim of the Vandal persecution in the 5th century. te, who belonged to the court o f Theodor Théodoric Breton prince responsible for the massacre of Guigner and his companions. ic, second son of Genseric, had resisted the offers and threats of the perfidious Arians, when he saw the executioners coming, who violently bound his legs with cords and his temples with ox sinews. The holy man, in the midst of this anguish, raised his eyes to heaven, invoking the Lord Jesus Christ; however, the bonds broke several times, to the great astonishment of the Arians, who doubled the cords and repeated the torture. But their surprise was much greater when they saw on his forehead, not deep marks or broken skin, but simple wrinkles. He was suspended by one foot, head down; but without succeeding in shaking him, nor, it seems, in making him suffer: for, supported by the help of God, he appeared to sleep peacefully as if he were on a soft bed. At this news, Theodoric ordered that his head be cut off; but Jocundus, an Arian priest, pointed out to the prince that, by taking the life of this man , he wou Jocundus Arian priest who advised Theodoric not to execute Armogastes to avoid making him a martyr. ld give the Romans (that is to say, the Catholics) cause to honor him as a martyr. Consequently, changing his mind, he had Armogaste relegated to Byzacena, condemning him to earthworks. Later, the holy Confessor was brought back to the countryside of Carthage and, to expose him to the contempt of all, reduced to being a cowherd. He bore this ignominy with the same constancy he had shown in his first trials; then, knowing that the day of his death was approaching, he sent for Felix, a sincere Catholic although steward of Theodoric's house, and showed him the place where he wis hed h Félix Priest tasked with carrying the relics and the pope's letter. is body to be buried under a tree. His friend was reluctant to promise him this, saying that he fully intended to bury him in one of the city's basilicas; but the holy man insisted so strongly that he obtained Felix's word. Some time later, Armogaste was delivered by death; and Felix, faithful to his commitment, was setting about having the earth dug in the marked place to render him the last offices, when he found in the excavation begun for this purpose a marble sarcophagus such as one would hardly have made for a king. Joyful at this discovery, he placed the body of the courageous athlete of the faith in this marvelous sepulcher. As for Theodoric and his friend Jocundus, their Arian zeal was counted for little under the following reign.

Memories of the Church of Africa.

The following year, Armogaste, who belonged to the court of Theodoric, the second son of Gaiseric, had resisted the offers and threats of the perfidious Arians, when he saw the executioners coming, who violently bound his legs with cords and his temples with ox sinews. The holy man, in the midst of this anguish, raised his eyes to heaven, invoking the Lord Jesus Christ; however, the bonds broke several times, to the great astonishment of the Arians, who doubled the cords and repeated the torture. But their surprise was much greater when they saw on his forehead, not deep marks or broken skin, but simple wrinkles. He was suspended by one foot, head downwards; but without succeeding in shaking him, or, it seems, in making him suffer: for, supported by the help of God, he appeared to sleep peacefully as if he were on a soft bed. Upon this news, Theodoric ordered that his head be cut off; but Jocundus, an Arian priest, pointed out to the prince that, by taking the life of this man, he would give the Romans (that is to say, the Catholics) cause to honor him as a martyr. Consequently, changing his mind, he had Armogaste relegated to Byzacena, condemning him to earthworks. Later, the holy Confessor was brought back to the countryside of Carthage and, to expose him to the contempt of all, reduced to being a cowherd. He bore this ignominy with the same constancy he had shown in his first trials; then, knowing that the day of his death was approaching, he sent for Felix, a sincere Catholic although steward of Theodoric's house, and showed him the place where he wished his body to be buried under a tree. His friend was reluctant to promise him this, saying that he fully intended to bury him in one of the basilicas of the city; but the holy man insisted so strongly that he obtained Felix's word. Some time later, Armogaste was delivered by death; and Felix, faithful to his commitment, was preparing to have the earth dug in the place marked out to render him the last offices, when he found in the excavation begun for this purpose a marble sarcophagus such as one would hardly have made for a king. Joyful at this discovery, he placed the body of the courageous athlete of the faith in this marvelous sepulcher. As for Theodoric and his friend Jocundus, their Arian zeal was counted for little under the following reign.

The following year, Armogaste, who belonged to the court of Theodoric, second son of Genseric, had resisted the offers and threats of the perfidious Arians, when he saw the executioners coming who violently bound his legs with cords and his temples with ox sinews. The holy man, in the midst of this anguish, raised his eyes to heaven, invoking the Lord Jesus Christ; however, the bonds broke several times, to the great astonishment of the Arians, who doubled the cords and repeated the torture. But their surprise was much greater when they saw on his forehead, not deep marks or broken skin, but simple wrinkles. He was suspended by one foot, head down; but without succeeding in shaking him, or, it seems, in making him suffer: for, supported by the help of God, he appeared to sleep peacefully as if he were on a soft bed. At this news, Theodoric ordered that he be beheaded; but Jocundus, an Arian priest, pointed out to the prince that, by taking the life of this man, he would give the Romans (that is to say, the Catholics) cause to honor him as a martyr. Consequently, changing his mind, he had Armogaste relegated to Byzacena, condemning him to earthworks. Later, the holy Confessor was brought back to the countryside of Carthage and, to expose him to the contempt of all, reduced to being a cowherd. He endured this ignominy with the same constancy he had shown in his first trials; then, knowing that the day of his death was approaching, he sent for Felix, a sincere Catholic although steward of Theodoric's house, and showed him the place where he wished his body to be buried under a tree. His friend was reluctant to promise him this, saying that he fully intended to bury him in one of the city's basilicas; but the holy man insisted so strongly that he obtained Felix's word. Some time later, Armogaste was delivered by death; and Felix, faithful to his commitment, was setting about having the earth dug in the place marked out to perform the last rites for him, when he found in the excavation begun for this purpose a marble sarcophagus such as one would hardly have made for a king. Joyful at this discovery, he deposited the body of the courageous athlete of the faith in this marvelous sepulcher. As for Theodoric and his friend Jocundus, their Arian zeal was counted for little under the following reign.

Memories of the Church of Africa.