De inventione sanctae crucis
The Prehistory of the Holy Wood
The legend traces the wood of the cross from the time of Adam and Seth through Solomon and the Queen of Sheba to its eventual use in the crucifixion.
It's called the Finding of the Holy Cross because the holy cross was reportedly found on this day. It had been found before: by Seth, the son of Adam, in the earthly paradise, as described below; by Solomon in Lebanon; by the Queen of Sheba in Solomon's temple; by the Jews in the pool's water; and today, by Helena at the site of Calvary. The finding of the Holy Cross took place more than two hundred years after the Lord's resurrection; for it is read in the Gospel of Nicodemus that when Adam was falling ill, his son Seth went to the gates of paradise and asked for the oil of the wood of mercy, so that he might anoint his father's body with it and receive healing. The archangel Michael appeared to him and said: "Do not labor or weep to obtain the oil of the wood of mercy, for you will in no way be able to attain it until five thousand five hundred years have been completed," even though it is believed that only five thousand one hundred ninety-nine years had passed from Adam to the passion of Christ. It is also written elsewhere that an angel offered him a small branch and ordered that it be planted on Mount Lebanon. In a certain history of the Greeks, though it is apocryphal, it says the angel handed him a piece of the wood from which Adam sinned, saying that when it bore fruit, his father would be healed. Seth returned to find his father dead, so he planted that branch over his father's grave. Once planted, it grew into a great tree and lasted until the time of Solomon. Whether these things are true, however, should be left to the reader's judgment, since they aren't found in any authentic chronicle or history. Solomon, however, considered the tree so beautiful that he ordered it to be cut down and placed in the House of the Forest. Yet it could nowhere be placed, as John Beleth says, nor could it be found suitable for any location; instead, it would either exceed the length or fall short due to excessive brevity, and if they ever cut it down reasonably according to the requirements of the place, it appeared so short that it was considered completely unsuitable. The craftsmen were indignant at this and rejected it, throwing it over a pool to serve as a bridge for people crossing. When the Queen of Sheba arrived to hear the wisdom of Solomon and wanted to cross that pool, she saw in the spirit that the Savior of the world was to be hung upon that wood; for this reason, she refused to walk over it, but immediately worshipped it. However, the Scholastic History records that the Queen of Sheba saw that wood in the House of the Forest, and upon returning home, she told Solomon that someone would be hung upon it, and by his death, the kingdom of the Jews would be destroyed. Solomon therefore took the wood away and had it buried in the deepest bowels of the earth. Later, the Pool of Bethesda was made there, where the Natmei washed their sacrifices, and it is said that the agitation of the water and the healing of the sick occurred there not only from the descent of an angel, but also from the power of that very wood. It is said that as the Passion of Christ drew near, that wood floated to the surface. When the Jews saw it, they took it and prepared the cross for the Lord; it is said that Christ's cross itself was made of four types of wood: palm, cypress, olive, and cedar. Hence the verse: The woods of the cross are palm, cedar, cypress, and olive.
The Sign of Victory
Constantine receives a vision of the cross, leading to his victory and his mother Helena's mission to Jerusalem.
For there was this fourfold distinction of wood in the cross: the upright beam, the crossbeam, the board placed underneath, and the trunk to which the cross was fixed—or, according to Gregory of Tours, the crossbeam that was under the feet of Christ, from which any of these could have been one of the aforementioned pieces of wood. The Apostle seems to hint at this distinction of wood when he says: 'so that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length, and breadth, and height, and depth.' An eminent doctor explains these words in the same place like this: 'The cross of the Lord,' he says, 'whose breadth is spoken of in the crossbeam where the hands are stretched out; the length, from the ground up to that breadth, where the whole body is fastened below the hands; the height, from the breadth upward, to which the head clings; and the depth, which is hidden, fixed in the earth.' By this sign of the cross, everything. It describes human and Christian action: working well in Christ, clinging to Him with perseverance, hoping for heavenly things, and not profaning the Sacraments. This precious wood of the cross lay hidden under the earth for two hundred years and more, but it was found in this way by Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine. At that time, a vast multitude of barbarians gathered by the Danube, intending to cross the river and bring all the regions as far as the West under their dominion. When the Emperor Constantine heard this. He found out, moved his camp, and positioned himself with his army against the Danube; but as the multitude of barbarians grew and was already crossing the river, Constantine was shaken by extreme terror, seeing that they were going to join battle with him the next day. The following night, an angel woke him and told him to look up. Looking up into the sky, he saw the sign of the cross made of brilliant light, bearing this inscription in golden letters: "In this sign, you will conquer." Strengthened by this heavenly vision, he had a replica of the cross made and ordered it to be carried before his army; then, charging into the enemy, he put them to flight and killed a great multitude. Constantine then summoned all the priests of the temples and inquired very diligently whose God this sign belonged to. When they said they didn't know, some Christians arrived and explained to him the mystery of the holy cross and the faith of the Trinity. He then believed completely in Christ and received holy baptism from Pope Eusebius or, according to some books, from the Bishop of Caesarea. However, many things are stated in this account that are contradicted by the Tripartite History, the Ecclesiastical History, the Life of Saint Silvester, and the Acts of the Roman Pontiffs. According to some, it wasn't this Emperor Constantine who was baptized and converted to the faith by the blessed Pope Sylvester, as some histories suggest, but rather his father, Constantine, as found in other accounts. That Constantine came to the faith in a different way, as read in the history of Saint Sylvester, and it is narrated that he was baptized not by Eusebius, but by Sylvester; yet after that Constantine died, his son Constantine, mindful of his father's victory won by the power of the holy cross, sent his mother Helena to Jerusalem to find the cross itself, as noted below. The ecclesiastical history, however, tells of this victory happening differently. It says that when Maxentius had invaded the Roman Empire, Emperor Constantine arrived near the Milvian Bridge to do battle with him. So, when he was very anxious and kept lifting his eyes to heaven for help to be sent to him, he saw in a dream, toward the eastern part of the sky, a sign glowing with a fiery brightness, and angels standing by, saying to him: 'Constantine, in this you will conquer.' And, as is said in the Tripartite History, while Constantine was wondering what this could mean, Christ appeared to him as night fell, with the sign he had seen in the sky, and ordered that a representation of that sign be made, which would be a help in the heat of battle. Then Constantine, restored to joy and now confident of victory, marked the sign of the cross he had seen in the sky on his forehead, transformed his military standards into the sign of the cross, and carried a golden cross in his right hand. After this, he prayed to the Lord not to allow his right hand, which he had fortified with the sign of the cross, to be stained or defiled by the saving blood of Roman gore, but to grant him victory over the tyrant without the shedding of blood. Maxentius, however, ordered the river to be paved with ships arranged as a trap, and bridges to be laid across and leveled. When Constantine was already approaching the river, Maxentius hurried out to meet him with a few men, ordering the others to follow. Forgetting his own work, he boarded the bridge with a few men, and was deceived by the very trap with which he had intended to deceive Constantine, and was drowned in the depths of the river. Constantine, however, was received unanimously by everyone, and, as is read in a certain quite authentic chronicle, Constantine did not then believe perfectly, nor did he receive the holy Sacrament of baptism at that time; but after some time had passed, he saw that vision of Peter and Paul, and, reborn through the holy Sacrament of baptism by Pope Sylvester and cleansed of leprosy, he thereafter believed perfectly in Christ, and thus sent his mother, Helena, to Jerusalem to seek the Lord's cross. Ambrose, however, in his letter on the death of Theodosius, and the Tripartite History, say that he received baptism when he was at the point of death, having delayed it so that he could be baptized in the river Jordan. Jerome says the same thing in his chronicle. It is certain, however, that he became a Christian under Pope Sylvester, but whether he delayed his baptism is a matter of doubt; hence, there is similar doubt regarding many things in that legend of Saint Sylvester. This history of the finding of the holy cross, which is found in ecclesiastical histories and with which the chronicles also agree, seems to be more authentic than the one recited in the churches. It is clear that there are many things in that account which do not agree with the truth, unless perhaps someone would want to say, as was mentioned above, that it was not Constantine, but Constantine his father; yet that does not seem very authentic, even though it is read that way in some overseas histories. When Helena arrived in Jerusalem, she ordered all the wise men of the Jews found throughout the entire region to be gathered to her.
The Discovery and the Martyrdom of Judas
Helena finds the cross through the testimony of Judas, who is later converted and martyred for his faith.
Now, Helena had previously been a stable-maid, but because of her beauty, Constantine took her for his own, as Ambrose writes: 'They claim she was a stable-maid, but she was joined to Constantine the Elder, who later attained the kingdom: a good stable-maid, who so diligently sought the manger of the Lord; a good stable-maid, who did not ignore that stable-man who cared for the wounds of the one wounded by robbers; a good stable-maid, who preferred to count all things as refuse so that she might gain Christ; therefore, Christ lifted her from the dung-heap to the kingdom.' That is what Ambrose says. Others, however, assert—and it is recorded in a fairly authentic chronicle—that Helena was the daughter of Coel, King of the Britons, whom Constantine married when he came to Britain; since she was her father's only child, the island came to him after Coel's death. The Britons themselves attest to this, although it is written elsewhere that she was from Trier. The Jews, therefore, being very afraid, said to one another: 'Why do you think the queen is having us summoned to her?' But one of them, named Judas, said, 'I know for a fact that she wants to learn from us where the wood of the cross is, on which Christ was crucified. See to it, therefore, that no one dares to confess it to her; if you don't, know for certain that our law will be wiped out and our ancestral traditions will be utterly destroyed.' For Zacchaeus was the grandfather. He foretold it to my father Simon, and my father, while dying, said to me: Look, my son: when the cross of Christ is sought, reveal it before you suffer any torments; for from that time on, the Jewish people will no longer reign, but rather those who worship the Crucified, because Christ himself was the Son of God. To which I said: 'My father, if our ancestors truly knew that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, why did they fasten him to the gallows of the cross?' He answered, 'The Lord knows I was never part of their council, but I often spoke against them. Because he rebuked the vices of the Pharisees, they had him crucified.' He rose on the third day and ascended into heaven while his disciples watched. Stephen, my brother, believed in him, whom the madness of the Jews stoned to death. See to it, my son, that you don't dare to blaspheme him or his disciples. It doesn't seem very likely, however, that this Jew's father could have been alive at the time of Christ's passion, since more than two hundred and seventy years had passed between the passion of Christ and the time of Helena, under whom Judas lived—unless, perhaps, one were to argue that people lived longer then than they do now. The Jews therefore said to Judas, 'We have never heard such things, but if the queen asks about this, make sure you don't confess it to her in any way.' When they stood before the queen and she asked them about the place where the Lord had been crucified, and they refused to tell her, she ordered them all to be burned with fire. Terrified, they handed over Judas, saying, "My lady, this man is the son of a just man and a prophet; he knows the law perfectly and will tell you everything you ask." She let the others go but kept Judas, telling him, "Death and life are set before you; choose which you prefer." Show me, then, the place called Golgotha, where the Lord was crucified, so that I may find his cross. Judas replied, "How could I possibly know that place? It’s been over two hundred years, and I wasn't even born then." The queen said to him, "By the Crucified One, I will starve you to death unless you tell me the truth." She ordered him thrown into a dry pit and left there to suffer from hunger. After he had been there for six days without food, he asked to be brought out on the seventh day and promised that he would point out the cross. When he had been brought to the place and had prayed there, the ground suddenly shook and the scent of wonderful spices was felt, so that Judas, amazed, clapped his hands and said, "In truth, Christ, you are the Savior of the world." There was, however, a temple of Venus in that place, as is read in church histories, which the Emperor Hadrian had built there so that if any Christian wanted to worship in that spot, it would appear they were worshipping Venus; for this reason, the place had become unfrequented and almost forgotten. The queen, however, had the temple completely destroyed and the ground plowed up. After this, Judas girded himself and began to dig with vigor, and after digging twenty paces, he found three hidden crosses, which he immediately carried to the queen. Since they didn't know how to distinguish the cross of Christ from those of the thieves, they placed them in the middle of the city, waiting there for the glory of the Lord. Look, when a certain dead youth was being carried by around the ninth hour, Judas stopped the bier and placed the first and second cross upon the body of the deceased, but he didn't rise at all; however, upon applying the third, the deceased immediately returned to life. In church histories, however, it is written that when a certain noblewoman of the city was lying half-dead, Macarius, the Bishop of Jerusalem, applied the first and second cross, but it accomplished nothing; he applied the third, however, and the woman, with her eyes opened, immediately... was healed and rose. Ambrose, however, says that he distinguished the very cross of the Lord by the title that Pilate had placed there, which he found and read in that same place. The devil, however, was shouting in the air, "O Judas, why have you done this?" You’ve worked against me, Judas. He committed the betrayal at my urging, but you, against my wishes, found the cross of Jesus. Through him I gained the souls of many, but through you I seem to be losing those I’d already gained. Through him I reigned among the people, but through you I’m now being cast out of my kingdom. Nevertheless, I’ll pay you back in kind, and I’ll raise up another king against you who, abandoning the faith of the Crucified, will force you with tortures to deny the Crucified One. This is indeed said to refer to Julian the Apostate, who subjected Judas, the bishop made in Jerusalem, to many tortures and made him a martyr for Christ. Hearing the devil shouting, Judas wasn’t afraid at all, but constantly cursed him, saying, "May Christ condemn you to the abyss of eternal fire." After this, Judas was baptized, given the name Quiriacus, and upon the death of the bishop of Jerusalem, was ordained bishop in his place. But since the blessed Helena did not have the nails of the Lord, she asked Bishop Quiriacus to go to the place and search for the Lord's nails. When he arrived and poured out prayers to the Lord, the nails suddenly appeared in the ground, shining like gold; he took them and brought them to the queen, who, however... ...falling to her knees and bowing her head, adored them with great reverence. Helena therefore took a part of the cross to her son and left a part behind, encased in silver, in that place. But she carried the nails that had pierced the Lord's body to her son; as Eusebius of Caesarea reports, he fashioned the bridle he used for war from them and armed his helmet with the others. Some, however, assert—as Gregory of Tours does—that there were four nails in the Lord's body; Helena placed two of them in the emperor's bridle, set the third in the statue of Constantine that overlooks the city of Rome, and threw the fourth into the Adriatic Sea, which until then had been a whirlpool for sailors, ordering that this feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross be celebrated solemnly every year. Ambrose, however, says this: Helena sought the nails of the Lord and found them, and she ordered bridles to be made from one, and wove a diadem from another; rightly, a nail is in the head, a crown on the top, and a rein in the hand, so that wisdom may excel, faith may shine, and power may rule. Julian the Apostate later killed the holy bishop Quiriacus because he had found the holy cross, at a time when Julian was striving to destroy the sign of the cross everywhere. For when he was marching against the Persians, he began to invite Quiriacus to sacrifice to idols; when he refused, Julian had his right hand cut off, saying: 'With this hand he wrote many letters by which he turned many from...' He turned them away from the sacrifices of the gods. Quiriacus said to him: 'You've done me a great service, you senseless dog, because before I believed in Christ, I often wrote letters to the synagogues of the Jews so that no one would believe in Christ, and now you've cut off the instrument of my body that did this.' Then Julian had lead melted and poured into his mouth, and then had an iron bed brought, and had Quiriacus stretched out on it, and coals, salt, and fat scattered over him. But when Quiriacus remained unmoved, Julian said to him: 'If you don't wish to sacrifice to the gods, at least...'
The Power of the Cross
The chapter concludes with accounts of the cross's power to repel demons and the divine favor shown to those who remain faithful.
say that you aren't a Christian. Because he cursed him and refused, he ordered a deep pit to be made and venomous snakes to be placed inside, and for Quiriacus to be thrown into it; yet the snakes died immediately, and Julian ordered Quiriacus into a cauldron of oil. He was thrown into the boiling oil, and as he was signing himself and wanted to enter it of his own free will, he asked the Lord to baptize him again in the bath of martyrdom; Julian, in a rage, ordered his chest to be pierced with a sword, and thus he earned his completion in the Lord. How great the power of the cross is, however, is clear in the case of that faithful notary whom a certain magician deceived and led to a place where he had summoned demons, promising him that he would abound in many riches; and behold, he saw a great Ethiopian sitting on a high throne, and around him other Ethiopians standing with spears and clubs, and then he asked the aforementioned magician, saying, 'Who is this boy?' And he replied, 'Lord, he is our servant.' The demon said to him, 'If you are willing to worship me, become my servant, and deny your Christ, I will make you sit at my right hand.' He, however, immediately made the sign of the cross and exclaimed that he was freely a servant of Christ the Savior, and immediately as he made the sign of the cross, that whole multitude of demons vanished. After this, when the notary had entered the temple of Holy Sophia with his master, both stood before the image of the Savior. His master noticed that the image had its eyes fixed upon the notary and was looking at him intently. Seeing this, the master was amazed and had the young man stand on his right, and he saw the image turn its eyes toward that side again and keep them fixed on the notary. Then he had him move to the left, and look, the image turned its eyes again and began to look at the notary just as before. Then, urged by his master to tell him what he had earned before God that caused the image to look at him in this way, he said that he was conscious of no good deed, except that he had refused to deny Him in the presence of the devil.
Read the original Latin
Inventio sanclae crucis dicitur, quia tali die sancta crux inventa fuisse refertur. Nam et antea fuit inventa a Seth, filio Adam, in terrestri paradiso, sicut infra narratur, a Salomone in Libano, a regina Saba in Salomonis templo, a Judaeis in aqua piscinae, hodie ab Helena in morte Calvariae.
Inventio sanctae crucis post annos CC et amplius a resurrectione domini facta est, legitur enim in evangelio Nicodemi, quod cum Adam infirmaretur, Seth filius ejus portas paradisi adiit et oleum ligni misericordiae, quo corpus patris peruugeret et sanitatem reciperet, postulavit. Cui apparens Michael archangelus ait: noli laborare neque flere pro oleo ligni misericordiae obtinendo, quia nullatenus illud assequi poteris, nisi quando completi fuerint quinque millia quingenti anni, licet ab Adam usque ad passionem Christi anni tantumquinque millia centum nonaginta novem fluxisse credantur. Legitur quoque alibi, quod angelus eidem ramuseulum quendam obtulit et jussit, quod in monte Libani plantaretur. In quadam vero hystoria Graecorum licet apocrypha legitur, quod angelus de ligno, in quo peccavit Adam, eidem tradidit discens, quod, quando faceret fructum, pater sanaretur. Qui rediens et patrem mortuum inveniens ipsum ramum super tumulum patris plantavit, qui plantatus in arborem magnam crevit et usque ad Salomonis tempora perduravit. Utrum autem haec vera sint, lectoris judicio relinquatur, cum in nulla chronica vel hystoria authentica haec legantur. Salomon autem arborem tam pulchram considerans ipsam praecepit incidi et in domo saltus locari. Nusquam tamen, ut ait Johannes Beleth, locari poterat nec alicui loco apta reperiri valebat, sed modo aut excedebat longitudinem ant deficiebat nimia brevitate, si quando vero secundum loci exigentiam ipsam rationabiliter decurtassent, adeo brevis videbatur, quod omnino incongrua habebatur.
Ob hoc indignati artifices ipsam reprobaverunt et super quendam lacum, ut esset pons transeuntibus, projecerunt. Regina autem Saba cum venisset audire sapientiam Salomonis et praedictum lacum transire vellet, vidit in spiritu, quod salvator mundi in ligno suspendendus fuerat, et ideo super illud lignum transire noluit, sed ipsum protinus adoravit. In hystoria tamen scholastica legitur, quod praedictum lignum regina Saba in domo saltus vidit, cumque ad domum suam redisset, intimavit Salomoni, quod, in illo ligno quidam suspendendus esset, per cujus mortem Judaeorum regnum deleri deberet. Salomon igitur praedictum lignum inde sustulit et in profundissimis terrae visceribus illud demergi fecit. Postea probatica piscina ibidem facta est, ubi Natmei hostias abluebant, et non solum ex descensu angeli, sed etiam ex virtute ipsius ligni traditnr ibi fieri et aquae commotionem et infirmorum curationem. Appropinquante vero passione Christi praedictum lignum supernatasse perhibetur. Cum autem illud Judaei vidissent, ipsum acceperunt et crucem domino paraverunt, ipsa autem crux Christi ex quatuor generibus lignorum fuisse perhibetur, scilicet palmae, cypressi, olivae et cedri. Unde versus: Ligna crucis palma, cedrus, cypressus, oliva.
In cruce enim fuit haec quadruplex differentia lignorum, scilicet lignum erectum, lignum transversum, tabnla supposita et truncus, cui crux erat infixa, vel secundum Gregorium Turonensem tabula transversa, quae fuit sub pedibus Christi, unde quodlibet horum potuit esse alicujus praedictorum lignorum. Hanc differentiam lignorum videtur apostolus innuere, cum dicit: nt possitis compreheudere cum omnibus sanctis, quae sit longitudo, latitudo , sublimitas et profundum. Quae verba ibidem doctor egregius sic exponit: crucem, inquit, domini, cujus latitudo dicitur in transverso ligno, quo extenduntur manus, longitudo a terra usque ad ipsam latitudinem, quo a manibus infra totum corpus affigitur, altitudo a latitudine usque sursum, cni adhaeret caput, profundum vero, quod terrae infixum absconditur. Quo signo crucis omnis. actio humana et christiana describitur, bene operari in Christo et ei perseveranter inhaerere, sperare coelestia, sacramenta non profanate. Istud lignum crucis pretiosum per annos CC et ultra sub terra latuit, sed ab Helena, matre Constantini imperatoris, hoe modo repertum fuit. In tempore illo congregata est juxta Danubium fluvium multitudo innumerabilis barbarorum, volens fluvium transire et omnes regiones ' usque ad occidentem suo dominio subjugare. Quod ubi Constantinus imperator .
comperit, castra movit et contra Danubium se cum suo exercitu collocavit, at barbarorum crescente multitudine et jam fluvium ztranseunte Constantinus nimio terrore concutitur videns, quod essent die crastino cnm eo proelium commissuri. Sequenti- i igitur nocte ab angelo excitatur et, ut sursum respiciat, 'admonetur. Qui in coelum adspiciens vidit signum crucis ex clarissimo lumine factum litteris aureis hunc titulum habens scriptum: in hoc signo vinces. Qui coelesti visione confortatus similitudinem crucis fecit et ipsam ante suum exercitum ferri jussit irruensque in hostes ipsos in fugam vertit et multitudinem maximam interfecit. Tunc Constantinus omnes templorum pontifices convocavit et cujus Dei hoc signum esset, diligentius inquisivit. Quibus se nescire dicentibus quidam christiani advenerunt et ei sanctae crucis mysterium et fidem trinitatis plehius narraverunt. Qui in Christum perfecte tunc credidit et ab Eusebio papa vel, secundum quosdam libros, a Caesariensi episcopo sacrum baptisma suscepit. Sed in hac hystoria multa ponuntur, quibus contradicit hystoria tripartita et ecclesiastica et vita sancti Silvestri et gesta pontificum Romanorum.
Secundum quosdam mon fuit iste Constantinus imperator, qui a beato Silvestro papa fuit baptizatus et ad fidem conversus, sicut aliquae hystoriae videntur innuere, sed fuit Constantinus pater ipsius Constantini, sicut in aliquibus hystoriis invenitur. Ille enim Constantinus alio modo ad fidem venit, sicut in hystoria sancti Silvestri legitur, neo ab Eusebio, sed a Silvestro baptizatus fuisse narratur, Mortuo tamen ipso Constantino Constantinus memor victoriae patris, quam virtnte sanctae crucis habuerat, Helenam matrem suam Hierosolymam pro ipsa cruce invenienda transmisit, sicut inferius est notatum. Hystoria tamen ecclesiastica hano victoriam aliter factam narrat. Aitenim, quod, cum Maxentius Romanum imperium invasisset, Constantinus imperator juxta pontem Albinum cum Maxentio conflicturus advenit. Cum igitur anxius multum esset et pro sibi mittendo auxilio ad coelum oculos crebro levaret, vidit per soporem ad orientis partem in coelo signum fulgore igneo rutilare angelosque adstare et sibi dicere: Constantine, in hoc vinces. Et, ut dicitur in hystoria tripartita, dum Constantinus, quid hoc esset, miraretur, Christus nocte superveniente eidem apparuit cum signo, quod vidit in coelo, jussitque ut fieret ejus signi figuratio, quod foret auxilium in congressibus proeliorum. Tunc Constantinus laetus redditus et de victoria jam securus signum crucis, quod in coelo viderat, in sua fronte designat, vexilla militaria in signaculum crucis transformat et in manu dextra auream crucem portat. Post hoe dominum exoravit, ne dexteram suam, quam signo crucis munierat, salutari cruore Romani sanguinis cruentari vel macnlari permitteret, sed sine sanguinis effusione victoriam sibi de tyranno praestaret.
Maxentius autem jussit, navibus ad decipulam compositis, fluvium sterni et suppositis pontibusexaequari. Cum jam autem Constantinus ad fluvium appropinquaret, Maxentius in occursum cum paucis velocius ei pergit jubens, ut caeteri subsequantur, suique oblitus operis pontem cum paucis conscendit et decipula, qua Constantinum decipere volebat, est deceptus et in fluvii profundum demersus, Constantinus vero ab omnibus unanimiter est susceptus et, sicut legitur in quadam chronica satis authentica, ConStantinus tunc perfecte non credidit nec tunc sacrum baptisma suscepit, sed aliquanto temporis interjecto visionem illam Petri et Pauli vidit et sacro baptismate per Silvestrum papam renatus et a lepra mundatus in Christum deinceps perfecte credidit et sic mairem suam Helenam Hierosolymam misit, ut crucem domini requireret. Ambrosius tamen in epistola de obitu Theodosii et hystoria tripartita diennt, quod in ultimis constitutus baptisma suscepit, baptismum- differens, ut posset in Jordanis flumine baptizari. Hoc idem dicit Hieronymus in chronica. Certum cst antem, quod sub Silvestro papa christianus effectus est, utrum autem baptismum distulit, in dubium vertitur, unde de illa legenda sancti Silvestri quo ad plura similiter dubitatur. Haec igitur bystoria de inventione sanctae crucis, quae in ecclesiasticis hystoriis invenitur, cui etiam consonant chronicae, videlur esse magis authentica quam illa, quae per ecclesias recitatur. Constat enim multa ibidem esse, quae non consonant veritati, nisi forte quis vellet dicere, ut superius dictum est, quod non fuit Constantinus, sed Constantinus pater ejus; quod tamen multum authenticum non videtur, licet in quibusdam ultramarinis hystoriis sic legatur. Cum antem Helena Jerusalem advenisset, omnes Judaeorum sapientes, qui per totam regionem reperti sunt, ad se congregari praecepit.
Haec autem Helena prius stabularia fuerat, sed propter ejus pulchritudinem Gonstantinus eam sibi convinxit, secundum quod dicit Ambrosius in haec verba: stabulariam hanc fuisse asserunt, sed conjuncta est Constantino seniori, qui postea regnum adeptus est: bona stabularia, quae tam diligenter praesepe domini requisivit, bona stabularia, quae illum stabularium non ignoravit, qui vulnera curavit a latronibus vulnerati, bona stabularia, quae maluit omnia aestimare stercora, ut Christum lucrifaceret: ideo illam Christus de stercore levavit ad regnum. Haec autem Ambrosius. Alii yero asserunt et in quadam chronica satis authentica legitur, quod ipsa Helena fuit filia Clohelis regis Britonum, quam Gonstantinus in Britanniam veniens, cum esset unica patri suo, duxit nxorem, unde insula post mortem Clohelis sibi devenit. Hoc et ipsi Britones attestantur, licet alibi legatur, quod fuerit Trevirensis. Judaei igitur nimium formidantes dicebant ad invicem: quare putatis, quod regina nos ad se faciat convocari? Unus autem ex iis nomine Judas dixit: scio enim, quia vult a nobis discere, ubinam sit lignum crucis, ín quo Christus crucifixus fuit Videte ergo, ne aliquis sibi confiteri praesumat,si non autem, certissime sciatis, quod lex nostra evacuabitur et paternae traditiones funditus destruentur. Zachaeus enim avus . meus praennntiavit patri meo Symoni et pater moriens dixit mihl: .
vide, fili, quando inquiretur crux Christi, illam manifesta, antequam aliqua patiaris tormenta: nusquam enim extunc gens Judaeorum regnabit, sed illi, qui crucifixum adorant, quia ipse Christus filius Dei erat. Cui ergo dixi: pater mi, si vere patres nostri Jesnm Christum esse Dei filium cognoverunt, cur ipsum crucis patibulo affixerunt? Et respondit: novit dominus, quia nunquam in consilio eorum exstiti, sed iis saepius contradixi: quia vero ipse Pharisaeorum vitia exprobrabat, ipsum crucifigi fecerunt. Ipse vero die tertia resurrexit et coelos discipulis videntibus penetravit. In quem Stephanus frater meus credidit, quem Judaeorum vesania lapidavit. Vide ergo, fili, ne ipsum vel discipulos ejus audeas blasphemare. Non videtar autem multum probabile, quod pater istius Judaei tempore passionis Christi esse potuerit, cum a passione Christi usque ad Helenam, sub qua Judas fuit, fluxerint plus quam ducenti septuaginta anni, nisi forte diceretur, quod tunc homines plus quam modo vivebant. Dixerunt ergo Judaei ad Judam: nos talia nunquam audivimus, verumtamen si de hoo regina quaesierit, vide ne hoc sibi aliquatenus confitearis.
Cum ergo illi ante reginam stetissent et illa eos interrogasset de loco, ubi fuerit dominus crucifixus, et ipsi locum nullatenus indicare vellent, jussit eos omnes igne cremari. At illi omnes timentes tradiderunt Judam dicentes: hic, domina, justi et prophetae filius optime novit legem et tibi omnia, quae quaesieris, ab eo indicabit. Tunc illa omnes dimittens tenuit Judam solum, cui dixit: mors et vita tibi proposita sunt, quid malueris, elige. Ostende igitur mihi locum, qui Golgatha dicitur, ubi fnit dominus crucifixus, ut crucem ejus invenire possim. Respondit Judas: quomodo locum scire valeam, cum ducenti anni jam et amplius fluxerint, et nequaquam illo tempore natus essem. Cui regina: per crucifixum fame te perimam, nisi mihi dixeris veritatem. Ipsum igitur in puteum siccum jussit projici et ibidem famis molestia cruciari. Cum ergo ibidem VI diebus sine cibo mansisset, die septimo extrahi petiit et crucem se indicaturum promisit.
Cum ergo extractus ad locum venisset et ibidem orasset, locus subito commovetur et fumus aromatum miri odoris sentitur, ita ut miratus Judas ambabus manibus plauderet et diceret: in veritate, Christe, tu es salvator mundi. Erat autem in loco illo, sicut in ecclesiasticis hystoriis legitur, templum Veneris, quod Hadrianus imperator ibidem construxerat, ut, si quis christianorum in loco illo adorare voluisset,- videretur Venerem adorare, et ob hoc infrequens et paene oblivioni datus faerat locus; regina autem templum funditus fecit destrui et locum inarari. Post hoo Judas praecingens se viriliter fodere coepit et XX passus fodiens tres cruces absconditas reperit, quas ad reginam protinus deportavit. Cum autem crucem Christi ab illis latronum nescirent discernere, eas In medio civitatis posuerunt ibidem gloriam domini praestolantes et. ecce cum circa horam nonam quidam juvenis mortuus deferretur, Judas feretrum tenuit et primam et secundam crucem super corpus defuncti apposuit, sed nequaquam ille surrexit, apponens autem tertiam protinus rediit defunctus ad vitam. In hystoriis autem ecclesiasticis legitur, quod cum quaedam mulier primaria civitatis semiviva jaceret, Macarius episcopus Hierosolymitanus primam et secundam crucem adhibuit, sed nihil profecit, tertiam vero apposuit et mulier apertis oculis protinus. sanata surrexit. Ambrosius vero dicit, quod discrevit ipsam crucem domini per titulum, quem posuerat Pylatus, quem titulum ibidem invenit et legit.
Dyabolus autem in aére vociferabatur dicens: o Juda, quid hoc fecisti? Judae meo contraria operatus es: nam ille me suadente fecit proditionem et tu me renuente Jesu invenisti crucem:per illum multorum lucratus sum animas, per te perdere videor jam lucratas: per illum regnabam in populo, per te jam expellar a regno; verumtamen tibi vicem rependam et contra te regem alium suscitabo, qui fidem deserens crucifixi cum tormeptis te negare faciet crucifixum. Quod quidem de Juliano apostata dictam videtur, qui Judam episcopum Hierosolymis factum multis tormentis affecit et martirem Christi fecit. Audiens Judas vociferantem dyabolum nihil extimuit, sed constanter dyabolo maledixit dicens: Christus te damnet in abyssum ignis aeterni, Post hoc Judas baptizatur, Quiriacus appellatur et Hierosolymorum defuncto episcopo ibidem in episcopum ordinatur. Verum cum beata Helena clavos domini non haberet, rogavit episcopum Quiriacum, ut ad locum pergeret et clavos domini quaereret. Qui cnm venisset et ad dominum preces fudisset, continuo velut aurum clavi fulgentes in terra apparuerunt, quos ille accipiens reginae detulit: illa autem. genua figens in terra et caput inclinans eos cum multa reverentia adoravit. Crucis ergo partem Helena detulit filio, partem vero thecis argenteis conditam reliquit in loco, clavos vero, quibus dominicum corpus fuerat affixum, portat ad filium, ex quibus, ut Eusebius Caesariensis refert, frenos, quibus uteretur ad bellum, composuit et ex aliis galeam suam armavit.
Nonnulli autem asserunt, ut Gregorius Turonensis, clavos quatuor in dominico corpore fuisse, ex quibus Helena duos in freno imperatoris posuit, tertiam in Imagine Constantini, qui Romae supereminet urbi, locavit et quartum in mare Adriaticum, quod usque tunc fuerat navigantium vorago, projecit, praecipiens hoc festum de inventione sanctae crucis singulis annis sollemniter celebrari. Ambrosius vero sic ait: quaesivit Helena clavos domini et invenit et de uno frenos fieri praecepit, de altero dyadema intexuit: recte clavus in capite, corona in vertice et in manu habena, ut sensus praeemineat, fides luceat, potestas regat. Sanctum autem Quiriacum episcopum Julianus apostata postmodum interfecit ex eco, quod sanctam crucem invenit, cum ubique signum crucis destruere niteretur. Cum enim contra Persas pergeret, coepit Quiriacum invitare ad sacrificium ydolorum: quod eum ille renueret, dextram sibi abscidi fecit dicens : hac manu multas epistolas scripsit, quibus multos a ? Deorum sacrificiis revocavit. Cui dixit Quiriacus: multum mihi,canis- insensate, profuisti, quia priusquam in Ghristum crederem, saepius ad synagogas Judaeorum scribebam epistolas, ut nullus in Christum crederet, et ecce nune scandalum mei corporis abscidisti. Tunc Julianus plumbum fecit liquari et in os ejus infundi, deinde lectum ferreum afferri et in eo Quiriaeum extendi et desuper carbones, sal et adipem spargi. Sed cum Quiriacus immobilis permaneret, dixit ei Julianus: si non vis sacrificare Diis, saltem .
die te Christianum non esse. Qui eum exsecrans recusaret, jussit altam foveam fieri et serpentes venenatos ibidem poni et Quiriacum in eandem jactari, sed tamen serpentes continuo mortui sunt, Jussitque Julianus Quiriacum in caldariam oleo. ferventissimo plenam mitti, qui dum se signans sponte intrare vellet, rogavit dominum, ut eum iterum de martirii lavacro baptizaret; iratus Julianus jussit pectus ejus gladio perforari et sic in domino consummari promeruit. Quanta autem sit virtus crucis, in illo fideli notario patet, quem quidam magus decepit et ad quendam locum, in quem daemones advocaverat, duxit promittens ei, quod multis divitiis abundaret, et ecce vidit quendam magnum Aethiopem super excelsum thronum sedentem et in circuitu ejus alios Aethiopes circa eum cum lanceis et fustibus stantes; tuno ille magum praedictum interrogavit dicens : quis est iste puer? Et ille: domine, servus noster est. Cui daemon: si vis me adorare et servus meus esse et Christum tuum negare, faciam te sedere in dextera mea. llle autem signum crucis mox edidit et se Christi salvatoris servum libere esso exclamavit, statimque ut edidit signum crucis, omnis illa, daemonum multitudo evanuit. Post hoc cum quadam vice templum sanctae Sophiae praedietus notarins cum domino suo intrasset et ante salvatoris imaginem ambo starent, vidit dominus suus, quod praedicta imago super notarium oculos fixos haberet et ipsum attente respiceret.
Quod videns dictus dominus et admirans juvenem ex parte dextera stare fecit viditque, quod imago in illam iterum partem oculos volvisset et super notarium fixos haberet, rursumque fecit ipsum ire ex parte sinistra et ecce iterum imago oculos volvit et notarium ut prius respicere coepit. Tunc adjuratus a domino, ut sibi diceret, quid apud Deum mernisset, propter quod sic eum imago respiceret, dixit, se nullius boni conscium esse, nisi quod eum coram dyabolo negare noluisset.
The Golden Legend (Legenda Aurea) companion
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