Library › St Gregory of Tours › History of the Franks
History of the Franks
St Gregory of Tours, tr. Dalton, 1927
Book 2, 24. Of the Famine in Burgundy, and of Ecdicius
In the time of Bishop Sidonius a great famine afflicted the Burgundians. The people scattered themselves through all parts, and there was none to give food to the poor. Then Ecdicius, a man of senatorial family, and a relative of Sidonius, putting his trust in God, is said to have done a great thing. For when the famine reached its height, he sent out his servants through neighbouring towns with horses and wains to bring in all who were suffering under this privation. And they went out and brought all the poor whom they could find to his house, where he fed them through the whole time of barrenness, saving them from death by starvation. Many assert that there were more than four thousand persons of both sexes. But when a time of plenty returned, he arranged for their transport home again, and sent back each one of them to his own place. But after all were gone a voice came down to him from above, saying: ‘Ecdicius, Ecdicius, for that thou hast done this thing, bread shall not fail thee or thy seed for ever; for thou hast hearkened to My words, and in nourishing the poor thou hast satisfied My hunger also.’ This Ecdicius is commemorated by many as a man wondrously swift in action; for it is related that once he put to flight a multitude of Goths with ten men. But the holy Patiens, bishop of Lyons, is said to have done like service to the people during the same famine. There is preserved a letter of Sidonius giving him eloquent praise.