Silvanus (or ''Sylvanus''; french: Silvain, Sauvan, Salvan, Souvain) of Ahun is venerated as a
martyr
A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...
and
saint.
According to the tradition, Silvanus was a
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
who was killed by
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who first inhabited what is now southern Poland. They established Vandal kingdoms on the Iberian Peninsula, Mediterranean islands, and North Africa in the fifth century.
The Vandals migrated to the area betw ...
at the battle of ''Agedunum'' or ''Acitodunum'' (
Ahun) on 16 October 407.
Veneration
The antiquity of his cult is based on the fact that there was an ancient tomb said to carry his relics; the tomb rests in the crypt of the 12th-century church of Saint-Silvain d’Ahun.
In a wood panel dating from 1639, he is depicted dressed in a
dalmatic
The dalmatic is a long, wide-sleeved tunic, which serves as a liturgical vestment in the Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, United Methodist, and some other churches. When used, it is the proper vestment of a deacon at Mass, Holy Communion or other ...
, bearing a book and a palm.
The following places carry Silvanus' name :
*
Saint-Silvain-Bas-le-Roc
*
Saint-Silvain-Bellegarde
*
Saint-Silvain-Montaigut
Saint-Silvain-Montaigut (; Limousin: ''Sant Sauve Mont Agut'') is a commune in the Creuse department in central France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprise ...
*
Saint-Silvain-sous-Toulx
References
407 deaths
Gallo-Roman saints
Year of birth unknown
5th-century Christian martyrs
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