Saint Simplicius of Autun

Simplicius (died Autun, 4th century) was a Roman bishop in 4th-century Gaul, venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. What we know of the holy bishop Simplicius comes from the De gloria confessorum by Gregory of Tours (late 6th century), who testifies to having seen his tomb in Autun alongside that of Saint Cassian. In this work, Gregory provides a brief episcopal list for Autun, consisting of four saints in order: Reticius, Cassian, Hegemonius, and Simplicius. The first bishop in this series is documented at the Council of Arles in 314; for the other three, including Simplicius, there is no precise chronological data. Regarding Saint Simplicius, Gregory of Tours reports the following: of noble origins, he was married but lived in chastity with his wife; his fellow citizens chose him as the successor to Hegemonius on the cathedra of Autun. He also recounts a miracle performed by Simplicius one day to demonstrate the falsity of the cult that some pagans, in a procession, attributed to Cybele Berecynthia. He further mentions slanders directed at Simplicius, who, even as bishop, continued to live with his wife; another miracle convinced the skeptics of the falsity of their accusations. It is difficult to establish a chronology for the episcopate of Simplicius. The name of Simplicius of Autun appears in the lists of bishops who took part in the pseudo-council of Cologne in 346, while in the Council of Valence of 374, the name appears in the subscriptions, though without an indication of his see. The life of Amator of Auxerre also reports a meeting between that bishop and a bishop of Autun named Simplicius, which would have taken place around 418. If these indications all refer to a bishop of Autun, it is unlikely that they refer to the same individual, who would have governed for well over 70 years.