Who's Who in Medieval History
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Germanus was practicing law in Rome when he was made a provincial governor in Armorica (present-day Brittany, France). Then, in 418, he was chosen Bishop of Auxerre and founded the Monastery of SS. Cosmas and Damian.
In 429 Germanus was sent by Pope St. Celestine I to preach against the Pelagian heresy in Britain. He achieved some success, and is said to have helped stop an attack by combined Pictish and Scottish forces. Tradition has it that his and the Britons' shouts of "Alleluia!" so frightened the enemy that they ran off; the encounter was then called the Alleluia Victory.
In 447, Germanus returned to England to address the recurring problem of Pelagianism. With the help of Bishop Severus of Trèves, he succeeded in putting an end to the heresy and banishing its advocates from England.
When Germanus returned to Armorica, he found the people rebelling against the Huns. He convinced Goar, chief of the Huns, to postpone any attack on the province and immediately went to Ravenna (the administrative capital of western Rome) to negotiate for peace. Unfortunately, Germanus died in the middle of negotiations. His remains were returned to Auxerre in a triumphant procession, and they remained there undisturbed until desecrated by the Huguenots in 1567.
