Germanus was lucky to survive beyond childhood. He was born in Burgundy and sent to be educated in the house of a cousin named Stratidius. His aunt cast an envious eye on the legacy he would inherit and put poison in his cup. But her son drank it instead ruining his health for the rest of his life.

He had a reputation for miracle working and was widely regarded as a saint. He was credited with healing blind people, sufferers from paralysis, epileptics and those possessed by evil spirits. He was also known for his devotion to the poor, to prisoners and to slaves. He was buried in the basilica he had built which was later renamed Saint Germain des Paris. His relics were destroyed during the French Revolution but his name lives on in that part of Paris best known for literary, artistic and student life.