Notes for Sulpicius Severus' Life of St. Martin

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Praefatio

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

Severus Desiderio: understand salutem dicit, 'sends greetings to.'
ego quidem . . . decreveram: 'I, for my part, had decided' (> decerno, decernere, decrevi, decretum).
schedā suā premere: 'to suppress in it's own paper,' i.e. not to publish.
naturā: 'by nature', abl. of specification A&G 418
quod fore arbitror: '[a thing] which I think will happen.' fore = futurum esse.
qui materiem disertis merito scriptoribus reservandam impudens occupassem: 'because I had impudently usurped material that should rightly be reserved for learned writers.' The relative clause is causal (Woodcock sec. 156, A&G 540c).
ocuppassem: = occupavissem (plupf. subj., > occupo [1]).
petenti: '(you) asking for (it)'.
quid enim esset, quod non . . . impenderem?: 'what would there be that I would not spend for', i.e., 'I would expend any effort for'.
eā . . . fiduciā . . . quā: 'with the confidence that'.
prodendum: (sc. esse) 'that it must be revealed'.
eum legi: 'that it is being read'.
bonā veniā . . . postulabis: 'you must kindly ask', a colloquial use of the future tense like an imperative A&G 449b. bonā veniā = 'with your indulgence' (OLD s.v. venia 3).
aequo animo ferant: 'bear it calmly'.
vitiosus sermo: 'faulty style'.
perculerit: 'strikes', fut. pf. in a future more vivid condition. (A&G)
meminerint: 'let them recall', pf. subj., jussive. (A&G)
salutem . . . praedicatam esse: 'that salvation was proclaimed'.
saeculo: the world, worldliness (eccl.).
utique:(Adv.), doubtless.
suppresso . . . nomine: 'with the name having been suppressed', 'anonymously'.
videtur: 'it seems best'.
quod ut fieri valeat: 'in order to do this'.

Section 1

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

studio: '(literary) study', dative with dediti.
gloriae saeculari 'worldly fame', dative with dediti.
exinde: 'from that source', looking forward to the main verb, quaesierunt.
quaesierunt: 'sought' (> quaero, -ere, quaesii, quaesitum).
illustrassent: illustro (1), give glory or luster to. illustrassent = illustravissent, plupf. subj. This sentence is a pointed reference to the famous preface to Sallust's Bellum Catilinae[1], in which he says, by way of justifying his decision to write history, "Since only a short span of life has been vouchsafed us, we must make ourselves remembered as long as may be by those who come after us" (trans. Handford).
utique: (Adv.) certainly, without a doubt.
et . . . et: both . . . and.
licet incassum: 'though to no purpose' (adverbial, modifying propagabant).
non parva aemulatio: 'no small desire to emulate' the deeds of great men--the conventional justification of biography among Roman writers.
haec cura eorum: 'this study of theirs', i.e., the works of pagan biographers.
ipsis: dative with profuit.
quid . . . emolumenti: 'what advantage' (emolumenti is partitive genitive, A&G 356).
tulit: 'derived (for itself)'
legendo Hectorem: 'by reading (about) Hector'
sed non acerrime ... dementia: 'but it is also madness not to fight against them very strenuously'.
quippe qui ... aestimantes: 'in as much as they valued human life on the basis of worldly deeds alone'.
cum hominis officium sit: 'although it is the duty of a human being' (cum is concessive).
in tantum valuit: 'has become so strong' (> valesco, -ere).
unde facturus mihi operae pretium videor: 'and so I seem to myself to be about to do something worthwhile', an allusion to the famous opening of the preface to Livy's History of Rome, facturusne operae pretium sim si a primordio urbis . . . .
exemplo aliis mox futuram: 'which will serve as an example for others later'. exemplo is 'predicative' dative or dative of purpose (Woodcock sec. 68, A&G 382).
utique . . . incitabuntur: 'will certainly be roused'. The indicative mood of the verb marks this as a confident assertion.
in quo ita nostri quoque rationem commodi ducimus, ut: 'in so doing I am taking into account my own advantage as well, in such a way that'. 'rationem ducere = 'take account of'. The first person plurals here and below (expetemus, viximus, possimus, dedimus) refer to the author alone, but the tone is polite rather than pompous.
dedimus . . . operam: 'I have devoted myself to the task'.
ut se . . . gesserit: indirect question, 'how he conducted himself'.
ad omnia illius . . . pervenire: 'to include all of his deeds'
vel . . . vel: 'both . . . and' (late Lat.).
in quibus ipse tantum sibi conscius fuit: 'to which only he himself was privy'.
quantum in ipso fuit: 'as much as he could'
voluisset: subjunctive because it is assumed to be true, rather than personally vouched for by the speaker. "No doubt because he wanted . . ." (A&G)
nobis: 'by me' (dative of agent), plural for singular, as with omisimus and credidimus below.
si tantum excellentia notarentur: 'if outstanding deeds were merely pointed out'.
consulendum fuit: 'it was necessary to take thought for'.
ne quod his pareret copia congesta fastidium: 'lest a heaped-up abundance (of material) produce any annoyance for them', i.e., in the readers.
fidem . . . adhibeant: 'trust, believe in' (+ dat.).
probatum: 'proven true'.
alioquin: 'otherwise'.
maluissem: 'I would have preferred'

Section 2

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

Sabaria: Savaria, mod. Szombathely, Hungary. An important town in the province of Upper Pannonia. Satellite image. The emperor Septimius Severus was proclaimed Augutsus there, and Valentinian resided there for some time. Smith's Dictionary. [Derek, we need a Google map of Pannonia showing the major Roman towns and roads if possible.]
Pannoniarum: 'the Pannonias', a frontier zone along the Danube, including parts of modern Hungary, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia. For military and administrative reasons Pannonia was successively subdivided until, in Martin's day, it included "Upper Pannonia" (Pannonia I and Savia, to the west) and and "Lower Pannonia" (Pannonia II and Valeria, to the east). Hence the plural "Pannonias." Pannonia was itself a subdivision of the larger area called Illyricum, embracing the whole Danube frontier area in the western Balkans.
oriundus: 'born' (the date was c. 316-17 AD)
Ticini: 'at Ticinum' (locative), the modern Pavia in the Po valley, northern Italy. A flourishing municipal town during the high empire, the main road that continued the Aemilian Way from Placentia to the foot of the Alps passed through it. [Derek, make a Google map showing Po valley and Alps foot hills with ancient place names].
parentibus: 'of parents', abl. of origin (A&G).
saeculi dignitatem: 'the social status of the secular world'.
primum . . . post: 'at first . . . later'.
tribunus militum: 'commander', originally of a legion, but in this period of any active army detachment [Fontaine 2.437].
scholares alas: 'imperial guard'.
Constantio: Flavius Iulius Constantius, or Constantius II, second son of Constantine I, emperor AD 337-361.
Iuliano: Flavius Claudius Iulianus, or Julian the Apostate,emperor AD 361-3.
illustris: 'remarkable'.
spiravit: 'expressed the spirit of'. The subject is sacra . . . infantia.
invitis parentibus: 'against the will of his parents', abl. absolute.
mirum in modum: 'in an amazing way', 'amazingly'--a frequently used expression in this work.
conversus: 'having (been) turned toward' (w/ in + abl.). Classical Latin would use in or ad + acc. with this word.
eremus: (sc. locus) 'wilderness, desert'.
fecissetque votis satis: 'and he would have satisfied his desires' (> satis facere + dat., 'satisfy, give satisfaction to'). Pluperfect subj. in a contrary to fact condition. (A&G)
meditabatur . . . quod . . . implevit: 'was rehearsing . . . that which . . . it carried out'.
devotus: 'when dedicated completely' (to God).
edictum esset: 'it had been decreed' (> edico).
regibus: 'the emperors'. Beginning in the late 3rd century there were usually more than one, sharing power.
scriberentur: 'be enrolled'.
actibus: 'actions' (> actus -us m.)
comite: 'as a companion' (> comes -itis m.).
tantum: 'only' (Adv.).
adeo ut: 'so much so, that' (a common way of introducing a result clause).
cibum una caperet: 'ate together with'.
hic: Martin.
in armis fuit: 'was under arms', i.e., served as a soldier.
multa illius . . . benignitas: 'much (was) the kindness of that man around his fellow-soldiers', i.e. 'he displayed much kindness toward his fellow-soldiers'. Classical Latin would prefer illi for illius and erga or in for circa.
qua usus est: 'which he had'.
agebat quendam . . . baptismi candidatum: 'he was acting as a kind of candidate for baptism' (quendam > quidam).
assistere...ferre, alere...vestire...reservare: these infinitives explain the previous clause: 'by assisting...by aiding, by feeding' etc. For this 'epexegetic' use of the infinitive, see A&G.
laborantibus: 'the suffering', substantive use of the participle (A&G).

Section 3

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

solitō asperior: 'harsher than usual'. solito is abl. of comparison. (A&G)
inhorruerat: 'raged'
plerosque: 'very many people' (> plerusque, -raque, -rumque)
obvium habet: 'he met' (the tense is 'historical present', often used by Latin writers for vivid narration).
Ambianensium civitatis: mod. Amiens, in the north of France. Satellite image. Historical Map. [Derek, we could use a nice Google Earth map of Northern Gaul with the main Roman towns of late antiquity marked.]
ut sui misereret: 'to pity him', a jussive noun clause. (A&G)
praeterirent: 'were passing by' (> praetereo), impf. subj. in a circumstantial cum-clause (A&G).
intellexit . . . sibi illum . . . reservari: 'understood that that man (the beggar) was being saved for himself (Martin).'
Deo: abl. with plenus, the regular construction with this adjective.
quid tamen ageret?: 'But what could he do?' Deliberative subjunctive in the past, expressing helplessness (Woodcock sec. 174.2b) (A&G).
accinctus erat: 'had been girded', i.e. 'was wearing' (> accingo, -ere).
mediam dividit partem: The splitting of the cloak was Martin's most famous act, frequently depicted in art, e.g. by El Greco (1597, National Gallery, Washington, DC)
ridēre: 'laughed', historic infinitive, often used by Latin writers in vivid narrative (A&G).
quia . . . videretur: 'because he seemed (to them)'. Subjunctive in a causal clause, where the reason cited is not the writer's own, but another's (Woodcock sec. 240) (A&G).
truncatus habitu: 'mutilated with respect to his clothing', i.e. because of his ripped clothing. Ablative of specification (A&G).
gemere: 'groaned', historic infinitive.
quod . . . fecissent: for the subjective, see above on quia...videretur.
utique: 'doubtless, naturally'
nocte . . . insecuta: 'during the following night'(> insequor, insequi, insecutus). Ablative of time when or within which (A&G).
chlamydis suae . . . parte: 'in the part of his own cloak'.
qua: the antecedent is parte below.
adhuc catechumenus: 'while still a catechumen'.
memor: (sc. erat) 'was mindful of'.
Dominus: = Iesus.
quamdiu . . . fecistis: 'whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me', a quotation from Matthew 25:40. quamdiu = 'whatever, that which' (late Latin).
se...ostendere: 'to show himself', 'to appear'.
est dignatus: 'he deigned, he saw fit' (> dignor, -ari).
quo viso: 'when this had been seen' (abl. absol.)
est elatus: 'was raised up' (> effero, efferre, extuli, elatum).
ad babtismum convolavit: 'had recourse to baptism', 'was baptized'.
militiae: dative with renuntiavit.
evictus: 'having been won over by' (> evinco, -ere).
cui contubernium familiare. . . praestabat: 'to whom he continued to show friendly comradeship'. The Latin might imply that they lived in the same tent (contubernium literally means the sharing of a tent, from con- + taberna), or that Martin served as an assistant to his superior officer (contubernium is sometimes used of an official's or an officer's suite of assistants and advisers, see TLL 4.792.7). Praestare ("provide") makes the latter meaning likely; but in the context it is the soldierly friendship of the two men that is emphasized.
transacto tribunatus sui tempore: 'when the time of his tribunate had been completed'.
saeculo: dative with renuntiaturum.
est . . . consecutus: 'he obtained' (> consequor).
solo licet nomine: 'albeit in name only'.

Section 4

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

irruentibus intra Gallias barbaris: the reference is to an invasion by Germans in 352; Julian's first counterattack came in 356 (Ammianus Marcellinus, History of the Later Roman Empire 16.2-3). He began at Autun in Alcase and then moved to the Rhine, eventually pushing the Germans all the way back to Cologne.
civitas Vangionum: Worms, on the Rhine in present day Germany, but then on the eastern frontier of Gaul.
coacto: 'brought together' (> cogo, -ere, -egi, -actum)
ventum est: 'it was come', i.e. 'they came'. Impersonal passive (A&G).
ut est consuetundinis: 'as is of custom', i.e. 'as is customary'. A type of possessive genitive, cp. moris est (A&G).
neque enim integrum sibi fore arbitrabatur: 'nor did he think that it would be honest for him'. fore = futurum esse.
patere: 'allow,' 'permit' (> patior, pati, passus sum), 2s imperative.
militem: 'serve as a soldier' (> milito (1)), subjunctive in a jussive noun clause (A&G).
pugnaturus: '(the man) about to fight'. Substantival use of the participle (A&G).
adversus hanc vocem: 'in response to this remark'
gratiā: 'for the sake of', ablative with a preceding genitive (religionis).
immo: 'on the contrary'.
inlato sibi terrore: 'with intimidation having been applied to him' (abl. absol.) (inlato > infero, -ferre, -tuli, -latum).
signo...clipeo...galea: abl. of means with protectus.
retrudi . . . in custodiam: 'to be held under arrest'.
facturus fidem dictis: 'about to make good on his words'
ut...obiceretur: 'so that he might be exposed', purpose clause after retrudi (A&G).
dedentes: 'surrendering' (> dedo, -ere).
beati viri . . . fuisse: 'belonged to the blessed man', or 'was due to the blessed man' (possessive genitive).
praestitum sit, ne: 'it was provided that he not', impersonal passive, followed by a purpose clause (A&G 566)
licet: 'even'
vel aliorum mortibus: 'even by the deaths of others'.
sancti . . . obtutūs: '(Martin's) sacred gaze', lit. 'gazes' (obtutus, -us m.).
exemit: 'removed' (> eximo).
neque . . . aliam . . . victoriam, quam ut: 'no other (type of) victory than that', followed by a substantive clause of result (A&G 571a).
subactis sine sanguine hostibus: 'since the enemy was subdued without bloodshed' (abl. abs.)

Section 5

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sanctum Hilarium Pictavae episcopum civitatis: St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers (c. 315-367/8), the leading and most respected Latin theologian of his age.
cuius...fides habebatur: 'whose faith was considered'.
imposito diaconatus officio: 'by imposing on him the duty of being a deacon'.
artius: 'more closely' (> artus -a -um).
vir altioris ingenii: 'a man of more noble character', genitive of description, or quality (A&G).
id . . . officii . . . in quo: 'that (kind) of duty in which.' officii is partitive genitive (A&G).
praecepit: 'taught' (> praecipio).
ne despexisse . . . videretur: 'lest he seem to have despised it'. videretur is subjunctive in a purpose clause (A&G 531).
humiliorem: 'too humble', 'too menial'.
ut...visitaret: 'to visit', noun clause after a verb of warning (admonitus) (A&G)
ex voluntate: 'in accordance with the wishes of'.
ut ferunt: 'as they say'. Ferre is often used of vaguely reported hearsay. Sulpicius had informants in Martin's circle, as emerges later.
contestatus fratribus: 'solemnly affirming to the brothers that . . .' (cp. TLL 4.690.50).
multa se adversa passurum: (sc. esse), 'he would endure many setbacks'.
primum: 'first' in a series of events (contrast primo, 'at the start', followed by a later development).
devia: (sc. loca) 'an unihabited region' (neut. pl. acc.)
secutus: 'traversing'
secūri: 'axe' (> secūris -is f., not to be confused with sēcurus -a -um, 'without care').
ferientis: 'of the one striking' (> ferio -ire), substantival use of the participle (A&G).
uni: 'to one' (of the brigands).
quisnam: 'who?' A more emphatic equivalent of quis.
quia sciret: 'because he knew', subj. in a relative clause in indirect discourse, giving a reason or explanatory fact (A&G 592.3). The indirect statement begins at profitetur above and includes the infinitives fuisse and dolere.
utpote latrocinia exercens: 'as is to be expected when one is pursuing a life of brigandage'.
qui...esset: 'because he was unworthy', subj. in a relative clause in indirect discourse, giving a reason or explanatory fact (A&G 592.3).
quid longius morer?: 'why should I delay longer?', i.e., 'to make a long story short', deliberative subjunctive (A&G 444).
ut...precaretur: 'to pray', subj. in a jussive noun clause (A&G 563).
rettulimus: 'I (lit. we) have recounted' (> refero).
audita: (sc. esse) 'to have been heard'.

Section 6

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Mediolanum: Mediolanum, -i n., mod. Milan, in northern Italy.
se ei obvium tulit: 'brought himself in the way for him', i.e., 'met him'.
quo: 'where' (Adv.)
id . . . responsi: 'the following response' (introducing indirect statement). The genitive is partitive.(A&G)
quocumque ieris: 'wherever you go' (> eo, ire), future perfect where Eng. would use future or present (A&G 478).
inimicus evanuit: 'the devil vanished' (> evanesco).
haeresis Arriana: the Arrian heresy, the principal heresy which denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, so called after its author, Arius (d. 336). The controversy between it and its ultimately successful rival, the Orthodox version of Christianity, was the major political/theological struggle of the fourth century. Martin and Hilary, like most of the Western clergy, were staunchly Orthodox.
Illyricum: a vague term embracing the whole of the Danube frontier area in the western and central Balkans. It included Pannonia, Martin's home district.
pullulasset: 'had spread', = pullulavisset (> pullulo (1)).
solus paene: 'almost alone'. paene often modifies the word it follows.
virgis caesus est: 'was beaten with sticks', 'was flogged'.
civitate: 'city' (a later Latin sense), presumably Sabaria in Upper Pannonia, where Martin's parents lived.
ad extremum: 'finally'
cum . . . comperisset: 'when he had learned' (> comperio, -ire).
coegerat: 'had compelled' (> cogo).
turbatam: (sc. esse) 'had been thrown into confusion', infinitive in indirect statement after comperisset.
Auxentius: Auxentius bishop of Milan, and the most prominent supporter of Arianism in the West (d. 373 or 374).
cedendum itaque tempori arbitratus: 'and so, having decided that he should yield to circumstances'. cedendum (sc. esse) is impersonal passive (A&G 208d).
Gallinaria: Isola Gallinaria, a small island off the coast of Albegna, in Luguria.
ut ferunt: 'so they say', parenthetical.
in cibum: 'as food'.
vicina iam morte: 'and death was already upon him', ablative absolute.
indultam fuisse: 'had been granted' (> indulgeo).
Romae: 'at Rome', locative.

Section 7

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est vestigiis prosecutus: 'he followed in his footsteps', meant literally here.
fuisset susceptus: 'he had been received'. Classical Latin would have esset for fuisset. This so-called 'shifted' pluperfect subjunctive is typical of later and vulgar Latin (H-S sec. 179), and occurs frequently in this work.
oppido: 'the town', i.e. Poitiers.
ei: 'to Martin'
languore correptus: 'having contracted an illness'.
forte: 'by chance'.
absque baptismate: 'without baptism'. It was common in this period to put off baptism to the end of life, so as to avoid sinning after it.
corpus . . . officio: 'his body, placed in a central location, was crowded with the sad duty of the mourning brothers', i.e., the brothers were crowding around the body and mourning.
cum . . . accurrit: indicative in a 'inverted' cum-clause, indicating that this, rather than the apparently main verb, is the true point of the sentence. (A&G) The historic present tense adds vividness.
egredi...ceteros iubet: 'he ordered the rest to leave'. The position of egredi makes it emphatic.
incubuisset: 'had devoted himself to' (> incumbo + dat.).
defuncti: 'of the dead man' (> defungor), substantival use of the participle.
virtutem: 'miracle-working power'. virtus = 'miracle' or 'miracle-working power' is common in Christian Latin.
in defuncti ora defixus: 'looking intently upon the face of the dead man'.
laxatis in usum videndi palpitare luminibus: 'quivering in his (now) opened eyes for the power of seeing', i.e. 'blinking to regain his sight' (White).
membris omnibus: abl. of respect, specifying the location of the action of the verb (commoveri). laxatis . . . luminibus fills the same function for palpitare.
foribus: 'doors'.
virtutum: 'miracles'.
erat solitus: 'had been accustomed' (> soleo, -ēre).
corpore exutum: 'having shed his body'.
deputandumque: 'and that he was to be condemned'. This gerundive expresses the content of the verdict (sententia) referred to just below. Deputo = 'designate, assign, condemn' is post-classical. The -que joins the infinitives ductum (esse) and excepisse.
tristem excepisse sententiam: 'had received the grim verdict'
iudici fuisse suggestum: 'that it had been brought to the attention of the judge that'.
hunc esse pro quo: 'this was (the man) for whom'
iussum . . . redditum . . . resitutum: infinitives, with esse left out, in indirect statement after referre, above.
enituit: 'became well-known', literally 'became bright' (> enitesco, -nitescere, -nitui).
ut . . . haberetur: 'with the result that he was considered'.

Section 8

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

honorati secundum saeculum viri: 'an honored man, according to the (standards of the) secular world.'
excipitur: 'was greeted by', 'encountered', historical present.
quis esset hic fletus: 'what was (the reason for) this lamentation', subj. in indirect question after inquireret.
laqueo sibi vitam extorsisse: 'had wrenched life away from him self by means of a noose', i.e. 'had hanged himself' (> extorqueo).
supertratus: 'spread out on top of' (> supersterno + dat.).
marcescentibus oculis: 'his eyes being (still) weak', 'his eyes still heavy' (White), ablative absolute.
in ora illius defunctus erigitur: 'the dead man was revived (and looked) into the face of that man', i.e. of Martin.
enisus: 'having struggled, struggling' (> enitor).

Section 9

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

ad episcopatum Touronicae ecclesiae petebatur: 'he was sought (as a candidate) for the episcopacy of Tours', ancient Caesarodunum, a small Gallo-Roman town in the region occupied by the minor Gallic tribe the Turoni, south of the river Loire in France. Satellite image. It became a large city, the center of a great archdiocese, and a pilgrimage site thanks to the posthumous fame of St. Martin. In the early fourth century there were twenty-two bishops in all of Gaul, by the end of that century there were seventy. The date here is 370.
erui: 'to be uprooted' (> eruo, -ere).
ut egrederetur obtinuit: 'convinced him to leave' (his cell).
civitatem: 'the city,' i.e. Tours.
ad suffragia ferenda: 'to cast their votes'.
episcopatūs: genitive with dignissimum
fore: = futurum esse
ad constituendum antistitem: 'for the purpose of installing a bishop'
fuerant evocati: 'had been summoned', = erant evocati.
indignum esse episcopatu hominem vultu despicabilem: '(they said that) a man reprehensible in his appearance was unworthy of the episcopacy'. (indignum takes the ablative).
sententiae sanioris: 'of sounder opinion', genitive of characteristic, with populo.
haec illorum inrisa dementia est: 'this madness of theirs was ridiculed' (> inrideo).
qui: the antecedent is illorum, Martin's critics.
illustrem virum praedicabant: 'were proclaiming him (to be) an excellent person'
his: i.e. the bishops hostile to Martin.
aliud . . . quam quod: 'something other than that which'.
adfuerant: = aderant, 'were present'.
unde animadversum est graviter illum lectione prophetica tum notatum: 'from which cause (i.e. because of his name) it was observed that that man was sternly rebuked at that time in a prophetic public reading'. animadversum est is impersonal passive, > animadverto.
interclusus: 'having been shut out' (> intercludo).
ministris: 'servants' of the church, an order lower than that of the deacons. Cp. Optatus, Against the Donatists (AD 367) 1.13, 2.14 [Blaise].
quem primum versum invenit, arripuit: 'the first verse he found, he sized upon it (and read it out)' (arripuit > adripio, -ere). The antecedent of quem is versum.
ex ore . . . defensorem: a quotation from the Latin version of Psalm 8.3, "Your majesty is praised as high as the heavens, from the mouths of babes and infants at the breast. You have established a bulwark against your adversaries to restrain the enemy and the avenger" (Oxford Study Bible, from the Hebrew). The key word is the last, defensorem, which was taken as a fortuitous allusion to Martin's opponent Defensor.
lactantium: 'sucklings'.
propter: 'against' (a late and vulgar Latin meaning).
pars diversa: 'the opposing faction'.
atque ita habitum est: 'and so it was thought that'.
lectum fuisse: 'had been read' = lectum esse
et ostensus pariter et destructus esset inimicus: 'had been at the same time both revealed as the enemy and destroyed (as the enemy).'

Section 10

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

qualem se quantumque praestiterit: 'what sort of person, and how great, he showed himself to be' (indirect question after evolvere, below).
non est nostrae facultatis evolvere: 'it is not within my capability to describe' (facultatis is genitive of characteristic, A&G).
perseverabat: 'he steadfastly continued (to be)'.
idem . . . qui: 'the same person that'.
ita . . . ut: 'in such a way that'. ita modifies the verb, implebat.
dignitatem: 'office'
frequentantium: 'of the crowds of visitors' (lit., 'of the thronging ones', > frequento [1]).
non desideraret: 'would not lack'
latere: 'side' (> latus, lateris n.).
Liger fluvius: the Loire.
reducto paululum sinu: 'with a curve having been drawn back a little', i.e. 'in a slight bend' of the river.
una tantum eademque arta admodum via: 'by only a single road, and quite a narrow one at that'.
superiecti: 'above' (> super-iacio), opp. subiectus, 'below'.
receptacula: 'shelters'(receptaculum, -i, n.).
ad exemplum: 'in accordance with the example'
ut plerisque monachis moris est: 'as is customary for very many monks'.
ars nulla habebatur: 'no craft/trade was practiced'.
minor aetas . . . maiores: 'the younger men . . . the older men'.
noverat: 'was acquainted with' (> nosco, -ere, novi, notum).
camelorum saetis vestiebantur: imported rough camel-hair garments were part of an effort to evoke and recreate the Egyptian desert roots of asceticism. See John Cassian, Institutes, Book 1 ("The Garb of Monks"). John the Baptist also wore a camel-hair coat (Matthew 3.4). [2]
pro crimine erat: 'was considered a serious offense'.
quod eo magis sit mirum necesse est, quod: 'a thing that must be all the more remarkable because'. sit is subjunctive in a subordinate clause after necesse est, which is common and classical.
longe aliter educati: 'though brought up in a far different manner' (concessive participial phrase).
quae enim esset civitas: 'for what city would there be?' Potential subjunctive.

Section 11

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sed ut . . . adgrediar: 'But to come to' (introducing a new topic). The subjunctive is a kind of purpose clause used parenthetically, like the common ut ita dicam, 'so to speak'.
virtutes: 'miracles'
erat...locus: 'there was a place'.
consepelio, (no perf.), consepultus: 'bury with' (later Latin only)
superioribus episcopis: 'previous bishops'.
non temere: 'not lightly, not easily'.
nihil certi constans sibi: 'nothing certain and consistent', lit. 'nothing of certain (partitive genitive), consistent with itself'.
ut quis esset . . . ostenderet: 'that he reveal who was buried there or of what worth he was'. Celebrations at the tombs of the honored dead were a major part of popular religious worship in the fourth and fifth century. People ate, drank, danced, and stayed up late in ceremonies that had strong ties to earlier pagan observances, but were now taken as part of the cult of the Christian martyrs. Bishops disapproved strenuously, alternately accommodating and seeking to suppress informal martyr-cults, particularly in north Africa (See MacMullen, The Second Church, 51-67.) Martin's actions here in putting a stop to what he saw as an illegitimate martyr-cult are typical of bishops of the period.
cuius meriti: 'of what worth' (gen. of characteristic). meritum = 'good action, benefit, service'; the sense 'worth, value' is poetic and post-classical (Cp. Ambrose, De paenitentia 1.9: non quicumque de vulgo, nec plebeiae vilitatis aliquis, sed vitae egregiae singularisque meriti). The use just below, meritum loqueretur, combines both senses.
celebratum: 'honored with ceremonies, crowds, etc.'
retineret: 'was keeping' (in place or in memory).
qui aderant audiebant: 'those who were present heard'.

Section 12

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Accidit . . . ut . . . obvium haberet: 'It happened that he met'.
quingentorum passuum: 'of 500 paces', i.e. half a Roman mile.
manum: 'band, group, company'.
agente vento: 'through the action of the wind'.
daemonum: 'of evil spirits' (gen. pl. > daemon, -monis, m. The more usual form is daemonium -i,n.)
simulacra . . . per suos agros circum ferre: 'to carry images (of the gods) around through their fields'. The rite seems to be similar to the Roman Ambarvalia, intended to purify the fields and ensure their productivity.
miserā . . . dementiā: 'in their pitiable delusion' (White). Abl. of manner.
imperat turbae non moveri loco: 'he ordered the crowd not to move'
riguisse: 'become stiff, freeze' (> rigeo or rigesco).
victi: (nom. pl.) 'having been overcome'.
semet invicem aspicientes: 'looking at each other'.
exsequiarum esse illam frequentiam: 'that that was a crowd for a funeral'. The word order shows exsequiarum is emphatic.

Section 13

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esset adgressus: 'had begun' (> adgredior).
dum templum evertitur: 'while their temple was being demolished'. Dum = 'while' can take the present indicative, whatever the tense of the main verb. Cp. Cicero, Verrines 2.161: dum ego in Sicilia sum, nulla statua deiecta est. But the impf. subjunctive was also used, see below, 14.5.
quievissent: 'had grown quiet' (> quiesco).
commonere: 'he earnestly impressed on them'. Historical infinitive, introducing indirect statement.
nihil esse religionis in stipite: 'that there was nothing sacred in a stump'. religionis is partitive genitive.
sequerentur: 'that they should follow', jussive subjunctive in indirect statement.
ceteris: 'than the rest', abl. of comparison.
aliquam de Deo tuo . . . fiduciam: 'any confidence in your God'.
nosmet ipsi: 'we ourselves' (-met is intensive).
tu ruentem excipe: you catch it as it falls! tu is emphatic.
confisus: 'trusting' (> confido, -ere, -sus sum).
ad istius modi condicionem: 'to a deal of that type'.
hīc: 'at this point'(Adv.).
facilemque arboris suae habuere iacturam: 'and they considered the loss of their tree easy (to bear)'.
eo loci . . . quo: 'in that place where'. loci is partitive genitive.
vinctus: 'tied up' (> vincio, -ire).
aderat eminus turba mirantium: 'a crowd of people was present looking on in amazement from a distance'.
iamque paulatim ... minitari: 'And now the pine was gradually starting to sway to and fro and, on the point of falling, it threatened its own destruction' (White). Sulpicius is drawing out the suspense.
cum iam fragorem sui pinus concidens edidisset: 'now when the pine had given out a crashing noise from itself as it fell' (edidisset > ēdo).
cadenti . . . ruenti . . . opponit: 'he put in the way of it as it fell . . . as it rushed down' (> oppono + dat.).
signum salutis: 'the sign of salvation', i.e. the cross.
velut turbinis modo retro actam (sc. esse) putares: 'you would think it had been driven back by a kind of whirlwind,' a vivid appeal to the reader in the generalizing 2nd person singular.
prostraverit: 'flattened' (> prosterno), pf. subj. in a result clause.
stupere . . . flere . . . praedicari: 'were amazed at . . . wept . . . was praised', historic infinitives.
satisque constitit: 'and it was generally agreed that' (> consto, -are).
nemo fere . . . fuit, qui non . . . crediderit: 'there was almost no one who did not believe in' (+ acc.). crediderit is pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.
impositione manus desiderata: 'with the laying on of hands having been asked for'. The pagans asked for the laying on of hands, abandoned their errors, and believed.
quod: the antecedent is nomen.
adeo convaluit: 'has become so strong' (> convalesco).
sit repletus: 'has been filled' (> repleo), pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.

Section 14

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sub idem fere tempus: 'at about the same time'.
eodem in opere: 'in the same task', i.e., destroying pagan shrines and converting the peasants.
proximam, immo adhaerentem: 'nearby, in fact adjacent'
agente vento: 'through the action of the wind'.
cerneres: 'you would see', i.e., if you were there, more vivid appeal to the reader.
quidam conflictus videretur: 'there seemed (to be) a kind of collision', impf. subj. in a result clause.
ibi tantum . . . ubi: 'only at that place where'.
absque: 'without'.
opulentissimum superstitione religionis: 'richly ornamented by pagan superstition' (White).
ad proxima loca: 'to a nearby region'.
cilicio tectus et cinere: 'covered in sackcloth and ashes', a traditional sign of mortification and mourning (Isaiah 58.5, Matthew 11.21). A cilicium is a rug or blanket of goat's hair', a rough material suggestive of austerity.
instar militiae caelestis: 'like a heavenly soldiery'.
rediret . . . impleret: 'he should go back and complete', jussive subjunctive in indirect statement, representing the angels' instructions.
devotus: adverbial, 'zealously, piously'.
inspectiantibus . . . et quiescentibus dum . . . dīrueret: 'watching and being quiet until he demolished'. The dum clause is part of the ablative absolute, and its subj. suggests that dum means 'until such time as', as though the pagans were waiting for him to be done. But Sulpicius uses the indicative in a similar context above, section 13: cum īdem illī, dum templum ēvertitur, imperante Dominō quiēvissent.
redegit in pulverem: 'reduced to dust' (> redigo, -ere).
colendum: (sc. esse) 'should be worshipped' (> colo -ere), passive periphrastic in indirect statement after confitentes.
neglegenda: (sc. esse), 'should be abandoned'.
adesse: 'aid' (> adsum + dat.).

Section 15

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Aeduorum: 'of the Aedui', a large and important Gallic people occupying the territory between the Saone and the Loire rivers. Historical map.
stricto . . . gladio: 'with his sword drawn' (> stringo).
peteret: 'was attacking'.
reiecto pallio: 'with his cloak having been cast aside' (> reicio).
percussuro: 'to the one about to strike' (> percutio).
gentilis: 'the heathen (man)'.
huic . . . illud: 'this (just mentioned) . . . the following'.
non comparuit: 'disappeared' (> compareo).
plerumque autem contrā dīcentibus sibi rusticīs: 'generally, however, when the peasants were speaking speaking to him in opposition'.

Section 16

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curationum . . . gratia: 'the divine gift of healing'.
qui non . . . receperit: 'who did not regain'. The subjunctive is consecutive, expressing a result. See Woodcock sec. 156.
vel: 'for instance' (indicating that the speaker is selecting from many possible anecdotes).
Treveris: (abl. of place where) 'among the Treveri', a large and important Gallic people inhabiting the country between the Moselle and the Ardennes, with its chief settlement at modern Trier. Historical map.
dira parlysis aegritudine: 'with a dreadful sickness of paralysis', i.e., with a dreadful sickness that left her paralyzed.
nullo ad humanos usus corporis officio fungeretur: 'she executed no bodily function for human uses', i.e. she had no use of her body. fungor takes the ablative.
omni ex parte praemortua vix tenui spiritu palpitabat: 'nearly dead in every part of her body, her pulse was almost non-existent and her breathing faint' (White). palpito (1) = 'quiver'.
ad solam funeris expectationem: 'for the lone expectation of her death', i.e., 'expecting only her death'.
cum . . . nuntiatur: 'when it was announced', historical present and indicative in an inverted cum-clause (A&G 581)for extra vividness.
rogaturus: 'intending to ask' (for help).
fuerat ingressus: 'had entered' (> ingredior), = essset ingressus.
et quod ipsā est morte crudelius: 'and (something) which is more cruel than death itself'.
confido quod: 'I am certain that...' Quod introducing indirect statement with a subjuncive verb is late Latin.
refugit: 'he refused' (> refugio).
hoc suae non esse virtutis: 'that this was not within his power', virtutis is genitive of characteristic.
perstare . . . orare:'persisted and begged', historical infinitives.
non se esse dignum, per quem Dominus signum virtūtis ostenderet: 'that he was not worthy to be used by the Lord to reveal a sign of His power' (White). The subj. in the relative clause expresses tendency, as often with words like dignus ('worthy') or idoneus ('suitable'), or aptus ('fit'). See A&G 631.1.
expectabat, quidnam: 'was waiting (to see) what'.
quae erant: the antecedent must be supplied from what follows, 'things which were . . .'
familiaria . . . arma: 'his usual weapons', i.e., his usual method, prayer. This looks forward to the main verb, oravit.
solo: 'on the ground' (> solum -i, n.):
prostratus: 'prostrate, face down' (> prosterno).
contactu eius: 'at his touch' (> contactus, -ūs, m.)
populo teste: 'with the people being a witness', i.e., 'as the people watched' (abl. absol.). Cp. Augustine, City of God 22.8 (of the miraculous cure of a blind man) immenso populo teste res gesta est. The presence of spectators guarantees the reliability of the account.

Section 17

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Taetradii cuiusdam proconsularis viri: 'of a certain Taetradius, a man of proconsular rank'--evidently a very important personage, though nothing more is known of him. A proconsul was a distinguished former consul and governor of a province. Perhaps Taetradius had governed a province like Africa, then returned to his estates in Gaul. Gaul itself was not governed by a proconsul.
dolendo exitu: 'a lamentable death'.
ut ei manum imponeret: 'to lay his hand upon him', jussive noun clause after rogatus. ei is dative with imponere.
nequam: 'wicked' (indeclinable adjective).
nullo . . . modo: 'in no way'.
daemoniacus: 'demoniac', a person possessed by an evil spirit.
negare: 'denied' (historical infinitive).
fuisset exactus: 'has been driven out' (> exigo, -ere) = esset exactus.
fore: (= futurum esse): 'would become'.
baptizatus est: 'was baptized' (baptizo (1)).
Martinum . . . auctorem . . . coluit: 'paid great respect to Martin as the author of' (> colo -ere).
patris familiās cuiusdam: 'of a certain property owner' (> paterfamilias).
cui cum ut discederet imperaret: 'when it (the demon) ordered him (Martin) to leave'. cui is dative with imperat.
aedium: 'of the house' (> aedes -ium, f. pl.).
saevire dentibus miser coepit: 'the wretched man began to gnash his teeth'
et obvios quosque laniare: 'and to mangle each person who came in his way'. Roman doctors knew such violently insane people as phrenetici, who were known to bite their caregivers. See Caelius Aurelianus, On Acute Diseases, Book 1. Normally they were tied up: Augustine, Sermons 87, PL 38.538; Gregory the Great, Homilies on the Gospels 2.33.4.
commota . . . turbata . . . versus: supply est with all three participles.
se furenti obiecit: 'put himself in the way of the raving man' (> obicio, -ere).
hianti ore: 'with gaping mouth' (> hio (1)).
ei . . . in os: 'into his (the demoniac's) mouth'. ei is dative of reference (A&G 377).
ac si: 'as if'.
candens: 'white hot'.
obsesso: 'possessed' (> obsideo).
nec . . . ei . . . liceret: 'nor was it permitted to him'.
fluxu ventris: 'through the evacuation of (the man's) bowels'.
egestus est: 'was expelled' (> egero).

Section 18

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motu: 'revolt, rising'.
civitatem: presumably Trier (Augusta Treverorum), where the previous two episodes were set (Fontaine ii.854).
dispersissent: 'had scattered' (> dispergo).
hoc saltim metu: 'by this fear, at any rate', i.e. rather than by direct attacks by demons, thus far ineffective.
nihil minus quam: 'merely'.
irruptione: 'incursion, raid' (> irruptio -onis, f.).
Apud Parisios: 'among the Parisii' (Parisii, -orum, m. pl.), a people of Celtic Gaul, bordering on the Senones. Historical map. Their chief city was Lutetia Parisiorum, the modern Paris.
leprosum: 'a leper' (leprosus, -i, m.).
emundatus: (sc. est) 'was cleansed' (emundo (1)).
nitenti: 'shining, glistening' (> niteo, -ēre).
nec praetereundum est, quod: 'and I must not pass over the fact that'. praetereundum est (> praetereo, -ire) is impersonal passive, lit., 'it must not be passed by that'.
fimbriae: 'fringes'.
crebras . . . egēre virtutes: 'performed frequent miracles' (egēre = egērunt > ago).
digitis illigatae aut collo inditae: 'tied on the fingers or placed upon (> indo, indere) the neck'. The antecedent is fimbriae.

Section 19

Latin text | text + notes | vocabulary

vir praefectorius: 'a former prefect', commander of a legion or detachment of a legion (see A.H. M. Jones, Later Roman Empire i.640).
gravissimis quartanae febribus: 'by very serious attacks of quartan fever' (quartana, -ae, f.), technically one that recurs every third day; perhaps a form of malaria.
casu: 'by chance'
delata fuerat: 'had been delivered' (> defero, = delata erat)
in tantum valuit, ut: 'had such an effect that'
dicarit: 'dedicated' (> dico (1), = dicaverit).
praesens virtutum eius testimonium: 'a potent testimony to his miracle working powers', parenthetical.
per absentem licet: 'through him even when he was not there' (> absum).
neque ab alio . . . quam: 'by no one other than'.
Paulinus . . . exempli: 'Paulinus, a man who later would set such a fine example', i.e., by giving up his considerable wealth and devoting himself to the church. This is Paulinus of Nola, the poet; see below, 26.4.
oculum graviter dolere: 'to suffer from a serious eye complaint' (White). oculum is acc. of respect.
iam pupillam eius crassior nubes superducta texisset: 'quite a thick grey film had spread across his pupil and now covered it' (White). superduco = 'draw over' is late Lat.
oculum ei Martīnus penicillō contigit: 'Martin touched his eye with a little brush'. ei is dative of reference (A&G 377).
penecillo: evidently a kind of soft sponge. See Rabanus Maurus, De Universo (ca. AD 842) 8.5 (PL 111.239C): mollissimum genus earum [sc. spongiarum] penecilli vocantur eo quod aptae sint ad oculorum tumores, et ad extergendas lippitudines utiles.
casu quodam: 'by some chance'
esset . . . devolutus: 'had fallen down' (> devolvo).
per confragosos scalae gradus decidens: 'tumbling through the treacherous steps of a flight of stairs', or else 'falling through the broken rungs of a ladder'. The Latin could mean either.
salubri unguedine: 'with a healing ointment' (> unguedo, unguedinis, f.).
contusi: 'battered' (> contundo).
superlinire: 'annoint'.
nihil umquam . . . incommodi: 'no injury at all' (incommodi is partitive genitive).
longum est: 'it is a long task'.
sufficiant haec . . . satisque sit: 'let these things suffice . . . and let it be enough' (jussive subj.).
vel: 'even if only'.
nos et in excellentibus non subtrahere veritatem et in multis vitare fastidium: 'that in describing outstanding deeds I do not detract from their believability, and in describing many deeds I avoid annoying the reader'. Supply a gerundive like dicendis after excellentibus and multis.

Section 20

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ut minora tantis inseram: 'so that I might include lesser events with such great achievements'. The subjunctive is a kind of purpose clause used parenthetically, like the common ut ita dicam, 'so to speak'.
quamvis . . . praecipuum sit: 'although, as is the age of our times, in which all things are now depraved and corrupt, it is almost an exceptional achievement'. sit is subjunctive after the conjunction quamvis, which is normal (A&G 527).
adūlātiōnī . . . cōnstantiam: 'for priestly constancy not to yield to royal flattery', i.e. for priests not to yield to the temptation to flatter the emperor so as to gain personal advantage. This infinitive phrase is the subject of the preceding verb, sit, specifying what counts as an exceptional achievement nowadays.
imperatorem Maximum: Magnus Maximus, Roman emperor AD 383-8.
elatum: 'puffed up, arrogant' (> effero).
notaretur: 'was observed'.
seque degenere inconstantiā regiae clientelae sacerdotalis dignitas subdidisset: 'and with contemptible weakness, priestly dignity had subjected itself to royal clientage'. degenere is ablative > degener, subdidisset > subdo. The elaborate syntax and emotive terms are a sign of Sulpicius' emotional involvement in this issue. As he describes in more detail in the Chronica, Sulpicius saw clerics of this period sometimes flatter and manipulate emperors into persecuting rival Christian sects and factions. In his view the church should be separate from and above the state, but many bishops became entangled in imperial politics. Martin set a good example by staying true to his principles and not flattering the emperors for his own personal advantage.
et si pro aliquibus regi supplicandum fuit: 'even if it was necessary to petition the emperor on somebody's behalf'. As a bishop Martin might have to intercede with the emperor on behalf of a member of his flock.
mensae eius . . . qui: 'the table of that man who', i.e., Maximus.
imperatores unum regno, alterum vita expulisset: 'had expelled one emperor from office, another from life'. In his rise to power Maximus had killed the western emperor Gratian and later invaded Italy, displacing Valentinian II.[3]
cum Maximus . . . affirmaret: 'when Maximus declared that' (>affirmo (1)). This is followed by a series of infinitives in indirect statement.
se . . . defendisse: 'that he had defended'.
divino nutu: 'with divine approval' (> nutus, -us, m., nod).
non alienam ab: 'not unfriendly to'.
penes quem . . . victoria fuisset: 'since the victory had been due to Him'. fuisset is subjunctive because the relative clause is causal (A&G 535e).
tandem victus: 'won over at last' (the antecedent is Martin).
impetrasset: 'had obtained' (> impetro (1) = impetravisset), subjunctive because it gives the reason on the authority of another, not the writer himself (A&G 540).
convivae autem aderant: 'Moreover, there were present as his fellow diners . . . ' There follows a list of notables, some of the most powerful men of that time.
Euodius: Flavius Euodius, consul 386.
vir quo nihil umquam iustius fuit: 'a man than whom no one (lit. nothing) was ever more just'.
ut moris est: 'as is customary' (> mos moris, f.).
pateram: a broad, shallow bowl or dish, used in making libations.
ambiens: 'seeking'.
ut ab illius dextera poculum sumeret: 'that he (Maximus) would receive the drinking vessel from that man's (Martin's) right hand'--which would be a sign of respect to Maximus. According to Roman drinking custom a person proposing a toast tastes the wine in his cup and then hands it over to be drunk by the person honored (propinatio).
digniorem, qui post se prior biberet: 'more worthy to drink immediately after him'. Subj. is regular in a relative clause after dignus (A&G 535f).
nec integrum sibi fore: 'and (thinking) that it would not be morally upright for him'.
ut hoc ipsum eis, in quo contempti fuerant, placeret: 'that this very thing, in which they had been treated with contempt, was pleasing to them'.
celeberrimum . . . fuit: 'it was much talked about that'.
fecisse Martinum . . . quod: 'that Martin had done . . . that which'.
futurum: 'the future, what was to come'
sciret se . . . periturum: 'he ought to be aware that he would be victorious in the first onslaught, at any rate, but that he would die soon after'. sciret is subjunctive in a noun clause, as is regular after verbs of warning and admonishing (A&G 563), the notion of admonishing being implicit in praedixit futurum. esse periturum > pereo, -ire.
quod quidem ita vidimus: 'And this is in fact what we have seen'.
Aquileiae: 'of Aquileia, an important city at the northern extremity of the Adriatic. Satellite image.

Section 21

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

conserto . . . sermone: 'with conversation having been joined', i.e. 'engaging in conversation'.
conspicabilem et subiectum oculis: 'clear and visible to his eyes'.
contineret . . . transtulisset: 'was keeping . . . had transformed', subjunctive by attraction into the surrounding result clause (ut . . . videretur).
spiritalis: spiritual (> spiritalis, -e, late Lat.)
qualibet . . . sub imagine: 'in any manifestation whatsoever'.
cornu: neter accusative singular.
admisso recens scelere gaudens: ' rejoicing in the recently committed crime'. admisso scelere is abl. with gaudens. recens is adverbial.
modo: 'just now' (Adv.).
indicasset: 'had revealed' (> indico (1), = indicavisset).
sollicitos ire praecipit: 'he instructed them to go carefully'.
affectus fuisset: 'had been afflicted with' (> afficio, -ere + abl., = affectus esset).
neminem: accusative in indirect statement, after nuntiant, below.
deesse: 'was missing' (> desum, deesse).
rusticum mercede conductum ut: 'peasant hired to' (> merces, mercedis, f., reward; conduco, -ere, hire).
iunctis scilicet bubus: 'evidently his oxen were yoked together' (abl. absolute).
dum dissoluta artius lora constringit: 'while he was tying more tightly the straps that had come undone'. Dum = 'while' can take the present indicative, whatever the tense of the main verb.
sibi excusso capite inter inguina cornu adegisse: 'having shaken his head, had driven a horn into his (the peasant's) groin'. sibi is dative of reference (A&G 377). adegisse > adigo, -ere.
post: adverbial, 'later'.
vitam reddidit: 'died' (>reddo, -ere).
videris: 'it is for you to decide' (fut. pf. indic., see OLD s.v. video 18b).
data fuerit: 'has been given' pf. subj. in indirect question, = data sit.
rettulimus: 'I have described' (> refero), polite 1st person plural for singular.
si quotiens: 'if ever, whenever' (= quotiens, a mannerism of Sulpicius, cp. Dial. 3.6).
sibi nuntiata (sc. esse) fratribus indicabat: 'he used to inform the brothers that they had been announced to him'.

Section 22

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dum . . . conabatur: when(ever) he was trying'. cum would have been more regular.
artibus: 'cunning methods'.
visibilem se ei formis diversissimis ingerebat: 'used to make himself visible to him in a great variety of forms'.
se . . . offerebat: 'he used to present himself'.
vultibus: 'with respect to his appearance' (> vultus, -ūs, m.).
protervis vocibus: 'with impudent words'.
increpabat: 'used to rebuke'.
obiectis: 'by their taunts' (> obicio, -icere, -ieci, -iectum, bring up as a reproach, throw in a person's teeth).
cur . . . recepisset: 'because he had received'. cur = 'because' is rare, but classical. See below, 23.4.
aliquos: direct object of recepisset, below.
conversos: 'after they had repented' (> convertor, -verti, -versus sum, return, repent, convert [eccl.]).
exponentem: 'describing'. The antecedent is the demon, parallel to increpantem above.
Martinum . . . respondisse: '(they say that) Martin responded'.
delicta . . . conversatione purgari: 'that sins were cleansed by repentance' (> conversatio, -onis, f. (eccl.)).
absolvendos esse peccatis, qui peccare desierint: '(those) who had ceased to sin ought to be absolved of their sins' (desierint is pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic (A&G 535a), > desino, -sinere, -sii).
non pertinere ad veniam criminosos: 'that guilty men had nothing to do with mercy'. criminosus, -i, m.: a guilty man (late Lat.). pertineo, -ēre: apply to, be suitable to.
lapsis: 'to those who had fallen', i.e., into sin after baptism (> labor, labi, lapsus sum).
in hanc vocem: 'in these words', 'as follows'.
te . . . paeniteret: 'you would repent' (> paeniteo, impersonal construction, standard with this verb, with accusative of person regretting and genitive of the thing causing regret, also standard with this verb).
in proximo: 'at hand'.
in qua etsi auctoritatem praestare non potuit, ostendit affectum: 'in which, even if he could not provide a guarantee, he did show his feelings' (> affectus -ūs, m.).
non ab re videtur: 'it does not seem out of place' (impersonal construction).
licet extrisecus: 'though it is not directly relevant' (lit. 'though it is exterior').
in eo: 'in this', i.e. in the incident about to be related.
res miraculo digna: 'a miraculous event' (lit. 'a thing worthy of a miracle').
memoriae mandabitur: 'will be committed to memory', i.e., 'will be recorded for posterity'.
in exemplum cavendi: 'as a cautionary example' (lit., 'for an example of taking care').
contigerit: 'happens' (> contingo, -tingere, -tigi).

Section 23

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

felici . . . excessu: 'as a result of his fortunate death'.
se . . . contulisset: 'had gone'.
ad summum fidei virtutumque omnium culmen enituit: 'reached the highest peak of faith and all the virtues' (enitesco, -ere, -nitui: to become conspicuous for merit, shine).
ad eum . . . accessit: 'came to him'.
mentitus: 'having falsely assumed' (> mentior, -iri, -itus sum: feign, fabricate).
dicebat: the subject is Anatolius.
fidem . . . adhiberet: 'was believing (him)'
coartabat: 'was compelling' (> coarto (1), a late Latin sense).
eo usque . . . ut . . . praedicaret: 'so far as to declare' (result clause).
ille: Anatolius
ei: Clarus
praesentes plagas: 'an immediate thrashing'
comminari: 'thretened' (historic infin.).
cur sancto non crederet: 'because he was not trusting a holy man'. Cur = 'because' is rare but classical; cp. OLD s.v. 4.
in hanc vocem erupisse: 'to have blurted the following words' (> erumpo -ere -upi -uptum: break silence, to utter violently or unexpectedly).
qua indutus: 'clothed in which' (> induo, -ere, -ui, -utus + abl.).
in medio vestrum deversabor: 'I shall remain in your midst' (White).
qui . . . donatus sim: 'since I have been endowed with', pf. subj. in a causal relative clause (A&G 535e), > dono (1).
professionem: 'declaration'.
fremitu terram insultantium: 'with a rumble of people trampling on the ground'.
commoveri loco visum est: 'seemed to be being jolted from its place', 'seemed to shake'.
summa mollitie, candore eximio, micanti purpura: abl. of description.
nec tamen, cuius esset generis aut velleris, poterat agnoscī: 'and yet it could not be recognized of what type or wool it was' (vellus, -eris, n.: wool, fleece).
non aliud quam: 'nothing other than'.
quidnam id esset: indirect question after ostenderet.
apprehensum dextera ad Martīnum trahere volebat: 'he (Clarus) wanted to take him (Anatolius), having been grabbed by the hand, to Martin'.
interdictum sibi esse . . . ne: 'that it was forbidden for him to' (> interdico, -ere).
fantasiam: 'deception', lit. 'phantom, specter, apparition' (late Lat.), i.e. the garment.
cum erat . . . ingerenda: 'when it was about to be put before' (> ingero, -ere).

Section 24

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

animadversum est: 'it was noticed' (> animadverto, -ere, impersonal passive).
multis signis auctoritatem paravisset: 'had obtained (spiritual) influence by many miraculous deeds'. (signum, -i, n. = miraculous deed (eccl.))
Heliam: Elijah (spelled variously: Ēlīās or Hēlīās, -ae, m., and Elia, -ae, m.)
adeo inlusit: 'he was so successful in his deception' (inludo, -ere, -lusi, -lusum: deceive).
plerique ... ex fratribus: 'several of the brothers'.
extitisse: 'appeared' (> exsto, -stare, -stiti, -stitum)
iactitāverit: 'boasted', pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic (A&G 535a).
istius modi pseudoprofetis existentibus: 'since false prophets of this type are appearing'.
mysterium iniquitatis operatur: 'carries on the secret ways of his wickedness', a phrase borrowed from Paul (2 Thess. 2.7 nam [qui adversatur, i.e. the antichrist] mysterium iam operatur iniquitatis). Matthew 4.23 predicts the rise of pseudoprophets who will mislead even the chosen at the end of time. operor, -ari, atus sum: carry on.
Non praetereundum autem videtur: 'Moreover it seems that it ought not to be passed over', i.e., 'I should not fail to mention'.
quanta . . . arte: 'with what great trickery' (indirect question).
praemissa prae se et circumiectus ipse luce purpurea: 'with a glowing light having been sent ahead of himself, and surrounded by it himself' (purpueus -a -um: radiant, glowing, see OLD 3a).
claritate assumpti fulgoris: 'thanks to the brilliance of his acquired splendor'.
quo facilius . . . illuderet: 'by which he might more easily deceive', subj. in a relative clause of purpose containing a comparative (A&G 531).
illitis: 'coated with' (> illino, -ere, -evi, -itum).
nihil minus quam: 'anything but' (lit. 'nothing less than').
fuisset hebetatus: 'had been stunned', > hebeto (1) = hebetatus esset.
tum prior diabolus: 'then the devil (spoke) first'
quem cernis: '(the one) whom you see'.
nec quidquam responsi referret: 'and did not make any response at all'. responsi is partitive genitive with a neuter pronoun (A&G 346).
quid dubitas: 'why do you hesitate?'
tum ille . . . inquit: 'then he (Martin) said'.
purpuratum: 'dressed in purple'.
formaque, qua passus est: 'and in the form in which he suffered' (on the cross).
stigmata: 'marks, wounds' (> stigma, stigmatis, n.).
evanuit: 'vanished' (> evanesco, -ere, -ui).
foetore: 'stench' (> foetor, -oris, m.).
hoc itaque gestum: (sc. esse) 'that this incident happened in this way' (indirect statement after cognovi).

Section 25

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

olim audita fide eius vita atque virtute: 'having heard long ago of his faith, his life, and his virtue'.
aestuaremus: 'I was burning'. The first person plural here, as in suscepimus, nobis, sciscitati sumus and cognovimus below, is polite and refers to Sulpicius alone.
in quantum: 'in so far as'.
sciscitati sumus . . . cognovimus: 'I inquired . . . I gained knowledge'. sciscitor, -ari, -tatus sum: inquire thoroughly.
credi non potest: 'it cannot be believed', 'it is incredible'.
congratulatus plurimum et gavisus: 'expressing great happiness and rejoicing'. congratulor, -ari, atus sum: rejoice (eccl.); gaudeo, -ēre, gavisus sum.
quod tanti esset habitus: 'because he was consirdered to be of such great worth'. tanti is genitive of value (A&G 417).
quem . . . expeteremus: 'that I sought him out', subjunctive in a relative clause of result (A&G 537).
cum me sancto convivio suo dignatus esset adhibere: 'when he considered me worthy to invite to his holy feast', i.e. a dinner. dignor (1): consider worthy. adhibeo, -ēre: invite (as a guest), summon (to a feast, etc.).
nec . . . constantia fuit: (sc. mihi) 'nor did I have the strength of will'.
si non adquievissem: 'if I had not consented (> adquiesco, -ere, -evi).
non alius . . . quam: '(about) nothing but'.
praesentissimum . . . exemplum ingerebat: 'he repeatedly brought up the most outstanding example' (ingero, -ere: to din into a person's ears, say repeatedly).
Paulini: Paulinus of Nola, a wealthy man who sold his possessions and devoted himself to the life of the church; also a friend of Sulpicius, and one of the most prominent poets of this period.
solus paene . . . complesset: 'almost alone had fulfilled', i.e. 'was practically the only one who had fulfilled'.
beatum . . . documento: 'blessed in (having) an example' (documentum, -i, n.: an example serving as a precedent, warning, instruction, etc.).
secundum: in accordance with (preposition + acc.).
dives et possidens multa: 'a rich man and one possessing much' (i.e., Paulinus)..
quod erat factu impossibile: '(that) which was impossible to do'. factu is supine, abl. of specification (A&G510).
confabulatione: 'conversation' > confabulatio, -onis, f. (late Lat.).
in absolvendis scripturarum quaestionibus: 'in resolving disputed points of scripture'.
promptus et facilis: 'ready and accommodating'.
ad hanc partem: 'on this point'.
quippe quos viderim me ipso etiam referente non credere: 'in as much as I have seen some people fail to believe even when I was telling them myself'. viderim is pf. subj. in a causal relative clause (A&G 535e). quippe + qui, quae, quod = 'as one in fact who', i.e. 'since' or 'inasmuch as I, you, he' etc. (L&S s.v. quippe 5).
puri sermonis: 'correct speech', according to the standards set by teachers of the day, based on classical authors.
tantum scientiae, tantum ingenii, tantum tam boni et tam puri sermonis: 'so much knowledge, so much natural ability, so much excellent and correct speech.' This follows the text of Fontaine, rather than of Halm. ingenium, -i, n.: mental powers, natural ability, talent.
illiterato: 'uneducated'. A soldier at 15, Martin did not receive the advanced training in literature and rhetoric that would have been typical for a bishop. He was definitely literate, as emerges below, 26.3 lectioni. homini illiterato is dative of person, regular after defuisse (> desum).

Section 26

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

non quod omnia . . . defecerint: 'not because all the things have been exhausted.' defecerint is pf. subjunctive in a causal relative clause (> deficio, -ere, -feci, -fectum: run out, cease, disappear).
quae fuerint dicenda: 'which needed to be said'. fuerint is pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic.
utcumque: 'somehow or other'.
nulla . . . nulla: both with oratio, repeated for emphasis. oratio here means 'discourse, treatise'. Just below, orationibus refers to Martin's praying.
illam scilicet . . . exponere: The subject of this long sentence is Homerus, the main verb posset: 'not if, as they say, Homer himself should emerge from the underworld, would he be able to express (exponere) . . . .' The series of accusatives at the beginning are direct objects of exponere.
illam scilicet perseverantiam: 'I mean the sort of perseverance'. This and the following accusatives are the direct objects of exponere below.
perinde ac: 'in the same way as'.
quo indulserit: 'with which he devoted himself to/indulged in', > indulgeo, -ēre, -dulsi, -tum, pf. subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic. The antecedent of quo is the idea of Martin's energy and self-control, taken from the first part of the sentence as a whole. indulgeo regularly takes the dative, and is here followed by four: otio . . . negotio . . . cibo . . . somno. With the first pair of objects the verb means 'devoted himself to', with the second pair, 'indulged in'.
nisi quantum: 'except in so far as'.
vere fatebor: 'I will tell you truly', parenthetical.
adeo omnia maiora in Martino sunt quam ut verbis concipi queant: 'to such an extent are all things in Martin greater than can be expressed in words'.
ut fabrīs ferrāriīs moris est: 'as is customary for blacksmiths' (faber ferrarius, fabri ferrarii, m.; mos, moris, m.)
pro quodam laboris levamine: 'as a kind of lightening of their labor'.
incudem: 'anvil' (> incus, incudis, f.).
loco . . . amoverit: 'removed from his position'. As bishop Martin had the authority to dismiss priests.
quantum in ipso fuit: 'was much as was in him', i.e., as much as he could.

Section 27

Latin text | notes | vocabulary

commotum: 'agitated', 'worked-up'.
quodammodo: 'in a certain way', 'a kind of'.
extra naturam hominis videbatur: 'he seemed above human nature'.
numquam in illius ore nisi Christus: 'never (was anything) on his lips except Christ'.
pro eorum . . . peccatis: 'for the sins of those'.
remotum et quietum: substantival, 'a secluded and quiet man', i.e. Martin.
qui in illo oderant quod: 'who hated in him that which'.
ingemescendum: 'lamentable'.
non alii . . . non alii . . . quam: 'none other than' (repeated for emphasis).
fere: 'for the most part', 'mostly'.
licet pauci admodum: 'though quite few'.
ferebantur: 'were said (to be)'.
licet nosmet ipsos plerique circumlatrent: 'although quite a few are barking all around at me myself', a reference to Sulpicius' critics, who claimed that he exaggerated Martin's abilities. circumlatrent (> circumlatro (1)) is subj. in concessive clause (A&G 527).
sufficiet ut: 'it will be sufficient that'.
ex his: 'of these men', i.e., from among the critics.
dictum: (sc. esse) 'that it has been said' (indirect statement after fatebitur).
non refugimus . . . ut: 'I do not mind that'.
nos quoque: 'me too', another polite 1st person plural, referring to Sulpicius himself.
opusculum istud: 'the present work'. Opusculum is diminutive of opus, used here for modesty. iste = meus is late Latin. See Lönnergen, De Syntaxi Sulpicii Severi, p. 10.[4]
de cetero: 'for the rest, otherwise'.
ego mihi conscius sum me: 'I am conscious in myself that I', introducing indirect statement.
non quicumque legerit, sed quicumque crediderit: 'not he who has read, but he who has believed'. This is the subject of habebit above. legerit and crediderit are subjunctive in a relative clause of characteristic. 'Believed' is the emphatic final word in the work.
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