Preface

Sevērus Dēsīderiō frātrī cārissimō. Ego quidem, frāter ūnanimis, libellum quem dē vītā sānctī Martīnī scrīpseram, schedā suā premere et intrā domesticōs pariētēs cohibēre dēcrēveram, quia, ut sum nātūrā īnfirmissimus, iūdicia hūmāna vītābam, nē, quod fore arbitror, sermō incultior legentibus displicēret omniumque reprehēnsiōnis dignissimus iūdicārer, quī māteriem disertīs meritō scriptōribus reservandam impudēns occupāssem: sed petentī tibi saepius negāre nōn potuī. quid enim esset, quod nōn amōrī tuō vel cum dētrīmentō meī pudōris impenderem? 2. vērumtamen eā tibi fīdūciā libellum ēdidi, quā nūllī ā tē prōdendum reor, quia id spopondistī. sed vereor nē tū eī iānua sīs futūrus, et ēmissus semel revocārī nōn queat. 3. quod sī acciderit et ab aliquibus eum legī vīderis, bonā veniā id a lectōribus postulābis, ut rēs potius quam verba perpendant et aequō animō ferant, sī aurēs eōrum vitiōsus forsitan sermō perculerit, quia rēgnum Deī nōn in ēloquentiā, sed in fide cōnstat. 4. meminerint etiam, salūtem saeculō nōn ab ōrātōribus, cum utique, sī ūtile fuisset, id quoque Dominus praestāre potuisset, sed a piscātōribus praedīcātam esse. 5. ego enim, cum prīmum animum ad scrībendum appulī, quia nefās putārem tantī virī latēre virtūtēs, apud mē ipse dēcīdī, ut soloecismīs nōn ērubēscerem: quia nec magnam istārum umquam rērum scientiam contigissem, et sī quid ex hīs studiīs ōlim fortasse lībāssem, tōtum id dēsuētūdine tantī temporis perdidissem. 6. sed tamen nē nōs maneat tam molesta dēfēnsiō, suppressō, sī tibi vidētur, nōmine libellus ēdātur. quod ut fierī valeat, titulum frontis ērāde, ut mūta sit pāgina et, quod sufficit, loquātur māteriam, nōn loquātur auctōrem.

    Desiderius, here is the Life of St. Martin you asked for. Please do not circulate it; or if you do, ask people to overlook its stylistic shortcomings and consider only the substance.

    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 its own paper,' i.e. not to publish.

    naturā: 'by nature', abl. of specification (AG 418)

    quod fore arbitror: '[a thing] which I think will happen.' fore = futurum esse.

    qui materiem . . . occupassem: 'because I had impudently usurped material that should rightly be reserved for learned writers.' The relative clause is causal (Woodcock sec. 156, AG 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: (understand 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 (AG 449b). bonā veniā = 'with your indulgence'.

    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'.

    suppresso . . . nomine: 'with the name having been suppressed', 'anonymously'.

    videtur: 'it seems best'.

    quod ut fieri valeat: 'so that this might be able to happen'.

    ūnanimis -e: of one mind, harmonious, unanimous

    libellus -ī m.: booklet

    scheda ae f.: leaf of paper

    domesticus -a -um: of the home, domestic

    pariēs -etis m.: wall

    cohibeō -hibēre: keep in, restrain, keep

    īnfīrmus -a -um: not strong, weak, feeble

    incultus -a -um: unadorned, unpolished, rude

    displiceō -plicēre -plicuī -plicitum: displease

    reprehensiō -ōnis f.: blame, censure, reprehension

    disertus -a -um: clear, well-spoken

    meritum -ī n.: merit, desert

    impudēns -entis: shameless, impudent

    dētrīmentum -ī n.: loss, damage

    impendeō -pendēre: expend; overhang, impend, threaten (+ dat.)

    vērumtamen: but yet, not withstanding, however

    fīdūcia -ae f.: trust, confidence

    spondeo spondēre spopondī sponsum: pledge, vow

    iānua -ae f.: outer door, gate

    ēmittō -mittere -mīsī -missum: send out, let fly (+ abl.)

    queō quīre quīvī quitum: be able

    lēctor -ōris m.: reader

    perpendō -pendere -pendī -pensum: weigh carefully, ponder

    vitiōsus -a -um: bad, corrupt

    percellō -cellere -culī -culsum: strike down, overthrow; deject, dishearten

    ēloquentia -ae f.: eloquence

    ōrātor -ōris m.: a speaker, orator

    utique: (adv.) certainly, assuredly, undoubtedly

    piscātor -ōris m.: fisherman

    lateō -ēre -uī: lie hid, be hidden

    dēcīdō -cīdere -cīdī -cīsum: decide

    soloecismus -i m.: grammatical fault, a solecism

    ērubēscō -rubēscere -rubuī: redden

    lībō lībāre: take a little

    dēsuētūdo -inis f.: discontinuance, disuse, desuetude

    molestus -a -um: troublesome, annoying; difficult

    dēfēnsio -ōnis f.: a defence

    supprimō -primere -pressī -pressum: hold or keep back; restrain, support

    titulus -ī n.: label, title

    ērādō -dere -si -sum: scratch out, scrape off

    mūtus -a -um: dumb, mute; silent

    pāgina -ae f.: written page

    sufficiō -ficere -fēcī -fectum: supply, afford; be able

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    Suggested Citation

    Christopher Francese, Sulpicius Severus: Life of St. Martin. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2011. ISBN: 978-1-947822-03-0. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/ar/sulpicius-severus/preface