Section 12

1. Accidit autem īnsequentī tempore, dum iter ageret, ut gentīlis cuiusdam corpus, quod ad sepulcrum cum superstitiōsō fūnere dēferēbātur, obvium habēret: cōnspicātusque ēminus venientium turbam, quidnam id esset ignārus, paululum stetit: nam ferē quīngentōrum passuum intervallum erat, ut difficile fuerit dīnoscere quid vidēret. 2. tamen quia rusticam manum cerneret et agente ventō lintea corporī superiecta volitārent, profānōs sacrificiōrum rītūs agī crēdidit: quia esset haec Gallōrum rusticīs cōnsuetūdō, simulācra daemonum candidō tēcta vēlāmine miserā per agrōs suōs circumferre dēmentiā. 3. levātō ergō in adversōs signō crucis imperat turbae nōn movērī locō onusque dēpōnere. hīc vērō mīrum in modum vidēres miserōs prīmum velut saxa riguisse. 4. dein, cum prōmovēre sē summō cōnāmine nīterentur, ultrā accedere nōn valentēs rīdiculam in vertīginem rotābantur, dōnec victī corporis onus pōnunt: attonitī et sēmet invicem aspicientēs, quidnam sibi accidisset, tacitī cōgitābant. 5. sed cum beātus vir comperisset exsequiārum esse illam frequentiam, nōn sacrōrum, ēlevātā rursum manū dat eīs abeundī et tollendī corporis potestātem. ita eōs et cum voluit, stāre compulit, et cum libuit, abīre permīsit.

    Martin encounters a group of Gallic peasants conducting a funeral procession. Believing them to be engaged in a pagan religious ritual, he miraculously freezes the peasants in their tracks; but when he realizes it is merely a funeral he lets them go.

    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.

    superstitiōsus -a -um: superstitious

    cōnspicor -spicārī: espy, catch sight of

    ēminus: (adv.) at a distance

    īgnārus -a -um: not knowing, ignorant (+ gen.)

    paululum: (adv.) slightly

    quīngentī -ae -a: five hundred

    passus -ūs m.: a step

    intervāllum -ī n.: space between, interval, distance

    dīnoscō -ere: distinguish, discern

    linteum -ī n.: linen cloth, sail

    superiaciō -iacere -iēcī -iectum: throw over, cast upon; overtop

    volitō -āre: fly, flit about, flutter

    profānus -a -um: unholy, profane

    sacrificium -ī n.: sacrifice

    rītus -ūs m.: religious custom, ceremony, rite

    simulācrum -i n.: effigy, image

    vēlāmen -inis n.: covering, veil

    circumferō -ferre -tulī -lātum: carry around

    levō -āre: lift, raise, elevate

    dēpōnō -pōnere -posuī -positum: put down, put aside, put away

    rigēscō -gēscere -guī: stiffen, harden

    prōmoveō -movēre -mōvī -mōtum: move forward, advance

    cōnāmen -inis n.: an effort, exertion, struggle

    nītor nītī nīsus or nīxus sum: strive

    rīdiculus -a -um: laughable, absurd, ridiculous

    vertīgo -inis f.: a turning or whirling round

    rotō -āre: turn round like a wheel; whirl round

    attonitus -a -um: thuderstruck, awestruck

    invicem: one another, each other

    exsequiae -ārum f. pl.: funeral procession

    frequentia -ae f.: multitude, crowd, throng

    sacrum -ī n.: religious act, sacrifice

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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/section-12