4

4.1 “Dē Beroeā Edessam pergentibus, vīcīna est pūblicō itinerī sōlitūdō, per quam Saracēnī, incertīs semper sēdibus, hūc atque illūc vagantur. Quae suspīciō frequentiam in illīs locīs viātōrum congregat, ut imminēns perīculum auxiliō mūtuō dēclīnētur. Erant in comitātū meō virī, fēminae, senēs, iuvenēs, parvulī, numerō circiter septuāgintā. 4.2 Et ecce: subitō equōrum camēlōrumque sessōrēs Ismāēlītae irruērunt, crīnītīs vittātīsque capitibus ac sēminūdō corpore, pallia et lātās galliculās trahentēs. Pendēbant ex umerō pharetrae; et, laxōs arcūs vibrantēs, hastīlia longa portābant; nōn enim ad pugnandum, sed ad praedandum vēnerant. 4.3 Rapimur, dissipāmur, in dīversa distrahimur. Ego interim, longō postlīminiō hērēditārius possessor, et sērō meī cōnsiliī paenitēns, cum alterā mulierculā in ūnīus erī servitūtem sortītus veniō. Dūcimur, immō portāmur sublīmēs in camēlīs; et per vastam erēmum, semper ruīnam timentēs, haerēmus potius quam sedēmus. Cibus sēmicrūdae carnēs; et lac camēlōrum pōtus erat.

While traveling with a group of around seventy people for greater security, we were captured by Arab nomad slave traders. Rather than returning home to come into my inheritance as intended, I was enslaved with a woman I did not know and carried by camel over a vast wilderness.

Dē Beroeā: CL would be ex Beroeā or ab Beroeā. CL uses a preposition with the name of a town “where both a start and an end point of a journey are given” (Gray).

Edessam: Edessa (modern Şanliurfa in Turkey, also known as Urfa) is about 200 miles NE of Beroea (modern Aleppo).

pergentibus: “for those who travel”; a substantivized participle, masc. pl. nom.; dative of reference, here used of the person “from whose point of view an opinion is stated or a situation or a direction is defined” (AG 378); also called “dative of the person judging.”

sōlitūdō: sōlitūdō -inis f.,  “wilderness”; “deserts” in ancient texts are usually wildernesses rather than the completely arid places we call deserts.

Saracēnī: Saracēnī -ōrum m. pl., “Saracens”; strictly speaking a people of the Arabian peninsula, but here a generic word for Arab nomads.

incertīs semper sēdibus: ablative absolute.

Quae suspīciō frequentiam in illīs locīs viātōrum congregat = quōrum suspīciō congregat frequentiam viātōrum in illīs locīs. < congregō (1), “to bring together”; < frequentia -ae f., “multitude.”

ut ... dēclīnētur < dēclīnō (1), “to avoid” (OLD 5c); pres. subj. in a purpose clause.

in comitātū meō < comitātus -ūs m., “group, party.”

4.2

sessōrēs < sessor -ōris m., “rider.”

Ismāēlītae < Ismāēlītēs -ae m. “descendent of Ishmael,” i.e. an Arab; here probably “Bedouin.”

crīnītīs vittātīs capitibus ac sēminūdō corpore < crīnītus -a -um, “long-haired”; < vittātus -a -um ,“headband-wearing”; ablatives of description (AG 415).

pallia et lātās galliculās trahentēs: pallia trahentēs means “dragging their cloaks” on the ground, i.e. “with long flowing robes” (see Varro, Menippean Satires fragment 128, speaking of Greek philosophers). lātās galliculās seems to refer to the Bedouins’ boots  < gallicula -ae f., “Gallic shoe, boot” (LL), but the text is uncertain.

laxōs arcūs: their bows were unstrung, because (as we will learn) they were prepared for kidnapping and enslaving, rather than combat.

ad pugnandum ... ad praedandum < praedor (1), “to take as plunder”; gerunds expressing purpose (AG 506)

4.3

Rapimur, dissipāmur, in dīversa distrahimur: a tricolon crescendo, with homoeoteleuton, forcefully expressing the drama of the situation.

longō postlīminiō hērēditārius possessor: “(intending to be) a landholder by right of inheritance after a long time away.” < postlīminium -(i)ī n., “the right of recovery”; originally the right of someone returning from beyond the border (līmes) to repossess property, but here simply a reference to the fact that Malchus had been away for a long time (TLL postliminium II.B); probably ablative of specification (respect), which can include expressions indicating that in accordance with which a thing is done, AG 418.a.

possessor: possessor -ōris m.,“a person taking occupancy” (of a property, OLD 1.c).

sērō: “late, too late” (adv.)

cum alterā mulierculā: “with a second person, a woman” (Gray).

in ūnīus erī servitūtem sortītus veniō = veniō sortītus in servitūdinem ūnīus erī. < erus (herus) -ī m., “master”; < sortior sortīrī sortītus sum, “to assign by lot.”

haerēmus potius quam sedēmus: sc. in camēlīs.

pōtus: pōtus -ī m., “drink.”

core vocabulary

Beroea -ae f.: Beroea (modern Aleppo)

Edessa -ae f.: Edessa, a city in Macedonia; a city of Mesopotamia (modern Şaniurfa, Turkey)

sōlitūdō -inis f.: solitude, loneliness; desert, waste land

Saracēnī -ōrum m.: Saracens; a people of Arabia; a generic word for Arab nomads

incertus -a -um: unsure, uncertain, unreliable

vagor -ārī or vagō vagāre vagāvī: to wander

suspīciō suspiciōnis f.: suspicion; mistrust

frequentia frequentiae f.: crowd, throng

viātor -ōris m.: traveler, wayfarer

congregō congregāre congregāvī congregātus: to assemble, collect

immineō imminēre: to threaten, be a threat (to); overhang, be imminent (+ dat.)

mūtuus -a -um: interchangeable, reciprocal; on both sides; per mutua, mutually, to each other (> muto)

dēclīnō dēclīnāre dēclīnāvī dēclīnātus: to turn down or away; of the eyes, to close in sleep; (intrans.) turn aside (to), be inclined (towards)

comitātus -ūs m.: an accompanying or following; a suite, train, retinue (> comitor)

iuvenis iuvenis m.: youth; young man

parvulus -a -um: very little; small, little (> parvus)

circiter: nearly, not far from, almost, approximately, around, about

septuāgintā; septuāgēsimus -a -um: 70; 70th

camēlus -ī m./f.: a camel

sessor -ōris m.: one who sits, rider

Ismāēlītēs -ae m. : descendent of Ishmael; an Arab; a Bedouin

inruō -ere -ruī: to rush in, break in; rush on; rush

crīnītus -a -um: long-haired (> crinis)

vittātus -a -um: bound up by a fillet

sēminūdus -a -um: half-naked; nearly defenseless, without arms

pallium palli(ī) n.: cover, coverlet; Greek cloak

"gallicula -ae f. : Gallic shoe, boot"

pendeō pendēre pependī: to hang, hang down

umerus umerī m.: shoulder

pharetra -ae f.: quiver

laxus -a -um: wide, loose, spacious

arcus arcūs m.: bow, arch

vibrō vibrāre vibrāvī vibrātus: to set in tremulous motion, move to and fro, brandish, shake, agitate

hastīle -is n.: the shaft of a spear; a spear, lance, javelin; a spear-like sapling or branch; a shoot (> hasta)

praedor -ārī praedātus sum: to plunder; to go hunting for food

dissipō -āre: to spread abroad, scatter, disperse

distrahō -ere -trahere -traxī -tractum: to pull apart, tear to pieces

postlīminium -ī n.: resumption of civil rights on return from exile; leading back again; reprisal

hērēditārius -a -um : of an inheritance, inherited, hereditary

possessor -ōris m.: a possessor, owner

sērō: late, at a late hour, tardily; of a late period

paenitet paenitēre paenituit: to make sorry, cause to repent

muliercula -ae f.: a (small or weak) woman

erus -ī m.: an owner, householder, master, lord

servitūs servitūtis f.: slavery

sortior -ītus sum: to cast lots; obtain, get, take by lot; share; distribute; assign, allot, appoint; select, choose (> sors)

immō: no indeed (contradiction); on the contrary, more correctly; indeed, nay more

sublīmis sublīme: elevated, lofty, heroic, noble; (of breathing) shallow, panting; with head held high

camēlus -ī m./f.: a camel

vāstus -a -um: empty, devastated

erēmus -ī m. or f.: desert, waste land (late Latin)

ruīna ruīnae f.: fall; catastrophe; collapse (of a building), destruction

haereō haerēre haesī haesus: to stick to, hang on to

potius: rather, more

sēmicrūdus -a -um: half raw, partially cooked

carō carnis f.: meat, flesh

lac lactis n.: milk; juice

pōtus pōtūs m.: a drinking, a drink

Podcast

Jerome Vita Malchi 4 read aloud (CF)

4.1 “Dē Beroeā Edessam pergentibus, vīcīna est pūblicō itinerī sōlitūdō, per quam Saracēnī, incertīs semper sēdibus, hūc atque illūc vagantur. Quae suspīciō frequentiam in illīs locīs viātōrum congregat, ut imminēns perīculum auxiliō mūtuō dēclīnētur. Erant in comitātū meō virī, fēminae, senēs, iuvenēs, parvulī, numerō circiter septuāgintā. 4.2 Et ecce: subitō equōrum camēlōrumque sessōrēs Ismāēlītae irruērunt, crīnītīs vittātīsque capitibus ac sēminūdō corpore, pallia et lātās galliculās trahentēs. Pendēbant ex umerō pharētrae; et, laxōs arcūs vibrantēs, hastīlia longa portābant; nōn enim ad pugnandum, sed ad praedandum vēnerant. 4.3 Rapimur, dissipāmur, in dīversa distrahimur. Ego interim, longō postlīminiō hērēditārius possessor, et sērō meī cōnsiliī paenitēns, cum alterā mulierculā in ūnīus erī servitūtem sortītus veniō. Dūcimur, immō portāmur sublīmēs in camēlīs; et per vastam erēmum, semper ruīnam timentēs, haerēmus potius quam sedēmus. Cibus sēmicrūdae carnēs; et lac camēlōrum pōtus erat.

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The World of Jerome's Malchus

Latin name description
Antiochia Capital city of the province of Syria and the residence of Jerome intermittently in the 370s. He was ordained there in the late 370s by Bishop Paulinus. Founded near the end of the fourth century BC by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals, it eventually rivaled Alexandria as the chief city of the Near East. After the founding of Constantinople, it ceased to be the principal city of the East. At the same time, it began to be prominent as a Christian city, ranking as a Patriarchal see with Constantinople and Alexandria. With the former of these cities it was connected by the great road through Asia Minor, and with the latter, by the coast road through Caesarea. Ten councils were held at Antioch between the years 252 and 380.
Nisibis Birthplace of Malchus. Situated on the Roman-Persian frontier in very rich and fruitful country, Nisibis was long the center of a very extensive trade, and the great northern emporium for the merchandise of the East and West. In the fourth century control of this strategic and heavily fortified border city passed back and forth between the Roman and Sassanid Persian empires. The Persians ceded it to the Romans in 299. From 360 to 363, Nisibis was the camp of Legio I Parthica. In 363 Nisibis went back to the Persians after the defeat of Emperor Julian. 
Persis Persis or “Persia” refers at this period to the Sassanian Empire, the last kingdom of the Persian Empire before the rise of Islam, and a major strategic rival of the Roman Empire. When Malchus leaves home to become a monk he cannot go east from Nisibis, “because of the proximity of Persia and the Roman military guard” on the militarized frontier (3.2). Named after the House of Sasan, the Sassanid dynasty ruled from 224 to 651 AD, and was at this time under the control of the long-reigning and dynamic Shapur II (AD 309–379).
Chalcis Site of Malchus’ monastery, mod. Qinnasrin. An important caravan stop on the frontier zone with the Syrian desert, Chaclis had a fine Roman road leading to Antioch, and was in late antiquity an important center of Syriac Christianity.
Immas a small settlement about 20 miles due east of Antioch
Beroea The second largest Syrian city after Antioch, modern Aleppo. 
Edessa modern Şanliurfa in Turkey, also known as Urfa, about 200 miles NE of Beroea (modern Aleppo). The public highway from Antioch via Beroea and Edessa to Nisibis was a major travel and trade route connecting the Mediterranean with Mesopotamia. The emperor Septimius Severus had a road built along this route in AD 197 when he prepared a campaign against the Persians (Gray).
fluvius Gray identifies this as the river Jhagjhaga (Greek: Mydgonius or Hirmus), which flows past Nisibis, now in in SE Turkey
Road from Antioch to Nisibis via Beroea and Edessa The public highway from Antioch via Beroea and Edessa to Nisibis was a major travel and trade route connecting the Mediterranean with Mesopotamia. The emperor Septimius Severus had a road built along this route in AD 197 when he prepared a campaign against the Persians (Gray).
Comments

This map was created using Antiquity À-la-carte, a web-based GIS interface and interactive digital atlas for creating custom maps of the ancient world using accurate ancient geographical features, an initiative at the Ancient World Mapping center. Placemarkes come from the Pleiades Project.  It is meant to accompany William Turpin's DCC edition of Jerome's Life of Malchus the Captive Monk (2019). Annotations are based on various sources, inlcuding the edition of the Life of Malchus by Christa Gray (2015), and Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854).

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License
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Date
2019
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