GLŌRIŌSISSIMŌ RĒGĪ CEOLVULFŌ BAEDA FAMULUS CHRĪSTĪ ET PRESBYTER

Historiam gentis Anglōrum ecclēsiasticam, quam nūper ēdideram, libentissimē tibi dēsīderantī, rēx, et prius ad legendum ac probandum trānsmīsī, et nunc ad trānscrībendum ac plēnius ex tempore meditandum retrānsmittō; satisque studium tuae sincēritātis amplector, quō nōn sōlum audiendīs scrīptūrae sānctae verbīs aurem sēdulus accommodās, vērum etiam nōscendīs priōrum gestīs sīve dictīs—et maximē nostrae gentis virōrum inlūstrium—cūram vigilanter impendis. [2] Sīve enim historia dē bonīs bona referat, ad imitandum bonum audītor sollicitus īnstīgātur; seu mala commemoret dē prāvīs, nihilōminus religiōsus ac pius audītor sīve lēctor dēvītandō quod noxium est ac perversum, ipse sollertius ad exsequenda ea quae bona ac Deō digna esse cognōverit, accenditur. [3] Quod ipsum tū quoque vigilantissimē dēprehendēns, historiam memorātam in nōtitiam tibi simul et eīs, quibus tē regendīs dīvīna praefēcit auctōritās, ob generālis cūram salūtis lātius prōpalārī dēsīderās. [4] Vt autem in hīs quae scrīpsī vel tibi vel cēterīs audītōribus sīve lēctōribus huius historiae occāsiōnem dubitandī subtraham, quibus haec maximē auctōribus didicerim, breviter intimāre cūrābō.

 [5] Auctor ante omnēs atque adiūtor opusculī huius Albīnus, abba reverentissimus, vir per omnia doctissimus, extitit; quī in ecclēsiā Cantuāriōrum ā beātae memoriae Theodōrō archiepiscopō et Hadriānō abbāte, virīs venerābilibus atque ērudītissimīs, īnstitūtus dīligenter omnia, quae in ipsā Cantuāriōrum prōvinciā vel etiam in contiguīs eīdem regiōnibus ā discipulīs beātī pāpae Gregōriī gesta fuēre, vel monimentīs litterārum, vel seniōrum trāditiōne cognōverat; et ea mihi dē hīs, quae memoriā digna vidēbantur, per religiōsum Lundoniēnsis ecclesiae presbyterum Nothelmum, sīve litterīs mandāta sīve ipsīus Nothelmī vīvā vōce referenda, trānsmīsit. [6] Quī vidēlicet Nothelmus posteā Rōmam veniēns, nōnnūllās ibi beātī Gregōriī pāpae simul et aliōrum pontificum epistulās, perscrūtātō eiusdem sānctae ecclēsiae Rōmānae scrīniō, permissū eius, quī nunc ipsī ecclēsiae praeest Gregōriī pontificis, invēnit, reversusque nōbīs nostrae historiae īnserendās cum cōnsiliō praefātī Albinī reverentissimī patris adtulit.

[7] Ā prīncipiō itaque volūminis huius usque ad tempus, quō gēns Anglōrum fidem Chrīstī percēpit, ex priōrum maximē scrīptīs hinc inde collēctīs ea quae prōmerēmus didicimus. [8] Exinde autem usque ad tempora praesentia, quae in ecclēsiā Cantuāriōrum per discipulōs beātī pāpae Gregōriī sīve successōrēs eōrum, vel sub quibus rēgibus gesta sint, memorātī abbātis Albinī industriā, Nothelmō ut dīximus perferente, cognōvimus. [9] Quī etiam prōvinciae Orientālium simul et Occidentālium Saxonum, nec nōn et Orientālium Anglōrum atque Nordanhymbrōrum, ā quibus praesulibus, vel quōrum tempore rēgum grātiam ēvangeliī percēperint, nōnnūllā mihi ex parte prōdidērunt. [10] Dēnique hortātū praecipuē ipsīus Albinī, ut hoc opus adgredī audērem, prōvocātus sum. [11] Sed et Danihel reverentissimus Occidentālium Saxonum episcopus, quī nunc usque superest, nōnnūlla mihi dē historiā ecclēsiasticā prōvinciae ipsīus, simul et proximā illī Austrālium Saxonum, nec nōn et Vectae īnsulae litterīs mandāta dēclārāvit. [12] Quāliter vērō per ministerium Ceddī et Ceaddā religiōsōrum Chrīstī sacerdōtum, vel prōvincia Merciōrum ad fidem Chrīstī, quam nōn nōverat, pervēnerit, vel prōvincia Orientālium Saxonum fidem, quam ōlim exsufflāverat, recuperāverit, quālis etiam ipsōrum patrum vīta vel obitus extiterit, dīligenter ā frātribus monastēriī, quod ab ipsīs conditum Laestingaeu cognōminātur, agnōvimus. [13] Porrō in prōvinciā Orientālium Anglōrum quae fuerint gesta ecclēsiastica, partim ex scrīptīs vel trāditiōne priōrum, partim reverentissimī abbātis Ēsī relātiōne comperimus. [14] At vērō in prōvinciā Lindissī quae sint gesta ergā fidem Chrīstī quaeve successiō sacerdōtālis extiterit, vel litterīs reverentissimī antistitis Cyniberctī vel aliōrum fidēlium virōrum vīva vōce didicimus. [15] Quae autem in Nordanhymbrōrum prōvinciā, ex quō tempore fidem Chrīstī percēpērunt, usque ad praesēns per dīversās regiōnēs in ecclēsiā sint ācta, nōn ūnō quōlibet auctōre, sed fidēlī innumerōrum testium, quī haec scīre vel meminisse poterant, adsertiōne cognōvī, exceptīs hīs, quae per mē ipsum nōsse poteram. [16] Inter quae notandum, quod ea, quae dē sānctissimō patre et antistite Cudberctō vel in hōc volūmine vel in libellō gestōrum ipsīus cōnscrīpsī, partim ex eīs, quae dē illō prius ā frātribus ecclēsiae Lindisfarnēnsis scrīpta repperī adsūmsī, simpliciter fidem historiae quam legēbam accommodāns, partim vērō ea quae certissima fidēlium vīrōrum adtestātiōne per mē ipse cognōscere potuī, sollerter adicere cūrāvī. [17] Lēctōremque suppliciter obsecrō, ut, sīquā in hīs quae scrīpsimus aliter quam sē vēritās habet posita reppererit, nōn hoc nōbīs imputet, quī, quod vēra lēx historiae est, simpliciter ea quae fāmā vulgante collēgimus ad īnstrūctiōnem posteritātis litterīs mandāre studuimus.

 [18] Praetereā omnēs, ad quōs haec eadem historia pervenīre potuerit nostrae nātiōnis, legentēs sīve audientēs, suppliciter precor, ut prō meīs īnfirmitātibus et mentis et corporis apud supernam clēmentiam saepius intervenīre meminerint; et in suīs quīque prōvinciīs hanc mihi suae remūnerātiōnis vicem rependant, ut quī dē singulīs prōvinciīs sīve locīs sublīmiōribus, quae memorātū digna atque incolīs grāta crēdideram, dīligenter adnotāre cūrāvī, apud omnēs frūctum piae intercessiōnis inveniam.

PROLOGUE

DEDICATION TO CEOLWULF

In his preface Bede provides some insight into the composition of his Ecclesiastical History, with special attention to his sources.

(1) Ceolvulfō: Ceolwulf became king of Northumbria in 729 and retired to the monastery at Lindisfarne in 737. See PASE Ceolwulf 3.

ēdideram: “I had published.” Written after the completion of the Historia, the preface acts as a kind of cover letter to Ceolwulf, who had read an earlier draft of the manuscript.

et prius ... et nunc: “both previously ... and now ....” Notice the parallel structure (see articulated text).

ad trānscribendum: “to transcribe” (gerund expressing purpose, AG 506). Bede sent his Historia to Ceolwulf, perhaps at Lindisfarne, where the manuscript was copied.

ex tempore: “at leisure,” “as time may permit.”

satisque … amplector: “and I am grateful for your sincere enthusiasm.”

nōn solum … vērum etiam: parallel structure (see articulated text).

audiendīs … verbīs: dative after aurem accommodās: “you lend your ear to hearing the words…” The gerundive audiendīs expresses purpose (AG 500.4).

sēdulus: translate the adjective as an adverb, “attentively.”

maximē: “especially”

(2) Sīve … accenditur: mixed conditionals. In the protases, the verbs are in the present subjunctive (referat, commemoret), offering hypothetical alternatives; the verbs in the apodoses are in the present indicative (instigātur, accenditur), expressing a real result: “If history should relate good things about good men, the listener is roused…”

audītor sollicitus: “the careful listener.”

dēvītāndō: ablative of means (“by avoiding”) with quod noxium est ac perversum as its object.

quod: “that which.”

digna Deō: “worthy of God,” “pleasing in the sight of God.” (AG 418b)

(3) quod: connecting relative.

historiam memorātam in notitiam: in expresses purpose (LS, in II.C.7): “my history, told as instruction…” The accusatives are subject accusatives (AG 459): dēsīderās historiam (meam) lātius prōpalārī

tibi simul et eīs, quibus: datives of reference (AG 376): “both for you and for those whom ... ”

quibus ... regendīs: dative, governed by praefēcit; regendīs expresses purpose: “whom divine authority has put you in charge of for the purpose of ruling” (i.e., “whom divine authority has given you to rule”).

(4) Ut … subtraham: purpose clause, preceding the main clause (breviter intimāre cūrābō).

“vel tibi vel cēterīs audītōribus sīve lēctōribus: datives of reference (AG 376): “for you or for other listeners or readers…”

quibus … auctōribus: ablative of means or source (“by what authorities,” “from what sources”); quibus is the interrogative adjective in an indirect question introduced by intimāre cūrābō.

maximē: “for the most part”

didicerim: perfect subjunctive in indirect question (AG 574).

BEDE'S SOURCES FOR THE HISTORIA ECCLESIASTICA

(5) extitit: “has been” (> exstare)

Theodorō archiepiscopō: Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury (668–690). PASE Theodore 1.

Hadriānō abbate: Hadrian, abbot of St. Peter's, Canterbury (ca. 635-710). PASE Hadrian 2.

īnstitūtus: with quī (“who…having been educated”)

omnia: direct object of cognoverat (“found out,” “acquired knowledge of”)

monimentīs litterārum: “from documents” (monimentum = monumentum)

ea mihi: the direct object and indirect object of trānsmīsit

dē hīs, quae…: like omnia and ea, hīs and quae are neuter plural substantives, referring to “things” or, since Bede is talking about the sources he has collected, “material”: “of these things, which….” dē is partitive (AG 346.c).

(6) Nothelmus: Nothelm, Archbishop of Canterbury (735–739); PASE Nothelm 2.

Rōmam: accusative of place to which (AG 427.2) after veniēns.

nōnnullās … epistulās: direct object of invēnit.

ibi: i.e., in Rome

perscrūtātō … scrīniō: ablative absolute

īnserendās: understand epistulās: the gerundive expresses purpose with a verb signifying to give or deliver (AG 500.4), in this case adtulit; inserere (“to insert into”) can take the dative (historiae nostrae), or in + acc. (LS, insero)

(7) After the introductory temporal clauses the structure is: ea quae prōmerēmus (“the sort of material which I might publish”) didicimus ex (“I learned from”) …. For prōmō = “publish” see LS, prōmō II.B. The subjunctive is normal in a relative clause describing a vague antecedent, a so-called clause of characteristic (AG 534).

quō: ablative of time when (AG 423); the antecedent is tempus.

priōrum: i.e., scriptōrum priōrum.

hinc inde: “from here and there” (DMLBS, inde 4), adverbial, modifying collectīs.

(8) After the introductory temporal clause, the sequence is: cognōvimus quae gesta sint …, vel sub quibus rēgibus, memorātī abbātis Albinī industriā.

quae … gesta sint: Indirect question, introduced by cognōvimus. quae, the interrogative adjective, is the neuter plural substantive subject (“which things”) of gesta sint. quibus is also an interrogative adjective, modifying regibus, “under which kings.”“”.

per: indicates means (“through the ministry of ... ”).

memorātī: “well-known”

Nothelmō … perferente: ablative absolute. Perferre means “to deliver a message,” and here can mean “acting as intermediary (or messenger)” (LS, perfero I.B).

(9) Quī: “They” (i.e., Albinus and Nothelm), the subject of prōdidērunt (connecting relative: AG 308.f).

provinciae: nominative plural, subject of percēperint, which is pf. subj. in indirect question. See Special Usages, prōvincia. quibus and quōrum are interrogative adjectives introduced by prōdidērunt. The sequence is: prōdidērunt (“they recorded”) ā quibus praesulibus, vel quōrum tempore rēgum prōvinciae … grātiam ēvangeliī percēperint. The exact timing and manner of conversion of the various regions of England is a major topic for the early Books of HE.

nōnnullā … ex parte: “to a certain extent.”

(10) ut hoc opus adgredī audērem: after provocātus sum (“I was encouraged”) and taken with hortātū (“at the urging”), this is in effect an indirect command, also known as a jussive noun clause or “substantive clause of purpose” (AG 563).

(11) nunc usque: “up to now,” “still”

nōnnulla: with litterīs mandāta

Austrālium Saxonum: the kingdom “of the South Saxons,” i.e., Sussex.

Vectae īnsulae: “of the Isle of Wight.” (See Atlas under Vecta).

(12) Quāliter: “how,” introducing two parallel indirect questions, each containing a relative clause with fidem as its antecedent: agnōvimus quāliter (a) prōvincia Merciōrum ad fidem Christī (quam nōn nōverat) pervēnerit, vel (b) prōvincia Oriēntālium Saxonum recūperāverit fidem (quam olim exsufflāverat)… This is followed by another indirect question introduced by quālis etiam (“and what sort of…”). See articulated text.

per: indicates means (“through the ministry of ... ”).

Ceddī et Ceaddā: for Cedd, see PASE Cedd 1; for Ceadda (Chad), see PASE Chad 1. The forms here should be treated as genitives.

Læstingaeu: Lastingham, in North Yorkshire (see Atlas under Læstingaeu)

(13) quae fuerint gesta ecclēsiāstica: indirect question introduced by conperimus. quae, gesta, and ecclēsiāstica are neuter plural: “what ecclesiastical matters…”

Ēsī: Nothing more is known about Abbot Esi. See PASE Esi 1.

(14) Lindissī: the kingdom of Lindsey, which occupied what is now the northern half of the county of Lincolnshire.

quae … quaeve … extiterit: indirect questions, introduced by didicimus.

antistitis Cynibercti: Bishop Cynebehrt. Nothing more is known of him.

vivā voce: ablative of means; with the genitives (antistis … aliōrum …), it means “from the mouth of…,” “directly from….”

(15) fidēlī: modifying adsertiōne.

exceptīs hīs: ablative absolute (“with the exception of those things…”)

(16) Bede got his information about Cuthbert partly from documents written by monks at Lindsey, and partly from interviews with clerics. The overall structure of this long periodic sentence is: notandum (est) quod ea partim … adsūmsī, partim vērō ea … adicere cūrāvī. See articulated text.

notandum: impersonal passive periphrastic (“it must be noted…”), AG 500.3.

quod: “that,” with the indicative in a substantive clause, AG 572.

antistite Cudberctō: St. Cuthbert, bishop of Lindisfarne (685–687). See PASE Cuthbert 1.

in libellō gestōrum ipsīus: Bede’s Life of Saint Cuthbert.

partim … partim: “in part…in part”

quae … scripta repperī: quae is the neuter plural object of repperī, modified by scripta (“which I found written”). The antecedent of quae is eīs.

simpliciter … accommodāns: parenthetical: “putting my trust unreservedly in the account I was reading” (Garforth). accommodāns agrees with the subject of adsumsī (i.e., Bede).

per mē: “on my own,” “by my own efforts.”

sollerter: “diligently,” “assiduously.” (DMLBS, sollerter; in classical Latin this adverb means “cleverly.”)

(17) Another long, balanced periodic sentence. The structure is: Lēctōrem obsecrō ut, sīquā … reppererit, nōn hoc nōbīs imputet, quī … studuimus. See articulated text.

ut … nōn: = nē (in a purpose clause, AG 563).

aliter quam sē veritās habet: “is other than the truth.” For habeō with the reflexive pronoun and an adverb of manner (in this case, aliter), see LS, habeō II.C.6.

quī: the antecedent is the subject of obsecrō (i.e., Bede).

famā vulgante: “from the common report”

ad instructiōnem posteritātis: ad with the accusative here indicates purpose; the genitive posteritātis is an objective genitive.

(18) In a final, massively elaborate periodic sentence, Bede asks his readers and listeners to pray for divine indulgence of his deficiencies as a historian. The architecture is: omnēs … precor, ut … meminerint; et (ut) … rependant, ut … apud omnēs … inveniam. See articulated text.

nostrae natiōnis: with historia

apud: “before” (in the sense of standing as a supplicant before a god; see OLD, apud 8c).

suae remūnerātiōnis vicem: “a return of their own reward.” Bede asks that in return for history, his readers will pray for him. Wallace-Hadrill translates: “repay me with good measure.”

quī: Bede (“I, who…”)

sublīmiōribus: sublīmis (“lofty”), in Medieval Latin, can mean either “spiritually exalted” (DMLBS, sublīmis 4) or “noble, high-ranking” (DMLBS, sublīmis 5). When he speaks of “loftier places,” Bede could be referring to monasteries or the courts of kings, or both.

quae: understand ea, limited by dē singūlīs provinciīs, as the antecedent of quae and the object of adnotāre (“to record those things about individual kingdoms…which…”)

NOTE: Lemmatization of Anglo-Saxon Names 
—: declined forms unattested 
[ ]: nominative forms unattested (back-formed for purposes of lemmatization) 
*: form unattested but hypothesized based on existing patterns

glōriōsus –a –um: glorious

Ceolwulf –ūs m.: Ceolwulf, King of the Northumbrians, 729-737

Baeda –ae m.: Bede, Monk and writer, d. 735

famulus –ī m.: servant

Christus –ī m.: Christ

presbyter –erī m.: a priest

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

ecclēsiasticus –a –um: of or belonging to the Church

nūper: not long ago

trānsmittō –ere –mīsī –missus: to send across; bear or convey across or over

trānscrībō –ere –scrīpsī –scrīptus: to transcribe, copy

meditor meditārī meditātus sum: to think

retrānsmittō –ere –mīsī –missus: to send back or again

sinceritās –ātis f.: purity, integrity

amplector amplectī amplexus sum: to embrace

scrīptūra –ae f.: Scripture

sēdulus –a –um: attentive

accommodō accommodāre accommodāvī accommodātus: to fit one thing to another

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

dictum dictī n.: word; saying

maximē: most greatly

illūstris illūstre: bright

vigilanter: watchfully, carefully, vigilantly

impendo -ere -di -pensus: to devote

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

bonum –ī n.: good thing; good; blessing

imitor imitārī imitātus sum: to imitate

bonum –ī n.: good thing; good; blessing

audītor –ōris m.: hearer listener member of the audience

sollicitus –a –um: worried

īnstīgō īnstīgāre īnstīgāvī īnstīgātus: to goad on; incite

malum malī n.: evil, calamity

commemorō commemorāre commemorāvī commemorātus: to recollect

prāvus –a –um: crooked

nihilōminus: nevertheless

religiōsus –a –um: religious, reverent

audītor –ōris m.: hearer listener member of the audience

lēctor –ōris m.: reader

dēvītō –āre –āvī -ātum: to avoid, shun

noxius –a –um: hurtful, baneful

perversus –a –um: perverse

sollers sollertis: skilled, expert

exsequor exsequī exsecūtus sum: to follow, accomplish

accendō accendere accendī accēnsus: to kindle, set on fire

vigilō vigilāre vigilāvī vigilātus: to be awake

dēprehendō dēprehendere dēprehendī dēprehensus: to recognize

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

memorō memorāre memorāvī memorātus: to remember

nōtitia ae f.: celebrity; nowledge

dīvīnus –a –um: divine

praeficiō praeficere praefēcī praefectus: to put in charge

generalis -e: of a species, generic

prōpalō prōpalāre: to divulge, make public

audītor –ōris m.: hearer listener member of the audience

lēctor –ōris m.: reader

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

occāsiō occāsiōnis f.: opportunity

subtrahō –ere –trāxī –trāctus: to draw from beneath; withdraw

maximē: most greatly

intimō –intimāre: to bring into, announce

adiūtor –ōris m.: a helper

opusculum -ī n.: a little work

Albīnus –ī m.: Albinus, Abbot of Canterbury, d. 733 or 734

abba (indecl.): father

re-vereor –verērī –veritus sum: to stand in awe of, revere

existō –ere exstitī – : exist; be; emerge

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

Cantuarī –ōrum m. : the people of Kent

Theodorus –ī m.: Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury, 668-690

archiepiscopus –ī m.: archbishop

Hadriānus –ī m.: Hadrian, Abbot of St Peter's, Canterbury, c.635-710

abbās –ātis m.: an abbot

venerābilis –e: venerable, deserving of respect

ērudiō –rudīre –rudiī –rudītum: to instruct, train; free from roughness

dīligēns: careful

Cantuarī –ōrum m. : the people of Kent

contiguus –a –um: near, within reach

discipulus discipulī m.: male student

pāpa –ae or –ātis m.: a father, pope

Grēgorius –ī m.: Gregory, the Great, pope, 590-604

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

monumentum monumentī n.: memorial, monument

senex senis: old, aged

trāditiō –ōnis f.: tradition

religiōsus –a –um: religious, reverent

Lundoniensis –e: of, relating to London

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

presbyter –erī m.: a priest

Nothelmus –ī m.: Nothhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 735-739

mandātus -a -um: having been delivered

Nothelmus –ī m.: Nothhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 735-739

vīvus –a –um: alive

trānsmittō –ere –mīsī –missus: to send across; bear or convey across or over

vidēlicet: clearly

Nothelmus –ī m.: Nothhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 735-739

Rōma Rōmae f.: Rome

nōnnūllus –a –um: some unknown

Grēgorius –ī m.: Gregory, the Great, pope, 590-604

pāpa –ae or –ātis m.: a father, pope

pontifex pontificis m.: priest

perscrūtor –ārī –ātus: to examine

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

Rōmānus –a –um: Roman

scrīnium –iī n.: archive

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

praesum praeesse praefuī praefutūrus: to be before; be present

Grēgorius –ī m.: Gregory, II, pope, 715-731

pontifex pontificis m.: priest

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

īnserō īnserere īnseruī īnsertus: insert, add

praefor –fātus sum: to say beforehand; praefātus: aforementioned

Albīnus –ī m.: Albinus, Abbot of Canterbury, d. 733 or 734

reverēns -tis: respected

volūmen volūminis n.: book, roll

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

Christus –ī m.: Christ

percipiō percipere percēpī perceptus: to take in

maximē: most greatly

hinc: from here, hence

prōmō prōmere prōmpsī prōmptus: to take

exinde (abbrev. exin): from that place

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

Cantuarī –ōrum m. : the people of Kent

discipulus discipulī m.: male student

pāpa –ae or –ātis m.: a father, pope

Grēgorius –ī m.: Gregory, the Great, pope, 590-604

successor -oris m.: a follower, successor

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

memorō memorāre memorāvī memorātus: to remember

abbās –ātis m.: an abbot

Albīnus –ī m.: Albinus, Abbot of Canterbury, d. 733 or 734

industria industriae f.: diligence

Nothelmus –ī m.: Nothhelm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 735-739

perferō perferre pertulī perlātus: to endure

orientālis –e: of the east, easterly

occidentālis –e: of the west, westerly

Saxones –um m.: the Saxons, a Germanic tribe

orientālis –e: of the east, easterly

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

Nordanhymbri –ōrum m.: the Northumbrians, people living north of the Humber estuary

praesul –ulis m.: bishop

ēvangelium –ī n.: the Gospel

percipiō percipere percēpī perceptus: to take in

nōnnūllus –a –um: some unknown

praecipuē: especially, particularly

Albīnus –ī m.: Albinus, Abbot of Canterbury, d. 733 or 734

aggredior aggredī aggressus sum: to approach

prōvocō prōvocāre –āvī –ātus: to summon

Daniēl –ēlis m.: Daniel, Bishop of the West Saxons, c.705–res.744; d.745

reverēns -tis: respected

occidentālis –e: of the west, westerly

Saxones –um m.: the Saxons, a Germanic tribe

episcopus -ī m.: guardian, (eccl.) bishop

nōnnūllus –a –um: some unknown

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

ecclēsiasticus –a –um: of or belonging to the Church

proximus proximī m.: neighbor

austrālis –e: southern

Saxones –um m.: the Saxons, a Germanic tribe

Vēctis –is f.: an island south of Britain, now the Isle of Wight

mandō mandāre mandāvī mandātus: to entrust

dēclārō dēclārāre dēclārāvī dēclārātus: to make clear, reveal

quāliter: just as

ministerium –ī n.: service, ministry

Cedd –ī m.: Cedd, Bishop of the East Saxons, d.664

Ceadd (acc. Ceaddan): Chad, Bishop of Mercia and Lindsey at Lichfield and saint, 669–?672; abbot of Lastingham

religiōsus –a –um: religious, reverent

Christus –ī m.: Christ

Merciī –ōrum m.: the Mercians, the people of the march, or midlands

Christus –ī m.: Christ

orientālis –e: of the east, easterly

Saxones –um m.: the Saxons, a Germanic tribe

exsufflō –āre –āvī –ātus: blow upon; blow away

reciperō –āre: to regain

obitus –ūs m.: downfall, a going down

existō –ere exstitī – : exist; be; emerge

dīligēns: careful

monastērium –ī n.: a monastery

Laestingaeu m.: Lastingham, North Yorkshire

cognōminō –āre –āvī –ātus: to name, to call

āgnōscō āgnōscere āgnōvī agnitus: to recognize

porrō: forward, of space, time, or of mental operations, far off

orientālis –e: of the east, easterly

Anglī –ōrum m.: the Angles, a Germanic tribe; the English

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

ecclēsiasticus –a –um: of or belonging to the Church

trāditiō –ōnis f.: tradition

re-vereor –verērī –veritus sum: to stand in awe of, revere

abbās –ātis m.: an abbot

[Esi] –ī m.: Esi, Abbot [in ?East Anglia], fl. c.731

relātio -ōnis: a bringing back

comperiō comperīre comperī compertus: to find out

Lindissi: Lindsey

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

ergā: towards

Christus –ī m.: Christ

successio -ōnis f.: a succession

exstō or extō –āre –āvī –ātus: to stand forth or out; rise above

re-vereor –verērī –veritus sum: to stand in awe of, revere

antistēs –itis m.: bishop

Cyniberct –ī m.: Cyneberht, Bishop of Lindsey, ?716-731

vīvus –a –um: alive

quī: in what manner? how?

Nordanhymbri –ōrum m.: the Northumbrians, people living north of the Humber estuary

Christus –ī m.: Christ

percipiō percipere percēpī perceptus: to take in

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

quōlibet: to any place whatever

innumerus –a –um: countless

assertiō assertiōnis f.: assertion, affirmation

notō notāre notāvī notātus: to mark, sign, secret writing

sanciō sancīre sānxī sānctus: to consecrate

antistēs –itis m.: bishop

Cudberct –ī m.: Cuthbert, Saint; bishop of Hexham, 684-685, and Lindisfarne, 685-687

volūmen volūminis n.: book, roll

libellus libellī m.: little book

gesta –ōrum n.: deeds, acts

cōnscrībō cōnscrībere cōnscrīpsī cōnscrīptus: to enroll, write

ecclēsia –ae f.: church

Lindisfarnensis –e: of, relating to Lindisfarne

assūmō (or adsūmō) –sūmere –sūmpsī –sūmptum: to take in addition

simplex –icis: artless, naïve, lacking guile

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

accommodō accommodāre accommodāvī accommodātus: to fit one thing to another

attestātio –ōnis f.: testimony, attestation

sollers sollertis: skilled, expert

adiciō adicere adiēcī adiectus: to throw to

lēctor –ōris m.: reader

supplex supplicis: suppliant

obsecrō obsecrāre obsecrāvī obsecrātus: to beseech

sīquis or sīquī sīqua sīquid: if any (one)

vēritās vēritātis f.: truth

im-putō –putāre: to reckon

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

simplex –icis: artless, naïve, lacking guile

vulgō vulgāre vulgāvī vulgātus: to publish, circulate

instructiō -ōnis: instruction

posteritās posteritātis f.: posterity

mandō mandāre mandāvī mandātus: to entrust

historia –ae f.: a narrative of past events, history

nātiō nātiōnis f.: race

supplex supplicis: suppliant

īnfirmitās –ātis f.: weakness

supernus –a –um: that is above, celestial supernal

clēmentia –ae f.: mildness gentleness, mercy

interveniō –venīre –vēnī –ventum: to come between, intervene

remūnerātiō -ōnis f.: a recompense, reward, remuneration

vicis vicis f.: change, succession

rependō –pendere –pendī –pensum: to make up for; balance

sublīmis sublīme: elevated

memorō memorāre memorāvī memorātus: to remember

incola incolae m. or f.: inhabitant

dīligēns: careful

annotō –notāre: to write down something, comment on

intercessiō –ōnis f.: intercession, intervention

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Chapter 1.1

Suggested Citation

Rob Hardy. Bede: Historia Ecclesiastica Selections. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-947822-20-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/bede-historia-ecclesiastica/book-1/prologus