1. Cūrātiōnum vērō tam potēns in eō grātia erat, ut nūllus ferē ad eum aegrōtus accesserit, quī nōn continuō rēcēperit sānitātem: quod vel ex cōnsequentī liquēbit exemplō. 2. Trēverīs puella quaedam dirā paralysis aegritūdine tenēbātur, ita ut iam per multum tempus nūllō ad hūmānōs ūsūs corporis officiō fungerētur: omnī ex parte praemortua vix tenuī spiritū palpitābat. 3. tristēs ad sōlam fūneris exspectātiōnem adstābant propinquī, cum subitō ad cīvitātem illam Martīnum vēnisse nuntiātur. quod ubi puellae pater comperit, cucurrit exanimis pro filiā rogātūrus. 4. et forte Martīnus iam ecclēsiam fuerat ingressus. ibi īnspectante populō multīsque aliīs praesentibus epīscopīs, ēiulāns senex genua eius amplectitur dīcēns: 'filia mea moritur miserō genere languōris, et quod ipsā est morte crūdēlius, sōlō spiritū vīvit, iam carne praemortuā. rogō ut eam adeās atque benedīcās: cōnfidō enim quod per tē reddenda sit sānitāti.' 5. quā ille vōce cōnfūsus obstipuit et refūgit dīcēns, hoc suae nōn esse virtūtis: senem errāre iūdiciō, nōn esse sē dignum, per quem Dominus signum virtūtis ostenderet. perstāre vehementius flēns pater et ōrāre ut exanimem vīsitāret: 6. postrēmō ā circumstantibus epīscopīs īre compulsus dēscendit ad domum puellae. ingēns turba prō foribus exspectābat, quidnam Deī servus esset factūrus. 7. ac prīmum quae erant illius familiāria in istīus modī rēbus arma, solō prostrātus ōrāvit. deinde aegram intuēns darī sibi oleum postulat: quod cum benedīxisset, in os puellae vim sānctī liquōris īnfundit, statimque vox reddita est. 8. tunc paulatim singula contactū eius coepērunt membra vīvēscere, donec firmātīs gressibus populō teste surrēxit.

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 (AG 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') oridoneus ('suitable'), or aptus ('fit'). See AG 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.

cūrātiō -ōnis f.: healing, cure

aegrōtus -a -um: ill, sick, diseased

continuō: (adv.) immediately, forthwith

liqueō -quēre -licuī: be clear, be apparent

dīrus -a -um: fearful, awful, portentous, dire

paralysis -is f.: palsy, paralysis

aegritūdo -inis f.: illness, sickness

fungor fungī fūnctus sum: perform, fulfil (+ abl.)

praemortuus -a -um: dead

palpitō -āre: tremble, palpitate

propinquus -ī m.: relation, relative

nuntiō -āre: give news, announce, report

īnspectō -āre: look at, observe

ēiulō -āre: wail, lament

amplector -plectī -plexus sum: fold or wrap around; embrace

crūdēlis -e: cruel, pitiless, ruthless

caro carnis f.: flesh

benedīcō -ere -xī -ctum: bless, consecrate

cōnfundō -fundere -fūdī -fūsum: pour together; confuse, trouble

obstipēscō -stipēscere -stipuī: be amazed, be stupefied, become senseless

refugiō -fugere -fūgī -fugitum: flee back, retreat in flight

perstō -stāre -stitī: stand firmly, remain; persist

vehementer: (adv.), ardently, vehemently

foris -is f.: door

intueor -tuērī -tuitus sum: look closely upon; admire

oleum -ī n.: oil

liquor -ōris m.: be fluid or liquid, flow, melt

īnfundō -fundere -fūdī -fūsum: pour in, rush in

vīvescō vīvescere vixi: become alive, get life

fīrmus -a -um: strong, firm, solid

gressus -ūs m.: stepping; step, walk

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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/sulpicius-severus/section-16