1. Nam cum ōlim, audītā fidē eius vitā atque virtūte, dēsīderiō illius aestuārēmus, grātam nobis ad eum videndum suscēpimus peregrīnātiōnem: simul quia iam ardēbat animus vītam illius scrībere, partim ab ipsō, in quantum ille interrogārī potuit, sciscitātī sumus, partim ab hīs, quī interfuerant vel sciēbant, cognōvimus. 2. quō quidem tempore crēdī nōn potest, quā mē humilitāte, quā benignitāte suscēperit, congrātulātus plūrimum et gāvīsus in Dominō, quod tantī esset habitus ā nobis, quem peregrīnātiōne susceptā expeterēmus. 3. miserum mē — paene nōn audeō cōnfitērī — cum mē sānctō convīviō suō dignātus esset adhibēre, aquam manibus nostrīs ipse obtulit, ad vesperum autem pedēs ipse nobis abluit. nec renītī aut contrā īre cōnstantia fuit: ita auctōritāte illius oppressus sum, ut nefās putārem, sī nōn adquiēvissem. 4. sermō autem illius nōn alius apud nōs fuit, quam mundī illecebrās et saeculī onera relinquenda, ut Dominum Iēsum līberī expedītīque sequerēmur: praestantissimumque nobis praesentium temporum illustris virī Paulīnī, cuius suprā fēcimus mentiōnem, exemplum ingerēbat, quī summīs opibus abiectīs Christum secūtus sōlus paene hīs temporibus ēvangelica praecepta complēsset: 5. illum nobis sequendum, illum clāmābat imitandum: beātumque esse praesēns saeculum tantae fideī virtūtisque documentō, cum secundum sententiam Dominī dīves et possidēns multa vendendō omnia et dandō pauperibus, quod erat factū impossibile, possibile fēcisset exemplō. 6. iam vērō in verbīs et cōnfābulātiōne eius quanta gravitās, quanta dignitās erat! quam ācer, quam efficax erat, quam in absolvendīs scriptūrārum quaestiōnibus promptus et facilis! 7. et quia multōs ad hanc partem incrēdulōs sciō, quippe quōs vīderim mē ipsō etiam referente nōn crēdere, Iēsum testor spemque commūnem mē ex nūllius umquam ōre tantum scientiae, tantum ingeniī tantum tam bonī et tam pūrī sermōnis audīsse. 8. quamquam in Martīnī virtūtibus quantula est ista laudātio! nisi quod mīrum est hominī illitterātō nē hanc quidem grātiam dēfuisse.

    olim audita fide eius vita atque virtute: 'having heard long ago of his faith, his life, and his virtue'.

    aestuaremus: 'I was burning'. The first person plural here, as in suscepimusnobissciscitati sumus and cognovimus below, is polite and refers to Sulpicius alone.

    in quantum: 'in so far as'.

    sciscitati sumus . . . cognovimus: 'I inquired . . . I gained knowledge'. sciscitor, -ari, -tatus sum: inquire thoroughly.

    credi non potest: 'it cannot be believed', 'it is incredible'.

    congratulatus plurimum et gavisus: 'expressing great happiness and rejoicing'. congratulor, -ari, atus sum: rejoice (eccl.); gaudeo, -ēre, gavisus sum.

    quod tanti esset habitus: 'because he was considered to be of such great worth'. tanti is genitive of value (AG 417).

    quem . . . expeteremus: 'that I sought him out', subjunctive in a relative clause of result (AG 537).

    cum me sancto convivio suo dignatus esset adhibere: 'when he considered me worthy to invite to his holy feast', i.e. a dinner. dignor (1): consider worthy. adhibeo, -ēre: invite (as a guest), summon (to a feast, etc.).

    nec . . . constantia fuit: (sc. mihi) 'nor did I have the strength of will'.

    si non adquievissem: 'if I had not consented (> adquiesco, -ere, -evi).

    non alius . . . quam: '(about) nothing but'.

    praesentissimum . . . exemplum ingerebat: 'he repeatedly brought up the most outstanding example' (ingero, -ere: to din into a person's ears, say repeatedly).

    Paulini: Paulinus of Nola, a wealthy man who sold his possessions and devoted himself to the life of the church; also a friend of Sulpicius, and one of the most prominent poets of this period.

    solus paene . . . complesset: 'almost alone had fulfilled', i.e. 'was practically the only one who had fulfilled'.

    beatum . . . documento: 'blessed in (having) an example' (documentum, -i, n.: an example serving as a precedent, warning, instruction, etc.).

    secundum: in accordance with (preposition + acc.).

    dives et possidens multa: 'a rich man and one possessing much' (i.e., Paulinus)..

    quod erat factu impossibile: '(that) which was impossible to do'. factu is supine, abl. of specification (AG 510).

    confabulatione: 'conversation' > confabulatio, -onis, f. (late Lat.).

    in absolvendis scripturarum quaestionibus: 'in resolving disputed points of scripture'.

    promptus et facilis: 'ready and accommodating'.

    ad hanc partem: 'on this point'.

    quippe quos viderim me ipso etiam referente non credere: 'in as much as I have seen some people fail to believe even when I was telling them myself'. viderim is pf. subj. in a causal relative clause (AG 535e). quippe + qui, quae, quod = 'as one in fact who', i.e. 'since' or 'inasmuch as I, you, he' etc. (L&S s.v. quippe 5).

    puri sermonis: 'correct speech', according to the standards set by teachers of the day, based on classical authors.

    tantum scientiae, tantum ingenii, tantum tam boni et tam puri sermonis: 'so much knowledge, so much natural ability, so much excellent and correct speech.' This follows the text of Fontaine, rather than of Halm. ingenium, -i, n.: mental powers, natural ability, talent.

    illiterato: 'uneducated'. A soldier at 15, Martin did not receive the advanced training in literature and rhetoric that would have been typical for a bishop. He was definitely literate, as emerges below, 26.3 lectionihomini illiterato is dative of person, regular after defuisse (> desum).

    dēsīderium -ī n.: longing

    aestuō -āre: boil up, foam

    peregrīnātio -ōnis f.: sojourning, travel, peregrination

    partim: (adv.) partly, in part

    scīscitor -ārī -ātus sum: ask, inquire, question

    benīgnitās -ātis f.: favour, courtesy

    congrātulor -ārī -ātus sum: wish joy, congratulate

    expetō -petere -petīvi -petītum: deek out, seek for; long for (+abl.)

    dignor -ārī: deem worthy of, deign

    vesper -eris or -erī m.: evening, evening star

    pēs pedis m.: foot

    abluō -uere -ui -ūtum: wash off, wash, cleanse

    renītor -nītī: struggle against, resist

    cōnstantia -ae f.: firmness of character, steadfastness

    opprimō -primere -pressī -pressum: overwhelm, overpower

    acquiēscō -quiēscere -quiēvī -quiētum: rest, repose; acquiesce, assent

    illecebra -ae f.: enticement, allurement

    expedītus -a -um: unimpeded, unencumbered, disengaged

    praestāns -antis: pre-eminent, excellent. distinguished

    mentiō -ōnis f.: mention

    abiciō -ere -iēcī -iectum: throw away

    ēvangelicus -a -um: evangelical

    clāmō -āre: call, cry out, shout

    imitor -āri: imitate

    documentum -ī n.: lesson, example

    possīdō -sīdere -sēdī -sessum: take possession of, possess one's self of

    vēndō -dere -didī -ditum: sell, vend

    impossibilis -e: impossible

    possibilis -e: possible

    confābulātio -ōnis f.: conversation

    efficāx -ācis: efficacious, effectual, powerful

    scrīptūra -ae f.: writing, scripture, a passage of Scripture

    quaestio -ōnis f.: inquiry, judicial investigation, trial

    prōmptus -a -um: ready, quick, prompt

    incrēdulus -a -um: unbelieving, incredulous

    tēstor -ārī: bear witness, testify

    pūrus -a -um: clean, pure

    quantulus -a -um: how little, how small, how trifling

    laudātiō -ōnis f.: praising, praise, commendation

    illiterātus -a -um: illiterate, uneducated

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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-25