< Vt īdem rex postulāns dē gente Scottōrum antistitem accēperit Aidānum, eīdem in īnsulā Lindisfarnensī sēdem epīscopātūs dōnāverit.>

[1] Īdem ergō Osvald mox ubi rēgnum suscēpit, dēsīderāns tōtam cui praeesse coepit gentem fideī Chrīstiānae grātiā inbuī, cuius experīmenta permaxima in expugnandīs barbarīs iam cēperat, mīsit ad maiōrēs nātū Scottōrum, inter quōs exulāns ipse baptismatis sacrāmenta cum hīs quī sēcum erant mīlitibus cōnsecūtus erat, petēns ut sibi mitterētur antistes, cuius doctrīnā ac ministeriō gēns quam regēbat Anglōrum dominicae fideī et dōna disceret et susciperet sacrāmenta. [2] Neque aliquantō tardius quod petiit impetrāvit; accēpit namque pontificem Aedānum summae mānsuētūdinis et pietātis ac moderāminis virum, habentemque zēlum Deī, quamvīs nōn plēnē secundum scientiam. [3] Namque diem paschae dominicum mōre suae gentis, cuius saepius mentiōnem fēcimus, ā quartā decimā lūnā usque ad vicēsimamam observāre solēbat. [4] Hōc etenim ōrdine septentriōnālis Scottōrum prōvincia et omnis nātiō Pictōrum illō adhūc tempore pascha dominicum celebrābat, aestimāns sē in hāc observantiā sānctī ac laude dignī patris Anatoliī scrīpta secūtam. [5] Quod an vērum sit, perītus quisque facillimē cognōscit. [6] Porrō gentēs Scottōrum, quae in austrālibus Hiberniae īnsulae partibus morābantur, iamdūdum ad admonitiōnem apostolicae sēdis antistitis, pascha canonicō rītū observāre didicērunt.

[7] Venientī igitur ad sē episcopō, rēx locum sēdis episcopālis in īnsulā Lindisfarnēnsī, ubi ipse petēbat, tribuit. [8] Quī vidēlicet locus accēdente ac recēdente rheumate, bis cotīdiē īnstar īnsulae maris circumluitur undīs, bis renūdātō lītore contiguus terrae redditur. Atque eius ammonitiōnibus humiliter ac libenter in omnibus auscultāns, ecclēsiam Chrīstī in rēgnō suō multum dīligenter aedificāre ac dīlātāre cūrāvit. [9] Vbi pulcherrimō saepe spectāculō contigit, ut ēvangelīzante antistite, quī Anglōrum linguam perfectē nōn nōverat, ipse rēx suīs ducibus ac ministrīs interpres verbī existeret caelestis, quia nīmīrum tam longō exiliī suī tempore linguam Scottōrum iam plēnē didicerat. [10] Exin coepēre plūrēs per diēs dē Scottōrum regiōne venīre Brittāniam, atque illīs Anglōrum prōvinciīs, quibus rēgnāvit Osvald, magnā dēvōtiōne verbum fideī praedicāre et crēdentibus grātiam baptismī, quīcumque sacerdōtālī erant gradū praeditī, ministrāre. [11] Cōnstruēbantur ergō ecclēsiae per loca, cōnfluēbant ad audiendum verbum populī gaudentēs, dōnābantur mūnere rēgiō possessiōnēs et territōria ad īnstituenda monastēria, inbuēbantur praeceptōribus Scottīs parvulī Anglōrum ūnā cum maiōribus studiīs et observātiōne disciplīnae rēgulāris.

[12] Nam monachī erant maximē, quī ad praedicandum vēnerant. Monachus ipse episcopus Aedan, utpote dē īnsulā quae vocātur Hiī dēstinātus, cuius monastērium in cūnctīs paene septentriōnālium Scottōrum et omnium Pictōrum monastēriīs nōn parvō tempore arcem tenēbat, regendīsque eōrum populīs praeerat.Quae vidēlicet īnsula ad iūs quidem Brittāniae pertinet, nōn magnō ab eā fretō discrēta, sed dōnātiōne Pictōrum quī illās Brittāniae plāgās incolunt, iamdūdum monachīs Scottōrum trādita, eō quod illīs praedicantibus fidem Chrīstī percēperint.

    OSWALD ASKS THE IRISH TO SEND HIM A BISHOP

    As the son of Edwin's rival Æthelfrith, Oswald had gone into exile in the Scottish kingdom of Dál Riata after his father's defeat and death in 616. In exile, Oswald received religious instruction from Irish priests. Soon after assuming the throne of a reunited Northumbria in 634, Oswald sent to Dál Riata for an Irish bishop to reconvert Northumbria to Christianity. The bishop they sent was Aidan (ca. 590–651), from the monastery on the island of Iona. In Northumbria, Aidan's episcopal see was on the island of Lindisfarne.

    (1) mox ubi: “as soon as”

    cuius: the antecedent is gratia

    experīmenta: “demonstrations,” “proofs”

    Scottōrum: the Scottī are the Irish

    exulāns: “when he was an exile”

    ipse … cōnsecūtus erat: rearrange as: ipse cōnsecūtus erat sacrāmenta baptismatis cum hīs mīlitibus quī sēcum erant.

    cuius doctrinā: “by whose teaching”

    gēns … sacrāmenta: rearrange as: gēns Anglōrum, quam regēbat, et disceret dōna dominicae fideī et susciperet sacrāmenta; et…et…: “both…and…”

    (2) Aedānum: Aidan of Lindisfarne

    summae … moderāminis: genitives of quality (AG 345)

    nōn … secundum scientiam: a quotation from Romans 10:2 (Vulgate): testimonium enim perhibeō illīs quod aemūlātiōnem Deī habent sed nōn secundum scientiam ("I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened" RSV). Bede explains the relevance of this quotation in the next sentence: Aidan was mistaken about the calculation of Easter.

    (3) diem paschae dominicum: Easter Sunday. Pascha, Easter, can be either feminine (pascha, -ae) or neuter (pascha, -ātis).

    cuius saepius mentiōnem fēcimus: Bede previously the controversy over the date of Easter in 2.2, 2.4, and 2.19

    ā quartā decimā lūnā usque ad vicēsimamam: literally, “from the 14th to the 20th moon,” meaning from the 14th to the 20th day of the lunar cycle.

    (4) hōc … ōrdine: “by this rule,” “by this reckoning”

    septentriōnālis Scottōrum provincia: “the northern province of the Irish”

    pascha dominicum: Easter; pascha, here, is neuter singular accusative

    laude: ablative with a form of dignus (AG 418.b)

    patris: in apposition with Anatoliī.

    Anatoliī: Anatolius of Alexandria was a 3rd c. CE scholar and saint who wrote a book on the computation of the date of Easter; the Irish seem to have based their computation of the date of Easter on a forged work attributed to Anatolius.

    secūtam: secūtum esse, the infinitive in the accusative-infinitive construction of indirect discourse after aestimāns; the construction is: aestimans sē secūtam esse scrīpta; the subject of aestimans is nātiō: “the nation of the Picts…, thinking that they followed the writings….”

    (6) morābantur: > moror, morārī = “to dwell,” “to live (in)”

    apostolicae sēdis antistitis: “of the bishop of the apostolic seat,” i.e., the Pope

    canonicō rītū: “in the canonical (or orthodox) manner”

    AIDAN AND OTHER IRISH MONKS PREACH TO THE ANGLES

    (7) ubi ipse: ipse refers to Aidan

    (8) rheumate: rheuma, -matis: the tide, from the Greek ῥεῦμα = “stream” or “current.” Bede gives a similar description of the tides around Lindisfarne in his prose Life of St. Cuthbert. Today, the island (known since the 12th century as The Holy Island) is reached by a causeway that is submerged at high tide.

    īnstar īnsulae: “like an island”

    maris: with undīs

    atque eius … cūrāvit: the subject is rex (Oswald).

    auscultāns: auscultāre, “to obey,” can take a dative object (here, admonitiōnibus)

    in omnibus: omnibus is a neuter substantive (“in all things”)

    multum: “very”

    (9) Vbi: picking up on in rēgnō suō: “in his kingdom…, where…”

    pulcherrimō … spectāculō contigit: spectāculō is probably a dative of purpose or end (AG 382): “it happened as a beautiful sight” (i.e., it was a beautiful sight).

    existeret: = esset

    caelestis: agrees with verbī

    (10) coepēre ... ministrāre: there are three infinitives dependent upon coepēre; the main thread of the sentence is: coepēre plūrēs ... venire ... atque ... praedicare et ... ministrāre.

    plūrēs: "more [monks]"

    per diēs: "every day"

    grātiam: direct object of ministrāre

    sacerdōtālī … praeditī: i.e., ordained as priests.

    (11) Cōnstruēbantur … dōnābantur ... inbuēbantur: asyndeton

    mūnere rēgiō: “by royal gift,” “through the king’s largesse”

    ūnā cum maiōribus: “together with their elders”

    praeceptōribus Scottīs: ablative of instrument in place of ablative of personal agent (see AG 405.b Note 1).

    studiīs et observātiōne: imbuere (“to instruct in”) takes an ablative

    IONA

    (12) maximē: “for the most part”

    utpote ... dēstinātus: "as is natural, having been appointed..." (DMLBS, utpote)

    Hiī: the island of Iona

    in cūnctīs ... monastēriīs: a good example of Bede's predilection for hyperbaton, the separating words that belong together grammatically.

    arcem tenēbat: “was holding the highest position among” (with in + ablative). Literally, “was occupying the citadel.” See DMLBS, arx 1.d.

    regendīs eōrum populīs praeerat: the gerundive and noun are datives with praeerat: "it was in charge of regulating their populations" (i.e., the monks living in the other monasteries).

    ad iūs quidem Brittāniae: iūs = “jurisdiction.” Bede means simply that Iona belonged to Britain.

    dōnātiōne Pictōrum: in Book 1, Chapter 1, Bede talks about how the Picts granted land in Britain to the Irish (known as the Dalreudini)

    eō quod: “because” (with subjunctive)

    illīs: the Irish (Scottī)

    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


    Osuald –ī m.: Oswald, King of the Northumbrians, 634-642

    praesum praeesse praefuī praefutūrus: to be before; be present

    Chrīstiānus –a –um: Christian

    imbuō or inbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: to wet, moisten

    experīmentum –ī n.: a test, experiment

    permaximus –a –um: very great or large

    expūgnō expaugnāre expūgnāvī expūgnātus: to assault, capture

    maior māius: bigger

    nātus –ūs m.: birth, age (used only in the abl.)

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    exsulō exsulāre exsulāvī exsulātus: to be in exile

    baptisma –atis n.: baptism

    sacrāmentum –ī n.: sacrament

    antistēs –itis m.: bishop

    doctrīna –ae f.: teaching, doctrine

    ministerium –ī n.: service, ministry

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

    dominicus –ī m.: Sunday

    sacrāmentum –ī n.: sacrament

    aliquantō : by some little

    impetrō impetrāre impetrāvī impetrātus: to obtain

    pontifex pontificis m.: priest

    Aedan — m. (accusative: Aedanum): Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne and saint, 635-651

    summus –a –um: highest

    mānsuētūdō –inis f.: clemency, mercy

    moderamen: governance, restraint

    zēlus –ī m.: jealousy; zeal

    secundum: after, behind

    pascha –ae f.: Passover

    dominicus –ī m.: Sunday

    mentiō mentiōnis f.: mention

    observō observāre observāvī observātus: to watch, observe

    etenim: and indeed

    septentriōnālis –e: northern

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    nātiō nātiōnis f.: race

    Pictī –ōrum m.: the Picts, a Celtic people of northern Britain

    pascha –ae f.: Passover

    dominicus –ī m.: Sunday

    aestimō aestimāre aestimāvī aestimātus: to appraise

    observantia –ae f.: observance

    Anatolius –ī m.: Anatolius

    scripta –ōrum n. pl.: writings, works (in poetry or prose)

    perītus –a –um: skilled

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

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    austrālis –e: southern

    Hibernia –ae f.: the island now called Ireland

    iamdūdum or iam dudum : now for a long time (+ present tense)

    admonitiō –ōnis f.: suggestion, admonition

    apostolicus –a –um: apostolic, of an apostle or the apostles

    antistēs –itis m.: bishop

    pascha –ae f.: Passover

    canonicus, –a, –um: canonical

    rītus –ūs m.: farm of religious ceremonial; form

    observō observāre observāvī observātus: to watch, observe

    episcopus –ī m.: bishop

    episcopālis –e: episcopal

    Lindisfarnensis –e: of, relating to Lindisfarne

    tribuō tribuere tribuī tribūtus: to assign

    vidēlicet: clearly

    rheuma –atis n.: tide

    bis: twice

    cotīdiē/cottīdiē: daily

    instar n.: the equivalent, just like, + gen.

    circumluō –ere — —: to flow around

    bis: twice

    renūdō –āre –āvī –ātum: to uncover, reveal

    contiguus –a –um: near, within reach

    admonitiō –ōnis f.: suggestion, admonition

    humilis humile: humble

    libenter: willingly

    auscultō –āre –āvī –ātum: to listen, overhear, eavesdrop on

    ecclēsia –ae f.: church

    Christus –ī m.: Christ

    suum –ī n. or sua –ōrum n.: one's property

    multum: much, a lot

    dīligēns: careful

    aedificō aedificāre aedificāvī aedificātus: to build, erect, establish

    dīlāto –āre –āvī –ātus: to extend

    spectāculum spectāculī n.: spectacle

    ēvangelizō –āre –āvī –ātum: to evangelize, preach the Gospel

    antistēs –itis m.: bishop

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

    perficiō perficere perfēcī perfectus: to complete, accomplish

    minister ministrī m.: attendant, servant

    interpres –etis m./f.: an agent between parties; a mediator

    exsistō –sistere –stitī: to exist, be; emerge

    nīmīrum: undoubtedly

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    exinde (abbrev. exin): from that place

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    Britannia –ae f.: Britain

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

    rēgnō rēgnāre rēgnāvī rēgnātus: to rule

    Osuald –ī m.: Oswald, King of the Northumbrians, 634-642

    dēvōtio –ōnis f.: piety, devotion, worship.

    praedicō praedicāre praedicāvī praedicātus: to proclaim

    baptismus –ī m.: baptism

    sacerdōtālis –e: priestly, sacerdotal

    praeditus –a –um: endowed with

    ministrō ministrāre ministrāvī ministrātus: to attend, serve

    cōnstruō –ere –strūxī –strūctus: to pile together

    ecclēsia –ae f.: church

    cōnfluō –fluere –flūxī –—: to flow together, run together

    possessiō possessiōnis f.: possession

    territōrium –ī n.: territory; piece of land

    monastērium –ī n.: a monastery

    imbuō or inbuō –ere –uī –ūtus: to wet, moisten

    praeceptor –ōris m.: instructor

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    parvulus –a –um: very small

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

    ūnā: together

    maior māius: bigger

    observātiō –ōnis f.: a watching, investigation

    rēgulāris –e: pertaining to the observance of a monastic rule; regular

    monachus –ī m.: a monk

    maximē: most greatly

    praedicō –āre –āvī –ātum: to preach

    monachus –ī m.: a monk

    episcopus –ī m.: bishop

    Aedan — m. (accusative: Aedanum): Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne and saint, 635-651

    utpote: namely

    Hīī: Iona, Scotland

    dēstinō dēstināre dēstināvī dēstinātus: to determine, intend

    monastērium –ī n.: a monastery

    septentriōnālis –e: northern

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    Pictī –ōrum m.: the Picts, a Celtic people of northern Britain

    monastērium –ī n.: a monastery

    praesum praeesse praefuī praefutūrus: to be before; be present

    vidēlicet: clearly

    Britannia –ae f.: Britain

    fretum fretī n.: straight, channel

    discernō –ere –crēvī –crētus: to distinguish one thing from another; determine

    dōnātiō –ōnis f.: gift, donation (esp. of land)

    Pictī –ōrum m.: the Picts, a Celtic people of northern Britain

    Britannia –ae f.: Britain

    plaga –ae f.: tract

    incolō incolere incoluī: to inhabit, dwell

    iamdūdum or iam dudum : now for a long time (+ present tense)

    monachus –ī m.: a monk

    Scōtī –ōrum m.: Gaelic-speaking peoples of Ireland and later Scotland

    quod: the fact that

    praedicō –āre –āvī –ātum: to preach

    Christus –ī m.: Christ

    percipiō percipere percēpī perceptus: to take in

    collēgium collēgi(i) n.: college, guild

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    Suggested Citation

    Rob Hardy. Bede: Historia Ecclesiastica Selections. Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College Commentaries, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-947822-20-7. https://dcc.dickinson.edu/pt/bede-historia-ecclesiastica/book-3/chapter-3-3