1. Animadversum est tamen, eōdem ferē tempore fuisse in Hispāniā iuvenem, quī cum sibi multīs signīs auctōritātem parāvisset, eō usque ēlātus est, ut sē Hēlīam profiterētur. 2. quod cum plērīque temerē crēdidissent, addidit ut sē Christum esse dīceret: in quō etiam adeo illūsit, ut eum quīdam epīscopus Rufus nōmine ut Deum adōrāret: propter quod eum posteā ab epīscopātū dēiectum vīdimus. 3. plērīque etiam ex frātribus nobis rettulērunt, eōdem tempore in Oriente quendam exstitisse, quī sē Iōhannen esse iactitāverit, ex quō cōnicere possumus, istīus modī pseudoprofētīs existentibus, Antichristī adventum imminēre, quī iam in istīs mystērium inīquitātis operātur. 4. Nōn praetereundum autem vidētur, quantā Martīnum sub īsdem diēbus diabolus arte temptāverit. quōdam enim diē praemissā prae se et circumiectus ipse lūce purpureā, quō facilius clāritāte assumptī fulgōris illūderet, veste etiam rēgiā indūtus, diadēmate ex gemmīs aurōque redimītus, calceīs aurō illitīs, serēnō ōre, laetā faciē, ut nihil minus quam diabolus putārētur, ōrantī in cellulā adstitit. 5. cumque Martīnus prīmō aspectū eius fuisset hebetātus, diū multum silentium ambō tenuērunt. tum prīor diabolus: 'agnosce,' inquit, 'Martīne, quem cernis: Christus ego sum: dēscēnsūrus ad terram prīus mē manifestāre tibi voluī.' 6. ad haec cum Martīnus tacēret nec quidquam respōnsī referret, iterāre ausus est diabolus prōfessiōnis audāciam: 'Martīne, quid dubitās crēdere, cum videās? Christus ego sum.' 7. tum ille, revelante sibi spiritū, ut intellegeret diabolum esse, nōn Dominum; 'nōn sē,' inquit, 'Iēsus Dominus purpurātum nec diadēmate renīdentem ventūrum esse praedīxit: ego Christum nisi in eō habitū formāque, quā passus est, nisi crucis stigmata praeferentem vēnisse nōn crēdam.' 8. ad hanc ille vōcem statim ut fūmus ēvanuit et cellulam tantō foetōre complēvit, ut indubia indicia relinqueret diabolum sē fuisse. hoc itaque gestum, ut suprā rettuli, ex ipsius Martīnī ōre cognōvī, nē quis forte existimet fabulōsum.

animadversum est: 'it was noticed' (> animadverto, -ere, impersonal passive).

multis signis auctoritatem paravisset: 'had obtained (spiritual) influence by many miraculous deeds'. (signum, -i, n. = miraculous deed (eccl.))

Heliam: Elijah (spelled variously: Ēlīās or Hēlīās, -ae, m., and Elia, -ae, m.)

adeo inlusit: 'he was so successful in his deception' (inludo, -ere, -lusi, -lusum: deceive).

plerique ... ex fratribus: 'several of the brothers'.

extitisse: 'appeared' (> exsto, -stare, -stiti, -stitum)

iactitāverit: 'boasted', pf. subj. in a relative clause of characteristic (AG 535a).

istius modi pseudoprofetis existentibus: 'since false prophets of this type are appearing'.

mysterium iniquitatis operatur: 'carries on the secret ways of his wickedness', a phrase borrowed from Paul (2 Thess. 2.7 nam [qui adversatur, i.e. the antichrist] mysterium iam operatur iniquitatis). Matthew 4.23 predicts the rise of pseudoprophets who will mislead even the chosen at the end of time. operor, -ari, atus sum: carry on.

Non praetereundum autem videtur: 'Moreover it seems that it ought not to be passed over', i.e., 'I should not fail to mention'.

quanta . . . arte: 'with what great trickery' (indirect question).

praemissa prae se et circumiectus ipse luce purpurea: 'with a glowing light having been sent ahead of himself, and surrounded by it himself' (purpueus -a -um: radiant, glowing, see OLD 3a).

claritate assumpti fulgoris: 'thanks to the brilliance of his acquired splendor'.

quo facilius . . . illuderet: 'by which he might more easily deceive', subj. in a relative clause of purpose containing a comparative (AG 531).

illitis: 'coated with' (> illino, -ere, -evi, -itum).

nihil minus quam: 'anything but' (lit. 'nothing less than').

fuisset hebetatus: 'had been stunned', > hebeto (1) = hebetatus esset.

tum prior diabolus: 'then the devil (spoke) first'

quem cernis: '(the one) whom you see'.

nec quidquam responsi referret: 'and did not make any response at all'. responsi is partitive genitive with a neuter pronoun (AG 346).

quid dubitas: 'why do you hesitate?'

tum ille . . . inquit: 'then he (Martin) said'.

purpuratum: 'dressed in purple'.

formaque, qua passus est: 'and in the form in which he suffered' (on the cross).

stigmata: 'marks, wounds' (> stigma, stigmatis, n.).

evanuit: 'vanished' (> evanesco, -ere, -ui).

foetore: 'stench' (> foetor, -oris, m.).

hoc itaque gestum: (sc. esse) 'that this incident happened in this way' (indirect statement after cognovi).

animadvertō -vertere -vertī -versum: notice, observe, attend to

temerē: (adv.) recklessly, rashly

adōrō -ōrāre: pray to, worship

dēiciō -icere -iēci -iectum: throw or cast down

existō -istere -titī -titum: come forth, emerge, appear

iactitō -āre: utter

cōniciō -icere -iēcī -iectum: throw or bring together; conclude, infer

pseudoprophēta -ae m.: false prophet

immineō -minēre -minuī: overhang, project over (+ dat.)

mystērium -ī n.: secret, mystery

inīquitās -ātis f.: inequality; unfairness, injustice

praemittō -mittere -mīsī -missum: send in advance

prae: (adv. and prep.) in comparison with; on account of

circumiciō -icere -iēci -iectum: throw around, place around

purpureus -a -um: purple-colored, purple

clāritās -ātis f.: clearness, brightness, splendor

fulgor -ōris m.: lightning; glem, flash, brilliancy

diadēma -atis n.: royal head-dress, diadem

gemma -ae f.: jewel, gem

redimiō -īre: bind around, wreathe

calceus -ī m.: shoe

illinō -linere -lēvī -litum: smear, spread, lay on

serēnus -a -um: clear, fair, serene

aspectus -ūs m.: sight, look, appearance

hebetō -āre: blunt, dim, deaden

silentium -ī n.: silence, stillness

ambo -ae -o: both

manifestō -āre: show clearly, exhibit, manifest

respōnsum -ī n.: reply, response

iterō -āre: do a second time, repeat

professio -ōnis f.: a declaration

revēlō -āre: disclose, reveal

purpurātus -a -um: clad in purple

renīdeō -ēre: glitter, glisten, be resplendent

stigma -atis n.: brand; a stigma, a cut

praeferō -ferre -tulī -lātum: place before, prefer; esteem

fūmus -ī m.: smoke, steam, fume

foetor -ōris m.: offensive smell, stench; foulness

indubius -a -um: not doubtful, certain

indicium -ī n.: notice, information, discovery

fābulōsus -a -um: incredible, great, fabulous

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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/ro/sulpicius-severus/section-24