[1] Intereā cum dē mōtū atque impetū barbarōrum subita cīvitātem fama turbāsset, daemoniācum ad sē exhibērī iubet: imperat ut, an vērus esset hic nuntius, faterētur. [2] tum cōnfessus est decem daemonās sēcum fuisse, quī rumōrem hunc per populum dispersissent, ut hōc saltim metū ex illō Martīnus oppidō fugārētur: barbarōs nihil minus quam de irruptiōne cōgitāre. ita cum haec immundus spiritus in mediā ecclēsiā faterētur, metū et turbātiōne praesentī cīvitās līberāta est. [3] Apud Parīsiōs vērō, dum portam cīvitātis illius magnīs sēcum turbīs euntibus introīret, leprōsum miserābilī faciē horrentibus cunctīs osculātus est atque benedīxit, statimque omnī malō ēmundātus. [4] posterō diē ad ecclēsiam veniēns nitentī cute grātiās prō sānitāte, quam recēperat, agēbat. nec praetereundum est, quod fimbriae vestimentō eius ciliciōque dētractae crēbrās super īnfirmantibus ēgēre virtūtēs. [5] nam digitīs illigātae aut collō indītae saepe ab aegrotāntibus morbōs fugāvērunt.

    motu: "revolt," "rising."

    civitatem: presumably Trier (Augusta Treverorum), where the previous two episodes were set (Fontaine ii.854).

    dispersissent: dispergo, "'had scattered."

    hoc saltim metu: "by this fear, at any rate," i.e., rather than by direct attacks by demons, thus far ineffective.

    nihil minus quam: "merely."

    irruptione: 'incursion," "raid' ( > irruptio -onis, f.).

    Apud Parisios: "among the Parisii' (Parisii, -orum, m. pl.), a people of Celtic Gaul, bordering on the Senones. Historical map. Their chief city was Lutetia Parisiorum, the modern Paris.

    leprosum: 'a leper' (leprosus, -i, m.).

    emundatus: (sc. est) 'was cleansed' (emundo (1)).

    nitenti: 'shining, glistening' (> niteo, -ēre).

    nec praetereundum est, quod: 'and I must not pass over the fact that'. praetereundum est (> praetereo, -ire) is impersonal passive, lit., 'it must not be passed by that'.

    fimbriae: 'fringes'.

    crebras . . . egēre virtutes: 'performed frequent miracles' (egēre = egērunt > ago).

    digitis illigatae aut collo inditae: 'tied on the fingers or placed upon (> indo, indere) the neck'. The antecedent is fimbriae.

    mōtus –ūs, m.: moving, motion; movement

    impetus –ūs, m.: an attack, assault, onset

    daemoniacus –ī, m.: demoniac, one possessed by an evil spirit

    exhibeō –ēre –uī –itum: deliver, produce; show, exhibit

    rūmor –ōris, m.: common talk; report, rumor

    dispergō –spergere –spersī –spersum: scatter about, disperse

    saltim: (adv.) at least, at all events, anyhow

    irruptio –ōnis, f.: rushing upon, invasion, raid

    immundus –a –um: unclean, impure, foul

    turbātiō –ōnis, f.: confusion, disorder

    līberō –āre: make free, free, liberate

    introeō –īre –iī –itum: go inside, enter

    leprōsus –a –um: leprous

    miserābilis –e: pitiable, miserable, wretched

    horreō horrēre horruī: tremble, shudder

    ōsculor –ārī –ātus sum: kiss

    benedīcō –ere –xī –ctum: bless, consecrate

    ēmundō –āre: cleanse, purify

    nitēns –entis: shining, glistening, brilliant

    cutis –is, f.: the skin

    fimbria –ae, m.: fibres, threads, fringe

    vestīmentum –ī, n.: clothing, garment, vestment

    cilicium –ī, n.: course garment

    dētrahō –trahere –trāxī –trāctum: draw off, pull off, rob (+dat. or abl.)

    crēber crēbra crēbrum: thick, close, frequent

    īnfirmantes –um, m.: (pl.) the weak, the sick

    illigō –ligāre: bind fast

    collum –ī, n.: neck

    indō –dere –didī –ditum: put, place in; apply to

    aegrōtō –āre: be ill, be sick

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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-18