Section 18

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: 'had scattered' (> dispergo).

    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