Section 21

1. Cōnstat autem etiam angelōs ab eō plērumque vīsōs, ita ut cōnsertō apud eum invicem sermōne loquerentur: diabolum vērō ita cōnspicābilem et subiectum oculīs habēbat, ut sīve sē in propriā substantiā continēret, sīve in dīversās figūrās spiritālis nēquitiae trānstulisset, quālibet ab eō sub imāgine viderētur. 2. quod cum diabolus scīret sē effugere nōn posse, conviciīs eum frequenter urguēbat, quia fallere nōn posset īnsidiīs. quōdam autem tempore cornū bovis cruentum in manū tenēns cum ingentī fremitū cellulam eius irrupit, cruentamque ostendēns dexteram et admissō recēns scelere gaudēns 'ubi est' inquit, 'Martīne, virtūs tua? ūnum dē tuīs modo interfēcī'. 3. tunc ille convocātīs frātribus refert quid diabolus indicāsset: sollicitōs īre praecipit per cellulās singulōrum, quisnam hōc cāsū affectus fuisset. nēminem quidem dēesse dē monachīs, sed unum rusticum mercēde conductum, ut vehiculō ligna dēferret, īsse ad silvam nuntiant. iubet igitur aliquōs īre eī obviam: 4. ita haud longē a monastēriō iam paene exanimis invenitur. extrēmum tamen spiritum trahēns indicat frātribus causam mortis et vulneris: iunctīs scīlicet būbus dum dissolūta artius lōra cōnstringit, bovem sibi excussō capite inter inguina cornū adēgisse. nec multō post vītam reddidit. vīderis, quō iūdiciō Dominī diabolō data fuerit haec potestās. 5. in Martīnō illud mīrabile erat, quod nōn sōlum hoc, quod suprā rettulimus, sed multa istīus modī, si quotiēns accīdissent, longē anteā praevidēbat aut sibi nuntiāta frātribus indicābat.

conserto . . . sermone: 'with conversation having been joined', i.e. 'engaging in conversation'.

conspicabilem et subiectum oculis: 'clear and visible to his eyes'.

contineret . . . transtulisset: 'was keeping . . . had transformed', subjunctive by attraction into the surrounding result clause (ut . . . videretur).

spiritalis: spiritual (> spiritalis, -e, late Lat.)

qualibet . . . sub imagine: 'in any manifestation whatsoever'.

cornu: neuter accusative singular.

admisso recens scelere gaudens: ' rejoicing in the recently committed crime'. admisso scelere is abl. with gaudens. recens is adverbial.

modo: 'just now' (Adv.).

indicasset: 'had revealed' (> indico (1), = indicavisset).

sollicitos ire praecipit: 'he instructed them to go carefully'.

affectus fuisset: 'had been afflicted with' (> afficio, -ere + abl., = affectus esset).

neminem: accusative in indirect statement, after nuntiant, below.

deesse: 'was missing' (> desum, deesse).

rusticum mercede conductum ut: 'peasant hired to' (> merces, mercedis, f., reward; conduco, -ere, hire).

iunctis scilicet bubus: 'evidently his oxen were yoked together' (abl. absolute).

dum dissoluta artius lora constringit: 'while he was tying more tightly the straps that had come undone'. Dum = 'while' can take the present indicative, whatever the tense of the main verb.

sibi excusso capite inter inguina cornu adegisse: 'having shaken his head, had driven a horn into his (the peasant's) groin'. sibi is dative of reference (AG 377). adegisse > adigo, -ere.

post: adverbial, 'later'.

vitam reddidit: 'died' (>reddo, -ere).

videris: 'it is for you to decide' (fut. pf. indic., see OLD s.v. video 18b).

data fuerit: 'has been given' pf. subj. in indirect question, = data sit.

rettulimus: 'I have described' (> refero), polite 1st person plural for singular.

si quotiens: 'if ever, whenever' (= quotiens, a mannerism of Sulpicius, cp. Dial. 3.6).

sibi nuntiata (sc. esse) fratribus indicabat: 'he used to inform the brothers that they had been announced to him'.

cōnserō -serere -seruī -sertum: join, fasten together

invicem: one another, each other

conspicābilis -e: visible; remarkable, notable

subiciō -icere -iēci -iectum: throw under; submit, subject

substantia -ae f.: being, essence, substance

figūra -ae f.: form, shape, figure

spīritālis -e: spiritual

nēquitia -ae f.: bad moral quality; vileness, wickedness

trānsferō -ferre -tulī -lātum: carry over, transfer

quīlibet quaelibet quodlibet: any one without distinction, whom you will, no matter who

effugiō -fugere -fūgī -fugitum: flee away, escape

convīcium -ī n.: quarreling, altercation

urgueō urguēre ursi: press, ply, urge with

īnsidiae -ārum f.: ambush, ambuscade; artifice, treachery

cruentus -a -um: bloody, gory

fremitus -ūs m.: roaring, loud noise

admittō -mittere -mīsī -missum: let go, admit

scelus -eris n.: wicked deed, crime, sin

convocō -vocāre: call together, summon

sollicitus -a -um: agitated, disturbed

mercēs -ēdis f.: pay, wages

condūcō -dūcere -dūxi -ductum: bring together, collect; hire

vehiculum -i n.: wagon, cart

līgnum -ī n.: wood

nuntiō -āre: give news, announce, report

dissolūtus -a -um: unloosed, loose, disconnected

lōra -um n. pl.: reins

cōnstringō -stringere -strinxī -strictum: bind tight, hold in check

excutiō -cutere -cussī -cussum: shake out, shake off, force away

inguen inguinis n.: groin

adigō -igere -ēgī -āctum: drive to

mīrābilis -e: wonderful, marvellous, extraordinary

antea: (adv.) before that, previously, hitherto

praevideō -vidēre -vīdī -vīsum: see first or beforehand, foresee

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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-21