Section 3

One winter, at the gate of Amiens, Martin split his cloak to share it with a freezing beggar. That night Christ appeared to him in a dream, clothed in that cloak. Shortly thereafter, Martin was baptized, at age 18, though he continued to serve as a soldier for two more years.

solitō asperior: "harsher than usual." solito is an ablative of comparison (AG 406).

inhorruerat: "raged."

plērōsque: > plērusque –raque –rumque, "very many people."

obvium habet: "he met" (the tense is "historical present," often used by Latin writers for vivid narration).

Ambiānēnsium cīvitātis: i.e., Samarobriva Ambianorum, modern Amiens, in the north of France (satellite image).

ut suī miserērentur: "to pity him"; a jussive noun clause. (AG 439).

praeterīrent: "were passing by,"  impf. subj. > praetereō, in a circumstantial cum clause (AG 549).

intellēxit . . . sibi illum . . . reservāri: "understood that that man (the beggar) was being saved for himself" (Martin).

Deō: abl., with plēnus; the regular construction with this adjective.

[2]

quid tamen ageret?: "But what could he do?" Deliberative subjunctive in the past, expressing helplessness (Woodcock sec. 174.2b) (AG 444).

accīnctus erat: > accingō –ere, "had been girded," i.e., "was wearing."

mediam dīvidit partemque: The splitting of the cloak was Martin's most famous act, frequently depicted in art, e.g., by El Greco (1597/1599, National Gallery, Washington, DC).

rīdēre: "laughed," historic infin., often used by Latin writers in vivid narrative (AG 463).

quia . . . viderētur: "because he seemed (to them)." Subjunctive in a causal clause, where the reason cited is not the writer's own, but another's (Woodcock sec. 240) (AG 535e).

truncātus habitū: "mutilated with respect to his clothing," i.e., because of his ripped clothing. Ablative of specification (AG 418).

gemere: "groaned," historic infin.

quod . . . fēcissent: for the subjunctive, see above on quia . . . vidērētur.

utique: "doubtless," "naturally."

[3]

nocte . . . īnsecūtā: "during the following night." Ablative of time when or within which (AG 424).

īnsecūtā: > insequor insequi insecutus.

chlamydis suae . . . parte: "in the part of his own cloak."

quā: the antecedent is parte below.

adhuc catēchūmenus: "while still a catechumen."

[4]

memor: "was mindful of"; supply erat.

Dominus: = Iesus.

quamdiu . . . fēcistis: "whatever you have done to the least of these, you have done to me," a quotation from Matthew 25:40.

sē . . . ostendere: "to show himself," "to appear."

est dignātus: > dignor –āri, "he deigned," "he saw fit."

[5]

quō vīsō: abl. absol., "when this had been seen."

est ēlatus:  > efferō efferre extulī ēlātum, "was raised up."

ad baptismum convolāvit: "had recourse to baptism," "was baptized."

mīlitiae: dat., with renūntiāvit.

ēvictus: > ēvincō -ere, "having been won over by."

cui contubernium familiāre praestābat: "to whom he continued to show friendly comradeship." The Latin might imply that they lived in the same tent (contubernium literally means the sharing of a tent, from con– + taberna), or that Martin served as an assistant to his superior officer (contubernium is sometimes used of an official's or an officer's suite of assistants and advisers, see TLL 4.792.7). Praestāre ("provide") makes the latter meaning likely; but in the context it is the soldierly friendship of the two men that is emphasized.

trānsāctō tribūnātūs suī tempore: "when the time of his tribunate had been completed."

saeculō: dat., with renuntiātūrum.

est . . . cōnsecūtus:  > cōnsequor, "he obtained."6

sōlō licet nomine: "albeit in name only."