Section 8

1. Nec multō post, dum agrum Lupicīnī cuiusdam honōrātī secundum saeculum virī praeterīret, clāmōre et luctū turbae plangentis excipitur. 2. ad quam cum sollicitus adstitisset et quis esset hic flētus inquīreret, indicātur ūnum ex familiā servulum laqueō sibi vītam extorsisse. quō cognitō cellulam, in quā corpus iacēbat, ingreditur, exclusīsque omnibus turbīs superstrātus corporī aliquantisper ōrāvit. 3. mox vīvēscente vultū, marcēscentibus oculīs in ōra illius dēfunctus ērigitur: lentōque cōnāmine ēnīsus adsurgere, apprehēnsā beātī virī dexterā in pedēs cōnstitit: atque ita cum eō usque ad vestibulum domūs, turbā omnī īnspectante, prōcessit.

A slave who had committed suicide by hanging is brought back to life.

honorati secundum saeculum viri: 'an honored man, according to the (standards of the) secular world.'

excipitur: 'was greeted by', 'encountered', historical present.

quis esset hic fletus: 'what was (the reason for) this lamentation', subj. in indirect question after inquireret.

laqueo sibi vitam extorsisse: 'had wrenched life away from himself by means of a noose', i.e. 'had hanged himself' (> extorqueo).

superstratus: 'spread out on top of' (> supersterno + dat.).

marcescentibus oculis: 'his eyes being (still) weak', 'his eyes still heavy' (White), ablative absolute.

in ora illius defunctus erigitur: 'the dead man was revived (and looked) into the face of that man', i.e. of Martin.

enisus: 'having struggled, struggling' (> enitor).

honōrātus -a -um: honored, respected; distinguished

lūctus -ūs m.: grief, mourning

plangō plangere planxī planctum: lament aloud

sollicitus -a -um: agitated, disturbed

inquīrō -rere -sīvī -sītum: seek after, inquire into

laqueus -ī m.: noose

extorqueō -torquēre -torsī -tortum: wrest away

exclūdō -clūdere -clūsī -clūsum: shut out, exclude

supersternō -ere: strew, spread over

aliquantisper: (adv.) for some time

vīvescō vīvescere vixi: become alive, get life

marcescō -ere: droop; become weak, become feeble

dēfungor -fungī -fūnctus sum: complete; depart, die

ērigō -rigere -rēxī -rēctum: raise up, rear

lentus -a -um: slow, sluggish, pliant

cōnāmen -inis n.: an effort, exertion, struggle

ēnītor -nītī -nīxus or -nīsus sum: struggle forth, strive

adsurgō -surgere -surrexī -surrectum: rise up, stand up

apprehendō -hendere -hendī -hensum: lay hold upon, seize, take hold of

pēs pedis m.: foot

vestibulum -ī n.: fore-court, entrance-court

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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-8