Section 18 | Dickinson College Commentaries

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.

notes

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.

vocabulary

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

media

Text Read Aloud

Suggested Citation