E02300: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the feast of *Castus and Aemilius (martyrs of Carthage, S01202). Sermon 285, preached probably early in the 5th century in Carthage (North Africa).

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 285

[In natali martyrum Casti et Aemilii

'On the birthday of the martyrs Castus and Aemilius']


In the first part of the sermon Augustine does not refer to any specific martyrs other than biblical personages, including Peter the Apostle.

4. Tale aliquid factum esse arbitror etiam in his martyribus sanctis Casto et Aemilio, quorum diem hodie celebramus.

'The same sort of thing also happened, I am inclined to think, with these holy martyrs Castus and Aemilius, whose feast we are celebrating today.'

In the following part of the sermon Augustine encourages his audience to follows the martyrs, again without making any references to Castus and Aemilius. The sermon ends with the words which start the Eucharisitic celebration:

Conuersi ad Dominum, etc.

'Turning to the Lord, etc.'

Text: Patrologia Latina 38, 1295; Translation: Hill 1994, 97. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.