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E06751: In his Letter 7.17 to Volusianus, written in Latin, Sidonius Apollinaris composes a sepulchral inscription for *Abraham (abbot at Clermont, ob. 477, S00005): born by the Euphrates, Abraham travels to Clermont, where, after leading a holy life, and is buried by the count of the city, Abraham's tomb does not survive.Victorius. Written in Clermont (central Gaul), 477.
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posted on 2018-10-08, 00:00 authored by kwojtalikSidonius Apollinaris, Letters 7.17.1-2
Sidonius replies to the request of Volusianus that he should compose a sepulchral inscription for Abraham:
Iubes me, domine frater, lege amicitiae, quam nefas laedi, iam diu desides digitos incudibus officinae veteris imponere et sancto Abrahae diem functo neniam sepulchralem luctuosis carminibus inscribere.
'You bid me, my lord and brother, by the law of friendship, which it would be infamous to violate, to apply my fingers so long inactive to the anvils of my old workshop and to write a sepulchral lament for that holy man, the deceased Abraham, to be included among the mournful inscriptions.'
Sidonius goes on to describe how the expenses of Abraham's burial and tomb were being paid by a powerful secular magnate, Count Victorius, who had been present at Abraham's deathbed. He then provides the requested verses:
Abraham sanctis merito sociande patronis,
quos tibi collegas dicere non trepidem:
nam sic praecedunt, ut mox tamen ipse sequare;
dat partem regni portio martyrii:
natus ad Euphraten, pro Christo ergastula passus [5]
et quinquennali vincula laxa fame,
elapsus regi truculento Susidis orae
occiduum properas solus ad usque solum.
Sed confessorem virtutum signa sequuntur
spiritibusque malis fers, fugitive, fugam. [10]
Quaque venis, Lemurum se clamat cedere turba:
daemonas ire iubes exul in exilium.
Expeteris cunctis, nec te capit ambitus ullus;
est tibi delatus plus onerosus honor.
Romuleos refugis Byzantinosque fragores [15]
atque sagittifero moenia fracta Tito.
Murus Alexandri te non tenet Antiochique;
spernis Elisseae Byrsica tecta domus.
Rura paludicolae temnis populosa Ravennae
et quae lanigero de sue nomen habent. [20]
Angulus iste placet paupertinusque recessus
et casa, cui culmo culmina pressa forent.
Aedificas hic ipse deo venerabile templum,
ipse dei templum corpore facte prius.
Finiti cursus istic vitaeque viaeque: [25]
sudori superest dupla corona tuo.
Iam te circumstant paradisi milia sacri;
Abraham iam te conperegrinus habet;
iam patriam ingrederis, sed de qua decidit Adam;
iam potes ad fontem fluminis ire tui. [30]
'Abraham, worthy to be joined to the company of patron saints, whom I should not be afraid to call thy colleagues (for they take precedence only in the sense that thou followest close behind), thy portion of martyrdom givest thee a part in the Kingdom of Heaven. Born by the Euphrates, thou didst suffer the dungeon for Christ’s sake and the chains that grew loose about thee through five years of hunger. Escaping from the savage King of Susa’s realm, thou didst fare alone all the way to the western land. But signs of his virtues accompanied this wandering confessor, and thou, a fugitive thyself, didst put to flight the evil spirits. Wherever thou didst pass, the horde of friends shouted their surrender, and thou, an exile, didst bid the demons go into exile. Thou art sought out by all, yet no self-seeking takes hold on thee; a more onerous kind of honour has been bestowed on thee. Thou didst shun the din of Rome and Byzantium and the walls broken by Titus with his bowmen. Neither Alexander’s nor Antiochus’ city held thee, and thou didst scorn the dwellings of Byrsa, Dido’s home. Thou didst despise the thronged territory of Ravenna amid the marshes and the region that takes its name from a fleecy boar. Thy choice was this nook, to be thy poor retreat, with a hut whose roof is thatched with straw. Here thou didst thyself build to God a hallowed temple, thou who hadst first made thy body a temple for God. In this place ended the course both of thy wayfaring and of thy life; there remains for thee a double crown to reward thy toil. Now the teeming thousands in holy Paradise stand around thee; now Abraham, a pilgrim like thyself, has thee with him; now thou dost enter thy native land (but the one from which Adam fell); now thou art able to advance to the fountain-head of thine own river.’
Text and translation: Anderson 1965, 388-393.
Sidonius replies to the request of Volusianus that he should compose a sepulchral inscription for Abraham:
Iubes me, domine frater, lege amicitiae, quam nefas laedi, iam diu desides digitos incudibus officinae veteris imponere et sancto Abrahae diem functo neniam sepulchralem luctuosis carminibus inscribere.
'You bid me, my lord and brother, by the law of friendship, which it would be infamous to violate, to apply my fingers so long inactive to the anvils of my old workshop and to write a sepulchral lament for that holy man, the deceased Abraham, to be included among the mournful inscriptions.'
Sidonius goes on to describe how the expenses of Abraham's burial and tomb were being paid by a powerful secular magnate, Count Victorius, who had been present at Abraham's deathbed. He then provides the requested verses:
Abraham sanctis merito sociande patronis,
quos tibi collegas dicere non trepidem:
nam sic praecedunt, ut mox tamen ipse sequare;
dat partem regni portio martyrii:
natus ad Euphraten, pro Christo ergastula passus [5]
et quinquennali vincula laxa fame,
elapsus regi truculento Susidis orae
occiduum properas solus ad usque solum.
Sed confessorem virtutum signa sequuntur
spiritibusque malis fers, fugitive, fugam. [10]
Quaque venis, Lemurum se clamat cedere turba:
daemonas ire iubes exul in exilium.
Expeteris cunctis, nec te capit ambitus ullus;
est tibi delatus plus onerosus honor.
Romuleos refugis Byzantinosque fragores [15]
atque sagittifero moenia fracta Tito.
Murus Alexandri te non tenet Antiochique;
spernis Elisseae Byrsica tecta domus.
Rura paludicolae temnis populosa Ravennae
et quae lanigero de sue nomen habent. [20]
Angulus iste placet paupertinusque recessus
et casa, cui culmo culmina pressa forent.
Aedificas hic ipse deo venerabile templum,
ipse dei templum corpore facte prius.
Finiti cursus istic vitaeque viaeque: [25]
sudori superest dupla corona tuo.
Iam te circumstant paradisi milia sacri;
Abraham iam te conperegrinus habet;
iam patriam ingrederis, sed de qua decidit Adam;
iam potes ad fontem fluminis ire tui. [30]
'Abraham, worthy to be joined to the company of patron saints, whom I should not be afraid to call thy colleagues (for they take precedence only in the sense that thou followest close behind), thy portion of martyrdom givest thee a part in the Kingdom of Heaven. Born by the Euphrates, thou didst suffer the dungeon for Christ’s sake and the chains that grew loose about thee through five years of hunger. Escaping from the savage King of Susa’s realm, thou didst fare alone all the way to the western land. But signs of his virtues accompanied this wandering confessor, and thou, a fugitive thyself, didst put to flight the evil spirits. Wherever thou didst pass, the horde of friends shouted their surrender, and thou, an exile, didst bid the demons go into exile. Thou art sought out by all, yet no self-seeking takes hold on thee; a more onerous kind of honour has been bestowed on thee. Thou didst shun the din of Rome and Byzantium and the walls broken by Titus with his bowmen. Neither Alexander’s nor Antiochus’ city held thee, and thou didst scorn the dwellings of Byrsa, Dido’s home. Thou didst despise the thronged territory of Ravenna amid the marshes and the region that takes its name from a fleecy boar. Thy choice was this nook, to be thy poor retreat, with a hut whose roof is thatched with straw. Here thou didst thyself build to God a hallowed temple, thou who hadst first made thy body a temple for God. In this place ended the course both of thy wayfaring and of thy life; there remains for thee a double crown to reward thy toil. Now the teeming thousands in holy Paradise stand around thee; now Abraham, a pilgrim like thyself, has thee with him; now thou dost enter thy native land (but the one from which Adam fell); now thou art able to advance to the fountain-head of thine own river.’
Text and translation: Anderson 1965, 388-393.
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