The Presbyters Project

Dialogue 3.1.4

Haec me loquente, Gallo iam ad narrandum parato, inruit turba monachorum: Euagrius presbyter, Aper, Sabbatius, Agricola; et post paululum ingreditur presbyter Aetherius cum Calupione diacono et Amatore subdiacono; postremus Aurelius presbyter, dulcissimus meus, longiore uia ueniens, anhelus occurrit.

(ed. Fontaine 2006: 288)

Dialogue 3.1.4

While I was saying this, and as Gallus was ready to begin speaking, a crowd of monks rushed in: the presbyter Evagrius, Aper, Sabbatius, Agricola; and not far behind them entered the presbyter Aetherius with the deacon Calupion and the subdeacon Amator; finally the presbyter Aurelius, a man who was dear to me and had come the farthest, rushed in, out of breath.

(trans. Goodrich 2015: 230, changed by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

One can note that, according to Sulpicius, all of these monks came after learning of Gallus stories from the day before. Hence, they were all living no more than few hours journey from Primuliacum (but not in the same place: Aurelius is said to live the farthest).

It is possible that one of the monks mentioned, Aper, should be identified with the Presbyter Aper, to whom Paulinus of Nola addressed several letters, see [2145].

Place of event:

Region

Gaul
East

City

Primuliacum

About the source:

Author: Sulpicius Severus
Title: Dialogues, Dialogi, Gallus sive dialogi de virtutibus sancti Martini, Dialogorum libri II
Origin: Primuliacum (Gaul)
Denomination: Catholic/Nicene/Chalcedonian

Sulpicius Severus` hagiographical corpus concerning Martin of Tours consists of the Life itself, three letters, and three Dialogues. The Dialogues were composed between the year 400 (the year of the Origenist controversy, to which Sulpicius makes a reference), and the year 410-412 when Jerome`s Commentary on Ezekiel was published, in which Jerome mentions the Dialogues. Stancliffe (Stancliffe 1983: 81) suggests that the Dialogues were composed between 404 and 406, judging by the comment of one of the interlocutors that eight years have passed since Martin`s death (in 397) and no allusion to the barbarian invasions of Gaul in 406-407. The work was likely published in two separate volumes, with volume 1 containing the first and second Dialogues and volume 2 the third and last. It can be proved by both early manuscript tradition and the account of Gennadius (see [670]).

Edition:

Sulpicius Severus, Gallus: dialogues sur les “vertus” de Saint Martin, ed. and transl. J. Fontaine, Sources Chrétiennes 510, Paris 2006.

Translation:

Sulpicius Severus, The Complete Works, transl. R.J. Goodrich, Ancient Christian Writers 70, New York 2015.

Bibliography:

C. Stancliffe, St. Martin and his hagiographer: history and miracle in Sulpicius Severus, Oxford 1983.

Categories:

Functions within the Church - Monastic presbyter

Described by a title - Presbyter/πρεσβύτερος

Monastic or common life - Cenobitic monk

Specific number of presbyters from the same church

Reverenced by

PR551.

Relation with - Another presbyter

Relation with - Monk/Nun

Monastic or common life

PR976.

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1025, http://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1025