The Presbyters Project

Dialogue 2.14.5-7

Monks Gallus, Sulpicius and Postumianus met in the monastery of Primuliacum to discuss Postumianus' journey to the East and the miracles performed by Martin of Tours.

Haec cum maxime Gallus, necdum explicitis quae statuerat referre, loqueretur, puer familiaris ingressus est, nuntians, Refrigerium presbyterum stare pro foribus. Dubitare coepimus, utrum Gallum adhuc esset melius audire, an exoptatissimo nobis uiro, qui officii causa ad nos ueniebat, occurrere. Tum Gallus: etiamsi non ob aduentum sanctissimi sacerdotis relinquenda nobis haec esset oratio, nox ipsa cogebat hucusque prolatum finire sermonem.

(ed. Fontaine 2006: 284, summarised by J. Szafranowski)

Dialogue 2.14.5-7

Monks Gallus, Sulpicius and Postumianus met in the monastery of Primuliacum to discuss Postumianus' journey to the East and the miracles performed by Martin of Tours.

Gallus was in the middle of speaking these words, and he had not had time to explain what they meant, when a house servant entered and announced that the presbyter Refrigerius was standing at our doors. We began to doubt whether it was better to continue to listen to Gallus or to hurry out to greet that best of men who was visiting us on official business. Then Gallus said, "Even if our discussion had not been interrupted by the arrival of this most holy priest, hight itself compels us to end my speech at this point".

(trans. Goodrich 2015: 229, slightly altered and summarised by J. Szafranowski)

Discussion:

For the evidence corroborating the ordination of Gallus, Sulpicius and Postumianus, see [670], [1002], and [2055]).

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 Origenist controversy, to which Sulpicius makes a reference), and the years 410-412 when Jerome`s Commentary on Ezekiel was published, in which the Dialogues are mentioned. 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 (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 Dialogue and volume 2 the third and last one. It can be proven by both early mansuscript 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:

Monastic or common life - Cenobitic monk

Economic status and activity - Indication of wealth

Reverenced by

PR531.

Relation with - Another presbyter

Relation with - Slave/Servant

Relation with - Monk/Nun

Please quote this record referring to its author, database name, number, and, if possible, stable URL: J. Szafranowski, Presbyters in the Late Antique West, ER1022, https://presbytersproject.ihuw.pl/index.php?id=6&SourceID=1022