E00804: Letter to Bishop Nicetius of Trier (eastern Gaul) from an Abbot Florianus, asking him to pray that the deceased *Ennodius (bishop of Pavia, northern Italy, ob. 521, S00492), *Caesarius (bishop of Arles, southern Gaul, ob. 542, S00491), and *Theodatus, Florianus' predecessor as abbot (S00563), will become patrons of the author in heaven, and that through their intercession he will gain the patronage of *Ambrose (bishop of Milan, northern Italy, ob. 397, S00490). Also contains an allusion to *Maximinus (bishop of Trier, ob. c. 347, S00465) and *Paulinus (bishop of Trier, ob. 358, S00427). Written in Latin, probably in northern Italy, 548/552.
Creators: name: Dlambert
Publisher: name: University of Oxford
Year: 2015
Subjects: History

description: Florianus, letter to Nicetius of Trier (Epistolae Austrasicae 5)<br><br>(3.) Quia igitur tanta Sanctimoniae Vestrae praerogativa suffultat, quaeso ut pro me, qui inpetrastis, oretis: quoniam Deus praescius futurorum, qui fecit quae ventura sunt, sciens me sanctorum solacia indigere vivorum, ut bonus dominus praeparavit auxilia. (4.) Vide ergo quantis adiutoribus uteris, cum me coeperis obsecrare sanctae memoriae domnum Ennodium, pontificem Ticinensis ecclesiae, qui generosi sanguinis nobilitatem humilitate praevexit ad gloriam, ut in caelestis patriae senato[r] fieret et ibi senator, cuius inconparabilem doctrinae facundiam non solum testatur Occidens, sed et Oriens instructa miratur: Nestoriae fulmen, Euticis extinctor, gloriosam Dominam meam inviolabilemque Mariam christocon et theotocon apostolica auctoritate perdocuit; ipse ergo meus est pater ex lavacro, quem credo apud eternum Patrem per Filium intervenire pro filio. <br><br>(5.) Sed et Coronae Vestrae socium, beatae memoriae domnum Caesarium Arelatensem episcopum, qui vixit inter barbaros pius, inter bella pacatus, pater orfanorum, pastor egentium, qui tanti census effusionie nil perdidit, catholicae regulam disciplinae dictis factisque demonstrans – ipse igitur mihi Latinis elementis inposuit alfabetum – sed et hunc pro famulo discipuloque suo inpetrare confido. <br><br>(6.) Addo et tertium inparem quidem dignitate, sed meritis coaequalem, sanctae memoriae Theodatum abbatem meum et archimandritam, saeculi huius inimicum, cui crucifixus est mundus, templum vere dignissimum Trinitatis, plenum reverentiae christianitatis, ex placida bonitate mitissimum, ieiuniis castigatum, orationibus refectum, puritate mundissimum, qui mihi sacras exposuit Scripturas et flores tenerę lanuginis ipse suscepit, qui pro filio et discipulo successoreque suo, licet indigno, non ambigo, quod laus exoret. <br><br>(7.) Vincunt ergo, domine mi, tanti iusti [o]rationem peccatorum. Igitur quia conversatio vestra in caelis est - sicut dicit apostolus: 'Vestra autem conversatio in caelis est' - orate cum his et rogate illum meum sacratissimum confessorem Ambrosium, quatenus me ut peculiarem famulum tueatur, ut proprium civem foveat, ut familiarem alumnum eruat, quoniam apud Dominum Iesum, quod oraverit, exorabit. <br><br>(8.) Quocirca salutationis obsequium famulanter insinuans, praecor ut pro beatissimo viro, domino meo Datio episcopo, fratre vestro, semper oretis. Aequum est enim, ut pro eo, quem monasterii saepta sacrarunt successorem, etiam confessorum successor egregius beatorum exorare non desinas. Et hoc, si dignum ducitis, supplicamus, ut Beatitudinis Vestrae sospitatem parvitatem nostram faciatis, sicut petimus, certiorem.<br><br><br>'(3.) Because such a great prerogative supports Your Sanctity, I ask that you, who have obtained [what you prayed for], pray for me; because God, knowing the future, who has made what is to come, knowing that I lack the comfort of living saints, has, as a good lord, prepared assistance. (4.) See therefore what great helpers you employ when you begin to beseech on my behalf the lord Ennodius of holy memory, prelate of church of Ticinum [Pavia], who, through humility, raised up to glory the nobility of his illustrious blood, so that he joined the senate of the heavenly fatherland, and became a senator there, to whose incomparable eloquence in teaching not only does the West bear witness, but the East, instructed [by him], also marvels: the thunderbolt against Nestorius, the extinguisher of Eutyches, he taught with apostolic authority that my glorious and inviolable lady, Mary, was Christotocos and Theotocos. He himself is my father from the font, whom I believe intercedes with the eternal Father, through the Son, for his son. <br><br>(5.) But also the associate of Your Crown, the lord Caesarius of blessed memory, bishop of Arles, who lived piously among barbarians, peacefully among wars, father to orphans, pastor to the needy, who lost nothing through expenditure of such great wealth, demonstrating the rule of catholic discipline in words and deeds – he himself taught me the alphabet with the rudiments of Latin – but I also trust in you to intercede with him for his servant and disciple. <br><br>(6.) I add also a third person, unequal indeed in dignity, but equal in merits, Theodatus of holy memory, my abbot and archimandrite, an enemy of this world, unto whom the world was crucified [Galatians 6:14], truly a most worthy temple of the Trinity, full of the reverence of Christianity, most gentle from his placid good will, severe in fasting, filled with prayers, untainted in purity, who taught me the sacred scriptures and received the flowers of tender youth, who for his son and disciple and successor, even though unworthy, I do not doubt that he will joyfully pray. <br><br>(7.) Such great just men, my lord, defeat the total of sinners. Therefore, because your way if life is in heaven, as the Apostle says: Your way of life is in heaven [Philippians 3:20], pray with them and ask that man, my most sacred confessor Ambrose, that he may protect me as his particular servant, that he may cherish me as his own citizen, that he may save me as his close disciple, because what he prays for with the lord Jesus, he will obtain. <br><br>(8.) Hence, humbly conveying the duty of greeting, I implore that you always pray for that most blessed man, my lord Bishop Datius, your brother. It is right that for him, whom the precincts of the monastery sanctified as [your] successor, you, the outstanding successor of blessed confessors, should not cease to pray. And we beg this, if you consider it worthy: that you make, as we request, our humbleness more certain of Your Holiness's well-being.'<br><br>Text: Malaspina 2001, 74-78. Translation: David Lambert.