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Sulpicius Severus' Vita Martini

Edited by Philip Burton
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Oxford University Press, Oxford, United Kingdom
Published: 7th Sep 2017
Dimensions: w 162mm h 247mm d 31mm
Weight: 585g
ISBN-10: 0199676224
ISBN-13: 9780199676224
Barcode No: 9780199676224
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Synopsis
The Vita Martini or Life of Martin of Sulpicius Severus is one of the classic Latin hagiographies. Its hero, Martin, was one of the first monks in the Western Roman Empire, and was also one of the first monk-bishops. His life, as presented by Sulpicius, is a series of confrontations: with various Emperors and other leading figures in the Roman state, with members of the 'Arian heresy', Christians whose theology of the Trinity placed them at odds with exponents of 'Nicene' Christianity, with the his lax and venal fellow-bishops in Gaul, and above all with the Devil, whose various shows of strength and guile Martin faces down. The Vita Martini is a brilliant combination of Christian and classical culture, providing allusions both to the Bible and to authors such as Virgil and Sallust throughout. In addition to its intrinsic literary and historical interest, it is also an ideal first example of a 'real Latin' text, with a series of vivid, anecdotal episodes. This edition provides a Latin text with facing English translation, along with a commentary addressing matters of linguistic, literary, theological, and wider cultural interest, taking into account the revolution in the study of 'late antiquity' in the last fifty years.

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Burton's approach, nevertheless, is in many respects refreshingly different ... The work is evidently a welcome and accessible tool specifically to those less familiar with the French language ... Burton's excellent study inspires not one but numerous and repeated re-readings of this classic text * Els Rose, Vigiliae Christianae * Burton's book is a very helpful exposition of the impressive artistic and philological infrastructure of the Life. * Raymond Van Dam, Bryn Mawr Classical Review * We are indebted to Burton for producing such a rich and robust study and commentary on the vita Martini and for breathing new life into a late antique text that enjoyed unparalleled success throughout the Latin Middle Ages. * Scott G. Bruce, Journal of Ecclesiastical History * The Life of Martin is not as securely heroic as later stories might have suggested, and there are still sufficient mysteries in it to make it a work of real interest to scholars. We should be grateful that they have such a dependable guide to the text as this volume now provides. * Michael Stuart Williams, Plekos 20 *