{"slug":"stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-csel:stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","title":"Liber de Aleatoribus","title_source":"Liber de Aleatoribus","author":"Pseudo-Cyprian","genre":"treatise","date":"","tradition":"latin","coverage":"not-located","coverage_claim":{"status":"not-located","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},"publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T05:36:30Z","cost_usd":0.006398},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-csel:stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","work_id":"stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-csel","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/csel-dev/blob/master/data/data/stoa0104p/stoa018/stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":12,"english_words":2976,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":11872,"commentary_units":69,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":23,"work_notes":6,"external_links":0,"timeline":6},"summary":{"work":"stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","abstract":"The Liber de Aleatoribus (Book on Gamblers) is a late antique Latin treatise condemning gambling, especially by clergy. Attributed in manuscripts to Cyprian of Carthage, it is almost certainly pseudepigraphical. The work argues that gambling violates Christian discipline and undermines episcopal authority, using biblical citations that often predate the Vulgate. It survives in a single medieval manuscript tradition with lacunae and scribal corrections. The treatise was later included in canon law collections and cited as Cyprianic, influencing medieval moral teaching on gambling. Its date and place of composition remain uncertain, with linguistic and thematic parallels suggesting the late 4th or early 5th century, possibly in North Africa or Gaul.","historical_context":"The Liber de Aleatoribus was likely composed in the late 4th or early 5th century, a period of intense Christian moral regulation and clerical discipline in the Latin West. The work's emphasis on episcopal authority and apostolic succession reflects contemporary concerns about church hierarchy and clerical conduct. Its biblical text, differing from the Vulgate, indicates use of an earlier Latin biblical tradition, common in North Africa. The treatise survives in a single medieval manuscript, suggesting limited circulation, yet its inclusion in canon law collections shows it was valued as a patristic authority. The attribution to Cyprian, though false, ensured its preservation and influence. The place of origin is uncertain; North Africa and Gaul are plausible given linguistic and thematic parallels with other late antique Latin moral treatises.","significance":"The Liber de Aleatoribus is significant as an early Christian witness to the moral condemnation of gambling, a topic rarely addressed in patristic literature. Its pseudepigraphical attribution to Cyprian and inclusion in canon law collections shaped medieval and early modern Christian teaching on gambling. The work also provides evidence for the transmission of pre-Vulgate biblical texts and the development of clerical discipline in the late antique Latin church.","timeline":[{"date":"late 4th–early 5th c.","event":"Probable composition of Liber de Aleatoribus, possibly in North Africa or Gaul."},{"date":"3rd c.","event":"Life of Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258), to whom the work is falsely attributed."},{"date":"late 4th–early 5th c.","event":"Vulgate translation of the Bible by Jerome; the treatise's biblical citations reflect an earlier Latin tradition."},{"date":"6th–9th c.","event":"Manuscript transmission of the treatise; included in some medieval canon law collections."},{"date":"medieval period","event":"The work is cited as Cyprianic, influencing Christian moral teaching on gambling."},{"date":"modern","event":"Critical scholarship identifies the work as pseudepigraphical; dating and provenance remain debated."}],"relations":[{"work":"Cyprian of Carthage, De Lapsis","relation":"Falsely attributed to the same author; both treat clerical discipline.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Pseudo-Cyprian, De Singularitate Clericorum","relation":"Another pseudepigraphical treatise on clerical conduct, possibly from similar milieu.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Canon law collections (e.g., Collectio Canonum Hibernensis)","relation":"The treatise was included and cited as Cyprianic, influencing medieval canon law.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Matthew 5:13","relation":"Alluded to in the phrase 'salt of the earth' applied to bishops.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ezekiel 34 or Jeremiah 23","relation":"Paraphrased in the warning against negligent shepherds.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The date of composition is uncertain; linguistic and thematic parallels suggest the late 4th or early 5th century, but this is not firmly established.","Authorship is disputed; the attribution to Cyprian is a manuscript tradition, not a critical judgment.","The place of origin is unknown; North Africa and Gaul are plausible but not proven.","The text survives in a single medieval manuscript with lacunae and scribal corrections, affecting interpretation of key passages."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000521,"generated":"2026-11-15T05:36:30Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin CSEL","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/csel-dev/blob/master/data/data/stoa0104p/stoa018/stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"stoa0104p.stoa018.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":12,"translated":12,"commentary_passages":12,"commentary_units":69,"english_words":2976,"source_letters":11872,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is a late antique Latin treatise against gambling, attributed in manuscripts to Cyprian of Carthage but almost certainly pseudepigraphical.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Dating is uncertain; linguistic and thematic parallels suggest composition in the late 4th or early 5th century, possibly in North Africa or Gaul.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise was included in some medieval canon law collections and cited as Cyprianic, influencing later Christian moral teaching on gambling.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not resolve the question of authorship; the attribution to Cyprian is retained only as a manuscript tradition, not a critical judgment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in a single medieval manuscript tradition, with some lacunae and scribal corrections that affect interpretation of key passages.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"Readers should note that the work’s biblical citations sometimes differ from the Vulgate, reflecting an earlier Latin biblical text tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"coverage","severity":"info","text":"No English translation could be identified: a language model asked twice could not name one, though it could not rule one out either. That is not proof that none exists — translations in dissertations, recent books and other modern languages are easily missed."},{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: treatise in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 12 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-csel — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":12},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"VI. DE ALEATORIBVS.\n\n** magna nobis ob uniuersam fraternitatem cura est, fideles, maxime et rea perditorum omnium audacia id est aleatorum, animos M ad nequitiam t in lacum mortis emergunt. et quoniam in nobis diuina et paterna pietas apostolatus ducatum contulit et uicariam Domini sedem caelesti dignatione ordinauit et originem authentici apostolatus super quem Christus fundauit ecclesiam in superiore nostro portamus, accepta simul potestate soluendi ac ligandi et curatione peccata dimittendi : salutari doctrina admonemur, ne dum delinquentibus adsidue ignoscimus, ipsi cum eis pariter torqueamur.\n\nEt ideo sal terrae dicimur, ut ex nobis omnis fraternitas caelesti sapientia saliatur. nam cum dicat: sal aut autem si i infatuatum fuerit, nihilo ualebit, nisi ut proiciatur foras et conculcetur ab hominibus, hoc ueremur et timemus, ne cum in ecclesia securi quod nobis sacerdotalis dignitas a Domino tradita est neglegentiae * *, iuxta quosdam fratres inertes repperiamur, aut dum falsam communicationem damus, id quod cum honore de Dei dignatione percipimus, indignante Domino ex propria actione amittamus. dicit enim scriptura diuina: uae erit pastoribus. quod si ipsi pastores neglegentes reperti fuerint, quid respondebunt Domino pro pecoribus, quid dicent? a pecoribus se esse uexatos?","english":"VI. CONCERNING GAMBLERS.\n\nGreat is our care for the entire brotherhood, faithful, especially concerning the audacity of all the lost, that is, of gamblers, whose minds plunge into the pit of death through wickedness. And since in us divine and paternal piety has conferred the leadership of the apostolate and has ordained the vicarious seat of the Lord by heavenly grace, and we bear in our superior person the authentic origin of the apostolate upon which Christ founded the Church, having likewise received the power of binding and loosing and the cure of forgiving sins: we are admonished by salutary teaching, lest while we continually pardon the delinquent, we ourselves be tormented equally with them.\n\nAnd therefore we are called the salt of the earth, so that from us the entire brotherhood may be seasoned with heavenly wisdom. For when it says: but if the salt has become insipid, it will be of no value, except to be cast out and trampled underfoot by men, we fear and dread this, lest while we are secure in the Church because the priestly dignity has been handed down to us by the Lord, we be found negligent, according to some idle brothers, or while we give false communion, we lose through our own action, with the Lord indignant, that which we receive with honor from God's grace. For divine scripture says: woe to the shepherds. But if the shepherds themselves are found negligent, what will they answer to the Lord for the flocks, what will they say? that they were harassed by the flocks?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"VI. DE ALEATORIBVS.","severity":"info","text":"The chapter heading marks a new section; the work is divided into numbered chapters, each introduced by 'DE' plus a topic.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"apostolatus ducatum","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'apostolatus ducatum' (leadership of the apostolate) asserts episcopal authority as derived from apostolic succession, a key claim in the treatise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"sal terrae","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'salt of the earth' alludes to Matthew 5:13, where Christ calls the apostles 'salt of the earth'; the author applies it to bishops.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"sal aut autem si i infatuatum fuerit","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin text is corrupt here; the sense echoes a proverb about insipid salt being cast out, possibly derived from Matthew 5:13 or a patristic commonplace.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"uae erit pastoribus","severity":"info","text":"The warning 'woe to the shepherds' is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Ezekiel 34 or Jeremiah 23, where negligent shepherds are condemned.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"potestate soluendi ac ligandi","severity":"info","text":"The power of binding and loosing (potestas soluendi ac ligandi) is a technical term for episcopal authority to excommunicate and absolve, rooted in Matthew 16:19 and early church discipline.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'sal aut autem si i infatuatum fuerit' is garbled; the intended reading is likely 'sal autem si infatuatum fuerit' (but if the salt has become insipid).","The clause 'neglegentiae * *' has a lacuna; the sense is that bishops may be found negligent."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"non creditur illis: incredibilis res est pastorem aliquid posse pati a pecore, magis punietur propter mendacium suum. et alia scriptura dicit: rectorem te petierunt, noli extolli. esto illis quasi unus ex ipsis: curam illorum habe et sic conside. et iterum: aestimate sacerdotem esse cultorem et omnes esse apud eum delicias, granaria plena, de quo quidquid desiderauerit populus meus saturetur. iam ut constet nos id est episcopos pastores ouium esse spiritalium hoc est hominum fidelium qui sub cura nostri constituti, nullum in eis scabies uitium repperiatur. quo magis a nobis cotidie perscrutentur, ut medicamine caelesti adhibito uellera eis florida crescant qui ad nitorem uestis caelestis proficiant.\n\nIn euangelio Dominus ad Petrum dixit: Petre, inquit, amas me? et Petrus respondit: etiam Domine, tu scis quoniam amo te. et dixit: pasce oues meas. et sollicite mandans tertio confirmauit dicendo: pasce oues meas. et quoniam episcopium id est spiritum sanctum per inpositionem manus cordis excepimus hospitio, cohabitatori nostro nullam maestitiam proponamus. monet dominus et dicit. nolite contristare spiritum sanctum qui in nobis est, et, nolite exstinguere lumen, quod in nobis effulsit.","english":"they are not believed: it is an incredible thing that a shepherd could suffer anything from his flock; he will be punished all the more for his lie. And another scripture says: They sought you as a ruler, do not be puffed up. Be to them as one of them: have care for them and sit thus. And again: Consider the priest to be a cultivator, and that all delights, full granaries, are with him, from which whatever my people desire may be satisfied. Now, so that it may be established that we, that is, bishops, are shepherds of spiritual sheep, that is, of the faithful who are placed under our care, let no vice of scab be found in them. The more they are scrutinized by us daily, so that with heavenly medicine applied, their fleeces may grow flourishing for those who advance to the splendor of the heavenly garment.\n\nIn the Gospel, the Lord said to Peter: Peter, he says, do you love me? And Peter answered: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you. And he said: Feed my sheep. And, giving the command earnestly, he confirmed it a third time, saying: Feed my sheep. And since we have received the episcopate, that is, the Holy Spirit, into the lodging of our heart through the laying on of hands, let us set no sadness before our co-dweller. The Lord warns and says: Do not sadden the Holy Spirit who is in us, and, Do not extinguish the light that has shone forth in us.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"et alia scriptura dicit: rectorem te petierunt, noli extolli. esto illis quasi unus ex ipsis: curam illorum habe et sic conside.","severity":"info","text":"This appears to be a loose citation or paraphrase of a biblical or early Christian admonition about humility in leadership, possibly echoing 1 Timothy or the Shepherd of Hermas, but the exact source is unidentified.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"et iterum: aestimate sacerdotem esse cultorem et omnes esse apud eum delicias, granaria plena, de quo quidquid desiderauerit populus meus saturetur.","severity":"info","text":"Another unidentified scriptural or paraenetic citation, possibly from a lost apocryphon or patristic florilegium, emphasizing the priest as provider.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"In euangelio Dominus ad Petrum dixit: Petre, inquit, amas me? ... pasce oues meas.","severity":"info","text":"This dialogue between Jesus and Peter is not found in the canonical Gospels; it may derive from an apocryphal tradition or a patristic expansion of John 21:15-17.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"episcopium id est spiritum sanctum","severity":"info","text":"The author equates the episcopate (episcopium) with the Holy Spirit, a striking theological claim that identifies the office with the divine gift received at ordination.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"per inpositionem manus cordis","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'laying on of hands of the heart' is unusual; it may conflate the physical rite of ordination with a spiritual interiorization, reflecting a symbolic or allegorical reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"nolite contristare spiritum sanctum qui in nobis est, et, nolite exstinguere lumen, quod in nobis effulsit.","severity":"caution","text":"These warnings are not direct biblical quotations; they may be paraphrases of 1 Corinthians 3:16 or Ephesians 4:30, but the wording is free and possibly influenced by ascetic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the two 'alia scriptura' citations is unclear; they may be from lost works or free compositions.","The Gospel dialogue between Jesus and Peter is non-canonical; its origin is uncertain.","The equation of episcopium with the Holy Spirit is theologically bold and may reflect a specific local tradition."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"quanta autem episcopo bene agente et salubriter admonente sine tribulatione corporis condigna sint martyria, tanta et episcopo neglegente et nulla de scripturis sanctis documenta promente cumulentur tormenta. apostolus nos excitat Paulus et condigna status sui ∗∗ episcopos procuratores euangelicae doctrinae ponitet dicit: quamdiu heres infans, sub procuratores et actores est: at cum creuerit, tunc hereditatem suam expetit. nos etiam sumus dispensatores et procuratores euangelii: hic quoque inter dispensatores et procuratores quaeritur, ut quis fidelis et iustus inueniatur.\n\nSi ergo apud dispensatores et procuratores quaeritur ut quis fidelis et iustus inueniatur, quid si omnes delinquant et delinquentibus dispensatores ignoscant? nonne ipsi delinquentium se pondere onerant? apostolus idem Paulus commemorat, quando ad Timotheum docendum et corroborandum in fidei firmitate ne quid Deum fallat et ne malignum orationibus sanctorum intercedat, ** prouidus et sollicitus dicens: o Timothee fili commendatum serua: noli spernere donum quod in te est per inpositionem manuum seniorum: accingere fortiter et uiriliter age ministerium tuum, cum integritate persupple: esto ceteris in bonis exemplum. nemo tibi contradicat, nemo iuuentutem. tutem tuam contemnat: peccantem coram multis argue ut et ceteri metum habeant et ne communicaueris peccatis alienis.","english":"But how much, when a bishop acts well and gives salutary admonition, the martyrdoms are worthy of his body without physical tribulation, so much torment is heaped upon a negligent bishop who brings forth no teachings from the holy scriptures. The apostle Paul stirs us and, fitting to their station, he sets forth bishops as stewards of evangelical doctrine, saying: as long as an heir is a child, he is under guardians and agents; but when he grows up, then he claims his inheritance. We too are dispensers and stewards of the gospel: here also among dispensers and stewards it is asked that someone be found faithful and just.\n\nIf, therefore, among dispensers and stewards it is asked that someone be found faithful and just, what if all transgress and the dispensers forgive the transgressors? Do they not themselves burden themselves with the weight of the transgressors? The same apostle Paul recalls, when teaching Timothy and strengthening him in firmness of faith, that he not deceive God and that he not intercede with the prayers of the saints for evil, being provident and solicitous, saying: O Timothy, my son, keep the charge entrusted to you: do not spurn the gift that is in you through the imposition of the hands of the elders; gird yourself strongly and manfully perform your ministry with integrity; be an example of good to others. Let no one contradict you, let no one despise your youth: rebuke the sinner before many so that others may have fear, and do not share in the sins of others.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"martyria","severity":"info","text":"The author contrasts physical martyrdom with the spiritual 'martyrdoms' of a diligent bishop, implying that faithful teaching itself constitutes a form of witness.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"apostolus nos excitat Paulus","severity":"info","text":"The first Pauline reference (on heirs, guardians, and stewards) is not a direct quotation but a paraphrase, likely drawing on 1 Corinthians 4 or Galatians 4, though the exact source is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"o Timothee fili commendatum serua","severity":"info","text":"The second Pauline passage echoes 1 Timothy 4:14 and 5:22, but the wording is adapted; the author may be citing from memory or a variant Latin tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"dispensatores et procuratores","severity":"info","text":"These terms, meaning 'stewards and agents,' are drawn from Roman legal and administrative language, applied here to bishops as managers of the gospel.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"per inpositionem manuum seniorum","severity":"info","text":"The reference to 'imposition of the hands of the elders' reflects early Christian ordination practice, where presbyters participated in the laying on of hands for a bishop.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"∗∗ episcopos procuratores ... ponitet","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin text has a lacuna or corruption at '∗∗' and 'ponitet' (likely for 'ponit' or 'apponit'), making the exact syntax uncertain; the translation follows a plausible reconstruction.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'condigna sui status ∗∗ episcopos procuratores' is textually corrupt; the reading adopted assumes a verb like 'ponit' and treats 'episcopos' as object.","The source of the first Pauline paraphrase is not explicitly identified in the text; it may conflate several passages."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"et iterum: si qui frater fornicarius dicitur aut idolorum cultor aut auarus aut raptor siue iniustus, cum eiusmodi quidem nec cibum capere. et alia loco: quicumque frater more alienigenarum uiuit et admittit res similes factis eorum, desine in conuiuium eius esse: quod nisi feceris, et tu particeps eius eris. et in doctrinis apostolorum: si quis frater delinquit in ecclesia et non paret legi, hic nec colligatur, donec paenitentiam agat, et non recipiatur, ne inquinetur et inpediatur oratio uestra. et apostolus iterum dicit: eximite malos e medio uestro. quod si per multorum testium unitatem et consonantem monitionem docemur nec cum delinquentibus fratribus ** nec cibum quidem uesci, quanto magis debeat et ab sacrificio Christi arceri ?\n\nQuam magna et larga pietas Domini fidelium, quod in futurum praescius nobis consulat, ne quis frater incautus denuo laqueis diaboli capiatur. sollicitos esse iussit et prouidos adque eruditos, quoniam hostis ille antiquus circuit pulsans Dei seruos non uno genere temptans. multae enim sunt temptationes eius quarum primordia sunt: idololatria moechiae furta rapinae auaritia fraus ebrietas inpatientia adulteria homicidia zelus perfidia falsa testimonia eloquium falsum inuidia extollentia maledictum error, et si qua sunt similia quae his congruunt, ex quibus est aleae tabula.","english":"and again: if any brother is called a fornicator or a worshiper of idols or a covetous man or a robber or an unjust man, with such a one indeed do not even take food. And in another place: whoever lives by the customs of foreigners and admits things similar to their deeds, cease to be at his banquet: for if you do not do this, you will be his partner as well. And in the teachings of the apostles: if any brother offends in the church and does not obey the law, let him not be gathered together until he does penance, and let him not be received, lest your prayer be polluted and hindered. And the apostle says again: remove the evil from your midst. But if we are taught by the unity of many witnesses and by harmonious admonition not even to eat food with offending brothers, how much more ought one to be kept away from the sacrifice of Christ?\n\nHow great and abundant is the piety of the Lord of the faithful, that, foreknowing the future, He counsels us, lest any unwary brother be caught again by the snares of the devil. He commanded us to be watchful and provident and learned, since that ancient enemy goes around, striking the servants of God, tempting them not by one kind of thing. For many are his temptations, the beginnings of which are: idolatry, adulteries, thefts, robberies, avarice, fraud, drunkenness, impatience, adulteries, homicides, jealousy, faithlessness, false testimonies, false speech, envy, arrogance, cursing, error, and whatever things are similar that agree with these, among which is the gaming table.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"eximite malos e medio uestro","severity":"info","text":"The phrase echoes 1 Corinthians 5:13, where Paul instructs the community to expel offenders. The author adapts it as a scriptural warrant for exclusion from communion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"aleae tabula","severity":"info","text":"The gaming table (aleae tabula) is listed among vices, reflecting early Christian condemnation of gambling as a diabolical snare. This aligns with the treatise's polemic against dice and board games.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage moves from a catena of disciplinary citations to a moral exhortation listing vices, culminating in the gaming table. This structure reinforces the treatise's argument that gambling is a grave sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"in doctrinis apostolorum","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'in the teachings of the apostles' likely refers to the Didache or a similar early church order, which prescribes exclusion for unrepentant sinners. This shows the author's reliance on apostolic tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"nec cibum quidem uesci","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin text has a lacuna marked by **, but the sense is clear from context: the author argues that if one should not eat with sinners, one should certainly bar them from the Eucharist.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"aleae tabula","severity":"info","text":"This treatise was influential in medieval canon law, where gambling was often prohibited for clergy. The listing of the gaming table among vices shaped later moral theology on games of chance.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'teachings of the apostles' is uncertain; it may refer to the Didache or another early collection.","The lacuna in the Latin (marked **) leaves the exact verb missing, but the context supports a prohibition of sharing food."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"praeest diaboli laqueus manifestus, uenenum portans letalem serpentis et inductio corrumpens: quae cum uidetur nihil esse, magna amplectentibus operatur deiectio. quid illud est quaeso uos, fideles, ut manus quae iam ab iniuriis huma* nis expiata est et ad sacrificium dominicum admissa et quod ad salutem totius hominis pertinet ipsa de Dei dignatione suscipit, ipsa ad laudem Domini in oraculo exurgit, ipsa per quod tuemur Christi signum in frontibus notat, ipsa diuina sacramenta consummat: quid est at iterum laqueis diaboli unde exuta est inplicetur? aleatricem manum dico, quae se ipsa perdit et damnat, manum quae libidinoso studio consueuit id est aleae tabula, quod est diaboli uenabulum et delicti uulnus insanabile.\n\nAleae tabula, dico, ubi diabolus praesto est ad capiendum summissua et cum ceperit de captiuo triumphus suus perfidia, falsa testimonia. tabula aleae, dico, ubi dementia furia. et uenale periurium et conloquium serpentinum. illic rabiosa amicitia, illic atrocissimi sceleris inmanitas, illic fraternitas discordans, illic conuicia et audacia saeua et mens insana et fera inpatientia.","english":"the manifest snare of the devil is at hand, bearing the lethal poison of the serpent and a corrupting enticement: which, when it seems to be nothing, works the downfall of those who embrace it greatly. What is that, I ask you, the faithful, that the hand which has already been cleansed of human injuries and admitted to the Lord's sacrifice and which, pertaining to the salvation of the whole man, itself receives from God's condescension, itself rises in prayer to the praise of the Lord, itself marks the sign of Christ on our foreheads by which we are protected, itself consummates the divine sacraments: what is it that it should again be entangled in the snares of the devil from which it was freed? I speak of the gaming hand, which loses and condemns itself, the hand accustomed to a lustful pursuit, that is, the gaming table, which is the devil's hunting ground and the incurable wound of sin.\n\nThe gaming table, I say, where the devil is at hand to catch the submissive, and when he has caught them, his triumph of faithlessness, false testimonies. The gaming table, I say, where there is madness, fury, and venal perjury and serpentine conversation. There, rabid friendship, there, the enormity of the most atrocious crime, there, discordant brotherhood, there, insults and savage audacity and an insane mind and wild impatience.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"aleae tabula","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'aleae tabula' (gaming table) is the central metaphor, equated with the devil's hunting ground ('diaboli uenabulum') and an incurable wound of sin.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aleatricem manum","severity":"info","text":"'Aleatricem manum' (gaming hand) personifies the hand as an agent of sin, contrasting its sacred functions (prayer, sign of Christ, sacraments) with its entanglement in gambling.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"diaboli laqueus","severity":"info","text":"The 'snare of the devil' is a common patristic trope for temptation; here it is linked to gambling as a corrupting enticement that leads to perjury and discord.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"quid est at iterum... implicetur?","severity":"info","text":"The rhetorical question 'quid est at iterum... implicetur?' (what is it that it should again be entangled?) marks a structural pivot from general warning to specific condemnation of the gaming hand.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"tabula aleae","severity":"info","text":"The repeated 'tabula aleae, dico' (the gaming table, I say) echoes the rhetorical style of Cyprianic treatises, emphasizing the gravity of the vice through anaphora.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"summissua","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'summissua' is likely a scribal error or variant for 'summissos' (the submissive); the text is corrupt here, but the sense of the devil catching the compliant is clear.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'summissua' is unclear; it is read as a corruption of 'summissos' (the submissive).","The exact referent of 'inductio corrumpens' (corrupting enticement) is ambiguous but contextually tied to gambling."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":6,"ref":"p6","source":"aleae tabula, dico, ubi possessionum amissio et pecuniarum ingentium perditus et demonstrans litigiosum et furax dementia.s o aleatorum noxia, sedentaria et pigra nequitia:s o manus crudeles et ad periculum sui armatae, quae bona paterna et opes auorum sudoribus quaesitas ignominioso studio dilapidant. manus trux, noxia et insomnis, nocte dieque continuis instrumentorum suorum armigera, quae peccatis se ipsa damnauit et post peccatum non desinit.s o nequam manus in perniciem Domini sui armata, quae sordidissimis aeris totam substantiam perdit et cum tot essent augendae rei familiaris et multae abundantiae opes, modo inops et pauper est. alea est quam lex odit, alea est quam insequitur crimen ignobile, ubi manifesta temptatio et poena occulta. alueus laqueus est ille mali et supplantatio inimici, qui nec lucrum confert sed totum consumit. hinc deinde pauperes fiunt, hinc opes suas perdunt, hinc iam consumptis omnibus rebus suis mutuis pecuniis se obruunt, hinc patrimonium sine ulla fori calumnia amittunt. quales sunt, fideles, ut quos nemo persequitur se ipsos inuidia persequantur, ut paternas suas hereditates sub ossuorum multiformi numero disperdant? est et quando ipsi aleatores cum prostitutis mulieribus penes auctorem suum nocturnas uigilias clausis foribus celebrant: armantur aduersum se miseri spiritu diaboli repleti. et illic duplicem ac geminum crimen admittunt.","english":"the gaming-board, I say, where there is loss of possessions and the ruin of vast sums of money, and it displays a litigious and thievish madness. O the harmful, sedentary, and sluggish wickedness of gamblers! O the cruel hands, armed against themselves to their own peril, which squander paternal goods and the wealth of ancestors, gained by their sweat, in a shameful pursuit. A fierce, harmful, and sleepless hand, bearing arms of its own instruments by night and day, which has condemned itself by its sins and does not cease after sinning. O the wicked hand, armed for the destruction of its own master, which wastes an entire fortune on the filthiest of copper coins, and though there should have been an increase of family property and great abundance of wealth, now it is needy and poor. Gambling is what the law hates; gambling is what ignoble crime pursues, where there is manifest temptation and hidden punishment. The gaming-board is that snare of evil and the enemy's trap, which brings no profit but consumes everything. Thence people become poor, thence they lose their wealth, thence, when all their resources are consumed, they burden themselves with borrowed money, thence they lose their patrimony without any legal contest. What kind of people are these, O faithful, that those whom no one persecutes persecute themselves with envy, that they squander their paternal inheritances under the manifold number of dice? There is also a time when the gamblers themselves, with prostituted women, celebrate night-long vigils with their author behind closed doors: the wretches arm themselves against themselves, filled with the devil's spirit. And there they commit a double and twin crime.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aleae tabula","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'aleae tabula' (gaming-board) is the central symbol of the passage, representing the physical locus of gambling's destructive effects.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"alea","severity":"info","text":"Roman law (e.g., the Lex alearia) prohibited gambling, aligning with the author's claim that 'alea est quam lex odit' (gambling is what the law hates).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a series of exclamations ('O the harmful...') to a declarative condemnation of gambling, then to a description of gamblers' nocturnal vigils with prostitutes, forming a climactic moral indictment.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"nocturnas uigilias","severity":"info","text":"The 'nocturnal vigils' of gamblers parody Christian vigils, a common rhetorical trope in patristic literature contrasting pious and sinful night-watches.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage influenced later medieval condemnations of gambling, e.g., in penitentials and canon law, which cite the ruin of patrimony and association with prostitution.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"sub ossuorum multiformi numero","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'sub ossuorum multiformi numero' (under the manifold number of dice) is textually uncertain; 'ossuorum' may be a corruption or variant for 'tesserarum' (dice).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The precise meaning of 'ossuorum' in 'sub ossuorum multiformi numero' is unclear; it may refer to dice made from bone (os) or be a scribal error."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":7,"ref":"p7","source":"hic concrepat aleae sonus, illae silentio operatur incestus: hic sine ullo dignitatis suae respectu sine ulla excusatione pestifero studio cedere bonis suis coguntur, illic secreto mortale uenenum bibitur.\n\nVnde haec sacrilega meditatio, unde hoc crimen, anctorum testimonio conprobamus. cum enim quidam studio litterarum bene eruditus multum meditando hoc malum et tam perniciosum studium adinuenit, instinctu * * diaboli qui eum artibus suis repleuerat: hanc ergo artem ostendit quam et colendam sculpturis cum sua imagine fabricauit. statuit itaque imaginem speciei suae cum nominis sui subscriptione suggerente sibi inimico, qui ut hanc artem excogitaret in pectore subiecit. sic ergo se in imagine perniciosa demonstrans alto se quodam loco condidit, in sinus suos hanc aleae tabulam gestans, ut quasi ipso lusor et adinuentor huius malitiae appareret, cuius nomen a Dei semis nominari non debet (sic enim in nomine turpis est quomodo in factis iniquus), et quisque Dei seruus aleae tabulam amplectitur auctoris nomine uocaretur. ille enim cum se in statunculis et simulacris formaret, aliud crimen adinuenit, quo se ab imitatoribus suis colendum diceret, sacrificandi sibi legem terminauit, ita ut qui uellet studio eius adhaerere non ante manum in tabulam porrigeret, nisi auctori eius prius sacrificasset.","english":"Here the sound of dice rattles; there, incest is perpetrated in silence. Here, without any regard for their own dignity, without any excuse, they are compelled by a pestilent pursuit to yield up their goods; there, a deadly poison is drunk in secret.\n\nWhence this sacrilegious meditation, whence this crime, we prove by the testimony of authors. For when a certain man, well educated in the study of letters, after much meditation discovered this evil and so pernicious pursuit, at the instigation * * of the devil, who had filled him with his arts, he therefore revealed this art, which he also established as worthy of worship with sculptures bearing his own image. He thus set up an image of his own likeness with the subscription of his name, the enemy suggesting it to him, who implanted in his breast how to devise this art. Thus, then, showing himself in a pernicious image, he placed it in some high place, carrying in its folds this gaming-board, so that he himself might appear as the player and inventor of this wickedness, whose name ought not to be uttered by the servants of God (for just as he is base in name, so he is iniquitous in deeds), and so that any servant of God who embraces the gaming-board might be called by the name of the author. For when he formed himself in statuettes and images, he devised another crime, by which he would claim to be worshipped by his imitators; he established a law of sacrificing to himself, so that whoever wished to adhere to his pursuit should not first stretch out his hand to the board unless he had first sacrificed to its author.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"hic ... illic","severity":"info","text":"The passage is structured by a double antithesis (hic ... illic) contrasting the public ruin of gamblers with the secret crimes of incest and poison-drinking, a rhetorical device common in Latin moral treatises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"instinctu * * diaboli","severity":"info","text":"The lacuna marked by asterisks in the Latin text likely represents a missing word or phrase, possibly 'et instinctu' or similar, indicating textual corruption in the manuscript tradition.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"aleae tabulam","severity":"info","text":"The 'gaming-board' (aleae tabulam) is central to the author's argument that gambling is a diabolical invention, linked to idolatry and sacrifice, as the inventor demands worship before play.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"auctoris nomine uocaretur","severity":"info","text":"The author claims that gamblers are called by the devil's name, a rhetorical move to associate gambling with demonic worship, reflecting early Christian polemic against pagan practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"instinctu * * diaboli","severity":"caution","text":"The text has a clear lacuna after 'instinctu', likely a scribal omission; the English draft supplies 'of the devil' but the Latin requires emendation for a complete reading.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The lacuna in 'instinctu * * diaboli' leaves the precise phrase uncertain; the translation assumes a genitive construction.","The identity of the 'certain man' (quidam) is not specified; the author may be drawing on a lost source or legend."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":8,"ref":"p8","source":"inde factum est, ut olim qui homo fuerat et facinoris admissionis adulter, post mortem a profanis et errantibus sub fictioso nomine deitatis coli meruerit.\n\nAleae tabula qui ludet, et maleficium nosse debet, quod a Dei seruos longe sit scientes quoniam furor iste maleficus et uenenarius est, sed iterum in iudicii die igne rotante torquebitur. aleae tabula qui ludet prius auctori eius sacrificare debet, quod Christianis non licet dicente Domino: sacrificans diis eradicabitur, nisi Domino soli, et iterum: nolite sacrificare diis alienis, ne incitetis me in operibus manuum uestrarum ad disperdendos uos. christianus quicumque es et aleae tabula ludes, licet non sacrifices, lege huius facinoris particeps es. et utique Dominus occurrit et dicit: exite de ea populus meus, ne particeps sis delictorum eius. et iterum: discedite, discedite inde, exite e medio eius qui fertis uasa Domini et inmundum ne tetigeritis. christianus quicumque ea et alea ludes, hoc primo in loco scire debes quia non es christianus sed ethnicum tibi nomen est et illud quod ad sacrificium dominicum pertinet in uacuum sumis. sic enim Dominus dicit: omnis inmundus non tanget sacrificii sancti. et iterum: omnis uir manducans carnem sacrificii, et inmunditia eius super ipsum: peribit anima illa de populo meo. aleator quicumque es Christianum te dicis, quod non es eo quod saeculo particeps ea.","english":"Hence it has come about that one who was once a man and an adulterer by the commission of a crime, after death, by the profane and erring, under a fictitious name of divinity, has merited worship.\n\nWhoever plays at the gaming board must also know sorcery, which is far from the servants of God, knowing that this madness is malefic and venomous; but again, on the day of judgment, he will be tormented by a revolving fire. Whoever plays at the gaming board must first sacrifice to its inventor, which is not permitted to Christians, the Lord saying: \"He who sacrifices to gods shall be eradicated, unless to the Lord alone,\" and again: \"Do not sacrifice to alien gods, lest you provoke me in the works of your hands to destroy you.\" Whoever you are, a Christian, and you play at the gaming board, even if you do not sacrifice, you are a participant in the law of this crime. And indeed the Lord meets you and says: \"Depart from her, my people, lest you be a participant in her offenses.\" And again: \"Withdraw, withdraw from there, depart from the midst of her, you who bear the vessels of the Lord, and do not touch the unclean.\" Whoever you are, a Christian, and you play at dice, you must first of all know this: that you are not a Christian, but your name is pagan, and that which pertains to the Lord's sacrifice you receive in vain. For thus the Lord says: \"Every unclean person shall not touch the holy sacrifice.\" And again: \"Every man who eats the flesh of the sacrifice, and his uncleanness is upon him: that soul will perish from my people.\" Whoever you are, a gambler, you call yourself a Christian, which you are not, because you are a participant in the world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"aleae tabula","severity":"info","text":"The 'gaming board' (aleae tabula) refers to a dice or board game, likely the Roman game of tabula, associated with gambling and considered morally corrupt by early Christian writers.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"sacrificans diis eradicabitur","severity":"info","text":"The quotation 'He who sacrifices to gods shall be eradicated' is not a direct biblical verse but echoes Exodus 22:20 (LXX) or Leviticus 20:2, adapted to condemn pagan sacrifice.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"exite de ea populus meus","severity":"info","text":"The command 'Depart from her, my people' loosely recalls Old Testament calls for separation from idolatry, e.g., Jeremiah 51:6 or Isaiah 52:11, but is not a precise citation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"omnis inmundus non tanget sacrificii sancti","severity":"info","text":"This phrase echoes Levitical purity laws (e.g., Leviticus 7:20-21) regarding the unclean not touching sacred offerings, applied here to Christian sacraments.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ethnicum","severity":"info","text":"The term 'ethnicum' (pagan) is used to contrast with 'Christianus', emphasizing that the gambler has forfeited Christian identity and is aligned with non-Christian, idolatrous practices.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"et iterum","severity":"info","text":"The repeated phrase 'et iterum' (and again) structures the passage as a series of authoritative scriptural proofs, reinforcing the condemnation of gambling through cumulative biblical citations.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'inventor' of the gaming board is not specified; it may refer to a mythological figure like Palamedes or a demon. The scriptural citations are paraphrased or composite, not verbatim from known texts."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":9,"ref":"p9","source":"nec amicitiam cum Christo habere potes qui Christi inimico amicus es.\n\nCerte qualis dementia aieatorum fidelium, ubi insaniunt et foratissimjs uocibus perierant, et deorbati diaboli caligine inuicem sibi manus inferunt, maledicunt, se deuouunt, parentorum originem turbis praesentibus dehonorant. sonat publice aleae strepitus, festinant ad necem hereditatis suae manus, nec intellegit miser quod sibi noceat, quando se aleae auctorat. et qui iam saepius uincitur rursus ad nocentiorem studium diabolo suadente animatur. o ars infesta studentibus et studium libidinosum, qui non diuitias sed nuditatem et inopiam praestat. manus carnifex, manus noxia, qui nec post lucra desinit, sed adhuc post damna ludit. Christianus qui alea ludet ad sacrificium diaboli inmolantibus penes auctorem manus polluit. et idcirco Dominus ad hoc indignari se dicit: nolite, inquit, extendere manus uestras iniuste, ne exacerbetis me, et non sinam uos diu permanere super terram, et iterum: abstinete manus uestras ab iniusto, et ne feceritis quicquam mali. et apostolus beatissimus Paulus similiter dicit: uidete fratres, ne configuremini huic saeculo et pompis et de.liciis et uoluptatibus eius, sed continete uos ab omni iniustitia saeculi.","english":"You cannot have friendship with Christ when you are a friend of Christ’s enemy.\n\nCertainly what madness of faithful gamblers, where they rave and with the most violent shouts go astray, and blinded by the darkness of the devil they lay hands on each other, curse, devote themselves to destruction, dishonor the origin of their parents before the assembled crowds. The noise of the dice sounds publicly, they hasten to the ruin of their own inheritance with their hands, and the wretch does not understand that he harms himself when he binds himself to the dice. And one who has already been defeated more often is again roused to a more harmful pursuit, with the devil urging him on. O art hostile to its devotees and lustful pursuit, which provides not wealth but nakedness and poverty. The hand is an executioner, the hand is guilty, which does not cease even after gains, but still plays after losses. A Christian who plays at dice pollutes his hands with the sacrificers to the devil’s sacrifice, according to the author. And therefore the Lord says he is indignant at this: “Do not,” he says, “stretch out your hands unjustly, lest you provoke me, and I will not allow you to remain long upon the earth,” and again: “Keep your hands from injustice, and do nothing evil.” And the most blessed apostle Paul similarly says: “See, brothers, that you are not conformed to this world and its pomps and delights and pleasures, but restrain yourselves from all injustice of the world.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"foratissimjs uocibus perierant","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'foratissimjs uocibus perierant' is corrupt; the edition reads 'foratissimis vocibus perierant' (with the most violent shouts go astray), but the sense of 'perierant' (they perished) may be a scribal error for 'perierant' as a form of 'pereo' or a miswriting of 'pervertuntur' (they are perverted).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"nolite, inquit, extendere manus uestras iniuste","severity":"info","text":"The Lord's saying 'Do not stretch out your hands unjustly' is not a direct biblical quotation but a paraphrase of Old Testament prohibitions against injustice, possibly echoing Isaiah 59:1-2 or Psalm 7:9, adapted to the context of gambling.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"uidete fratres, ne configuremini huic saeculo et pompis et de.liciis et uoluptatibus eius","severity":"info","text":"The citation of Paul ('uidete fratres, ne configuremini huic saeculo') is a loose paraphrase of Romans 12:2 or Galatians 1:4, but the specific phrasing 'pompis et deliciis et uoluptatibus' is not found in the Vulgate; it may be a composite or a memory variant.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"ad sacrificium diaboli inmolantibus","severity":"info","text":"The author equates dice-playing with sacrifice to the devil, reflecting early Christian polemic that pagan games were idolatrous. The phrase 'penes auctorem' (according to the author) may refer to the treatise's own argument or to a lost source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"o ars infesta studentibus et studium libidinosum","severity":"info","text":"This exclamatory apostrophe ('O art hostile...') marks a rhetorical climax in the passage, shifting from descriptive condemnation to direct address of gambling as a personified vice, a common device in Latin moral treatises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"deorbati diaboli caligine","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'deorbati diaboli caligine' (blinded by the darkness of the devil) is textually uncertain; 'deorbati' may be a corruption of 'deorbati' (deprived of sight) or 'deorbitati' (led astray). The edition's reading is accepted here.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'foratissimjs uocibus perierant' is corrupt; the reading 'foratissimis vocibus perierant' is adopted, but 'perierant' may be a scribal error.","The scriptural citations are paraphrastic and not verbatim from the Vulgate, leaving their exact source uncertain.","The identity of 'auctorem' (the author) in 'penes auctorem' is ambiguous; it may refer to the treatise's author or to an external authority."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":10,"ref":"p10","source":"iNam quod delicti in Deum nulla fit excusatio nec indulgentia ulla et nemini uenia datur, in euangelio Dominus dicit, si qui, inquit, dixerit blasphemiam in filium hominis, dimittetur ei: qui autem peccauerit in spiritum sanctum, non dimittetur illi, nec hic nec in futuro saeculo. et iterum per prophetam: si delinquendo peccauerit uir aduersus uirum, orabitur pro eo ad Dominum: si autem in Deum peccauerit, quis orabit pro eo? et beatus apostolus procurator et uicarius Christi ecclesiasticam curam agens ponit et dicit: uos estis templum Dei, et in uobis Christus habitat: si quis templum Dei uiolauerit, perdit illum Deus. et Dominus iterum in euangelio negat peccatores et exprobrat dicens: recedite a me omnes qui operamini iniustitiam: nescio uos. et Iohannes apostolus dicit: omnis qui peccat, non est de Deo, sed de diabolo est: et scitis quoniam ideo uenturus est filius Dei, ut perdat filios diaboli. quis Christianus aleator es, tuus et hereditatis tuae inimicus es. quicumque es desine ab illa dementia tua miser. quid te in laqueum mortis cum diabolo ultro praecipitas? quid opes et diuitias tuas sordidissimis aeris amittis? quid te laqueis saecularibus inuoluis ut cum saeculo iudiceris? quid inimicum tuum fauoribus laudando delinquis, cum quo necesse est ut puniaris ?.","english":"For that there is no excuse nor any indulgence for a crime against God, and no one is given pardon, the Lord says in the Gospel: \"If anyone,\" he says, \"has uttered blasphemy against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him; but he who has sinned against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this age nor in the future.\" And again through the prophet: \"If a man sins by wrongdoing against another man, prayer shall be made for him to the Lord; but if he sins against God, who will pray for him?\" And the blessed apostle, the steward and vicar of Christ, exercising ecclesiastical care, sets down and says: \"You are the temple of God, and Christ dwells in you; if anyone violates the temple of God, God destroys him.\" And the Lord again in the Gospel denies sinners and reproaches them, saying: \"Depart from me, all you who work injustice; I do not know you.\" And the apostle John says: \"Everyone who sins is not of God, but is of the devil; and you know that the Son of God is coming to destroy the sons of the devil.\" Whoever you are, Christian gambler, you are an enemy of yourself and of your inheritance. Whoever you are, cease from that madness of yours, wretch. Why do you voluntarily hurl yourself into the snare of death with the devil? Why do you lose your wealth and riches for the filthiest of coins? Why do you entangle yourself in worldly snares so that you may be judged with the world? Why do you flatter your enemy with favors and praise, with whom you must necessarily be punished?","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"in euangelio Dominus dicit, si qui, inquit, dixerit blasphemiam in filium hominis, dimittetur ei: qui autem peccauerit in spiritum sanctum, non dimittetur illi,","severity":"info","text":"This conflates two distinct sayings: the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit (Matt 12:31–32; Mark 3:28–29) and blasphemy against the Son of man (cf. Matt 12:32). The author adapts them to stress the gravity of sin against God.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"et iterum per prophetam: si delinquendo peccauerit uir aduersus uirum, orabitur pro eo ad Dominum: si autem in Deum peccauerit, quis orabit pro eo?","severity":"info","text":"This verse is not found in the canonical Bible; it may be a loose citation from a lost apocryphon or a misremembered passage. The author uses it to reinforce the idea that sins against God are irredeemable.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"uos estis templum Dei, et in uobis Christus habitat: si quis templum Dei uiolauerit, perdit illum Deus","severity":"info","text":"This echoes 1 Cor 3:16–17 and 6:19, where Paul calls the body a temple of the Holy Spirit. The author applies the metaphor to the Christian gambler, warning that self-harm is sacrilege.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"et Dominus iterum in euangelio negat peccatores et exprobrat dicens: recedite a me omnes qui operamini iniustitiam: nescio uos","severity":"info","text":"This saying is not found in the canonical Gospels; it may be a free composition or a citation from an apocryphal source. It serves to dramatize Christ’s rejection of sinners.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"et Iohannes apostolus dicit: omnis qui peccat, non est de Deo, sed de diabolo est: et scitis quoniam ideo uenturus est filius Dei, ut perdat filios diaboli","severity":"info","text":"This is not a direct quotation from the Johannine epistles or Revelation; it likely reflects a common early Christian topos that sinners belong to the devil. The phrase 'filios diaboli' echoes 1 John 3:8–10.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"quis Christianus aleator es, tuus et hereditatis tuae inimicus es","severity":"info","text":"The passage shifts from a series of scriptural proofs to a direct apostrophe of the gambler, marked by the rhetorical question 'quis Christianus aleator es'. This is a common homiletic device in early Christian moral treatises.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The source of the non-canonical scriptural citations is uncertain; they may be from lost apocrypha or the author's own composition.","The phrase 'procurator et uicarius Christi' for Paul is unusual and may reflect a specific ecclesiological context."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":11,"ref":"p11","source":"Esto potius non aleator sed christianus, pecuniam tuam adsidente Christo spectantibus angelis et martyribus praesentibus super mensam dominicam sparge, patrimonium tuum quod forsitan saeuo studio perditurus eras pauperibus diuide, diuitias tuas Christo uincenti committe, seruus cum Domino tuo auocare, studio deiflco obsequere, artem Domini imitare quae non perdet sed potius acquiret. desine ab illos tuos furacissimos mores, cohibe praecipitem nequitiam tuam: sit tibi cum pauperibus cotidianus lusus, sit tibi cum uiduis frequens operatio : censum et adparatus tuos omnes ad studium ecclesiae distrahe, aurum tuum et argentum et pecunias tuas in thesauris caelestibus repone, fundos et uillas tuas iusta operatione ad paradisum remoue, ut peccata tua donentur tibi eleemosynis, et operationibus continuis incumbe. alea ne luseris, ubi lusos nociuus est et crimen mortale, ubi dementia sine consideratione, ubi nulla ueritas, sed mendaciorum mandra. abscide inde manum tuam et auerte inde cor tuum: extrahe caliginem inimici ab oculis tuis et purifica manum tuam a sacrificiis diaboli: abice abs te furaces mores, esto patiens et christianus, esto tibi et uitae tuae in operationibus iustus et prouidus, fuge diabolum persequentem et fuge aleam inimicam operum tuorum: studium sit tibi sapientiae, euangelicis monitis erudire, puras manus ad Christum extendere, ut promereri Dominum possis.","english":"Be rather not a gambler but a Christian; scatter your money upon the Lord’s table in the presence of Christ, with angels looking on and martyrs present; divide among the poor your patrimony, which perhaps you were about to lose through your savage pursuit; entrust your riches to the victorious Christ; as a servant, withdraw with your Lord; attend to the godly pursuit; imitate the art of the Lord, which does not destroy but rather acquires. Cease from those most thievish habits of yours; restrain your headlong wickedness: let your daily play be with the poor, let your frequent work be with widows: sell off all your property and goods for the study of the Church; store up your gold and silver and money in the heavenly treasuries; transfer your estates and villas to paradise through righteous action, so that your sins may be forgiven you by alms, and apply yourself to continuous works. Do not play at dice, where the game is harmful and a mortal crime, where there is madness without consideration, where there is no truth, but a den of lies. Withdraw your hand from it and turn your heart away from it: draw the enemy’s darkness from your eyes and purify your hand from the sacrifices of the devil: cast off your thievish habits; be patient and a Christian; be just and provident for yourself and your life in your works; flee the pursuing devil and flee the dice, the enemy of your works: let your pursuit be of wisdom, to be instructed by the Gospel’s warnings, to stretch pure hands to Christ, so that you may be able to merit the Lord.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage is the final exhortation of the treatise, shifting from prohibition to positive instruction. The series of imperatives (sparge, diuide, committe, etc.) builds a rhetorical climax urging conversion from gambling to Christian charity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aleator","severity":"info","text":"The term 'aleator' (gambler) is the central figure of the treatise. The author contrasts 'aleator' with 'christianus' to frame gambling as incompatible with Christian identity.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"super mensam dominicam","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'super mensam dominicam' (upon the Lord’s table) evokes the altar or the Eucharistic table, a common patristic metaphor for offering one’s wealth to the Church rather than wasting it on gambling.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"martyribus praesentibus","severity":"info","text":"The mention of 'martyribus praesentibus' (martyrs present) reflects the early Christian practice of venerating martyrs and invoking their intercession, especially in North African contexts where this treatise likely originated.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"sacrificiis diaboli","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'sacrificiis diaboli' (sacrifices of the devil) parallels earlier patristic rhetoric equating gambling with idolatry, as seen in Tertullian and Cyprian, who link dice games to demonic worship.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"This passage was influential in medieval penitential literature, where gambling was classified as a sin requiring almsgiving as penance. The call to 'distrahe' (sell off) property for the Church echoes later monastic renunciation ideals.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin 'auocare' (line 4) is ambiguous: it may mean 'withdraw' (as translated) or 'call away,' but the sense of turning from worldly pursuits is clear.","The phrase 'studio deiflco' (godly pursuit) is a hapax in this text; its exact nuance is uncertain but likely refers to divine service."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":12,"ref":"p12","source":"aleam noli respicere. amen.","english":"Do not look back at the dice. Amen.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"aleam noli respicere. amen.","severity":"info","text":"The final sentence closes the treatise with a direct prohibition and a liturgical amen, mirroring the opening exhortation and giving the work a homiletic conclusion.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"aleam","severity":"info","text":"Aleam (accusative of alea) denotes the dice or the game of dice itself, the central vice condemned throughout the treatise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"noli respicere","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'do not look back' echoes the biblical warning against Lot's wife (Gen 19:26) and the command to flee sin without hesitation, reinforcing the call to abandon gambling entirely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"amen","severity":"info","text":"The closing amen, typical of early Christian liturgical and homiletic texts, signals the treatise's use in a communal reading or worship setting, possibly as a sermon or moral instruction.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Latin text is unambiguous; the amen may be a scribal addition or part of the original composition, but the reading as a liturgical close is standard."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}