{"slug":"stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-csel:stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1","title":"De Ecclesia","title_source":"De Ecclesia","author":"Mavortius","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":"2026-11-15T05:30:29Z","cost_usd":0.00298},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-csel:stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1","work_id":"stoa0195a.stoa002.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/stoa0195a/stoa002/stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":5,"english_words":1197,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":4467,"commentary_units":30,"commentary_kinds":8,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":7,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":5},"summary":{"work":"stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1","abstract":"De Ecclesia is a Latin treatise on ecclesiology, attributed to Mavortius but with no contemporary evidence for authorship. The work survives in a single manuscript tradition, the earliest witness dating to the 9th century. Stylistic and doctrinal features suggest a 5th–6th century origin, though external confirmation is lacking. The text employs formal, rhetorical Latin with frequent scriptural citations and patristic echoes. It was cited by Carolingian canonists and excerpted in ecclesiological florilegia, but never widely copied. This edition does not resolve the disputed authorship or the work's relationship to other pseudo-Mavortian texts.","historical_context":"The treatise is commonly dated to the 5th–6th century, a period of intense theological debate in the Latin West concerning the nature and authority of the Church, especially in the wake of the Donatist and Pelagian controversies. The work's formal, rhetorical Latin and patristic echoes align with late antique ecclesiastical prose. The attribution to Mavortius is not contemporary; the name may refer to a 6th-century Latin poet known for Christianizing classical forms, but this is uncertain. The text survives in a single manuscript tradition, with the earliest witness from the 9th century, likely produced in a Carolingian scriptorium. It was cited by Carolingian canonists and excerpted in florilegia, indicating limited but enduring interest. The work's relationship to other pseudo-Mavortian texts remains unresolved.","significance":"De Ecclesia is significant as a rare witness to late antique Latin ecclesiology, bridging patristic and Carolingian thought. Its survival in a single manuscript and citation by Carolingian canonists highlights its role in medieval theological discourse. The work also exemplifies the challenges of attributing anonymous or pseudonymous texts, contributing to debates on authorship and transmission in early medieval Christianity.","timeline":[{"date":"5th–6th c.","event":"Probable composition of De Ecclesia based on stylistic and doctrinal features."},{"date":"9th c.","event":"Earliest surviving manuscript witness produced."},{"date":"Carolingian period","event":"Text cited by canonists and excerpted in ecclesiological florilegia."},{"date":"Medieval period","event":"Limited circulation; never widely copied."},{"date":"Modern era","event":"Text edited in the CSEL series (Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum)."}],"relations":[{"work":"Pseudo-Mavortian texts","relation":"Disputed relationship; authorship and corpus unclear.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Carolingian canon law collections","relation":"Cited by canonists, indicating reception.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Patristic ecclesiological treatises (e.g., Cyprian, Augustine)","relation":"Echoes patristic themes and scriptural citations.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Latin florilegia on ecclesiology","relation":"Excerpted in medieval florilegia.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The attribution to Mavortius is not contemporary and remains disputed.","The date of composition is uncertain; only a 5th–6th century range is inferred from style and doctrine.","The text survives in a single manuscript tradition, limiting textual evidence.","The relationship to other pseudo-Mavortian works is unresolved."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000421,"generated":"2026-11-15T05:30:29Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin CSEL","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/csel-dev/blob/master/data/data/stoa0195a/stoa002/stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"stoa0195a.stoa002.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":5,"translated":5,"commentary_passages":5,"commentary_units":30,"english_words":1197,"source_letters":4467,"commentary_kinds":8},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise employs a formal, rhetorical Latin typical of late antique ecclesiastical prose, with frequent scriptural citations and patristic echoes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in a single manuscript tradition, with the earliest witness dating to the 9th century; the attribution to Mavortius is not contemporary.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The work is commonly dated to the 5th–6th century based on stylistic and doctrinal features, but no external evidence confirms this.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The treatise was cited by Carolingian canonists and later excerpted in florilegia on ecclesiology, though never widely copied.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition does not resolve the disputed authorship or the relationship of the work to other pseudo-Mavortian texts.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"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: 5 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-csel — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":5},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"DE ECCLESIA.\n\nTectum augustum ingens, centum sublime columnis,\nreligione patrum laetum I et uenerabile templum\nhoc dedit esse suum I superi regnator Olympi. nam deus omnipotens, I qui res hominumque deumque\naeternis regit imperiis, I 'quo tenditis?' inquit\n'hic domus est uobis, I haec ara tuebitur omnis.'\nhic matres puerique simul I mixtaeque puellae\nsacra canunt I pariterque oculos ad sidera tollunt,\nhic exaudiri uoces, I hic uota precesque:\nnoctes atque dies I ferit aurea sidera clamor. postquam prima quies I et facta silentia tectis,\nincipit effari I diuino ex ore sacerdos:\n'accipite haec animis laetasque aduertite mentes,\nmatres atque uiri, I pueri innuptaeque puellae. discite iustitiam moniti I et spes discite uestras. haut incerta cano: I deus aethere missus ab alto,\nipsius a solio regis, I uia prima salutis,\nquem nobis I partu sub luminis edidit oras","english":"ON THE CHURCH.\n\nA vast, august roof, raised high on a hundred columns,\njoyful in the religion of the fathers, and a venerable temple,\nthis the ruler of high Olympus gave to be his own. For the almighty God, who rules the affairs of men and gods\nwith eternal commands, says, \"Whither do you go?\nHere is a home for you; this altar will protect all.\"\nHere mothers and boys together, and maidens mingled,\nsing sacred songs and likewise lift their eyes to the stars;\nhere voices are heard, here vows and prayers:\nnight and day a clamor strikes the golden stars. After the first quiet and silence have fallen upon the building,\nthe priest begins to speak from his divine mouth:\n\"Receive these things in your minds, and attend with joyful spirits,\nmothers and men, boys and unwed maidens.\nLearn justice, admonished, and learn your hopes. I sing not of uncertain things: a god sent from the high aether,\nfrom the very throne of the king, the first path of salvation,\nwhom for us she brought forth into the shores of light.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"DE ECCLESIA","severity":"info","text":"The title 'DE ECCLESIA' is a Latin incipit, not a Coptic one; the structural classification 'narrative' is assigned from Coptic cues, but the passage is a Latin hexameter poem.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Tectum augustum ingens, centum sublime columnis","severity":"info","text":"The description of a temple with a hundred columns evokes the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill, a common topos in Latin panegyric.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"superi regnator Olympi","severity":"info","text":"'Superi regnator Olympi' is a pagan epithet for Jupiter, here applied to the Christian God, reflecting the poem's syncretic language.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"hic domus est uobis, haec ara tuebitur omnis","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'hic domus est uobis' echoes the New Testament concept of the Church as a spiritual home (e.g., John 14:2), but no direct quotation is present.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Mavortius","severity":"info","text":"The work is attributed to Mavortius, a 6th-century Latin poet known for Christianizing classical forms; this passage exemplifies his method.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":["ogl-csel"]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"haut incerta cano","severity":"caution","text":"'Haut' is a variant spelling of 'haud' (not); the line asserts prophetic certainty, but the manuscript tradition may show orthographic variation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The Coptic structural classification 'narrative' is applied to a Latin poem, which may not align with Coptic genre expectations.","The identity of 'she' in 'quem nobis partu sub luminis edidit oras' is ambiguous: likely the Virgin Mary, but not explicitly stated."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"uirginis os habitumque gerens I, mirabile dictu. ore (dei) I adflata est spiritu propiore canitque:\nsic noua progenies I caelo descendit ab alto. ast ubi iam firmata deum te prodidit aetas,\nnegauere deum I miseri, quibus ultimus esset\nille dies, I quando furentes ac dira canentes\ninsontem I magno ad regem clamore trahebant. ille nihil, I namque ipse uolens, seque obtulit ultro,\nhoc ipsum ut strueret, I uatum praedicta priorum\nprodere iussa dei, I telluris operta subire. primus ibi ante omnes, I sceptrum qui forte gerebat,\nsustulit ablutas lymphis ad sidera palmas,\nhoc dicens: I 'equidem in iusto nil tale repertum:\nnec fas. I o miseri, quae tanta insania, ciues? (at) me nulla dies tantis neque fortibus ausis\n\naddiderit socium. I uestra' inquit 'munera nobis! uos animam hanc potius quocumque absumite leto.'\ntum magis atque magis I magnis furoribus acti\nclamores simul horrendos ad sidera tollunt\net magis atque magis I poenas cum sanguine poscunt. has inter uoces I medio in flagrante tumultu\narboris obnixus trunco I — tibi, magne, tropaeum,\nomnipotens genitor — I palmas utrasque tetendit\nteque uocans I multo uitam cum sanguine fudit. et tamen interea I tua nati maxima cura\nnon tulit hanc speciem; I grauiter commotus et alto\ndat clarum e caelo signum. I nam tempore in illo\nsol medium caeli conscenderat igneus orbem.","english":"bearing the face and dress of a virgin—marvelous to say. She is inspired by the nearer breath of God and sings: thus a new offspring descends from high heaven. But when your age had already revealed you as a god, the wretches denied God, for whom that day was the last, when, raging and uttering dire curses, they dragged the innocent one with great clamor to the great king. He did nothing, for he willingly offered himself, that he might build this very thing: to betray the commands of God, the prophecies of earlier seers, and to undergo the hidden things of the earth. First among all, the one who happened to hold the scepter raised his hands, washed with water, to the stars, saying this: 'Indeed, nothing of the sort is found in justice: nor is it right. O wretches, what great madness is this, citizens? Let no day add me as a companion to such great and bold deeds. Your gifts for us! Rather, take this life of yours by whatever death you wish.' Then more and more, driven by great furies, they raise horrendous shouts to the stars and more and more demand punishments with blood. Amid these voices, in the midst of the raging tumult, leaning against the trunk of a tree—a trophy for you, great almighty father—he stretched out both hands and, calling upon you, poured out his life with much blood. And yet, meanwhile, your son's greatest care did not endure this sight; deeply moved and from on high, he gives a clear sign from heaven. For at that time the fiery sun had climbed to the middle of the sky.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"uirginis os habitumque gerens","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'uirginis os habitumque gerens' (bearing the face and dress of a virgin) describes a figure, likely the Church personified, adopting a virgin's appearance, a common trope in Latin Christian allegory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"sic noua progenies caelo descendit ab alto","severity":"info","text":"The line 'sic noua progenies caelo descendit ab alto' echoes the descent of a new offspring from heaven, possibly alluding to Christ's incarnation or the Holy Spirit's inspiration, though no single verse is directly quoted.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"sceptrum qui forte gerebat","severity":"info","text":"The figure 'sceptrum qui forte gerebat' (the one who happened to hold the scepter) likely represents a ruler or judge in a martyrdom scene, a common motif in hagiographical narratives of the early church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"tum magis atque magis ... et magis atque magis","severity":"info","text":"The repetition 'tum magis atque magis ... et magis atque magis' (then more and more ... and more and more) creates a rhetorical intensification, emphasizing the escalating fury of the crowd in the narrative.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"tibi, magne, tropaeum, omnipotens genitor","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'tibi, magne, tropaeum, omnipotens genitor' (a trophy for you, great almighty father) reflects a martyr's death as a victory offering, a theme later developed in Latin Christian poetry, e.g., Prudentius' Peristephanon.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"ore (dei) I adflata est spiritu propiore","severity":"caution","text":"The text 'ore (dei) I adflata est spiritu propiore' contains a parenthetical '(dei)' which may be an editorial insertion; the manuscript tradition is unclear, and the phrase could be read as 'ore adflata est spiritu propiore' (inspired by the nearer breath at her mouth).","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'uirginis' (virgin) is ambiguous; it may refer to the Church personified or a specific virgin martyr. The parenthetical '(dei)' in 'ore (dei)' may be a later gloss. The phrase 'tua nati maxima cura' (your son's greatest care) could refer to Christ or a divine agent, but the antecedent is unclear."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque\net nox atra polum bigis subuecta tenebat. tris tenuit diei spatium non amplius horas:\ntum repetens iterum sua I clara in luce refulsit\nnona diei melior I rebus iam rite peractis. inde datum molitur iter. iamque arua tenebat\nscrupea, tuta lacu nigro nemorumque tenebris\n\nut statim ad fauces uenit graue olentis Auerni,\ntum demam horrisono stridentis cardine portae\npanduntur uastae I solidoque adamante columnae,\nsponte sua I umbrosae penitus patuere cauernae. ingreditur linquens antrum; I tum maxima turba,\nut uidere deum fulgentiaque ora per umbras,\ningenti trepidare metu. I nec plura moratus\nhaec ait I et dictis maerentia pectora mulcet:\n'ne trepidate, meae I animaeque umbraeque paternae:\nuobis parta quies. I genitor mihi talia namque\ndicta dedit: I prope uos haec limina tendere adegit.'\nhaec fatus I animas, quae per iuga longa sedebant,\ndeturbat I miseransque antro submittit aperto\net dicto parens I supera ad conuexa reuexit. interea magnam I subito uulgata per urbem\nfama uolat, I illum expirantem sedibus imis\niam reuocare gradum superasque euadere ad auras. obstipuere animis alii; set I sanguinis auctor\nse causam clamat crimenque caputque malorum,","english":"Clouds suddenly snatch away the sky and the daylight, and black night, borne by her team, held the pole. The span of day lasted no more than three hours; then, retracing her path, she shone again in bright light, a better day, with rites now duly performed. Then he sets out on the journey ordained. He was already holding the rocky fields, safe by the black lake and the darkness of the groves.\n\nAs soon as he came to the jaws of foul-smelling Avernus, then at last the vast gates, with their horribly creaking hinge, swing open of their own accord, and the columns of solid adamant, the shadowy caverns, gape wide within. He enters, leaving the cave; then a vast throng, when they see the god and his shining face through the shadows, tremble with great fear. He tarries no longer and speaks these words, soothing their grieving hearts with his words: \"Do not tremble, my own, souls and ancestral shades: peace is won for you. For my father gave me such commands: he compelled me to approach these thresholds near you.\" Having said this, he dislodges the souls that sat along the long ridges, and, pitying them, sends them down into the open cave, and, obedient to his word, carries them back to the vaults above. Meanwhile, a great rumor suddenly flies, spread through the city, that he, having breathed his last in the deepest abodes, is now retracing his step and escaping to the upper air. Some are stunned in their minds; but the author of the bloodline proclaims himself the cause, the crime, and the head of the evils.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"Auerni","severity":"info","text":"Avernus is a lake near Cumae in Campania, traditionally considered an entrance to the underworld in Roman mythology, as in Vergil, Aeneid 6.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Vergil Aeneid"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"eripiunt subito nubes caelumque diemque","severity":"info","text":"The sudden snatching of sky and day echoes the cosmic disturbance at the death of Julius Caesar in Vergil, Georgics 1.466–468.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Vergil Georgics"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"tum demam horrisono stridentis cardine portae","severity":"info","text":"The description of the underworld gate with creaking hinge and adamantine columns is a direct imitation of Vergil, Aeneid 6.573–577.","cites":[],"named_sources":["Vergil Aeneid"],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"sanguinis auctor","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'sanguinis auctor' (author of the bloodline) likely refers to a figure who claims responsibility for the evils, possibly a character from the narrative context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"background","lemma":"Mavortius","severity":"info","text":"The work is attributed to Mavortius, a Latin author of late antiquity, and this passage shows heavy reliance on Vergilian underworld imagery, typical of late antique cento or imitation.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"tris tenuit diei spatium non amplius horas","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'tris' is a syncopated form of 'tres' (three), but the syntax is compressed; the sense is that the day lasted no more than three hours.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of the 'sanguinis auctor' is unclear; it may be a specific mythological or historical figure, but the text does not specify."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":4,"ref":"p4","source":"et nodum informis leti trabe nectit ab alta\nproque suis meritis I superis concessit ab oris. nec minus interea I se matutinus agebat\nad socios, I quibus in mediis sic deinde locutus\nextulit os sacrum I claraque in luce refulsit,\nomnia longaeuo similis, I cunctisque repente (inprouisus ait〉: ‛. . . . . ire iterum in lacrimas? I coram, quem quaeritis, adsum. en perfecta mei I cari praecepta parentis. quare agite, o socii, tantarum in munera laudum\nite' ait, 'egregias animas I natique patrisque\nsermonum memores I fluuiali spargite lympha. ipse, ubi tempus erit, omnis in fonte lauabo.'\ndixit et in caelum paribus se sustulit alis\nconditus in nubem: I hinc regia tecta subiuit\ndona ferens uictor I cari genitoris et ora:\noscula libauit I dextramque amplexus inhaesit. huius in aduentum cernes I a sedibus imis\neruere summas arces I et moenia uerti\natque omnem ornatum flamma crepitante cremari.","english":"She ties a knot of shapeless death from a high beam, and for his merits, she yielded him from the upper regions. Meanwhile, the morning star was making his way to his comrades, and standing among them, he then spoke, raising his sacred mouth and shone in bright light, like an aged man in all respects, and suddenly to all (unexpectedly he said): “... shall I go again into tears? Behold, I am here, whom you seek. Behold, the commands of my dear parent are fulfilled. So go, O comrades, into the gifts of such great praises. Go,” he said, “splendid souls, mindful of the words of son and father, sprinkle with river water. I myself, when the time comes, will wash all in the font.” He spoke and raised himself into heaven on equal wings, hidden in a cloud; then he entered the royal halls, bearing gifts as victor, and the face of his dear father: he pressed kisses and clung to his right hand in an embrace. At his coming, you would see from the lowest seats the highest citadels overturned and walls turned, and all ornament consumed by crackling flame.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"et nodum informis leti trabe nectit ab alta","severity":"info","text":"The phrase describes a suicide by hanging, with 'informis leti' (shapeless death) and 'trabe ab alta' (from a high beam) evoking a grim, formless end.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"I superis concessit ab oris","severity":"info","text":"'I superis' is likely a textual corruption or abbreviation; the sense 'she yielded him from the upper regions' suggests a departure from the world of the living, possibly referring to a goddess or fate.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"fluuiali spargite lympha","severity":"info","text":"The command to sprinkle with river water echoes baptismal imagery, common in early Christian literature, though the context here is funerary or purificatory.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"dixit et in caelum paribus se sustulit alis","severity":"info","text":"This line marks a transition from earthly speech to heavenly ascent, a common structural pivot in visionary or apocalyptic narratives.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"conditus in nubem","severity":"info","text":"The concealment in a cloud is a motif from classical epic (e.g., Virgil, Aeneid) and biblical theophanies, used here to veil a divine or resurrected figure.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"inprouisus ait","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'inprouisus ait' (unexpectedly he said) is parenthetical and may be a scribal insertion or gloss; the text is uncertain at this point.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The identity of 'I superis' is unclear; it may be a corrupt form of a divine name or a misreading. The passage's narrative sequence is disrupted by the parenthetical 'inprouisus ait', which may be an interpolation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":5,"ref":"p5","source":"tunc autem innumerae gentes populique I frequentes\nterrentur uisu subito. I rex omnibus idem\niura dabit populis pariter I subigetque fateri,\nquae quis aput superos furto laetatus inani\nsed uos, o lecti, ferro I pro nomine tanto,\nquod superest, I moriamur et in media arma ruamus:\nsanguine quaerendi reditus animamque litando.'\nHaec ubi pro meritis, I finem dedit ore precandi. succedunt alii I graues aetate ministri:\npars in frusta secant I onerantque altaria donis;\ntum demum I pueri et pauidae longo ordine matres\nstant circum. quos ubi confertos I manu circumtulit omnes,\nsic prior adgreditur I mensas atque incipit ipse. et postquam primus I summo tenus adtigit ore,\naccipiunt proceres I pariterque antistites omnes\net pueri rudes: I sequitur tum cetera pubes.\n\nprotinus ad reditum quisquis, I ad tecta domorum\ntendimus I et laetum semper celebramus honorem. cumque t abortio clamaretur 'Maro iunior!', ad praesens hoc recitaui:\nNe, quaeso, I ne me ad talis inpellite pugnas! namque erit ille mihi semper deus, I ille magister. nam memini | — neque enim ignari sumus ante malorum-:\nformonsum pastor I Phoebum superare canendo\ndum cupit I et cantu uocat in certamina diuos,\nmembra deo uictus I ramo frondente pependit.","english":"Then, however, countless nations and peoples, crowded together, are terrified by the sudden sight. The same king will give laws to all peoples equally and will compel them to confess whatever each, among the living, rejoiced in vain theft. But you, O chosen ones, for so great a name, with what remains, let us die and rush into the midst of arms: seeking a return through blood and sacrificing the soul. When he had spoken these words according to his merits, he gave an end to his mouth of praying. Others, grave with age, succeed as ministers: some cut into pieces and load the altars with gifts; then finally boys and fearful mothers in a long line stand around. When he had surveyed all of them, crowded together, with his hand, he first approaches the tables and begins himself. And after he first touched with his mouth to the brim, the nobles and all the priests receive, and the inexperienced boys: then the rest of the youth follows.\n\nImmediately, each of us, heading back to the roofs of our homes, we proceed and always celebrate a joyful honor. And when it was shouted out, 'Maro the younger!', I recited this on the spot: 'Do not, I beg you, do not drive me into such battles! For that one will always be a god to me, that one my master. For I remember—for we are not ignorant of previous evils—: a handsome shepherd, while he desired to surpass Phoebus in singing and calls the gods into contests with his song, conquered by the god, hung from a leafy branch with his limbs.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"tunc autem innumerae gentes populique frequentes terrentur uisu subito","severity":"info","text":"This passage shifts from the preceding narrative of the king's speech to a description of the crowd's reaction and the ritual that follows, marking a structural transition from direct address to ceremonial action.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"lecti","severity":"info","text":"The term 'lecti' (chosen ones) likely refers to a select group within the Christian community, possibly the clergy or martyrs, echoing the Latin 'electi' and suggesting a hierarchical distinction in the ritual context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"sanguine quaerendi reditus animamque litando","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'seeking a return through blood and sacrificing the soul' echoes early Christian martyrdom theology, where bloodshed ensures salvation, reminiscent of Hebrews 9:22 and Ignatian concepts of 'eucharist of martyrdom'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"Maro iunior","severity":"info","text":"The acclamation 'Maro iunior' (Maro the younger) likely refers to the author Mavortius himself, invoking the poet Virgil (Publius Vergilius Maro) as a model, and the subsequent recitation adapts Virgil's Eclogue 3 (lines 104-107) to a Christian context.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"parallel","kind":"parallel","basis":"text","lemma":"formonsum pastor Phoebum superare canendo","severity":"info","text":"The story of a handsome shepherd who challenges Phoebus (Apollo) and is punished by hanging from a branch is a clear allusion to the myth of Marsyas, but here adapted to a pastoral context, possibly conflating with Virgil's Eclogue 3.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"cumque t abortio clamaretur","severity":"caution","text":"The phrase 'cumque t abortio clamaretur' is textually problematic; 'abortio' may be a corruption or a rare term. The reading 'Maro iunior' suggests a personal name, but the surrounding text is uncertain.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'cumque t abortio clamaretur' is unclear; 'abortio' may be a scribal error or a rare word, and the intended meaning is uncertain.","The identity of 'Maro iunior' is ambiguous; it likely refers to the author Mavortius, but could also be a character or a reference to a younger Virgil."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}