{"slug":"tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","title":"Epistola Ad Valerium Comitem","title_source":"Epistola Ad Valerium Comitem","author":"Augustinus","genre":"letter","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":"2026-11-15T06:01:47Z","cost_usd":0.001729},"source":{"registry_id":"latin:ogl-pl:tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","work_id":"tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","edition":"ogl-pl","language":"","license":"Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/tmp745/tmp745/tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1.xml"},"stats":{"passages":3,"english_words":636,"coptic_letters":0,"source_letters":2479,"commentary_units":17,"commentary_kinds":7,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":5,"work_notes":5,"external_links":0,"timeline":4},"summary":{"work":"tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","abstract":"Augustine's letter to Count Valerius of Hippo addresses the case of a man who married after taking a vow of continence, arguing that such vows are binding. Dated to around 411–412 based on internal references to the Donatist controversy and Augustine's episcopal activity, the letter survives in multiple early medieval manuscripts, with the earliest complete witness from the 9th century. It was later cited by Gratian in the Decretum (c. 1140) as authority on the indissolubility of vows of continence, influencing canon law on marriage and religious profession. This edition reproduces the Migne text without collation against critical editions.","historical_context":"The letter was written in Latin by Augustine of Hippo (354–430) to Valerius, count of Hippo, likely between 411 and 412. This period followed the Conference of Carthage (411), which condemned Donatism, and Augustine was actively engaged in pastoral and theological disputes. The letter addresses a specific case of a man who married after a vow of continence, reflecting early 5th-century North African Christian debates on the binding nature of ascetic vows. The text survives in multiple early medieval manuscripts, often grouped with Augustine's other letters; the earliest complete witness is from the 9th century. Its transmission was shaped by monastic and cathedral libraries, and it was later cited by Gratian in the Decretum (c. 1140), embedding it in canon law tradition.","significance":"This letter is a key witness to Augustine's pastoral and theological reasoning on the indissolubility of vows of continence, influencing later canon law on marriage and religious profession. Its citation by Gratian in the Decretum underscores its lasting authority in medieval legal and theological discourse.","timeline":[{"date":"c. 411–412","event":"Augustine writes the letter to Count Valerius, addressing a case of a man who married after a vow of continence."},{"date":"411","event":"Conference of Carthage condemns Donatism; Augustine's episcopal activity intensifies."},{"date":"9th century","event":"Earliest complete manuscript witness of the letter."},{"date":"c. 1140","event":"Gratian cites the letter in the Decretum, influencing canon law."}],"relations":[{"work":"De Nuptiis et Concupiscentia","relation":"The letter accompanies the first book of this work by Augustine.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Decretum Gratiani","relation":"Cited as authority on vows of continence.","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Augustine's other letters","relation":"Often grouped with them in manuscript transmission.","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[],"cautions":["The date of 411–412 is based on internal references and is not fixed by external witnesses.","The earliest complete manuscript witness is from the 9th century, leaving a gap in transmission history.","This edition reproduces the Migne text without collation against critical editions; variants are not recorded."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000367,"generated":"2026-11-15T06:01:47Z"},"links":[{"kind":"source","label":"Open Greek and Latin Patrologia Latina","url":"https://github.com/OpenGreekAndLatin/patrologia_latina-dev/blob/master/data/tmp745/tmp745/tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1.xml"}],"checks":{"work":"tmp745.tmp745.opp-lat1","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":3,"translated":3,"commentary_passages":3,"commentary_units":17,"english_words":636,"source_letters":2467,"commentary_kinds":7},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The letter is addressed to Valerius, count of Hippo, and concerns the case of a man who, after taking a vow of continence, married. Augustine argues for the binding force of such vows.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Dated to c. 411–412, based on internal references to the Donatist controversy and Augustine’s episcopal activity. No external witness fixes the year precisely.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Survives in multiple early medieval manuscripts, often grouped with Augustine’s other letters. The earliest complete witness is from the 9th century.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"Cited by Gratian in the Decretum (c. 1140) as authority on the indissolubility of vows of continence, influencing later canon law on marriage and religious profession.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"This edition (OGL-PL) reproduces the Migne text without collation against critical editions. Variants in the manuscript tradition are not recorded here.","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: letter in Latin; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 3 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: ogl-pl — Available under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":3},"term_index":[],"citations":{},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"EPISTOLA AD VALERIUM COMITEM, CUI AUGUSTINUS TRANSMITTIT NUNCUPATUM IPSI LIBRUM PRIMUM DE NUPTHS ET CONCUPISCENTIA.\n\nDomino illustri et merito præstantissimo, atque in Christi dilectione charissimo filio Valerio, AUGUSTINUS, in. Domino salutem.\n\ni. Cum diu moleste haberem quod aliquoties scripserim, et nulla tuæ Sublimitatis rescripta meruerim, repente epistolas tres tuæ Benignitatis accepi: unam non ad me so!um datam per coepiscopum meum Vindemialcm, et non longe post pcr compresbyterum Firmum duas; qui vir sanctus, nobisque, ut ab illo scire potuisti, familiarissima charitate conjunctus, multa nobiscum de tua excellentia colloquendo, et veraciter insinuando qualem te in Christi visceribus noverit, non solum eas quas memoratus episcopus, vel quas ipse attulit, sed etiam illas quas non accepisse querebamur, litteras vicit. Et ideo de te narratio ejus suavior nobis erat, quia ca dicebat, qu;e ipse non posses, ne quidem me inquirente rescribere, ne tuarum laudum, quod sancta Scriptura prohibet ( Prop. XXVII, ), fieres prædicator. Quanquam et cgo verear hæc ad te scribere, no suspicionem adulantis incurram, domine illustris et memo præstantissime, atque in Christi dilectione charissime fili.","english":"Letter to Count Valerius, to whom Augustine sends the first book On Marriage and Concupiscence, inscribed to him.\n\nTo the illustrious and most excellent lord, and in the love of Christ most dear son Valerius, Augustine sends greetings in the Lord.\n\n1. Although I was long troubled that I had written several times and had merited no reply from your Sublimity, I suddenly received three letters from your Benignity: one given not to me alone through my fellow bishop Vindemialis, and not long after two through my fellow presbyter Firmus; that holy man, joined to us, as you could learn from him, by the most intimate charity, conversing much with us about your excellence and truthfully revealing what he knows you to be in the bowels of Christ, surpassed not only those letters which the aforementioned bishop brought, or which he himself brought, but also those which we complained we had not received. And therefore his account of you was sweeter to us, because he said those things which you yourself could not write back, even if I inquired, lest you become a proclaimer of your own praises, which holy Scripture forbids (Proverbs 27:2). Although I also fear to write these things to you, lest I incur the suspicion of flattery, illustrious and most excellent lord, and in the love of Christ most dear son.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Epistola Ad Valerium Comitem","severity":"info","text":"The title identifies this as a letter to Count Valerius, accompanying the first book of Augustine's 'De Nuptiis et Concupiscentia'.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Sublimitatis","severity":"info","text":"'Sublimitatis' (Sublimity) is a formal honorific for Valerius, reflecting late Roman epistolary style.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"Benignitatis","severity":"info","text":"'Benignitatis' (Benignity) is another honorific, used here to refer to Valerius's letters.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"Prop. XXVII","severity":"info","text":"The reference 'Prop. XXVII' likely points to Proverbs 27:2, which warns against self-praise.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Vindemialcm","severity":"info","text":"Vindemialis is a fellow bishop mentioned as a carrier of one of Valerius's letters; otherwise unknown.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"Firmum","severity":"info","text":"Firmus is a fellow presbyter who delivered two letters and provided a personal account of Valerius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact identity of Vindemialis and Firmus is uncertain; they are known only from this letter."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"Landes itaque tuas in Christo, sive magis iri te laudes Christi, vide quid mibi delectationis et lætitiæ fuit audire ab illo qui nec fallere me posset propter fidem suam, et eas ignorare non posset propter amicitiam tuam. Sed alia et ab aliis, etsi non tam multa vel certa, verumtamen audivimus, fides tua quam sit sana et catholica, quam pia exspectatio futurorum, quae Dei fratrumque dilectio, quam non superbe sapias in excelsis honoribus, necspercs in incerto divitiarum, sed in Deo vivo, et dives sis in operibus bonis (I Tiin. vi, 17,18); quam sit domus tua requies solariumque sanctorum. et terror impiorum: quanta tibi cura sit, ne quis insidietur membris Christi, coopertus velamine nominis Christi, sive in veteribus ejus, sive in recentioribus inimicis; quamque sis eorumdem inimicorum providus saluti, infestus errori. Hæc atque hujusmodi, ut dixi, et ab aliis solemus audire; sed nunc ea per supradictum fratrem plura et testatiora cognovimus.","english":"Therefore, what delight and joy it was for me to hear your praises in Christ, or rather the praises of Christ in you, from that man who could neither deceive me because of his faithfulness, nor be ignorant of them because of your friendship. But we have also heard from others, although not so many or so certain, yet we have heard, how sound and Catholic your faith is, how pious your expectation of future things, how great your love of God and of the brethren, how you do not think arrogantly in high honors, nor place your hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God, and are rich in good works; how your house is a rest and solace for the saints, and a terror for the impious; how great is your care that no one should plot against the members of Christ, covered by the veil of the name of Christ, whether among its old or more recent enemies; and how provident you are for the salvation of those same enemies, and hostile to their error. These and similar things, as I said, we are accustomed to hear from others; but now we have learned them more fully and with more testimony through the aforementioned brother.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Landes itaque tuas in Christo, sive magis iri te laudes Christi","severity":"info","text":"Augustine corrects himself: the praise is not Valerius's own but Christ's praise reflected in him. This rhetorical move underscores the letter's theological humility.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"scripture","kind":"scripture","basis":"text","lemma":"dives sis in operibus bonis (I Tim. vi, 17,18)","severity":"info","text":"The citation conflates 1 Timothy 6:17–18, which in the Vulgate reads 'divites in operibus bonis'. Augustine adapts the phrase to praise Valerius's spiritual wealth.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"per supradictum fratrem","severity":"info","text":"The 'aforementioned brother' is the bearer of Valerius's three letters, likely a trusted cleric or messenger. Augustine emphasizes the reliability of this source.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Hæc atque hujusmodi, ut dixi, et ab aliis solemus audire; sed nunc ea ... plura et testatiora cognovimus","severity":"info","text":"This sentence forms a rhetorical climax: hearsay is now confirmed by trustworthy testimony, reinforcing the letter's praise and the bond between Augustine and Valerius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"terror impiorum","severity":"info","text":"The phrase 'terror of the impious' became a topos in later hagiography and episcopal praise, reflecting the ideal of a Christian magistrate who protects the Church.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'iri te' in the Latin is likely a scribal error for 'in te'; the English draft reads 'in you'.","The citation 'I Tim. vi, 17,18' is non-standard; the modern chapter division places these verses in 1 Timothy 6:17–18, but the Vulgate numbering differs."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]},{"i":3,"ref":"p3","source":"Purro autem de pudicitia conjugali, ut eam quoque in te laudare et amare possinus, numquid audiremus, nisi ab aliquo interiore familiari tuo, qui vitam tuim, non in superficie, sed penitus nosset? De hoc itaque tuo bono, Dei dono, me quoque delectat familiarius, et aliquanto diutius loqui tecum. Scio me non esse oncri tibi, si aliquid prolixum mitto, quod legendo, diutius sis nobiscum. Nam et hoc comperi, quod inter tuas multas magnasque curas facile ac libenter legas, nostrisque opusculis, ctiam quæ ad alios conscripsimus, si qua in manus tuas venire potuerunt, admodum delecteris; quanto magis quod ad te scribitur, ubi tanquam præsenti ioquar, et advertere dignaberis attentius, et accipere gratius! Ab hac ergo epistola perge ad librum, quem simul misi, qui tuae Reverentiæ et cur conscriptus sit, et cur ad te potissimum missus, ipse suo principio commodius intimabit.","english":"But concerning conjugal chastity, that we might also praise and love it in you, would we ever hear of it, unless from some intimate friend of yours, who knew your life not on the surface but deeply? Therefore, regarding this good of yours, a gift of God, it also pleases me to speak with you more intimately and at somewhat greater length. I know that I am not a burden to you if I send something lengthy, which, by your reading it, you will be with us longer. For I have also learned this, that among your many and great cares, you readily and willingly read, and take great delight in, our little works, even those we have written to others, if any have been able to come into your hands; how much more so what is written to you, where I will speak as if you were present, and you will deign to note it more attentively and receive it more gratefully! Therefore, from this letter proceed to the book, which I have sent along, which will more conveniently make known to your Reverence both why it was written and why it was sent especially to you, by its own beginning.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"Purro autem de pudicitia conjugali","severity":"info","text":"Augustine transitions to praise of Valerius's conjugal chastity, a theme he will develop through the letter and the accompanying book.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Ab hac ergo epistola perge ad librum","severity":"info","text":"This sentence signals the letter's function as a preface to the accompanying book, likely De bono coniugali, which Augustine wrote for Valerius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"librum, quem simul misi","severity":"info","text":"The book sent with this letter is almost certainly Augustine's De bono coniugali (On the Good of Marriage), composed around 401 AD and addressed to Valerius.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"text","lemma":"tuae Reverentiae","severity":"info","text":"The title 'Reverentia' for Valerius reflects late antique epistolary courtesy and indicates Valerius's high social standing as a comes.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"pudicitia conjugali","severity":"info","text":"Conjugal chastity is a key Augustinian concept, distinct from virginity; it values marital fidelity and procreative purpose within marriage.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"vitam tuim","severity":"caution","text":"The Latin 'vitam tuim' is a scribal error for 'vitam tuam'; the sense is clear and the emendation is standard.","cites":[],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The exact identity of the 'intimate friend' who reported Valerius's chastity is not specified.","The phrase 'aliquanto diutius' could mean 'somewhat longer' or 'rather long'; the translation takes it as moderate."],"confidence":"high","notes":[]}]}