E02842: Augustine of Hippo delivers a Latin sermon on the feast of *Cyprian (bishop and martyr of Carthage, S00411) in which he mentions an old custom of singing and dancing at the feasts of martyrs, including Cyprian, to which the then bishop of Carthage, which can be identified with Aurelius, put and end. Sermon 311, preached in Cartage, at probably c. AD 405.

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 311

[In natali Cypriani martyris

'On the birthday of the martyr Cyprian']


1. Istum nobis festum diem passio beatissimi Cypriani martyris fecit: cuius nos uictoriae celebritas in istum locum deuotissimos congregauit. Sed celebratio solemnitatis martyrum, imitatio debet esse uirtutum.

'1. It is the passion of the most blessed martyr Cyprian that has made this day into a feast for us, and the celebration of this triumph that has brought us together in this place in such a spirit of devotion. But the right way to celebrate the festivals of the martyrs should be imitating their virtues.'


In what follows Augustine encourages his audience to follow the example of the martyrs in despising this world. He refers occasionally to Cyprian, but not to his cult, except in the following passage:

5. ... Numquidnam in hoc loco, etsi psalmus cantandus est, ab aliquo saltandum est? Aliquando ante annos non ualde multos etiam istum locum inuaserat petulantia saltatorum. Istum tam sanctum locum, ubi iacet tam sancti martyris corpus, sicut meminerunt multi qui habent aetatem; locum, inquam, tam sanctum inuaserat pestilentia et petulantia saltatorum. Per totam noctem cantabantur hic nefaria, et cantantibus saltabatur. Quando uoluit Dominus per sanctum fratrem nostrum episcopum uestrum, ex quo hic coeperunt sanctae uigiliae celebrari, illa pestis aliquantulum reluctata, postea cessit diligentiae, erubuit sapientiae.

6. Cum ergo modo hic ista Deo propitio non fiant, quia non celebramus daemoniis ludos, ubi solent ista fieri in eorum delectationem qui coluntur, et immunditia sua solent suos deprauare cultores, sed celebratur hic sanctitas et solemnitas martyrum; non hic saltatur ...
 
'5. ... In this of all places, while psalms are to be sung, is anyone to be permitted to dance? Once, not so many years ago, even this place was invaded by the aggressive rowdiness of dancers. Such a holy place like this, where the body lies of such a holy martyr, even this holy place, I repeat, as many of you who are old enough will remember, had been invaded by the pestilential rowdiness of dancers. Throughout the night the impious songs were sung, and people danced to the singing. When the Lord so willed, from the moment holy vigils began to be celebrated here on the initiative of the holy brother, your bishop, that abuse, after some resistance, later yielded to his diligence, and blushed for shame in the presence of his wisdom.

6. So such things, for God's favour, don't go on here now, because we are not celebrating games for demons, where things like this are habitually done to delight of those being worshipped, and with their filth regularly deprave their worshippers; but what we celebrate here is the holy festival of martyrs. So there is no dancing here ...'

Text: Patrologia Latina 38, 1414 and 14515-1416. Translation: Hill 1994, 71 and 73. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.