File(s) not publicly available
E03599: Marcellinus Comes, in his Chronicle, written in Latin in Constantinople, 518/534, records that *African confessors whose tongues were cut out by the Vandals (S01481) in 484 were miraculously still able to speak, and claims that he had personally witnessed this.
online resource
posted on 2017-08-23, 00:00 authored by dlambertMarcellinus Comes, Chronicle
VII. Theodorici et Venantii
[...]
Totam namque per Africam crudelis Hunerici Vandalorum regis in nostros catholicos persecutio inportata est. nam exulatis diffugatisque plus quam trecentis triginta quattuor orthodoxorum episcopis ecclesiisque eorum clausis plebs fidelium variis subacta suppliciis beatum consummavit agonem. nempe tunc idem rex Hunericus unius catholici adulescentis vitam a nativitate sua sine ullo sermone ducentis linguam praecepit excidi, idemque mutus, quod sine humano auditu Christo credens fidem didicerat, mox praecisa sibi lingua locutus est gloriamque deo in primo vocis suae exordio dedit. denique ex hoc fidelium contubernio aliquantos ego religiosissimos viros praecisis linguis manibus truncatis apud Byzantium integra voce conspexi loquentes. haec Arrianorum crudelitas in religiosos Christi cultores supra scriptis consulibus mense Februario coepit infligi.
'7th indiction, consulship of Theodoric and Venantius
[...]
Now the persecution of the cruel Huneric, king of the Vandals, was visited upon our catholic people throughout the whole of Africa. For when more than three hundred and thirty four orthodox bishops were banished and dispersed and their churches closed, the faithful people, hard-pressed by a variety of torments, completed their blessed struggle. At the same time, the same king Huneric had indeed ordered that the tongue of a Catholic youth who had lived without the gift of speech from his birth be cut out, and that same dumb man, because he had learnt the faith believing in Christ without any human hearing, suddenly began to speak after his tongue was cut out and, with his first words, gave glory to God. Afterwards, from this band of the faithful I myself saw very religious men, with their tongues cut out and their hands chopped off, speaking at Byzantium in their normal voice. This Arian cruelty began to be inflicted on the devoted worshippers of Christ in the month of February in the consulship listed above.'
Text: Mommsen 1894. Translation: Croke 1995.
VII. Theodorici et Venantii
[...]
Totam namque per Africam crudelis Hunerici Vandalorum regis in nostros catholicos persecutio inportata est. nam exulatis diffugatisque plus quam trecentis triginta quattuor orthodoxorum episcopis ecclesiisque eorum clausis plebs fidelium variis subacta suppliciis beatum consummavit agonem. nempe tunc idem rex Hunericus unius catholici adulescentis vitam a nativitate sua sine ullo sermone ducentis linguam praecepit excidi, idemque mutus, quod sine humano auditu Christo credens fidem didicerat, mox praecisa sibi lingua locutus est gloriamque deo in primo vocis suae exordio dedit. denique ex hoc fidelium contubernio aliquantos ego religiosissimos viros praecisis linguis manibus truncatis apud Byzantium integra voce conspexi loquentes. haec Arrianorum crudelitas in religiosos Christi cultores supra scriptis consulibus mense Februario coepit infligi.
'7th indiction, consulship of Theodoric and Venantius
[...]
Now the persecution of the cruel Huneric, king of the Vandals, was visited upon our catholic people throughout the whole of Africa. For when more than three hundred and thirty four orthodox bishops were banished and dispersed and their churches closed, the faithful people, hard-pressed by a variety of torments, completed their blessed struggle. At the same time, the same king Huneric had indeed ordered that the tongue of a Catholic youth who had lived without the gift of speech from his birth be cut out, and that same dumb man, because he had learnt the faith believing in Christ without any human hearing, suddenly began to speak after his tongue was cut out and, with his first words, gave glory to God. Afterwards, from this band of the faithful I myself saw very religious men, with their tongues cut out and their hands chopped off, speaking at Byzantium in their normal voice. This Arian cruelty began to be inflicted on the devoted worshippers of Christ in the month of February in the consulship listed above.'
Text: Mommsen 1894. Translation: Croke 1995.
History
Evidence ID
E03599Saint Name
African confessors whose tongues were cut out by the Vandals : S01481Related Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)Language
- Latin