E04423: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the feast of a group of martyrs, including *Primus, Victoria and Perpetua (martyrs in Africa, S01709), in which he warns his audience not to celebrate this day by drinking. Sermon 335A, preached on an unspecified date between 391 and 430, in an unknown city in North Africa, possibly in Hippo.

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 335A

[De natale sanctorum martyrum

'On the birthday of some martyrs']


1. ... Credo quod aduertit caritas uestra, quando sanctorum passio legebatur, qui primus confessus est Primus uocabatur, ante nouissimum Victoria, in fine Perpetua.

'I'm sure your graces noticed, when the passion of the saints was being read, that the one who first confessed was called Primus; the one before last was Victoria, at the very end came Perpetua.'


In what follows Augustine plays with the names of the martyrs and comments upon their meaning. The sermon end in the following words: 

3. ... celebremus ergo martyrum dies, honorando martyrum passiones, non amando potiones. Conuersi ad Dominum.

'So let us celebrate the feast days of the martyrs, by honouring the sufferings of the martyrs, not in indulging ourselves in drink. Turing to the Lord ...'


Text: Morin 1930, 221. Translation: Hill 1994, 212-213. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.