E04510: Prudentius, in his Latin Crowns of the Martyrs (Peristephanon), written c. 400 in Calahorra (northern Spain), in a poem on the martyrdom of *Agnes (virgin and martyr of Rome, S00097), tells of a man who impudently looked at Agnes, exposed at the corner of the street. He is struck by a thunderbolt but later restored to his senses through the prayers of Agnes.

Liber Peristephanon XIV.40-60

40 Stantem refugit maesta frequentia
auersa uultus ne petulantius
quisquam uerendum conspiceret locum.
Intendit unus forte procaciter
os in puellam nec trepidat sacram
45 spectare formam lumine lubrico.
En ales ignis fulminis in modum
uibratur ardens atque oculos ferit.
Caecus corusco lumine corruit
atque in plateae puluere palpitat.
50 Tollunt sodales seminecem solo
uerbisque deflent exequialibus.
Ibat triumfans uirgo deum patrem
Christumque sacro carmine concinens,
quod sub profani labe periculi
55 castum lupanar nec uiolabile
experta uictrix uirginitas foret.
Sunt qui rogatam rettulerint preces
fudisse Christo, redderet ut reo
lucem iacenti; tunc iuueni halitum
uitae innouatum uisibus integris.


'While she stood there the crowd avoided her in sorrow, turning their faces away lest any look too rudely on her modesty. One, as it chanced, did aim an impudent gaze at the girl, not fearing to look on her sacred figure with a lustful eye; (46) when behold, a fire came flying like a thunderbolt and with its quivering blaze struck his eyes, and he fell blinded by the gleaming flash and lay convulsed in the dust of the square. (50) His companions lifted him from the ground between life and death and bewailed him with words of lamentation for the departed. But the maiden passed in triumph, singing of God the Father and Christ in holy song because, when an unholy peril fell on her, her virginity won the day, finding the brothel chaste and pure. (57) Some have told that being asked she poured forth prayers to Christ that He would restore sight to the prostrate sinner, and that then the breath of life was renewed in the young man and his vision made perfect.'

Text: Cunnigham 1966, 387. Translation: Thomson 1953, 341.