| Keywords |
|
| ID |
54 |
| Text |
Vita II Vedasti episcopi Atrebatensis (795 - 805) Alcuin of York |
| Quotation |
Praefati vero miraculi testificatione vir Dei favore populi suffultus, singula civitatis loca peragrans, quaesivit inter ruinas aedificiorum, si quodlibet ecclesiae signum invenire valuisset. (...) Nam antiquis ferme temporibus sacrae in illis locis fidei floruisse relegionem agnovit; sed propter peccata habitatorum terrae illius occulto Dei iudicio, sed iustissimo tradita est cum ceteris Galliae vel Germaniae civitatibus pagano et perfido Hunorum regi Attilo urbs quoque illa depraedanda. Qui propter nimiam animi sui saevitiam nec sacerdotibus Dei honorem nec ecclesiis Christi reverentiam inpendere sciebat, sed omnia quasi tempestas inmanissima ferro vastavit et igne. Tunc in similitudine Hierusolimitanae vastationis, quae ab impio Babiloniae rege facta est, venerunt gentes in hereditatem Dei et pollutis manibus profanaverunt sacraria Christi, effundentes sanguinem servorum Dei circa altaria altissimi regis. (...) Non haec paganorum fecit fortitudo, sed populi christiani promeruerunt peccata. |
| Translation |
In testament to the aforementioned miracle the man of God leant on the favour of the people, going through various places, he sought amongst the ruins of buildings if he was able to find any sign of a church there. (...) For in ancient times, he knew that the religion of holy faith had flourished in those places; but on account of the sins of the inhabitants of that land and by the hidden, but most just, judgement of God, that city was handed over along with the other cities of Gaul and Germany to the pagan and perfidious king of the Huns, Attila, to be plundered. Who, because of his excessive savageness of mind, did not know how to show honour or reverence to the priests of God nor the churches of Christ, but almost all the time wasted everything with fire and the sword. Then, like unto the destruction of Jerusalem, which was ordered by the impious king of Babylon, the gentiles came into the patrimony of God and with their unclean hands they profaned the sanctuaries of Christ, pouring out the blood of the servants of God around the altars of the highest king. (...) This was not done because of the strength of the pagans, but because of the sins of the Christian people. (LG) |
| Quotation source |
p. 421 |
| Temporal Coverage |
453 - 540 |
| Associated use case(s) |
|
| Comment |
Alcuin describes the destruction caused by Attila using biblical narratives and quotations (4 Reg. 25 and Ps. 78, 1) |
