| Keywords |
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| ID |
5884 |
| Text |
De gubernatione dei (439 - 451) Salvian of Marseilles |
| Quotation |
At non ita Gothi, non ita Wandali, malis licet doctoribus instituti, meliores tamen etiam in hac parte quam nostri. Offendi quamvis quosdam suspicer his quae dicimus: sed quia veritas magis quam offensio cogitanda est, dicam, et saepe dicam: Non ita Gothi, non ita Wandali; qui et in discrimine positi, opem a Deo postulant, et prosperitates suas munus divinitatis appellant. Denique probavit hoc, illo proximo, infelicitas nostra. Cum enim
Gothi metuerent, praesumebamus nos in Chunis spem ponere, illi in Deo: cum pax ab illis postularetur, a nobis negaretur; illi episcopos mitterent, nos repelleremus; illi etiam
in alienis sacerdotibus Deum honorarent, nos etiam in nostris contemneremus. Prout actus utriusque partis, ita et rerum terminus fuit. Illis data est in summo timore palma, nobis in summa elatione confusio. Ut vere et in nobis tunc et in illis evidenter probatum sit illud Domini nostri dictum: Quoniam qui se exaltat humiliabitur, et qui se humiliat exaltabitur. Illis enim exaltatio data est pro humilitate, nobis pro elatione dejectio. |
| Translation |
Not thus do the Goths behave, not thus do the Vandals act,
though trained by evil teachers. They are better than we in
this respect. I suspect some are offended by what I say, but,
because truth must be considered more than offense, I will
say and say it often. Not thus do the Goths behave, not thus
do the Vandals act, who at moments of crises demand help
from God and call their prosperity the gift of God.
In short, our misfortune in the last war proved this. When
the Goths feared, we presumed to put our hope in the Huns;
they in God. When they sought peace, we refused them peace.
They sent bishops as intermediaries and we turned them away.
They honored God even in foreign priests; we have contempt
for Him even in our own. Accordingly, the end of the affair
was in conformance with the action of both parties. To them,
in their greatest fear, was given the palm of victory. To us, in
our greatest confidence, was given confusion. Truly in us and
in them was clearly proved that saying of our Lord, 'For
whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and he who humbles
himself shall be exalted.' To them, exaltation was given for
humiliation; to us, dejection for elation. |
| Quotation source |
Lib. 7, Cap. 9 (pp. 90-1, trans. O'Sullivan, pp. 197-8) |
| Temporal Coverage |
439 - 451 |
| Associated use case(s) |
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| Comment |
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