Poems, Volume 1

2. HYMN IN HONOR OF THE PASSION OFTHE BLESSED MARTYR LAWRENCE

HYMNS 105 God, Himself, bestowed the blessing which we now enjoy here, 115 When the bodies of these martyrs He enshrined within our town, Making them the faithful guardians of the lands by Ebro washed. Join, 0 mothers, in the vigil, raise glad voices in the hymns,as Giving thanks for cure of husbands and your children raised to life; Let us with a holy joy celebrate this festal day. 120 88. State nunc, hymnite, matres. The reference here is to the stations , or vigils, celebrated at the tombs of the martyrs. For a discussion of the variant hymnistae found in the Oxford manuscript , see Ruth E. Messenger, Speculum 29 (1947) 88-84. 2. HYMN IN HONOR OF THE PASSION OF THE BLESSED MARTYR LAWRENCEI Once mother of unholy fanes, Rome, dedicated now to Christ, By Lawrence led to victory, You trample on the heathen rites. --I . According to the traditions of the fourth century, recorded in authentic sources, St. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome, who with Pope Sixtus II suffered martyrdom in the year 258 during the persecution of Valerian. See Cyprian, Epistles 82 (PL 4.442); Ambrose, De officiis ministrorum 1.41 and 2.28; also Mommsen, Liber Pontificalis (MGH I.34-85). When Prudentius was in Rome, he doubtless took part in the celebration of the feast of the martyr and visited the basilica 106 AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS CLEMENS Proud kings have bowed before your sword, 5 And conquered peoples felt your sway; Now pagan gods are made to pass, Beneath the yoke of your empire. Though savage tribes had been subdued, The city of the toga lacked 10 One glorious title of renown, The triumph over wanton Jove, Not by Camillus' stormy might, Nor Cossus' arms or Caesar's power,2 But by the bloody combat waged 15 By Lawrence in his martyrdom. Embattled Faith took up the fight, Of her own blood most prodigal; For she destroyed death by death And lost her life to save her life. 20 The Pontiff Sixtus, from the cross3 On which he hung, saw at its foot His deacon Lawrence weeping sore, And these prophetic words he spoke: on the Via Tiburtina where Pope Damasus had placed one of his inscriptions (Ihm, op. cit. n. 2, p. viii and p. lJ7). St. Augustine in two of his sermons (302 and 303, PL lJ8.13881394 ) mentions contemporary traditions concerning the martyrdom of St. Lawrence. Several lines of the hymn appear in the Office of St. Lawrence in the Mozarabic Breviary (PL 86.1179). 2. Roman military leaders. For Cossus and Camillus see Livy 4.19-20 and 6.1-13. 8. Sixtus II, who was Pope from August or September 257 to August 258, was beheaded. See Cyprian, Epistles 82 and Vol. 15, this series, p. 19. For a discussion of Prudentius' implication here that the Pope was crucified, see Marchesi, Le Carone di Prudenzio p. 75. HYMNS 'Let tears of sorrow cease to flow At my departure from this life; My brother, I but lead the way, And you will follow in three days.'4 The holy bishop's dying words Sure glory for his friend announced, For Lawrence on the day foretold, Victorious, won the martyr's palm. What words, what praises can suffice To celebrate that hero's death? How sing his passion worthily In measured harmonies of verse? First of the seven ministers5 Who nearest to the altar stand, Levite in holy orders high And eminent above the rest. He guarded well the sacred rites And kept in trust with faithful keys The precious treasure of the Church, Dispensing riches vowed to God. The prefect of imperial Rome, The agent of an insane prince,6 Athirst for money and for blood, Is driven by his greed for gold 107 25 30 35 40 45 4. Cf. Ambrose, De officiis ministrorum 1.41, Liber Pontificalis (MGH 1.34-35). 5. Cf. Acts 6.1-4. 6. Valerian. 108 AURELIUS PRUDENTIUS CLEMENS To wrest from sacred shrines by force Suspected riches lurking there, 50 The talents gathered in vast sums, And hidden in their secret vaults. He summons Lawrence to the court And questions him on coffers filled With massive ingots of pure gold 55 And hoarded coins in shining heaps. 'You make complaints,' the prefect said, 'When we give vent to lawful ire By punishing with torments cruel The Christians who contemn...