Augustine of Hippo preaches a sermon on the feast of *Cyprian (bishop and martyr of Carthage, S00411) in which he mentions an old custom of singing and dancing at the feasts of martyrs, including Cyprian, to which the then bishop of Carthage [who can be identified with Aurelius] put an end. Sermon 311, delivered in Latin at Carthage (central North Africa), possibly around 405.
E02842
Literary - Sermons/Homilies
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 311
[In natali Cypriani martyris
'On the feast of the martyr Cyprian']
1. Istum nobis festum diem passio beatissimi Cypriani martyris fecit: cuius nos uictoriae celebritas in istum locum deuotissimos congregauit. Sed celebratio solemnitatis martyrum, imitatio debet esse uirtutum.
'1. It is the passion of the most blessed martyr Cyprian that has made this day into a feast for us, and the celebration of this triumph that has brought us together in this place in such a spirit of devotion. But the right way to celebrate the festivals of the martyrs should be imitating their virtues.'
In what follows Augustine encourages his audience to follow the example of the martyrs in despising this world. He refers occasionally to Cyprian, but not to his cult, except in the following passage:
5. ... Numquidnam in hoc loco, etsi psalmus cantandus est, ab aliquo saltandum est? Aliquando ante annos non ualde multos etiam istum locum inuaserat petulantia saltatorum. Istum tam sanctum locum, ubi iacet tam sancti martyris corpus, sicut meminerunt multi qui habent aetatem; locum, inquam, tam sanctum inuaserat pestilentia et petulantia saltatorum. Per totam noctem cantabantur hic nefaria, et cantantibus saltabatur. Quando uoluit Dominus per sanctum fratrem nostrum episcopum uestrum, ex quo hic coeperunt sanctae uigiliae celebrari, illa pestis aliquantulum reluctata, postea cessit diligentiae, erubuit sapientiae.
6. Cum ergo modo hic ista Deo propitio non fiant, quia non celebramus daemoniis ludos, ubi solent ista fieri in eorum delectationem qui coluntur, et immunditia sua solent suos deprauare cultores, sed celebratur hic sanctitas et solemnitas martyrum; non hic saltatur ...
'5. ... In this of all places, while psalms are to be sung, is anyone to be permitted to dance? Once, not so many years ago, even this place was invaded by the aggressive rowdiness of dancers. Such a holy place like this, where the body lies of such a holy martyr, even this holy place, I repeat, as many of you who are old enough will remember, had been invaded by the pestilential rowdiness of dancers. Throughout the night the impious songs were sung, and people danced to the singing. When the Lord so willed, from the moment holy vigils began to be celebrated here on the initiative of the holy brother, your bishop, that abuse, after some resistance, later yielded to his diligence, and blushed for shame in the presence of his wisdom.
6. So such things, for God's favour, don't go on here now, because we are not celebrating games for demons, where things like this are habitually done to the delight of those being worshipped, and with their filth regularly deprave their worshippers; but what we celebrate here is the holy festival of martyrs. So there is no dancing here ...'
Text: Patrologia Latina 38, 1414 and 14515-1416.
Translation: Hill 1994, 71 and 73.
Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.
Service for the saint
Sermon/homily
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Cult PlacesBurial site of a saint - tomb/grave
Activities accompanying CultFeasting (eating, drinking, dancing, singing, bathing)
RelicsBodily relic - entire body
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Theorising on SanctityConsiderations about the veneration of saints
Source
Augustine of Hippo was born in 354 in the north African city of Thagaste. He received an education in rhetoric at Carthage, and after a period teaching there moved to Rome, and then in 384 to a public professorship of rhetoric in Milan. In these early years of adulthood Augustine was a Manichaean, but then got disillusioned with this religion, and in Milan in 386, largely under the influence of Ambrose, bishop of the city, he converted to Christianity, and was baptised by Ambrose in 387. Returning to Africa in 388, he was ordained a priest in 391 at Hippo Regius (in the province of Numidia), and rapidly acquired a reputation as a preacher. In 395 he became bishop of Hippo, which he remained until his death in 430. Details of his early life were recorded by Augustine himself in his Confessions, and shortly after his death a pupil and long-time friend, Possidius, wrote his Life, focused on Augustine as an effective Christian writer, polemicist and bishop (E00073).Amongst his many writings, the most informative on the cult of saints are his numerous Sermons, the City of God, and a treatise On the Care of the Dead. The Sermons tell us which saints (primarily African, but with some from abroad) received attention in Hippo, Carthage and elsewhere, and provide occasional details of miracles and cult practices. The City of God records the distribution, and subsequent miracles, of the relics of saint Stephen, after they arrived in Africa from Palestine in around 420. On the Care of the Dead, discusses the possible advantages of burial ad sanctos (in other words, close to a saint), and theorises on the link between the saints who dwell in heaven and their corporeal remains buried in their graves. In these works, and others, Augustine reveals his own particular beliefs about the saints, their relics and their miracles.
This sermon is tentatively dated to c. 405 on the basis of intertextual references and its place in the collection of Augustine's sermons. It is clear from ch. 5 that it was preached in Carthage.
Discussion
The custom of singing, dancing and drinking at the feasts of the martyrs was widespread in Africa. Augustine himself preached against it several times, see Saxer 1980, 133-149.Bibliography
Edition:Migne, J.P., Patrologia Latina 38 (Paris, 1865).
Translation:
Hill, E., The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, vol III 9. Sermons 306-340A for the Saints (New York: New City Press, 1994).
Dating:
Kunzelmann, A., "Die Chronologie der sermones des hl. Augustinus," Miscellanea Agostiniana, vol. 2 (Rome: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1931), 417-452.
Further reading:
Saxer, V., Morts, martyrs, reliques en Afrique chrétienne aux premiers siècles. Les témoignages de Tertullien, Cyprien et Augustin à la lumière de l’archéologie africaine (Paris: Beauchesne, 1980).
Robert Wiśniewski
11/04/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00411 | Cyprian, bishop and martyr of Carthage | Cyprianus | Certain |
|---|
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