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| Chapter XX. How Martin acted towards the Emperor Maximus.
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Chapter XX.
How Martin acted towards the Emperor Maximus.
And here to insert some
smaller matters among things so great (although such is the nature of
our times in which all things have fallen into decay and corruption, it
is almost a pre-eminent virtue for priestly firmness not to have
yielded to royal flattery), when a number of bishops from various parts
had assembled to the Emperor Maximus, a man of fierce character, and at
that time elated with the victory he had won in the civil wars, and
when the disgraceful flattery of all around the emperor was generally
remarked, while the priestly dignity had, with degenerate
submissiveness, taken a second place to the royal retinue, in Martin
alone, apostolic authority continued to assert itself. For even if he
had to make suit to the sovereign for some things, he commanded rather
than entreated him; and although often invited, he kept away from his
entertainments, saying that he could not take a place at the table of
one who, out of two emperors, had deprived one of his kingdom, and the
other of his life. At last, when Maximus maintained that he had not of
his own accord assumed the sovereignty, but that he had simply defended
by arms the necessary requirements34
| 34 “Regni
necessitatem”—an awkward expression. | of the empire,
regard to which had been imposed upon him by the soldiers, according to
the Divine appointment, and that the favor of God did not seem wanting
to him who, by an event seemingly so incredible, had secured the
victory, adding to that the statement that none of his adversaries had
been slain except in the open field of battle, at length, Martin,
overcome either by his reasoning or his entreaties, came to the royal
banquet. The king was wonderfully pleased because he had gained this
point. Moreover, there were guests present who had been invited as if
to a festival; men of the highest and most illustrious rank,—the
prefect, who was also consul, named Evodius, one of the most righteous
men that ever lived; two courtiers possessed of the greatest power, the
brother and uncle of the king, while between these two, the presbyter
of Martin had taken his place; but he himself occupied a seat which was
set quite close to the king. About the middle of the banquet, according
to custom, one of the servants presented a goblet to the king. He
orders it rather to be given to the very holy bishop, expecting and
hoping that he should then receive the cup from his right hand. But
Martin, when he had drunk, handed the goblet to his own presbyter, as
thinking no one worthier to drink next to himself, and holding that it
would not be right for him to prefer either the king himself, or those
who were next the king, to the presbyter. And the emperor, as well as
all those who were then present, admired this conduct so much, that
this very thing, by which they had been undervalued, gave them
pleasure. The report then ran through the whole palace that Martin had
done, at the king’s dinner, what no bishop had dared to do
at the banquets of the lowest
judges. And Martin predicted to the same Maximus long before, that if
he went into Italy to which he then desired to go, waging war, against
the Emperor Valentinianus, it would come to pass that he should know he
would35
| 35 There is considerable
confusion in this sentence. | indeed be victorious in the first attack,
but would perish a short time afterwards. And we have seen that this
did in fact take place. For, on his first arrival Valentinianus had to
betake himself to flight but recovering his strength about a year
afterwards, Maximus was taken and slain by him within the walls of
Aquileia.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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