Talk:Polemius Silvius

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Reference to Gallic Chronicle of 452

It seems to me that there are some difficulties with this reference, which perhaps slightly misrepresents what the Chronicle actually says. Let us consider the text:

Silvius turbatae admonum mentis post militiae in palatio exactae munera aliqua de religione conscribit.

Silvius, very disturbed in mind following certain munera to the conscript soldiery in the palace, wrote upon religion.

The first problem is the assumption that the Silvius of the Chronicle is Polemius, and not some other. This is likely enough, I suppose, given the geography involved-- but is it certain?

The second, and more substantial problem is that I don't think the implication of actual insanity inherent in the English "mentally disturbed" is justified by the Latin. Turbatae admonum mentis embraces insantiy, I suppose, but also a great many other states of mental unease or distress. Consider that the medieval refrain Timor mortis conturbat me does not, except in a very figurative sense, mean "The fear of death makes me crazy", but rather that "The fear of death worries /upsets /distresses me". That the Chronicle is talking about mental distress other than insanity seems to me the more likely given the context.

I do admit to some broader uncertainty about what the Latin actually means. The cornerstone of my difficulty is that munera (which, it will be noted, I have left untranslated above). I don’t know whether here the word means “duties” assigned to the soldiers, a “gift” or “payment” made to the soldiers, or a “theatrical performance” given for the soldiers.

I admit to some uncertainty also about my equation of militiae...exactae with "conscript soldiery". Perhaps it is just "soldiers assigned to the palace"? And I will even confess to a little doubt that conscribt...de really means "writes about".

It seems likely that the entry refers to some story familiar to readers in Southern Gaul around 450, and that its purpose was not to relate that story, but merely to fix its occurrence in time.

The Chronicle entry seems to me far too cool to omit from Polemius’ biography. But I think perhaps it should qualified. Perhaps the referent should be qualified as "one Sylvius, quite possibly Polemius". And perhaps "mentally disturbed" should be changed to "very disturbed in mind by certain events".

I am not actually making these changes, but proposing them for action (or refutation) by someone more expert than myself.

Mjhrynick (talk) 20:53, 11 November 2016 (UTC)[reply]