Arbeo, a Neglected Source for Vulgar Latin

Author(s): Jonah W. D. Skiles

Source: The Classical Weekly, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Oct. 19, 1942), pp. 30-33
Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4341542
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 30 CLASSICAL WEEKLY

intended to say. I quote the whole passage (verses
17-9) in the King James version, except for the word
avoid':
Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things
honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much
as lieth in youL, live peaceably with all men. Dearly be-
loved, avenge not yourselves, but rather avoid wrath; for
it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the
Lord.
Those who essay to publish a translation of the New
Testament should stuidy modern Greek.
DONALD BLYTHE DURHAM
HAMILTON COLLEGE
we may do here at Allegheny College with Arnobius
the coming year.
The purpose of this example is to present one way
in which the work of the project is being facilitated.
Many will be interested in working in some field or
author of their choice. Whatever the method is, the
important fact, as Father Marique recently remarked,
is that "although we have many collaborators we have
by no means a sufficient number for the gigantic
task." It is hoped that in the very near future many
scholars will write to him to express a desire to con-
tribute to an undertaking which will result in a great
monument of the scholarship of Christian tradition.

Prosopographia Christiana WILLIAM R. TONGUE

ALLEGHENY COLLEGE
Many have already heard of the elaborate project
which has been launched at Fordham University under
the direction of Rev. Joseph M. F. Marique, S. J. At Arbeo, A Neglected Source for Vulgar Latin
the April meeting of the Classical Association of the Sometimes the writings of an author who has sig-
Atlantic States Father Marique described the compila- nificant literary, historical, or linguistic import lie vir-
tion of a biographical dictionary of all Christians of the tually untouched by research in their most important
first six centuLries, to be based entirely and exhaustivelyaspects. Such an author is Arbeo,1 Bishop of Freising,
upon primary sources. Inscriptions, papyri, pagan and c. 765-84, known to us also by the name Heres, which
Christian authors, Oriental as well as classical, are being seems to be the Latin translation of his Germanic name
studied with a view to the new Prosopographia. When (cf. Goth. arbja 'heir'),2 and by the name Cyrinus,
completed this work will enable scholars to begin, at apparently a Latinized form of the Hebrew translation,3
least, a definitive history of the early centuries of who was born in the first half of the eighth century,
Christianity. probably at Freising, was reared by Erembercht (bishop
The enormity of the undertaking impressed Father 739-47?), passed through various clerical offices, being
Marique's audience, but it was generally felt that suc- a priest from 754 to 763, became bishop not later than
cess was predictable. Fortunately the work has enlisted 765, and died c. 784.4 He has left us two lives of
the support of several scholars whose help will be saints, the Vita Sancti Corbiniani (which seems to have
essential. Among them is Professor E. K. Rand of Har- been written by 769) and the Vita vel Passio Sancti
vard University. Sometimes the help is indirect, as with Haimhrammi martyris (c. 772) and seven (possibly
Professor B. D. Meritt, who has requested students to eight) chartae of the years 755-63, for which he was
be on the alert for names of Christians in their reading the scribe, and twenty-eight chartae of the years 765-82
of Attic inscriptions. More direct aid is necessary, how- which expressly say that they were dictated ("ex ore")
cver, partictularly in the immediate task of reading and by him.6
cxcerpting the huige bulk of the literature involved. These Vitae have been edited as contributions to
Many colleges can aid in this valuable enterprise. history by B. Krusch in the Monumenta Germaniae
For example, at St. Bonaventure College, with the en- Historica7 but with only scant attention to the lit.-
couragement of Rev. Thomas Plassmann, President, and 1 Variously spelled Arbio, Arpio and Aribo.
Rev. Lambert Zaleha of the Classics Department, Dr. 2 Cf. B. Krusch, ed., Vitae Corbiniani episcopi, Monumenta
John Alexander and I have begun to direct some of Germaniae historica, scriptores rerum Merovingicarum 6,
our students of the Graduate Summer School in the Hahn, Hannover & Leipzig I913, 511-2. This series will be
referred to as MGH,SRM.
process of reading and excerpting in the Scriptores
3 Cf. B. Krusch, ed., Vita vel passio Haimhrammi martyris,
Historiae Augustae, Ammianus Marcellinus and MGH,SRM 4(1902) 455, note 9.
Origen. This work is done as part of the research re- 4 Evidence for these dates is given by Krusch, MGH,SRM
quired for the Master's degree and is excellent ex- 6.51o-1; 5I3 and 586, note I; 513; 513; 515, respectively.
5 For the evidence for these dates cf. MGH,SRM 6.527 and
perience in the work of accurate and selective quotation
5I3.
that is necessary for graduate study. There is the addi- 6 These chartae are all quoted with dates by F. H. Hundt,
tional advantage that a student may in this process "Ueber die bayerischen Urkunden aus der Zeit der Agilo-
find that he has gathered source material which could finger," Abhandlungen der Historischen Classe der koniglich
bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaft XII, Erste Abth.,
form the basis of an interesting and valuable disserta-
Munich I872, I96-21I, 2i6-7.
tion. A plan like this might also be applied to under- 7 The Vita Corbiniani in MGH,SRM 6.496-635 and the Vita
graduate majors for part of their senior year's work, as Haimhrammi in MGH,SRM 4.452-524.

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 CLASSICAL WEEKLY 31

guistic material, ward Old French. seems

which As Ferdinand Lot, speaking
to me of this to b
significant. To be sure, Krusch in his introduction listsperiod ("A quelle epoque a-t-on cesse de parler latin?"
some of the unusual forms and expressions, but he Bulletin Du Cange VI I931, 150-I, says, "Le latin
seems to be unaware of their significance as representa- est redenvu une langue correcte, elegante parfois.
Mais ce n'est plus une langue vivante, c'est une langue
tives of the last years of Vulgar Latin. Also E. W6lfflin8
has given us a one-page glance at the linguistic phe- artificielle.... Son role est celui d'une langue auxili-
nomena of the Vita Corbiniani, and a monograph of aire. On l'ecrit, mais on ne la parle pas... Mais le
mine9 has given a classification of the lexicographical, monde laique, parlant la lingua romana, echappa en-
phonological, morphological, synctactical and stylistic tierement a la reforme. L'echec se manifeste d'une
material in its bearing on the problem of Vulgar Latin. maniere frappante dans ce qu'on appelle les 'emprunts
Indeed, in the two most recent monographs on the latins' des langues romanes. En Gaule, notamment, ils
transition of Vulgar Latin into the Romance lan- commencent des la regne de Charlemagne et se multi-
guages,10 no mention is made of Arbeo's linguistic plient a mesure que le parler vulgaire s'eloigne du latin
phenomena. restaure." And Sas,12 commenting on his written docu-
ments, says of the declensions, "As a result of the Caro-
Both the Vita Corbiniani and the Vita Haimhrammi
lingian renaissance, we note a slowing down of the
were written just before the linguistic reforms started by
processs of development and a regression."
Pepin and completed by Charlemagne really got well
under way, for Paul the Deacon came in 778 and The vernacular, after the reforms, was so much dif-
Alcuin in 78I, with the encyclical on the culture of ferent from the written language and the written lan-
letters in 786 and the Synod of Aix-la-Chapelle in guage became so artificial that the changes in everyday
789.11 Also both Vitae exist in revised forms, more orspeech went on uninhibited by comparison with the
written language, and probably at a more rapid rate,
less paraphrastic, written subsequent to the Carolingian
reforms (and edited by Krusch alongside the original with the result that the vernacular and the written lan-
Vitae). Possibly these revisions came out of the re- guage were soon felt to be two different languages.
search done by the priest Cosroh when, some time afterAs Walther von Wartburg has said, "On pourrait donc
824, Hitto, Bishop of Freising, gave him the task of dire que, grace a la renaissance carolingienne, le franSais
collecting into one volume all the traditions about a pris conscience de lui-meme" (e-volution et structure
Freising which were to be found in the chartae (cf. de la langue franSaise2 University of Chicago Press
Krusch, MIGH,SRM 6.537). At any rate these revisions 1937, 59).
show an earnest endeavor to rewrite the Vitae in Here then in Arbeo's Vitae and in their revisions we
classical Latin and seem to have been more popular have, virtually untouched by interpretative linguistic
than the originals for we have only two manuscripts research, documents reflecting the vernacular Vulgat
(ninth century) of the Vita Corbiniani but 31 (tenth 'Latin of the period immediately preceding the Caro-
to fifteenth centuries) of the revision. The interesting lingian Renaissance and also the same documents,
thing here from a linguistic standpoint is the fact that revised, showing the effect of the Renaissance on the
we can surmise from these Vitae and their revisions written Latin. Furthermore, certain linguistic phe-
exactly what happened to Latin during the Carolingian nomena, transitional from Vulgar Latin into Old
Renaissance;.for the reforms could change the educated French, which could be attested by only a scant few
classes' way of writing Latin, but they could not ser- exaniples, may now be clearly seen. These transitional
iously affect the great mass of people who spoke but phenomena are to be found in both of Arbeo's Vitae,
could not write Latin, and it seems that these reforms but my present remarks are confined to those of the
caused the written Latin to become an artificial gen- Vita Corbiniani.
erally unspoken medium endeavoring to follow classical It is interesting to note, first of all, that Arbeo him-
models while the vernacular continued to develop to- self realized that he was not writing literary Latin, for
8Archiv fur lateinische Lexicographie und Grammatik in his prefatory remarks he says that he seeks "ut
5(I888), 3I2. rusticitatis tergat pulverem lingue virtutis modulum"
9 The Latinity of Arbeo's Vita Sancti Corbiniani and of the (56i.8).13 Regardless of Arbeo's own realization and
Revised Vita et Actus Beati Corbiniani Episcopi Frigisingensis, avowal of his "rusticitas," even the most casual reader
University of Chicago dissertation I938.
10 M. A. Pei, The Language of the Eighth-Century Texts in
would be struck by the clear fact that Arbeo is far from
Northern France, Columbia University dissertation 1932, and being at home in classical Latin, for there are many new
L. F. Sas, The Noun Declension in Merovingian Latin, Andre, words and many new meanings, many phonological
Paris 1937. Pei, of course, was writing about a particular geo- changes, much variation in morphology and gender,
graphical field, but in all probability neither Pei nor Sas knew
of Arbeo's writings, or they could hardly have refrained from and a huge amount of unusual and extraordinary syn-
citing data from them. 12 Sas, 483. Cf. also Muller, loc. cit.
11 H F. Muller, A Chronology of Vulgar Latin, Niemeyer, 13 All references to the Vita Corbiniani will be to Krusch's
Halle I929, 78-9, 85. edition.

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 32 CLASSICAL WEEKLY

tax. These phenomena may be discussed briefly under

examples are well known elsewhere. Quite significant
seven headings, as follows: (i) vocabulary, (2) phon-
are two first-declension nominative plurals in -as, viros
ology, (3) case morphology, (4) gender changes, orando
(5) tenere queunt feminas (569.14) and litteras ....
voice, (6) noun syntax, (7) verb syntax. pervenerunt (589.IO). These forms may be added to
the examples of the Vulgar Latin behind the Old
(i) In the field of lexicography there are approxim-
French nominative plural in -es, for which Sas (8o,
ately a hundred words not found in Forcellini, the
474) has shown we no longer need to posit a starred
Thesaurus, Harper's Latin Dictionary, Du Cange,
form.
Mabel, or the Medieval Latin Word List, and a much
larger number of semantic shifts not found in any of (4) Quite significant are the third-declension mascu-
these. Most of the new words result from shifts in the lines in -or which almost with regularity become fem-
declension or in the gender of nouns or of shifts in the inine: color (589.17, decor (778.10), fervor (562. I 2),
conjugation of verbs. The entire list of both new words furor (585.8), honor (572 2; 580 .2; 587.7; 589.II),
anid new meanings has been published. 14 These are meror (568.20) and terror (583.20). These forecast
similar to the thousands of new words and new mean- the regularity of the feminine in nouns in -or in French.
ings that are still being found in lexicographical re- The appearance of many neuter nouns of classical Latin
search in Mediaeval Latin. as either masculine or feminine (cf. Skiles, 97-8) fore-
shadows the loss of the neuter in Romance.
(2) In phonology, among many changes, perhaps
the most interesting are: (a) syncope, e.g., domnum (5) In verb morphology a great uncertainty about
(592.9) and nubs (593.I); (b) the dropping of an the passive forms appears: (a) the active is used with
intervocalic consonant, e.g., fuissent (=fudissent passive meaning, e.g., a praefato vicario occideret
563.15); (c) the dropping of final -t in verbs, e.g., (586.2); (b) the active form of deponent verbs is used,
perduxisse (585.7) and ammittere (586.II); (d) the e.g., conaverat (572.2); and (c) the passive is used with
dropping of final -m, e.g., quendam . . . subole (585.5) active meaning, e.g., qui eum . . deducerentur (572.13).
and ad vesperam o. . hora (592.15), and the adding of Especially are there a great number of the last two
final -rn after a vowel, e.g., verba ad audiendam vitae classes. These phenomena show that the use of the
(564.20) and pro talique criminis factum (58I.7) for passive was becoming uncertain and foreshadow the
facto, indicative of the feebleness of the pronunciation general avoidance of the passive in Romance.
of final -ra and of the rise of the oblique case; (e) the (6) ln noun syntax there is a general break-up of
(Iropping of final -s, e.g., virgam pastoralis regimine case usages with (a) prepositions used with the genitive
(566.25) for regiminis and vires . . . aspera (58i.II), or dative, e.g., munera sibi a fidelium commissa (566.6)
and the adding of final -s after a vowel, e.g., sacra illius and eum ad regalis auribus X . accussare (574.4), (b)
sectare monitas (562.7) and maleficiis suspitione accusative absolutes, e.g., qui ex tanta experti (-ex-
(585.2), indicative of the feebleness of the pronuncia- pergiti) terrore, vires receptos, domui confugebant
tioln of final -s and of the rise of the oblique case. (583.20), (c) instea(l of a (lative, the accusative with
ad or in, e.g., quem ad campum . . Il4artias utebatur
(3) In the morphology of nouns the most inter-
esting phenomenon is the occurrence of more than fifty
(564.24), (d) the ablative of the gerund wherc a
first-decelnsion ablative singulars in -e or -ae, e.g., present participle would be expected, e.g., ad remedia
sinistre manu pernatans (572.2), mulier . . . cum quecon fessionis penitendo confugiunt (58I.14), which an-
. . . ibant viri (585.2), sub sancte conversationis regulae ticipates the Spanish usage, and (e) many other un-
(565.14), and lantiae . . . piscem . . . percussit (576.2); usual constructions, such as nominative absolutes, geni-
and the appearance of three first-declension accusative tives of cause, datives of place whither, accusatives of
singulars in -e or -ae, spinam pedes submisse (562.I8); place where, ablatives with prepositions normally used
ob diei continentiae fasti (575.17); post sepulture with the accusative, ablatives of specification with in,
(590.i). These examples seem to show that final -a etc. All these phenomena show that the feeling for case
(long), -am, -ae and -e had all become phonetically was being lost and foreshadow the coming of the Ro-
mance two-case system.
equivalent and that the oblique case in -e (obscure)
had already risen for the first declension. Even though (7) In verb syntax perhaps the outstanding phe-
the rise of the oblique case by this time is inferred by nomenon is the use of the pluperfect subjunctive where
Grandgent (An Introduction to Vulgar Latin, Heath, the imperfect subjunctive would be expected, e.g.,
Boston 1907, 103) and Pei (op. cit-, 39), only a few praecepisset ne . . . remanisset (579.1 2). There are
more or less sporadic examples have been listed.15 Also many such examples which definitely show the emer-
many other examples of the rise of the oblique case ingence of the Romance imperfect subjunctive out of the
the second and third declensions are found, but such Latin pluperfect subjunctive. Also the indicative defin-
14 Skiles, I-73; see note 9, above. itely is supplanting the subjunctive in result clauses, in
15 Cf. Sas, 52-3, 57, 7I-3, 346, 4i6 and Pei, 37-9. indirect questions, and elsewhere. For indirect dis-

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 CLASSICAL WEEKLY 33

coulrse ut and the subjunctive, the subjunctive alone, plain, namely, the use of the present participle where a
and quod or quia and the subjunctive or indicative are third singular perfect indicative active would be ex-
found. These constructions show that the classical in- pected, e.g., ministros convocans, hisque astantibus
finitive with the subject in the accusative is giving waypraecepit (563. I).-
to the Romance analytical idiom in indirect discourse. In fine we can draw from the evidence gathered from
Debeo is uised many times with merely volitive or Arbeo two general conclusions about the eighth cen-
futiuritive significance, e.g., praecepisset ut . . custodire
tury: (i) that Latin was well on its way toward the
deberetur (578.I4) and confitente ut vitam mUtare Romance developments, but (2) that the written Latin
debuisset (563.25). This use of a helping verb shows was still reflecting the vernacular and had not yet
the weakening of the modal force in the subjunctive become a dead language.
and the rise of auxiliary verbs to replace modal forms. JONAH W. D. SKILES
Lastly, there is one recurrent oddity that I cannot ex- WESTMINSTER COLLEGE, MISSOURI

REVTIEWS Miss Bodkin does not take the next step in the
analogy, although it seems important to do so if we
The Quest for Salvation in an Ancient and a are not to find ourselves sharing- the bewilderment of
Modern Play. By MAUD BODKIN. 54 pa g-es. the Ox-
malority of the characters in Eliot's play. That is to
ford University Press, London I94I ($.85) say, in both plays, the execution of the will of God and
A modern play which is frankly modeled after an suibmission to it are involved. It is significant that
ancient Greek tragedy might be expected to attract a Acschylus chose to have Athena cast the deciding, vote
classicist into a study in comparisons. However, in The at the trial of Orestes, thus making her the agent for
Qnecst for Salvation in an Ancient and a Modern Play, the execution of the divine will, as she was also to
it is a psychologist, not a classicist, who is comparing become the agent for bringing about the conversion
the work of the modern playwright, The Family Re- and stibmission of the Furies to that same divine will.
union by T. S. Eliot, with its Greek prototype, the Similarly, the role which Agatha plays is consistent
Etumenides of Aeschylus. It is not surprising, therefore,
with the way in which God causes His will to be exe-
to find that Miss Bodkin has approached her subject cutted at the present time, that is, through human
from a psychological viewpoint; and the fact that her agency and through spiritual forces, rather than by
book throws light upon two plays which have signifi- the direct intervention of a divine being. If, as Miss
cance for oLur day makes it especially provocative and Bodkin feels, Eliot was dealing here solely with indi-
livcly. vidulal salvation, his thesis is strangely inconsistent with
Both plays deal with the pursuit by the Furies of an the burden of his other writings.
individual sinner, with his quest for salvation, and withi One wonders why she questions the element of two-
his final deliverance, involving the transformation of fold salvation in The Family Reunion, while she admits
his pursuers. Briefly, Miss Bodkin's comparison runs its achievement in the Eumenides. We know that Eliot
thuLs: The Furies in Eliot's play are not mere projec- has a plan for reorganizing the world, based upon the
tions of an individual conscience, but, like the Erinyes principles and teachings of Christ. To anyone who
of Aeschvluis, are ministers of an impersonal law of reads the description of his idea,1 it is apparent that
retribution having the aspect not only of malignant he, like Harry, has seen a vision, but that he, too, is
revenge, but also of primitive justice. In both plays the at a loss to make that vision completely articulate so
Fturies are the embodiment of an intangible force which that others may understand. After Harry's deliverance,
emanates from the wrongs of past generations and his relatives arrive at the mistaken conclusion that he
works with the power of "causal efficacy" through later is to become a missionary; and he is unable to explain
generations. They are also the embodiment of a curse that there is much more than that to his decision.
(alias "repetition-compulsion") which is the energy of In the ancient play we have little more than the
passion fixed in an evil relationship or custom. When promise of blessings resulting from the achievement of
this energy is released and redirected, it becomes the communal salvation. It remained for history to write of
sustaining force of a better order of individual and social its stuccess or failure. So also with the suggestion of
life. In Aeschylus this release and change in relation- world deliverance today through the realization of
ships between the protagonist and his pursuers is Harry's (or Eliot's) vision. His plan is yet untried, and
wrought by the direct persuasion of Athena. In Eliot's it remains for history to write the verdict.
play the transformation is the result of the redirection The fact that one does not necessarily agree with
by his Aunt Agatha of the protagonist's mind into Miss Bodkin at every point does not detract from the
channels of remembrance and analysis of the experi-
lCf. T. S. Eliot, The Idea of a Christian Society, Harcourt,
ences of his unhappy childhood. Brace, New York, 1940.

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