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'Non nisi uirgam tantum...in manu': Sigeberht's Mosaic Aspirations (Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica III, 18)

2006; Oxford University Press; Volume: 53; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1093/notesj/gjl131

1471-6941

Tenesha Hill,

Classical Studies and Legal History

ONE of the brief stories concerning the early Christian history of England in the Historia Ecclesiastica concerns King Sigeberht, the king of the East Anglians, who abandoned his crown and took up the monastic life. When the pagan Penda attacked his realm, Sigeberht's former companions came to his monastery and took him by force to join the East Anglian army so that his presence might encourage the soldiers. Sigeberht had been such a successful leader of his people in war that his successor and his advisors thought that the physical presence of Sigeberht alone, even if he was unwilling to participate in any other way, would raise the morale of the army of the East Anglians. Tantumque rex ille caelestis regni amator factus est, ut ad ultimum, relectis regni negotiis et cognato suo Ecgrice commendatis, qui et antea partem eiusdem regni tenebat, intraret monestarium, quod sibi fecerat, atque accepta tonsura pro aeterno magis regno militare curaret. Quod dum multo tempore faceret, contigit gentem Merciorum duce rege Penda aduersus Orientales Anglos in bellum procedere, qui dum se inferiores in bello hostibus conspicerent, rogauerunt Sigeberctum ad confirmandum militem secum uenire in proelium. Illo nolente ac contradicente, inuitum monastario eruentes duxerunt in certamen, sperentes minus animos militum trepidare, minus praesente duce quondam strenuissimo et eximio posse fugam meditari. Sed ipse professionis suae non immemor, dum optimo esset uallatus exercitu, nonnisi uirgam tantum habere in manu uoluit; occisusque est una cum rege Ecgrice, et cunctus eorum insistantibus paganis caesus sive dispersus exercitus.1 [So greatly did he love the kingdom of heaven that at last he resigned his kingly office and entrusted it to his kinsman Ecgric, who had previously ruled over part of the kingdom. He thereupon entered a monastery which he himself had founded. He received the tonsure and made it his business to fight instead for the heavenly kingdom. When he had been in the monastery for some considerable time, it happened that the East Anglians were attacked by the Mercians under their king Penda. As the East Anglians realized that they were no match for their enemies, they asked Sigeberht to go into the fight with them in order to inspire the army with confidence. He was unwilling and refused, so they dragged him to the fight from the monastery, in the hope that the soldiers would be less afraid and less ready to flee if they had with them one who was once their most vigorous and distinguished leader. But remembering his profession and surrounded as he was by a splendid army, he refused to carry anything but a “uirga” in his hand. He was killed along with King Ecgric and the whole army was either slain or scattered by the heathen attacks.]