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Rusticius Helpidius: Tristicha

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The Tristicha of Rusticius Helpidius are a series of three-line hexameter poems on scenes from the Old and New Testaments, arranged so that episodes from the two are paired. The first describes how the serpent tricked Eve into plucking the forbidden fruit; the second how an angel told Joseph in a dream to keep his marriage to Mary. Further poems treat Adam and Eve’s expulsion from paradise and other subjects.

The pairing of Old and New Testament scenes reflects the typological reading of Scripture, in which events of the Old foreshadow those of the New. Poems of this kind may have served as captions for paintings in churches. The Tristicha are a compact example of this form of Christian epigram.

About this edition. The Latin text comes from Musisque Deoque, the digital archive of Latin poetry (edition: D. H. Groen, 1942), licensed CC BY-SA. Every word has been analyzed with LatinCy, a neural language model for Latin — click or tap any word for its dictionary form, part of speech, and complete morphology, together with the full entry from Lewis & Short’s A Latin Dictionary.

Latin · Myth, Hymn & Religion
Tristicha
Rusticius Helpidius · every word parsed
1.1
Euae uiperea uetitum decerpere pomum
1.2
Inuidus arte parat, tantae quae nescia fraudis
1.3
Credidit infelix, socio peritura marito.
2.1
Angelus illaesum Mariae per somnia Ioseph
2.2
Connubium seruare monet: hic dote recepta
2.3
Spiritus hac quod sit flagrans saluatur honore.
3.1
Pellibus accincti, peccati signa ferentes,
3.2
Poenarum famuli linquunt felicia regna;
3.3
Semper amica piis peccantes respuit aula.
4.1
Sacrati nemoris Domino per amoena uirecta
4.2
Felix latro duce hospitium uitale meretur.
4.3
Fortificata fides uincit tot crimina uitae.
5.1
Hic uolucres, armenta, uiros, genus omne ferarum,
5.2
Ne quid diluuii perdat uiolentia, Noe
5.3
Colligit, atque unam tot condita condit in arcam.
6.1
Reptilium pecudumque genus cunctasque uolucres
6.2
Discus habet, quae cuncta iubet Pater edere Petrum
6.3
Nil commune putans, quod mundum fecerat Auctor.
7.1
Exstruit immensis opibus uesania turrim,
7.2
Sed facit ora Deus summus discordia rector,
7.3
Ne quid stulta manus supra sua iura pararet.
8.1
Consona diuersas fundit narratio linguas,
8.2
Barbara quaeque suam cognoscit natio uocem,
8.3
Quam sacer humano praefatur Spiritus ore.
9.1
Hic coniurati germanum uendere fratres;
9.2
Cogit liuor edax, prosunt contraria iustis,
9.3
Hoc opus est diuinum, ut qui modo uendit, adoret.
10.1
Nummi dira fames compellit uendere Iudam
10.2
In poenam regale caput; commercia tanti
10.3
Sanguinis exiguo peragit mens improba lucro.
11.1
Caedis in expensas fert hostia propria lignum.
11.2
Nam carum genitor pignus mactare paratus
11.3
Ducit Abram: fidei meritum est nec parcere nato.
12.1
Gestat honorandum cunctis manus inclita lignum,
12.2
Quo se sancta sinit suspendi uictima mundi:
12.3
Tollitur, ut miseris reddat mors una salutem.
13.1
Hic auidos carnis missa ortygometra refecit,
13.2
Immeritosque replet caelestis copia panis:
13.3
Nam dignis, quem quisque uelit, dat manna saporem.
14.1
Panibus hic septem populorum milia pascit
14.2
Quattuor et pauci saturant conuiuia pisces:
14.3
Nam bis sex sportas panis fragmenta replerunt.
15.1
Ueridicae Moses pandit penetralia legis,
15.2
Qua summus cunctis unus fit rector et idem,
15.3
Nec diuisa regit mundum, sed sola potestas.
16.1
Montis ualle sedens graue et immutabile Uerbum,
16.2
Et pia iustitiae populis praecepta profatur,
16.3
Quaque it, qua pergit, sese sapientia monstrat.
17.1
Arguit immeritis consortem Martha querelis,
17.2
Quod uacet officio: cui uerax arbiter inquit:
17.3
Cura Dei melior, domus at magis utilis illi.
18.1
Heu mihi Saluator, saluari seruus anhelat
18.2
Non ego sum dignus, cuius tu tecta capessas,
18.3
Sed uerbo sanare potes, nam sufficis absens.
19.1
Insipidi quondam laticis elementa saporem
19.2
Flagrantis sumpsere meri, nam prouidus auctor
19.3
Munera laetitiae, uirtutum exordia, fecit.
20.1
Dat dextram miserae, miseransque attollit amice,
20.2
Quam longinqua sui curuarant tormina morbi;
20.3
Surgit; recta fides credentis mundaque mens est.
21.1
Haec mulier tactu uestis furata salutem est,
21.2
Siccauitque fides uenas, fluuiumque pudendum:
21.3
Pulchra fides, cui uis cogendi magna tonantem.
22.1
Maerebat genetrix ignara mente cadauer;
22.2
Cui mundique hominumque salus in limine portae
22.3
Obuia cum uenit, luctus in gaudia uertit.
23.1
Dulcis honor Domini Zachaeo fulsit amico,
23.2
Maiestate sonans: hodie mihi proficis hospes,
23.3
Ad maiora dehinc ramis descende relictis.
24.1
Lazarus hic iterum proiecta morte resurgit,
24.2
Et pariunt animas mutata lege sepulchra:
24.3
Qui uitam functis scit uerbo reddere, uita est.
Click or tap any word for its parse and dictionary entry.
Text: Perseus Digital Library, licensed CC BY-SA. Dictionary: Lewis & Short (Perseus, CC BY-SA). Morphology: LatinCy — machine parsing, corrected against the AGDT & PROIEL treebanks and Morpheus.
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