(no subject)

So, I've been reading through dear E. Vulgarius. I can't find his big theological works (figures), but I did get his letter to Theodora. Eleanor Duckett concludes that although Liutprand and Vulgarius are both probably exaggerating, "we may think that Vulgarius sinned more deeply against truth." To which I say: O RLY? I mean, to be sure, he is trying to get protection/money from her, and so a certain amount of flattery is going to be involved. And yet, he switches to "tu" for the middle part of the letter, and gives a lot of spiritual advice including a reference to proverbs 7, which could actually be a hint at the kind of shocking behavior Liutprand goes after. Hm.

There's a rather depressing letter to a bishop named Vitalis, in which he cringingy talks about being old and afraid and not able to cope, and please won't you help me make this all go away! (This = dispute over validity of his ordination by Formosus with current pope). He's so desperate and servile: it's a bit embarrassing to read.

And then there are bizarre little bits about etymology. Like this:

"Glisco gliscis" means "I grow strong." It comes from a certain little animal: a "glis" (dormouse). In the same way comes "congruent" from "gruis" (crane) and many others. For they say that a dormouse sleeps for a certain amount of time and afterward grows twice as strong; thus "glisco" means "grow strong." Cranes, moreover, fly in an orderly fashion, and so we call "congruent" what are in order with each-other.

Isn't that awesome?