Legenda maior Sancti Stephani regis
The Conversion of Prince Géza
Prince Géza, though still in pagan rites, begins to make peace and show hospitality to Christians, and at the appointed time he believes and is baptized with his household, promising to lead his entire people to Christ.
There was then a prince, fourth in line from the man who had been the first leader of the Hungarians' entry into Pannonia, named Géza: he both trusted in Jesus and ruled his own people with real strength, and he was merciful and open-handed toward outsiders, and especially toward Christians. Though he was still wrapped in the rites of paganism, as the radiance of spiritual grace drew near he began carefully to treat for peace with all the neighbors of the provinces round about—peace of which he had never before been a lover—so that he might already claim to be recognized in the One whose son he longed to become, according to our Savior's saying in the Gospel: 'Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.'12 He also laid down a command that hospitality and safe protection be shown to other Christians who wished to enter his realm; he granted clergy and monks the right to approach his presence, gladly giving them a willing hearing, and he delighted that the seed of the orthodox faith planted in the garden of his heart should put forth a shoot.3 Why say more? The time appointed from heaven arrived: he himself believed with his household and was baptized, promising that he would commit all who were subject to his rule to the Christian name.
Read the original Latin
Erat tunc princeps quartus ab illo, qui ingressionis Hungarorum in Pannoniam dux primus fuit nomine Gæiza, qui et credulus in Ihesum potentialiter agens in suos, misericors autem et liberalis in alienos et precipue in christianos, ritu paganismi licet obvolutus, tamen appropinquante spiritualis fulgore carismatis cum omnibus circumquaque positarum provinciarum vicinis de pace, cuius numquam antea fuerat amator, cepit attente tractare, ut iam in illo poscit agnosci, cuius filius desideraret fieri secundum dictum salvatoris nostri dicentisin ævangelio: 'beati pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur'. Statuit insuper preceptum cæteris christianisregnum suum intrare volentibus hospitalitatis et securitatis gratiam exhibere, clericis ac monachis potestatem concessit presentiam suam adeundi, quibusvoluntarium libenterauditum prebens, orthodoxe fidei semen pectoris in orto statum delectabatur germen æmittere. Quid plura? Adest tempus celitus dispositum, credidit ipse cum familiaribus suis et baptizatus est, omnes ditioni sue subditos se pollicens Christiano nomini mancipaturum.
Notes
- 1 ↩Rendered as strength/power in rule ('ruled… with real strength'). Alternative theological reading: 'as a believer in potency' (not yet baptized). Sense is uncertain.
- 2 ↩Source has dicentisin (read as dicentis in). poscit is present indicative; purpose-clause sense may intend possit ('might be recognized'). Translation follows the claim/recognition sense while preserving the purpose force of ut.
- 3 ↩Source spacing is corrupt; read as christianis regnum, quibus voluntarium, and libenter auditum.
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