Legenda maior Sancti Stephani regis
Stephen Orders the Church
King Stephen, with counsel from holy men and papal consent, divides the kingdom into ten bishoprics, establishing Esztergom as the metropolitan see and appointing Abbot Ascricus as its first bishop.
With these men, God's servant, the most Christian prince, sometimes held counsel all together and sometimes spoke with each of them one by one; and he divided the provinces into ten bishoprics, establishing the church of Esztergom as metropolitan and head of the rest by the consent and written endorsement of the apostolic See of Rome.1 Over that church he set, by canonical election, the already named venerable abbot Ascricus, adorned with the insignia of pontifical dignity; and by Ascricus's counsel he entrusted the other sees to the care and provision of fathers.2
A Flourishing of Sacred Foundations
Under Stephen's patronage, churches and monasteries are built throughout the land, attracting many servants of God, and a special monastery dedicated to Saint Martin is founded on the Sacred Mount with generous endowments from the king.
Everywhere the foundations of sacred houses are laid; the cloisters of canons rise; monasteries of communities living by the rule flourish. From every side servants of God throng in, their desire kindled by the comfort of so generous a prince's kind welcome.3 And because Pannonia celebrates the birth of the blessed bishop Martin—through whose protective merits the king, faithful to Christ, had also, as already mentioned, won victory over his enemies—he consulted with those who love God, built a monastery dedicated to him near the holy bishop's estate in the place called Sacred Mount, endowed it with lands, revenues, and everything it needed, and, supported by tithes from the conquered peoples, made it equal to the bishoprics.
Read the original Latin
Cum his Dei servus, princeps Christianissimus, aliquando communiter cum omnibus, aliquando singillatim cum uno quoque eorum colloquium habens provincias in decem partitus est episcopatus, Strigoniensem æcclesiam metropolim et magistram per consensum et subscriptionem Romane sedis apostolici ceterarum fore constituens. Cui iam dictum venerabilem Ascricum abbatem pontificalis dignitatis infula decoratum, electione canonica prefecit, cuius consilio ceteras sedes patrum curis et provisionibus commisit. Iaciuntur ubique sacrarum fundamenta domorum, surgunt claustra canonicorum, florescunt cenobia regulariter conversantium congregationum. Undique fit concursus Deo famulantium, quorum desiderium tam liberalis principis excitavit benigne susceptionis solatium.
Et quoniam Pannonia Beati pontificis Martini nativitate gloriatur, cuius etiam patrocinantibus meritis rex Christo fidelis, ut iam dictum est, de hostibus victoriam reportaverat, inito cum theophilis consilio, iuxta fundum sancti presulis in loco, qui Sacer Mons dicitur, sub titulo ipsius monasterium construens, possessionibus et reditibus cunctisque sufficientiis ditavit et suffragio <domitorum> decimationibus simile fecit episcopatibus.
Notes
- 1 ↩Strigoniensem æcclesiam = the church of Esztergom (Lat. Strigonium). magistram rendered as 'head' (principal/mother church), not schoolmistress.
- 2 ↩pontificalis dignitatis infula: the episcopal infula/mitre-band as mark of rank; rendered 'insignia of pontifical dignity.' patrum = the fathers (bishops) assigned to the remaining sees.
- 3 ↩Parsed benigne susceptionis solatium as subject of excitavit and quorum desiderium as object: the comfort of the prince's kind reception arouses their desire (not the reverse).
Legenda maior Sancti Stephani regis (Major Legend of Saint Stephen) companion
A prayer for every moment, already on your phone
Chosen Portion puts a curated historic prayer in front of you each day — so the words are there before the moment arrives.
Chosen Portion is the digital descendant of the carried prayer book: the short daily prayers this collection preserves, delivered one a day to your pocket.
- One short, memorable prayer delivered daily — build your repertoire a card at a time
- Prayers matched to real situations: fear, gratitude, decisions, grief, sleep
- Save favourites into your personal pocket collection you can open anywhere