THE ROYAL HOUSE OF FRANCE - outriders poetry project

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© 2009 Max Wickert
Sylvester not to speak of this to Constantine. Soon, leaving Aspramont, they in a short time came
from thence to Rome.
Upon presenting themselves to Constantine, they asked him what he desired of them. Constantine
told them what he had heard in his vision and said: “Let me have some of that water that you know
how to prepare.” Saint Sylvester replied: “The water that I know how to prepare is the water of
Holy Baptism; if therefore you wish to be cured, it behooves you to be baptized in the Faith of Jesus
Christ.” And he preached to him, and told him who Christ was while in this world, and how Saint
Peter was one of his twelve apostles, and how Saint Paul was converted, and how Vespasian
performed vengeance. 3 Thereupon Constantine vowed that if Christ would cure him, he would
never worship other gods, and would have all Rome baptized. Sylvester said: “Rise from your bed,
in the name of Jesus Christ.” He at once left his bed, and Sylvester baptized him in a great basin. As
he poured the water over his shoulders, all his leprosy fell away, and his flesh remained as clean as
that of a one-year-old child.
Constantine let his entire family be baptized; but two of his sons, of whom one was named
Constantine like his father, refused to be baptized. One fled to L’Aquila and was there slain by his
enemies. The other son was called Constant, which had been the name of his grandfather, and he
fled to Constantinople and died within a few days. And the third was named Constantius, but
commonly known as Flordimont and he was baptized 4 ; he was about twenty years of age.
3 Vespasian began the campaign against Judea that ended with Titus’ conquest of Jerusalem and the destruction of
the Jewish Temple in 70 AD. Typically, medieval anti-Semitism construed this event as God’s “just vengeance”
upon the Jews for their murder of Christ.
4 Constantius’ baptismal name (not mentioned here) by which he is known ever after, is Flovus. An alternative
name, Flordimont (orig. Fiordimonte), drops from the narrative after this point.