Peacock the Gracious: the saint who asked to be sold into slaverytranslated
The widow wept as she stood before the bishop: robbers from a wild tribe who attacked the city sold her son into slavery. The woman begged the bishop to ransom the young man, but the clergyman only sadly threw up his hands:
- Sorry, I don't have any money left to help you.
The mother was inconsolable: her last hope was melting away! She will never see her boy again!
The bishop thought about it. And suddenly the wrinkles on his face smoothed out:
“Tell you what: sell me and buy my son with the proceeds,” he said calmly. “Or give me to his kidnappers in exchange.”
The woman froze and looked at the bishop in disbelief. It seems that the bishop decided to laugh at her grief.
But Saint Paulinus was not joking...
Rich and noble
Peacock was originally from Aquitaine - then, in the fourth century, these lands were part of the huge Roman Empire, and now belong to France. He was born into a noble family, rich and famous in the imperial capital. The parents had the opportunity to give their son an excellent education. Peacock received lessons in literature and poetry from the then famous poet and orator Ausonius. The young man himself was distinguished by outstanding abilities, and the path to the highest positions was open to him.
Already at twenty years old, Peacock...
