On Virginity 17–22
Greek text: PG 46.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 5 (1893), "On Virginity".
Chapter 17
17PG 46:388a–389a
Ou χρὴ πάσας τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις πρὸς ἀρετὴν βλέπειν. Οὐκοῦν ὅπερ ἐνταῦθα εἴρηται παρὰ ’τοῦ Κυρίου, κοινὸν ἔστω δόγμα τοῦ βίου παντὸς, καὶ μάλιστα ἐπὶ τῶν διὰ παρθενίας τῷ Θεῷ προσιόντων, τὸ μὴ πρὸς ἓν τι κατόρθωμα βλέποντας, τῶν ἐναντίων ἀφυλάκτως ἔχειν, ἀλλὰ πανταχόθεν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐξευρίσκε ιν, ὡς ἂν διὰ πάντων τὸ ἀσφαλὲς ὑπάρχῃ τῷ βίῳ. Οἰόὲ γὰρ στρατιώτης μέρη τινὰ τοῖς ὅπλοις φραξάμενος, γυμνῷ κινδυνεύει τῷ λοιπῷ σώματι. Τί γὰρ xépoo; αὑτῴ τῆς ἐπὶ μέρους ὁπλίσεως, εἰ κατὰ τῶν γυμνῶν τὴν καιρίαν δέξαιτο; Τίς δʼ ἂν εῠμορφον ὀνομάσειεν ἐκεῖνο, ὃ τῶν είς εὐμορφίαν τι συντελούντων ἐκ τινος συμφορᾶς περικέκοπταις Ἠ γὰρ περὶ τὸ λεῖπον αἰσχύνη καὶ τὴν τοῦ ὑγιαίνοντος χάριν διελυμήνατο. Et δὲ καταγέλαστός ἐστι, καθώς φησί που τὸ Εὐαγτέλιον, ὁ ἐγχειρήσας μὲν τῇ τοῦ πύργου κατασκευῇ, ἐν θεμελίοις δὲ τὴν σπουδὴν ἑαυτοῦ στήσας, καὶ τοῦ τέ. λους οὐκ ἐφικόμενος · τί ἄλλο ἐκ τῆς παραβολῆς ταύτης μανθάνομεν, ἢ τὸ πάσης ὑψηλῆς προθέσεως ἐπὶ τὸ πέρας φθάνειν ἐσπουδακέναι, ταῖς ποικίλαις τῶν ἐντολῶν οἰκοδομαῖς τὸ ἔργον τοῦ Θεοῦ τελειοῦνταςς Οὔτε λίθος εἷς ἡ πᾶσα οἰκοδομὴ τοῦ πύργου ἐστὶν, οὔτε ἐντολὴ μία πρὸς τὸ ἐπιζητούμενον μέτρον ἄγει τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς τελειότητα · ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν θεμέλιον ὑποβεσλῆσθαι δεῖ πάντως, καθώς φησιν 6 ’Λπόστολος, [καὶ] τὴν ὲκ χρυσοῦ καί λίθων τιμίων οἰκοδομὴν ἐπιθέσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἐντολῶν ὀνομάζεται, κατά τὸν εἰπόντα Προφήτην, ὅτι ι Ἤγάπησα τὰς ἐν· τολάς σου ὑπὲρ χρυσίον, καὶ λίθον τίμιον πολύν. ι Ὑποκείσθω τοίνυν ἀντὶ θεμελίου τινὸς τῷ κατʼ ἀρετὴν βίῳ ἡ περὶ τὴν παρθενίαν σπουδή· ἐποικοδομείσθω δὲ τῷ θεμελίῳ τούτῳ πάντα τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀρετῆς. Εἰ γὰρ mi. σφόδρα τοῦτο τίμιον καί θεοπρεπὲς εἶναι πιστεύε· ται, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἐστι καί πεπίστευται ’ ἀλλʼ ε μὴ καὶ ὅλος 6 βίος τούτῳ συμβαίνοι τῷ κατορθώματι, ἐπιμόλὺνοιτο τῇ λοιπὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀταξίᾳ, τοῦτό ὲστ τὸ ἐνώτιον ἐκεῖνο τὸ ὲν τῇ ῥινὶ τῆς συὸς, ἢ 6 μαργα. ρίτης 6 ὲν τοῖς ποσὶ τῶν χοίρων καταπατούμενος. ’Δλλά περὶ μὲν τούτων τοσαῦτα.
Ou chrē pasas tas tēs psychēs dynameis pros aretēn blepein. Oukoun hoper entautha eirētai para ’tou Kyriou, koinon estō dogma tou biou pantos, kai malista epi tōn dia parthenias tǭ Theǭ prosiontōn, to mē pros hen ti katorthōma blepontas, tōn enantiōn aphylaktōs echein, alla pantachothen heautois to agathon exeuriske in, hōs an dia pantōn to asphales hyparchę̄ tǭ biǭ. Oioe gar stratiōtēs merē tina tois hoplois phraxamenos, gymnǭ kindyneuei tǭ loipǭ sōmati. Ti gar xepoo? hautǭ tēs epi merous hopliseōs, ei kata tōn gymnōn tēn kairian dexaito? Tis dʼ an eumorphon onomaseien ekeino, ho tōn eis eumorphian ti syntelountōn ek tinos symphoras perikekoptais Ē gar peri to leipon aischynē kai tēn tou hygiainontos charin dielymēnato. Et de katagelastos esti, kathōs phēsi pou to Euagtelion, ho encheirēsas men tę̄ tou pyrgou kataskeuę̄, en themeliois de tēn spoudēn heautou stēsas, kai tou te. lous ouk ephikomenos ; ti allo ek tēs parabolēs tautēs manthanomen, ē to pasēs hypsēlēs protheseōs epi to peras phthanein espoudakenai, tais poikilais tōn entolōn oikodomais to ergon tou Theou teleiountass Oute lithos heis hē pasa oikodomē tou pyrgou estin, oute entolē mia pros to epizētoumenon metron agei tēn tēs psychēs teleiotēta ; alla kai ton themelion hypobeslēsthai dei pantōs, kathōs phēsin 6 ’Lpostolos, [kai] tēn ek chrysou kai lithōn timiōn oikodomēn epithesthai. Houtō gar ta erga tōn entolōn onomazetai, kata ton eiponta Prophētēn, hoti i Ēgapēsa tas en; tolas sou hyper chrysion, kai lithon timion polyn. i Hypokeisthō toinyn anti themeliou tinos tǭ katʼ aretēn biǭ hē peri tēn parthenian spoudē; epoikodomeisthō de tǭ themeliǭ toutǭ panta ta erga tēs aretēs. Ei gar mi. sphodra touto timion kai theoprepes einai pisteue; tai, hōsper oun kai esti kai pepisteutai ’ allʼ e mē kai holos 6 bios toutǭ symbainoi tǭ katorthōmati, epimolynoito tę̄ loipon tēs psychēs ataxią, touto est to enōtion ekeino to en tę̄ rhini tēs syos, ē 6 marga. ritēs 6 en tois posi tōn choirōn katapatoumenos. ’Dlla peri men toutōn tosauta.
That all the powers of the soul must look to virtue. What the Lord says here, then, should be a common rule for the whole of life, and especially for those who draw near to God through virginity: not to look to one achievement only and leave the opposite unguarded, but to find the good for themselves on every side, so that their life may be secure in everything. For a soldier who has protected some parts with armour does not risk danger with the rest of his body bare. What good is partial armour to him if he receives the fatal blow on the bare parts? And who would call beautiful a thing that has been cut off by some misfortune from something that contributes to its beauty? For the disgrace of what is missing spoils the grace of what is sound as well. And if, as the Gospel says somewhere, the man who undertook to build a tower but stopped his effort at the foundations and did not reach the end is laughable, what else do we learn from this parable than that we should be eager to bring every lofty purpose to its end, completing the work of God by the varied buildings of the commandments? Neither is one stone the whole building of the tower, nor does one commandment bring the perfection of the soul to the required measure. Rather, the foundation must certainly be laid, as the Apostle says, and the building of gold and precious stones set on it; for so the works of the commandments are named, according to the Prophet who said, “I have loved your commandments above gold and much precious stone.” Let zeal for virginity, then, lie beneath the life of virtue as a kind of foundation, and let all the works of virtue be built on this foundation. For if this is believed to be very precious and befitting God, as indeed it is and is believed to be, yet if the whole life does not agree with this achievement, but is defiled by disorder in the rest of the soul, this is that ring in the swine’s snout, or the pearl trampled under the feet of pigs. But so much for these things.
Eph 6:13 (echo, medium confidence) · Luke 14:28 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:10 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 119:127 (118:127 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 11:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 7:6 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Virginity is the foundation on which every other virtue must be built; like partial armour or an unfinished tower, it is worthless if the rest of life is disordered.
- The opening sentence is the chapter’s heading as printed in the edition. The edition prints a bracketed “and” ([καὶ]) before “the building of gold”; it is left out. References: Eph 6:13–17; Luke 14:28–30; 1 Cor 3:10–12; Ps 119:127 (118:127 LXX); Prov 11:22; Matt 7:6.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 17 (PG 46:388a–389a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 18
18PG 46:389b–396a
Μόνη ἠ ἀρετὴ.. κᾶν τέλειος, οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ τῷ ἐν πᾶσι τὴν ἀρετὴν οὐκ ἀσκουμένῳ. Εἰ δέ τις παρʼ οὐδὲν ποιεῖται τό μὴ συνηρμόσθαι τινὶ διὰ τῶν καταλλήλων τὸν βίον, τὰ ὲν τῷ οἴκῳ ἑαυι τοῦ θεασάμενος παιδευθήτω περί τοῦ δόγματος. Δοκεῖ γάρ μοι, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῆς ἰδίας οἰκήσεως 6 τοῦ οἴκοι δεσπότης οὒκ ἀποδέξεται, ἀπρεπῆ καί ἀσχήμονα τᾶ ὲν τῇ οἰκίᾳ βλέπειν, ἢ κλίνην ἀνατετραμμένην, ἦ πλήρη κόπρου τὴν τράπεζαν, ἢ τὰ μὲν τίμια τῶν σκευῶν ἐν ῥυπαροῖς τισι τόποις ἀπερριμμένοι · ὅσα δὲ πρδς τὰς ἀτιμοτέρους ὑπηρεσίας ἐστὶν. ὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς προκείμενα τῶν εἰσιόντων · ἀλλά πάντα εὐσχημόνως καὶ κατά τάξιν τὴν πρέπουσαν διαθεὶς, καί ἑκάστηι ἁρμόζουσαν ἀποδοὺς χώραν, θαρῤῶν ἀποδέχεται τοὺς ὲπιξενουμένους· ὡς οὐδεμίαν αἰσχύνην ὀφλήσων ε φανερὰ γένοιτο, ὅπως αὐτῷ τὰ κατά τὴν οἰκίαν ἔχοι οΰτως οἶμαι χρῆναι καὶ τὸν τοῦ σκηνώματος ὴμῶε οἰκοδεσπότην καὶ. οἰκονόμον, τὸν νοῦν λέγω, πᾶν τὲ ἐν ἡμῖν εὖ διατίθεσθαι, ἑκάστῃ τε τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεων, ἀς ἀντί ὀργάνων καὶ σκευῶν 6 Δημιουργὸς ἡμῖν ὲνετεκτήνατο, οἰκείως καί πρὸς τὸ καλὸν κεχρῆ σθαι. Εἰ δὲ μὴ φλυαρίαν τινὰ καί ἀδολεσχίαν τοῦ λότου τις καταγινώσκοι, εἰρήσεται καὶ καθʼ ἕκαστον, ὄπως ἂν τοῖς παροῦσιν αὐτῷ χρώμενος, πρὸς τὸ συμι φέρον αὑτῷ τὸν βίον οἰκονομήσειε. Φαμὲν τοίνυν τὴε μὲν ἐπιθυμίαν δεῖν ὲν καθαρῷ τῆς ψυχῆς ἱδρυσάμενον ἔχειν, ὥσπερ τι ἀνάθημα ἢ ἀπαρχῆν τῶν ἰδίωκ. ἀγαθῶν ἐξελόντα Θεῷ, ἀφιερώσαντά τε αὐτὴν ἅπαξ, ἀνέπαφόν τε καί καθαρὰν διαφυλάττειν, μηδαμοῦ τῇ ara-ci τὸν βίον ῥυπαρία μολυνομένην. Τὸν δὲ θυμὸν. καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν, καὶ τὸ μῖσος, καθάπερ κύνας τινὰς πυλωροὺς, πρὸς μόνην ἐγρηγορέναι τὴν τῆς ἁμαρ τίας ἀντίστασιν, καὶ κατά τοῦ κλέπτου καὶ πολε μίοι. κεχρῆσθαι τῇ φύσει, ὃς ὲπί λύμῃ τοῦ θείου θησαυροῦ παρεισδύεται, καί διὰ τοῦτο ἔρχεται, ἵνα κλέψενΙ καὶ θύσῃ καὶ ἀπολέσῃ ο τὴν δὲ ἀνδρείαν καί τὸ θάρσος ἀντὶ ὅπλου τινὸς διὰ χειρὸς φέρειν, πρὸς τὸ μὴ πτοηθῆναι ποτε πτόησιν ἐπελθοῦσαν, καὶ ὁρμὰς ἀσεβῶν ἐπερχομένας · ἐλπίδι δὲ καὶ ὑπομονῇ ἀντί βακτηρίας, εἴποτε τοῖς πειρασμῖςαάμοι, ύποστηρίζεσθαι τὸ δὲ τῆς λύπης κτῆμα καιρῷ μετανοίας επὶ ἁμαρτήμασιν, εί τύχοι, ποτὲ συμβὰν, προχειρίζεσθαι, ὡς οὐδέποτε χρήσιμον ὃνῆ πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην μόνην ὑπηρεσίαν. Ἥ δὲ δικαιοσύνη αὐτῷ κανὼν εὐθύτητος ἔσται, τὸ ὲν παντὶ ἄπταιστον λόγῳ τε καὶ ἔργῳ ὑφηγουμένη, ὅπως τε χρὴ τὰ ὲν τῇ ψυχῇ διακεῖσθαι, καὶ πῶς ἀν τις τὰ κατʼ ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ νέμοι. Τὴν δὲ τοῦ πλείονος ἔφεσιν, δ πολύ τε καὶ ἀμέτρητον ἔγκειται τῇ ἑκάστου ψυχῇ, τῇ κατά Θεὸν ἐπιθυμίᾳ προσθεὶς, μακάριος ἔσται τῆς πλεονεξίας, ἐκεῖ βιαζόμενος, ὅπου ἐπαινετὸν τὸ βιάζεσθαι. Σοφίαν δὲ καὶ φρόνησιν συμβούλους ’ἐξει τῶν συμφερόντων, καὶ συνδιοικούσας αὐτῷ τὴν ζωὴν, ὡς μηδαμοῦ ὑπὸ ἀμαθείας ἢ ἀφροσύνης παραβλαὸἦναιο εί δὲ μὴ κατά τὸ οἰκεῖον χρῷτο ταῖς εἰ· ρημέναις δυνάμεσιν, ἀλλʼ ὑπαλλάσσοι παρὰ τὸ δέον, τὴν μὲν ἐπιθυμίαν προστιθεὶς τοῖς αἰσχίστοις. τὸδὲ μῖσος ἐπὶ τοὺς ὁμοφύλους προχειριζόμενος· ἀγαπῶν δὲ τὴν ἀδικίαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς γονέας ἀνδριζόμενος, καὶ θαρσῶν τά ἄτοπα, καὶ ἐλπίζων τά μάταια, φρόνησιν δὲ καὶ σοφίαν ἀπελαύνων τῆς μετʼ αὐτοῦ συνοικήσεως, λαιμαργίαν καὶ ἀφροσύνην προσεταιριζοιτο ’ καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὡσαύτως ποιῶν, ἄτοπος ἂν εἴη τις καὶ ἀλλόκοτος, ὡς μηδʼ ἂν εἰπεῖν ἀξίως τινὰ δυνηθῆναι τὴν ἀτοπίαν. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἂν ei τις ἐναλλάξ ὁπλιζόμενος, ἁναστρέφοι μὲν τὸ κράνος, ὥστε καλύπτειν τὸ πρόσωπον, καὶ ὀπίσω νενευκέναι τὸν λόφον, τοὺς δὲ πόδας ἔχοι ὲν θώρακι, καὶτὰς κνημῖδας ἐφαρμόζοι τῷ στήθει, καὶ ὅσα τά τῆς ἀριστερᾶς ἐστι τῇ δεξιᾷ μεταλαμβάνοι, τὴν δὲ τῶν δεξιῶν ὅπλισιν τῇ εὐωνύμῳ προσρίπτοι. Ὅπερ οὖν παθεῖν εἰκὸς ὲν πολέμῳ τὸν τοιοῦτον ὁπλίτην, τοῦτο καὶ παρὰ τὸν βίον πάσχειν εἰκὸς τὸν συγκεχυμένον τὴν γνώμην. καὶ τὴν χρῆσιν τῶν δυνάμεων τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπαμείὸοντα. Οὐκοῦν προνοητέον ἡμῖν τῆς ὲν τούτοις εὐαρμοστίας, ἢν ὴ ἀληθὴς σωφροσύνη πέφυκεν ἐμποιεῖν ταῖς ἡμετέραις ψυχαῖς. Καὶ εἰ χρὴ τὸν τελειότατον τῆς σωφροσύνης ὅρον ὲπισκοπῆσαι, τάχα τοῦτο σωφροσύνη κυρίως ἂν λέγοιτο, ἡ πάντων τῶν ψυχικῶν κινημάτων μετά σοφίας καὶ φρονήσεως εὔτακτος οἰκονομία. Καὶ ἡ τοιαύτη κατάστασις τῆς ψυχῆς οὐκέτι πόνου τινὸς οὐδὲ πραγματείας πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὑψηλῶν τε καί οὐρανίων μετουσίαν δεήσεται, ἀλλʼ ἐν πολλῇ ῥᾳστώνῃ τὸ τέως δυσέφικτον εἶναι δοκοῦν κατορθώσει φυσικῶς, τῇ ύπεξαιρὲσει τοῦ ἐναντίου τὸ ζητούο μενον ἔχουσα. ο τόν τε γὰρ ἔξω τοῦ σκότους γενόμε· νον, ὲν φωτὶ πάντως εἶναι ἀνάγκηʼ καὶ τὸν μὴ τεθνηκότα, ζῇν.. Καὶ τοίνυν εί τις μὴ ἐπὶ ματαίῳ λάθοι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν, ὲν τῇ ὁδῷ τῆς ἀληθείας πάντως ἔσται · ή γὰρ τοῦ μὴ παρατραπῆναι πρόνοιά τε καὶ ἐπιστήμη, όδηγία τίς ἐστιν ἀκριβὴς τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν εὑθεῖαν πορείας ° καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ ἐλευθερωθέντες οἰκέται παυσάμενοι τοῦ τοῖς κρατοῦσιν ὑπηρετεῖν, ἐπειδάν ἑαυτῶν γένωνται κύριοι, τρέπουσι πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς τὴν σπουδήν· οὕτως οἶμαι καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ὲλευθερωθεῖσαν απὸ τῆς σωματικῆς λατρείας, ἐν ἐπιγνώσει γενέσθαι τῆς οίκείας ἑαυτῇ καὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἐνεργείας ο ἡ δὲ ἐλευθερία ἐστὶ, καθὼς καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ἐμάθομεν, τὸ μὴ ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθαι, μηδὲ καθάπερ δραπέτην ἦ κακοῦργον γενόμενον, πεδηθῆναι τῷ τοῦ γάμου δεσμῷ. Ἀλλά μοι πάλιν 6 λόγος ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρχὴν ἀνατρέχει, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ μόνῳ τὺ τέλειον τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἐστὶν, ἐν τῷ ἀποστῆ. ναι τοῦ γάμου (μή τις οὕτω μικρόν τε καὶ εὔωνον τὸ τῆς παρθενίας οἰέσθω, ὥστε ἐν ὀλίγῳ παρατηρήματι σαρκὸς κατορθοῦν νομίζειν τὺ τοσοῦτον πρᾶγμαν ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πᾶς 6 ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλος τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐστίνι, ἡ ἐν παντὶ πράγματι καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματι πρὸς κακίαν παρατροπὴ. δουλοῦται τὸν ἀνθρωπον καὶ στιγματίαν ποιεῖ, μώλωπας αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκο καύματα διὰ τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας πληγῶν ἐμποιοῦσα· ὥστε τὸν τοῦ μεγάλου σκοποῦ τοῦ κατὰ τὴν παρθενίαν ἁψάμενον, ὲν πᾶσι προσήκειν ἐαυτῷ εἶναι ὅμοιον, καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ζωῇ συνεμφαίνειν τὴν καθαρότητα. Εἰ _ δὲ χρὴ καὶ διά τινος τῶν θεοπνεύστων συνηγορῆσαι τῷ λόγῳ, ἀρκεῖ πρὸς τήν τῆς ἀληθείας βεβαίωσιν αὐτὴ ἡ ἀλήθεια, διὰ παραβολῆς καὶ αἰνίγματος ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν δογματίσασα· τοὺς γάρ χρηστοὺς καὶ ἐδωδίμους τῶν ἰχθύων ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν τε καὶ δηλητηρίων ἡ ἀλιειντικὴ τέχνη ἀποχωρίζει, ὡς ἂν μή τινος τῶν ἐναντίων συνεισπεσόντος τοῖς ἀγγείοις, καὶ ἡ τῶν χρησίμων ἀπόλαυσις ἀχρειωθείη. Τοῦτο και τῆς ἀληθινῆς σωφροσύνης ἔργον ἐστὶ, τὸ ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τὸ καθαρόν τε καί ὠφέλιμον ἐκλεγομένην, ἐν παντὶ τὸ ἀπε μφαῖνον ἀποποιεῖσθαι ὡς ἄχρηστον, καὶ ἐναφιέναι τοῦτο τῷ κοινῷ καὶ κοσμικῷ βίῳ, θαλάσσῃ τροπικῶς ὑπὸ τῆς παραβολῆς ὠνομασμένῳ · ἐπεὶ καὶ 6 Ψαλμῳδὺς διδάσκαλον ἐξομολογήσεως ἐν τινι τῶν ψαλμῶν ἡμῖν ὑφηγούμενος, τδν ἄστατον τοῦτον καὶ ἐμπαθῆ καὶ ταραχώδη βίον, ὕδατα ψυχῆς ἁπτόμενα, καὶ βάθη θαλάσσης καὶ καταιγίδα καλεῖ · ἐν ᾖ πᾶσα μὲν ἀποστατικὴ διάνοια, καθʼ ὁμοιότητα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, ὡς λίθος είς τὸν βυθὸν καταδύεται. Ὅσον δέ Θεῷ φίλον καὶ διορατικδν τῆς ἀληθείας ἐστὶν, ὅπερ Ἰσραὴλ παρά τῆς ἱστορίας ὠνόμασται, τοῦτο μόνον ὡς ξηρὰν αὐτὴν διεξέρχεται, οὐδαμοῦ τῆς πικρίας καὶ τῆς ἅλμης τῶν βαοτικῶν κυμάτων συνεφαπτόμενον· οὕτω τυπικῶς ὑπὸ καθηγεμόνι τῷ νόμῳ · τύπος δὲ ἦν 6 Μωσῆς τοῦ νόμον* καὶ 6 Ἰσραὴλ τὴν θάλασσαν διεπέρασεν 626.coχος, καὶ τούτῳ συνδιαπερῶν 6 Αἰγύπτιος ὑποβρύχιος ἦν, ἑκάτερος ὑπὸ τῆς συμπαρούσης αὐτῷ διαθέσεως, 6 μὲν κούφως διεξιὼν, 6 δέ είς βυθὸν καθελκόμενος · κοῦφον μὲν γάρ τι καὶ ἀνωφερὲς πρᾶγμα ἡ ἀρετή- Πάντες γὰρ οἱ κατʼ αὐτὴν ζῶντες ὡς νεφέλαι πέτονται, κατά τὸν Ἡσαΐαν, καὶ ὡς περιστεραὶ σὺν νεοσσοῖς· βαρὺ δέ ὴ ἁμαρτία, καθώς φησί τις τῶν προφητῶν, ἐπὶ τάλαντον μολίβδου καθεζομένη. Ei δέ τινι βεδιασμένη καὶ ἀπροσκόλλητος ἠ τοιαύτη τῆς ίστοο Pint ἐκδοχὴ φαίνεται, καὶ οὗ δέχεται πρὸς ὠφέλειαν ἡμῶν τὴν διὰ τῆς θαλάττης θαυματοποιίαν ἀναγεγρά- ;Oat, ἀκουσάτω τοῦ ’Λποστὸλου ο ὅτι ἐκείνοις συνβαινε μὲν τυπικῶς, ἐγράφη δὲ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν.
Monē ē aretē.. kan teleios, ouden ōphelei tǭ en pasi tēn aretēn ouk askoumenǭ. Ei de tis parʼ ouden poieitai to mē synērmosthai tini dia tōn katallēlōn ton bion, ta en tǭ oikǭ heaui tou theasamenos paideuthētō peri tou dogmatos. Dokei gar moi, kathaper epi tēs idias oikēseōs 6 tou oikoi despotēs ouk apodexetai, aprepē kai aschēmona ta en tę̄ oikią blepein, ē klinēn anatetrammenēn, ē plērē koprou tēn trapezan, ē ta men timia tōn skeuōn en rhyparois tisi topois aperrimmenoi ; hosa de prds tas atimoterous hypēresias estin. en ophthalmois prokeimena tōn eisiontōn ; alla panta euschēmonōs kai kata taxin tēn prepousan diatheis, kai hekastēi harmozousan apodous chōran, tharrōn apodechetai tous epixenoumenous; hōs oudemian aischynēn ophlēsōn e phanera genoito, hopōs autǭ ta kata tēn oikian echoi oÿtōs oimai chrēnai kai ton tou skēnōmatos ēmōe oikodespotēn kai. oikonomon, ton noun legō, pan te en hēmin eu diatithesthai, hekastę̄ te tōn tēs psychēs dynameōn, as anti organōn kai skeuōn 6 Dēmiourgos hēmin enetektēnato, oikeiōs kai pros to kalon kechrē sthai. Ei de mē phlyarian tina kai adoleschian tou lotou tis kataginōskoi, eirēsetai kai kathʼ hekaston, opōs an tois parousin autǭ chrōmenos, pros to symi pheron hautǭ ton bion oikonomēseie. Phamen toinyn tēe men epithymian dein en katharǭ tēs psychēs hidrysamenon echein, hōsper ti anathēma ē aparchēn tōn idiōk. agathōn exelonta Theǭ, aphierōsanta te autēn hapax, anepaphon te kai katharan diaphylattein, mēdamou tę̄ ara-ci ton bion rhyparia molynomenēn. Ton de thymon. kai tēn orgēn, kai to misos, kathaper kynas tinas pylōrous, pros monēn egrēgorenai tēn tēs hamar tias antistasin, kai kata tou kleptou kai pole mioi. kechrēsthai tę̄ physei, hos epi lymę̄ tou theiou thēsaurou pareisdyetai, kai dia touto erchetai, hina klepsenI kai thysę̄ kai apolesę̄ o tēn de andreian kai to tharsos anti hoplou tinos dia cheiros pherein, pros to mē ptoēthēnai pote ptoēsin epelthousan, kai hormas asebōn eperchomenas ; elpidi de kai hypomonę̄ anti baktērias, eipote tois peirasmisaamoi, ypostērizesthai to de tēs lypēs ktēma kairǭ metanoias epi hamartēmasin, ei tychoi, pote symban, procheirizesthai, hōs oudepote chrēsimon honē pros tēn toiautēn monēn hypēresian. Hē de dikaiosynē autǭ kanōn euthytētos estai, to en panti aptaiston logǭ te kai ergǭ hyphēgoumenē, hopōs te chrē ta en tę̄ psychę̄ diakeisthai, kai pōs an tis ta katʼ axian hekastǭ nemoi. Tēn de tou pleionos ephesin, d poly te kai ametrēton enkeitai tę̄ hekastou psychę̄, tę̄ kata Theon epithymią prostheis, makarios estai tēs pleonexias, ekei biazomenos, hopou epaineton to biazesthai. Sophian de kai phronēsin symboulous ’exei tōn sympherontōn, kai syndioikousas autǭ tēn zōēn, hōs mēdamou hypo amatheias ē aphrosynēs parablaoēnaio ei de mē kata to oikeion chrǭto tais ei; rēmenais dynamesin, allʼ hypallassoi para to deon, tēn men epithymian prostitheis tois aischistois. tode misos epi tous homophylous procheirizomenos; agapōn de tēn adikian, kai epi tous goneas andrizomenos, kai tharsōn ta atopa, kai elpizōn ta mataia, phronēsin de kai sophian apelaunōn tēs metʼ autou synoikēseōs, laimargian kai aphrosynēn prosetairizoito ’ kai peri tōn loipōn hōsautōs poiōn, atopos an eiē tis kai allokotos, hōs mēdʼ an eipein axiōs tina dynēthēnai tēn atopian. Kathaper gar an ei tis enallax hoplizomenos, hanastrephoi men to kranos, hōste kalyptein to prosōpon, kai opisō neneukenai ton lophon, tous de podas echoi en thōraki, kaitas knēmidas epharmozoi tǭ stēthei, kai hosa ta tēs aristeras esti tę̄ dexią metalambanoi, tēn de tōn dexiōn hoplisin tę̄ euōnymǭ prosriptoi. Hoper oun pathein eikos en polemǭ ton toiouton hoplitēn, touto kai para ton bion paschein eikos ton synkechymenon tēn gnōmēn. kai tēn chrēsin tōn dynameōn tēs psychēs hypameioonta. Oukoun pronoēteon hēmin tēs en toutois euarmostias, ēn ē alēthēs sōphrosynē pephyken empoiein tais hēmeterais psychais. Kai ei chrē ton teleiotaton tēs sōphrosynēs horon episkopēsai, tacha touto sōphrosynē kyriōs an legoito, hē pantōn tōn psychikōn kinēmatōn meta sophias kai phronēseōs eutaktos oikonomia. Kai hē toiautē katastasis tēs psychēs ouketi ponou tinos oude pragmateias pros tēn tōn hypsēlōn te kai ouraniōn metousian deēsetai, allʼ en pollę̄ rhąstōnę̄ to teōs dysephikton einai dokoun katorthōsei physikōs, tę̄ ypexairesei tou enantiou to zētouo menon echousa. o ton te gar exō tou skotous genome; non, en phōti pantōs einai anankēʼ kai ton mē tethnēkota, zę̄n.. Kai toinyn ei tis mē epi mataiǭ lathoi tēn heautou psychēn, en tę̄ hodǭ tēs alētheias pantōs estai ; ē gar tou mē paratrapēnai pronoia te kai epistēmē, odēgia tis estin akribēs tēs epi tēn heutheian poreias ° kai hōsper hoi eleutherōthentes oiketai pausamenoi tou tois kratousin hypēretein, epeidan heautōn genōntai kyrioi, trepousi pros heautous tēn spoudēn; houtōs oimai kai tēn psychēn eleutherōtheisan apo tēs sōmatikēs latreias, en epignōsei genesthai tēs oikeias heautę̄ kai kata physin energeias o hē de eleutheria esti, kathōs kai para tou Apostolou emathomen, to mē zygǭ douleias enechesthai, mēde kathaper drapetēn ē kakourgon genomenon, pedēthēnai tǭ tou gamou desmǭ. Alla moi palin 6 logos epi tēn autēn archēn anatrechei, hoti ouk en toutǭ monǭ ty teleion tēs eleutherias estin, en tǭ apostē. nai tou gamou (mē tis houtō mikron te kai euōnon to tēs parthenias oiesthō, hōste en oligǭ paratērēmati sarkos katorthoun nomizein ty tosouton pragman allʼ epeidē pas 6 poiōn tēn hamartian doulos tēs hamartias estini, hē en panti pragmati kai epitēdeumati pros kakian paratropē. douloutai ton anthrōpon kai stigmatian poiei, mōlōpas autǭ kai eko kaumata dia tōn tēs hamartias plēgōn empoiousa; hōste ton tou megalou skopou tou kata tēn parthenian hapsamenon, en pasi prosēkein eautǭ einai homoion, kai pasę̄ tę̄ zōę̄ synemphainein tēn katharotēta. Ei _ de chrē kai dia tinos tōn theopneustōn synēgorēsai tǭ logǭ, arkei pros tēn tēs alētheias bebaiōsin autē hē alētheia, dia parabolēs kai ainigmatos en tǭ Euangeliǭ to toiouton hēmin dogmatisasa; tous gar chrēstous kai edōdimous tōn ichthyōn apo tōn ponērōn te kai dēlētēriōn hē alieintikē technē apochōrizei, hōs an mē tinos tōn enantiōn syneispesontos tois angeiois, kai hē tōn chrēsimōn apolausis achreiōtheiē. Touto kai tēs alēthinēs sōphrosynēs ergon esti, to ek pantōn tōn epitēdeumatōn to katharon te kai ōphelimon eklegomenēn, en panti to ape mphainon apopoieisthai hōs achrēston, kai enaphienai touto tǭ koinǭ kai kosmikǭ biǭ, thalassę̄ tropikōs hypo tēs parabolēs ōnomasmenǭ ; epei kai 6 Psalmǭdys didaskalon exomologēseōs en tini tōn psalmōn hēmin hyphēgoumenos, tdn astaton touton kai empathē kai tarachōdē bion, hydata psychēs haptomena, kai bathē thalassēs kai kataigida kalei ; en ę̄ pasa men apostatikē dianoia, kathʼ homoiotēta tōn Aigyptiōn, hōs lithos eis ton bython katadyetai. Hoson de Theǭ philon kai dioratikdn tēs alētheias estin, hoper Israēl para tēs historias ōnomastai, touto monon hōs xēran autēn diexerchetai, oudamou tēs pikrias kai tēs halmēs tōn baotikōn kymatōn synephaptomenon; houtō typikōs hypo kathēgemoni tǭ nomǭ ; typos de ēn 6 Mōsēs tou nomon* kai 6 Israēl tēn thalassan dieperasen 626.cochos, kai toutǭ syndiaperōn 6 Aigyptios hypobrychios ēn, hekateros hypo tēs symparousēs autǭ diatheseōs, 6 men kouphōs diexiōn, 6 de eis bython kathelkomenos ; kouphon men gar ti kai anōpheres pragma hē aretē- Pantes gar hoi katʼ autēn zōntes hōs nephelai petontai, kata ton Hēsaïan, kai hōs peristerai syn neossois; bary de ē hamartia, kathōs phēsi tis tōn prophētōn, epi talanton molibdou kathezomenē. Ei de tini bediasmenē kai aproskollētos ē toiautē tēs istoo Pint ekdochē phainetai, kai hou dechetai pros ōpheleian hēmōn tēn dia tēs thalattēs thaumatopoiian anagegra- ?Oat, akousatō tou ’Lpostolou o hoti ekeinois synbaine men typikōs, egraphē de pros nouthesian hēmōn.
That one virtue alone, even if perfect, is of no benefit to one who does not practise virtue in all things. But if anyone thinks it of no account that his life is not ordered throughout by fitting means, let him be taught about this doctrine by looking at what is in his own house. For it seems to me that, as the master of the house will not tolerate seeing things unseemly and disgraceful in his own dwelling, a couch overturned, a table full of filth, the precious vessels thrown into dirty places while those for baser uses lie before the eyes of those who come in; but, having arranged everything decently and in fitting order and given each its proper place, he confidently receives his guests, as one who will incur no shame if it becomes evident how things stand in his house: so, I think, the master and steward of our tent, I mean the mind, must also arrange everything in us well, and use properly and for the good each of the powers of the soul, which the Creator has built into us in place of tools and vessels. And if no one condemns the discourse as trifling and chattering, it shall be said in detail too how one, using what he has, may order his life to his advantage. We say, then, that one should keep desire set up in the pure part of the soul, taking it out like an offering or the firstfruits of one’s own goods for God, and having once dedicated it, guard it untouched and pure, never defiled by the filth of life. Temper and anger and hatred, like watchdogs at the gate, should be awake only to resist sin, and their nature used against the thief and enemy who slips in to ruin the divine treasure and comes for this purpose, to steal and kill and destroy. Courage and boldness one should carry in hand like a weapon, so as never to be terrified by terror coming upon him or by the onsets of the ungodly; and hope and patience like a staff, to lean on whenever one is weary from temptations. The possession of grief should be brought out at the time of repentance for sins, if such a thing should ever happen, as being never useful except for this service alone. Righteousness will be for him a rule of straightness, guiding him to be without stumbling in every word and deed, showing how the things in the soul should be disposed and how one should give to each according to its worth. And the desire for more, which is great and immeasurable in each person’s soul, if he joins it to the desire according to God, he will be blessed in his greed, using force where force is praiseworthy. Wisdom and prudence he will have as counsellors of what is profitable, governing his life with him, so that he is never harmed by ignorance or folly. But if he does not use the powers mentioned properly, but exchanges them against what is due, attaching desire to the most shameful things and bringing out hatred against his own kin, loving injustice and showing manliness against his parents, being bold in absurdities and hoping in vain things, driving prudence and wisdom out of his house and taking gluttony and folly as his companions, and doing likewise with the rest, he would be absurd and monstrous, so that no one could describe the absurdity worthily. It is as if someone, arming himself the wrong way round, turned his helmet so as to cover his face with the crest pointing backward, put his feet into the breastplate, fitted the greaves to his chest, took into his right hand what belongs to the left, and threw the armour of the right side onto the left. What such a soldier would probably suffer in war, the man confused in his judgment and exchanging the use of the powers of the soul would probably suffer in life. We must take care, then, of the right ordering of these things, which true self-control is fitted to produce in our souls. And if we must consider the most perfect definition of self-control, perhaps this would properly be called self-control: the well-ordered management of all the movements of the soul with wisdom and prudence. And such a state of the soul will no longer need toil or labour to share in the lofty and heavenly things, but with great ease will naturally achieve what had seemed hard to reach, having what it seeks by the removal of its opposite. For one who has come out of darkness must certainly be in light, and one who has not died must live. And so, if one does not take his soul in vain, he will certainly be on the road of truth; for care and knowledge not to be turned aside are an exact guidance on the straight course. And as slaves who have been freed, ceasing to serve their masters, turn their zeal to themselves when they become their own masters, so, I think, the soul too, freed from bodily service, comes to recognize the activity proper and natural to itself. And freedom is, as we have learned from the Apostle too, not to be held by a yoke of slavery, nor, like a runaway or a criminal, to be fettered by the bond of marriage. But the argument runs back again to the same beginning: that the perfection of freedom does not lie only in this, in keeping away from marriage (let no one think the matter of virginity so small and cheap as to suppose he achieves so great a thing by a little observance of the flesh); but since everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin, the deviation toward vice in any affair or pursuit enslaves a man and makes him branded, inflicting on him bruises and burns through the blows of sin; so that one who has laid hold of the great aim of virginity must be like himself in everything and show his purity in his whole life. And if the argument must be supported by one of the inspired writings, the Truth itself is sufficient to confirm the truth, having taught us this doctrine in the Gospel by a parable and riddle: for the fisherman’s art separates the good and edible fish from the bad and poisonous ones, so that the enjoyment of the useful may not be spoiled by any of the opposite falling into the vessels. This is the work of true self-control too: choosing from all pursuits what is pure and beneficial, to reject in everything what is unfitting as useless, and to let it go into the common and worldly life, which the parable has named figuratively the sea. For the Psalmist too, guiding us to a teacher of confession in one of the psalms, calls this unstable, passionate, and turbulent life waters reaching to the soul, depths of the sea, and a tempest; in which every apostate mind, like the Egyptians, sinks to the bottom like a stone. But whatever is dear to God and sees the truth, which the history has named Israel, this alone passes through it as through dry land, never touching the bitterness and brine of the waves of life. So, in a figure, under the leadership of the law (for Moses was a figure of the law), Israel crossed the sea dry-shod, while the Egyptian crossing with him was under water, each according to the disposition present in him, the one passing through lightly, the other dragged to the bottom. For virtue is a light and upward-tending thing: all who live by it fly like clouds, as Isaiah says, and like doves with their young; while sin is heavy, sitting, as one of the prophets says, on a talent of lead. And if such an interpretation of the history seems forced and ill-fitting to anyone, and he does not accept that the miracle at the sea was written for our benefit, let him hear the Apostle: that these things happened to them as figures, but were written for our admonition.
2 Cor 5:1 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 10:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 3:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 11:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Gal 5:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 24:4 (23:4 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · John 8:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 6:17 (echo, low confidence) · Matt 13:47 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 13:48 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 69:1 (68:2 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 69:2 (68:3 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 15:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Exod 14:29 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 60:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Zech 5:7 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:11 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The mind must order every power of the soul to its proper use (desire for God, anger against sin, grief for repentance), for true self-control is that harmony; freedom from marriage is not enough without purity in all of life, as Israel passed dry through the sea while Egypt sank.
- The chapter heading is partly garbled in the scan and translated by sense. Gregory’s description of marriage as a “bond” like the fetters of a runaway or criminal is translated exactly as written. References: 2 Cor 5:1 (“tent”); John 10:10; Ps 91:5 (90:5 LXX) and Prov 3:25; Matt 11:12 (“using force”); Gal 5:1; Ps 24:4 (23:4 LXX, “take his soul in vain”); John 8:34; Gal 6:17; Matt 13:47–48; Ps 69:1–2, 14–15 (68:2–3, 15–16 LXX); Exod 15:5; Exod 14:29; Isa 60:8; Zech 5:7–8; 1 Cor 10:11.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 18 (PG 46:389b–396a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 19
19PG 46:396a–397a
Mirum Μαρίας τῆς ἀδεέεοῆς Ἀαρὼν, ὡς ἀρξαμένης τούτου τοῦ κατορθώματος. Ἡμῖν δι δίδωσι τὰ τοιαῦτα ὑπονοεῖν κᾷι ἡ amaτις Μαριάμ, εὐθέως μετὰ τὴν Θάλασσαν ξηρὸν καὶ εὔηχον μεταχειριζομένη τὸ τύμπανον, καὶ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν γυναικῶν προπομπεύουσα · τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦ τυμπάνου τὴν παρθενίαν ἔοικεν ὁ λόγος αἰνίττεσθαι, ὑπὸ τῆς Μαρίας πρώτης κατορθωθεῖσαν, διʼ ἦς οἶμαι καὶ τὴν θεοτόκον προδιατυποῠσθαι Μαρίαν. Ὠσπερ γὰρ τὸ τύμπανον πολὺν τὸν ἦχον ἀφίησι πάσης ἰκμάδος κεχωρισμένον, καὶ ξηρὸν είς ἄκρον γενόμενον ο οὕτω καὶ ἠ παρθενία λαμπρά τε καὶ περιβόητος γίνεται, μηδὲν ὲν ἑαυτῇ τῆς ζωτικῆς ἰκμάδος κατά τδν βίον τοῦτον προσδεχομένη. Et οὖν νεκρδν μὲν σῶμα τὺ τύμπανον, ὅπερ ἡ Μαρία μετεχειρίζετο· νέκρωσις δὲ σώματος ἠ παρθενία ἐστί ο τάχα οὐ πολὺ τοῦ είκὸτος τὸ παρθένον εἶναι τὴν προφῆτιν ἀπεσχοίνισται. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ποχασμοίς τισι καὶ ὑπονοίαις, οὐκ ὲκ φανερᾶς ἀποδείξεως οὕτως ἔχειν ὖπενοὴσαμεν, τὸ τὴν προφῆτιν Μαρίαν τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν παρθένων ἡγήσασθαι· εί καὶ πολλοὶ τῶν ἐπεσκεμμένων ἄγαμον αὐτὴν σαφῶς ἀπεφήναντο, ἐκτοῦ μηδαμοῦ τῆς ἱστορίας γάμον καὶ παιδοποιίαν αὐτῆς μνημονεῦσαι. Ἦ γὰρ ἂν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτῆς Ἀαρὼν, ἀλλʼ ὲκ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, εἴπερ ἦν, ὠνομάζεττὸ τε καὶ ἐγνωρίζετο· ἐπειδὴ κεφαλὴ γυκαικὸς, οὐχ δ ἁδελφὸς, ἀλλʼ ὁ ἀνὴρ προσηγόρευται. Καίτοι παρʼ οἷς ἐν εὐλογίας μέρει τὸ παιδοποιεῖν ἐσπουδάζετο καὶήνὸμιμον ἧν, εί φανείη τίμιον τὸ τῆς παρθενίας χάρισμα, πῶς ἡμᾶς προσήκει καὶ περὶ ταύτην ἔχειν τοὺς μὴ κατὰ σάρκα τῶν θείων εὐλογιῶν ὲξαιούονταςς Ἀπεκαλύφθη γὰρ διὰ τῶν θείων λογίων ποτε. τὸ κυοφορεῖν τε καὶ τίκτειν ἀγαθόν ἐστι, καὶ ποῖον εἶδος τῆς πολυτεκνίας παρὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσπουδάζετοο Ὅ τε γὰρ προφήτης Ἡσαΐας, καὶ ὁ θεῖος meme ἐναργῶς ταῦτα καὶ σοφῶς διεσήμαναν ὁ μὲν λέγωνʼ ι Ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου, Κύριε, ὲν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν ὁ δὲ καυχώμενος ἐπὶ τῷ πάντων γενέσθαι πολυς γονὼτατοξζ ὧς πόλεις ὅλας καὶ ἔθνη κυοφορῆσαι·οὖ μόνον Κορινθίους καὶ Γαλάτας διὰ τῶν οἰκείων ὡᾷίξ νων εἰς (png ἀγαγὼν, καὶ ὲν Κυρίῳ μορφώσαςο an? καὶ ἀπὸ -Ίε ρουσαλὴμ κύκλῳ, καὶμέχρι τοῦ Ἱλλυριωῦ καταπληρώσας τῶν ίδίων τέκνων τὴν οἰκουμένηνν ἅπερ ἐν Χριστῷ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγέννησε. Τούτῳ μακαρίζεται καὶ ὲν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ ἡ τῆς ἁγίας Hal” θὲνου κοιλία, ἠ τῷ διχράντῳ «iam; b‘mperfioasa ° οὔτε τοῦ τόκου τὴν παρθενίαν λύσαντος, οὔτε της παρθενίας τῇ τοιαύτῃ κυοφορίᾳ ἐμποδὼν γενομένης· Ὅπου γὰρ πνεῦμα σωτηρίας γεννᾶται, καίὼῖ Ἦσατας φησὶν, ἄχρηστα πάντως τῆς σαρκὸς θελήματα. Ἐστι δέ τις καὶ παρὰ τῷ ’Δποστὸλῳ τοιοῦτος λόγος, ὡς ἄρα διπλοῦς ἡμῶν ἐστιν 6 καθʼ ἕκαστον ἄνευ θρωπος · 6 μὲν ὁρώμενος ἔξωθεν, ᾧ τὸ διαφθείρεσθαι κατὰ φύσιν ἐστίν · ὁ δὲ κατὰ τὸ κρυπτόμενον τῆς καρδίας νοούμενος, 6; ἐπιδέχεται τὸ ἀνακαινοῦσθαι. Εἰ οῦν ἀληθὴς 6 λόγος (πάντως δέ ἐστιν ἀληθὴς διά τὴν έν αὐτῷ λαλοῦσαν ἀλήθειαν), οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς. καὶ γάμον διπλοῦν ἐννοεῖν, ἐκατέρῳ τῶν έν ἡμῖν ἀνθρὼπων πρόσφορον τε καὶ κατάλληλον* καὶ τάχα 6 τολμήσας εἰπεῖν τὴν σωματικὴν παρθενίαν τοῦ ἔνδοθεν καὶ πνευματικοῦ γάμου συνεργόν τε καὶ πρόξενον γενέσθαι, οὐ πόρρω τοῦ εἰκότος ἀποτολμήσει.
Mirum Marias tēs adeeeoēs Aarōn, hōs arxamenēs toutou tou katorthōmatos. Hēmin di didōsi ta toiauta hyponoein kąi hē amatis Mariam, eutheōs meta tēn Thalassan xēron kai euēchon metacheirizomenē to tympanon, kai tou chorou tōn gynaikōn propompeuousa ; tacha gar dia tou tympanou tēn parthenian eoiken ho logos ainittesthai, hypo tēs Marias prōtēs katorthōtheisan, diʼ ēs oimai kai tēn theotokon prodiatypousthai Marian. Ōsper gar to tympanon polyn ton ēchon aphiēsi pasēs ikmados kechōrismenon, kai xēron eis akron genomenon o houtō kai ē parthenia lampra te kai periboētos ginetai, mēden en heautę̄ tēs zōtikēs ikmados kata tdn bion touton prosdechomenē. Et oun nekrdn men sōma ty tympanon, hoper hē Maria metecheirizeto; nekrōsis de sōmatos ē parthenia esti o tacha ou poly tou eikotos to parthenon einai tēn prophētin apeschoinistai. Alla tauta men pochasmois tisi kai hyponoiais, ouk ek phaneras apodeixeōs houtōs echein ypenoēsamen, to tēn prophētin Marian tou chorou tōn parthenōn hēgēsasthai; ei kai polloi tōn epeskemmenōn agamon autēn saphōs apephēnanto, ektou mēdamou tēs historias gamon kai paidopoiian autēs mnēmoneusai. Ē gar an ouk ek tou adelphou autēs Aarōn, allʼ ek tou andros, eiper ēn, ōnomazetto te kai egnōrizeto; epeidē kephalē gykaikos, ouch d hadelphos, allʼ ho anēr prosēgoreutai. Kaitoi parʼ hois en eulogias merei to paidopoiein espoudazeto kaiēnomimon hēn, ei phaneiē timion to tēs parthenias charisma, pōs hēmas prosēkei kai peri tautēn echein tous mē kata sarka tōn theiōn eulogiōn exaiouontass Apekalyphthē gar dia tōn theiōn logiōn pote. to kyophorein te kai tiktein agathon esti, kai poion eidos tēs polyteknias para tois hagiois tou Theou espoudazetoo Ho te gar prophētēs Hēsaïas, kai ho theios meme enargōs tauta kai sophōs diesēmanan ho men legōnʼ i Apo tou phobou sou, Kyrie, en gastri elabomen ho de kauchōmenos epi tǭ pantōn genesthai polys gonōtatoxz hōs poleis holas kai ethnē kyophorēsai;ou monon Korinthious kai Galatas dia tōn oikeiōn hōąix nōn eis (png agagōn, kai en Kyriǭ morphōsaso an? kai apo -Ie rousalēm kyklǭ, kaimechri tou Hillyriōy kataplērōsas tōn idiōn teknōn tēn oikoumenēnn haper en Christǭ dia tou Euangeliou egennēse. Toutǭ makarizetai kai en tǭ Euangeliǭ hē tēs hagias Hal” thenou koilia, ē tǭ dichrantǭ «iam? b‘mperfioasa ° oute tou tokou tēn parthenian lysantos, oute tēs parthenias tę̄ toiautę̄ kyophorią empodōn genomenēs; Hopou gar pneuma sōtērias gennatai, kaiōi Ēsatas phēsin, achrēsta pantōs tēs sarkos thelēmata. Esti de tis kai para tǭ ’Dpostolǭ toioutos logos, hōs ara diplous hēmōn estin 6 kathʼ hekaston aneu thrōpos ; 6 men horōmenos exōthen, hǭ to diaphtheiresthai kata physin estin ; ho de kata to kryptomenon tēs kardias nooumenos, 6? epidechetai to anakainousthai. Ei oun alēthēs 6 logos (pantōs de estin alēthēs dia tēn en autǭ lalousan alētheian), ouden apeikos. kai gamon diploun ennoein, ekaterǭ tōn en hēmin anthrōpōn prosphoron te kai katallēlon* kai tacha 6 tolmēsas eipein tēn sōmatikēn parthenian tou endothen kai pneumatikou gamou synergon te kai proxenon genesthai, ou porrō tou eikotos apotolmēsei.
On Miriam the sister of Aaron, as one who began this achievement. The prophetess Miriam too allows us to suppose such things, taking up the drum, dry and resounding, at once after the sea, and leading the chorus of women. For perhaps by the drum the word hints at virginity, first achieved by Miriam, by whom, I think, Mary the Mother of God too was prefigured. For as the drum gives out a great sound when it is separated from all moisture and has become dry to the utmost, so virginity becomes bright and renowned, admitting in itself nothing of the vital moisture of this life. If, then, the drum that Miriam handled is a dead body, and virginity is a deadening of the body, perhaps it is not far from likely that the prophetess was a virgin. But we have supposed this by certain conjectures and surmises, not from clear proof: that the prophetess Miriam led the chorus of virgins; though many who have examined the matter have clearly declared that she was unmarried, because the history nowhere mentions her marriage or childbearing. For she would have been named and known not from her brother Aaron but from her husband, if she had one; since the head of a woman is said to be not her brother but her husband. Yet if among those who pursued childbearing as a part of blessing, and for whom it was the law, the gift of virginity appeared precious, how should we regard it, who do not understand the divine blessings according to the flesh? For it was once revealed through the divine oracles what conceiving and giving birth is good, and what kind of fruitfulness in children was pursued by the saints of God. For the prophet Isaiah and the divine Apostle indicated this clearly and wisely, the one saying, “From your fear, O Lord, we conceived in the womb”; the other boasting of having become the most prolific of all, so as to have conceived whole cities and nations: not only bringing the Corinthians and Galatians into the light through his own labour pains and forming them in the Lord, but also filling the world, from Jerusalem round about as far as Illyricum, with his own children, whom he begot in Christ through the Gospel. In this way the womb of the holy Virgin is called blessed in the Gospel too, which served the undefiled birth; neither did the birth undo the virginity, nor did the virginity hinder such a conception. For where a spirit of salvation is born, as Isaiah says, the wills of the flesh are entirely useless. There is also in the Apostle such a statement, that each of us is a double man: one seen from outside, to whom corruption belongs by nature; the other conceived in the hidden part of the heart, who admits renewal. If, then, the statement is true (and it is certainly true because of the Truth that speaks in him), it is nothing unlikely to think of a double marriage too, fitting and corresponding to each of the men in us; and perhaps one who dared to say that bodily virginity becomes a fellow worker with and promoter of the inner and spiritual marriage would not be daring anything far from likely.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Exod 15:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Num 26:59 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 11:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 26:18 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 4:15 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 4:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 15:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 11:27 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:13 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 4:16 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 3:4 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Miriam, Aaron’s sister, leading the women with her dry drum, may have been the first virgin and a figure of Mary; true fruitfulness is spiritual, as Isaiah, Paul, and the Virgin’s birth show, and bodily virginity serves the inner spiritual marriage.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. Gregory offers Miriam’s virginity as a conjecture, as he says. His statements that Mary’s giving birth did not undo her virginity, and that Miriam prefigured “Mary the Mother of God” (θεοτόκος), are translated exactly as written. The word for “Apostle” is garbled in the scan; Paul is clearly meant. References: Exod 15:20; Num 26:59; 1 Cor 11:3; Isa 26:18 (Septuagint); 1 Cor 4:15; Gal 4:19; Rom 15:19; Luke 11:27; John 1:13; 2 Cor 4:16; 1 Pet 3:4; Rom 7:22.
Topics: Christology, Marriage
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 19 (PG 46:396a–397a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 20
20PG 46:397b–400d
’Ότι ἀδύνατον ὁμοῦ ταῖς σωματικαῖς ὑπηρετεῖν ἥβαν-εἷς. καὶ τῶν κατὰ Θεὸν εὐφροσύνην καρ- πουσ αι. πουσυαι. Ὠς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι κατά ταύτὸν δύο τισὶ τέχναις ὔπηρετεῖν διὰ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν ἐνεργείας· οἷον γεωργοῦντα καὶ ναυτιλλόμενον, ἢ χαλκεύοντά τε καὶ τε· κταινεύοντα· ἀλλʼ εί μέλλει μιᾶς ὑγιῶς ἀντιλήψεσθαι, τῆς ἐτέρας ἀφεκτέον αὐτῷʼ οὓτως ἡμῖν καὶ δύο προκειμένων γάμων, τοῦ μὲν διά σαρκὸς ἐπιτελουμένου, τοῦ δὲ διὰ πνεύματος, η περὶ τὸν ἕνα σπουδὴ τὸν τοῦ ἑτέρου χωρισμὸν ἀναγκαῖον ποιεῖ. Οὔτε γὰρ δύο κατά ταύτὸν ὀφθαλμὸς ἰδεῖν ἱκανός ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ ἀνά μέρος καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἑκατέρῳ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπερείσειενο οὔτε ἡ γλῶσσα διαφόροις ὑπηρετήσει φωναῖς, Ἐβραίων τε ῥήματα καὶ Ἑλλήνων ὲν τῷ αὐτῷ φθεγγομένη· οὔτε ἡ ἀκοὴ διηγήσεώς τε πραγμάτων καλ διδακτικῶν λόγων κατά ταύτὸν ἀκροάσεται. ’11 γάρ διαφορά τῆς φωνῆς, εἰ μὲν ἀνὰ μέρος ἁκούοιτο. ἐνσημαίνεται τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις τὴν ἔννοιαν· εἰ δὲ κατὰ ταύτὸν μιχθεῖσα περιηχοίη τὴν ἀκοὴν, σύγι χυσὶς τις ἀδιάκριτος τὴν διάνοιαν λήψεται, τῶν σημαινομένων ὲν ἀλλήλοις συγχεομένων. Κατὰ τὸν a6τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν ἡμῶν φύσιν οὐκ ἔχει ὁμοῦ ταῖς σωματικαῖς ἐξυπηρετεῖν ἡδοναῖς, καὶ τὸν πνευματικὸν μετιέναι γάμον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ διὰ τῶν ὁμοίων ἐπιτηδευμάτων δυνατόν ἐστιν ἑκατέρου τῶν ,σκοπῶν λαβέσθαι · τοῦ μὲν γάρ ἐγκράτεια, καὶ σώματος νέκρωσις, καὶ τῶν κατὰ σάρκα πάντων ὑπερο alata πρόξενοι γίνονταιο τῆς δὲ σωματικῆς συναφείας πάντα τὰ ἐναντία. Οὐκοῦν ὥσπερ δύο κυρίων έν αἱρέσει προκειμένων, ἐπειδὴ κατά ταύτὸν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀμφοτέρων γενέσθαι ὑπήκοον (οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν), τὸν ὠφελιμώτερον ὁ εὖ φρονῶν ἑπιλέξεται· οὕτως ἡμῖν καλ δύο προκειμένων γάμων, ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ὲν ἀμφοτέροις εἶναι γὰρ ἄγαμος μεριμνᾷ τά τοῦ Κυρίου, ὁ δὲ γαμήσας μεριμνᾷ τά τοῦ κόσμου), σωφρονούντων ἄν φημι μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς ἐκλογῆς τοῦ συμφέροντος· ἀλλά μήτε τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἄγουσαν ὁδὸν ἀγνοῆσαι, ἣν οὐκ ἐστιν ἄλλως ἢ διά τινος ἀναλογίας μαθεῖν. Ὠς γὰρ ὲν τῷ σωματικῷ γάμῳ '6 μὴ ἀποβλητέος γενέσθαι σπουδάζων, καὶ , τῆς τοῦ σώματος εὐεξίας, καὶ τοῦ πρέποντος καλλω. πισμοῦ, καὶ πλούτου περιουσίας, καὶτοῦ μηδὲν, μήτε ὲκ τοῦ βίου, μήτε ὲκ τοῦ γένους ἐπάγεσθαι τι ὄνειδος, πολλὴναποιησεται πρόνοιαν (οὕτω γὰρ ἂν τύχῃ μάλιστα τῶν κατὰ γνώμην)· τὸν αὑτὸν τρόπον καὶ ὁ τὸν πνευματικὸν γάμον ἑαυτῷ μετιὼν, πρῶτον μὲν νέον ἑαυτὸν καὶ πάσης παλαιότητος κεχωρισμένον τῇ ἀνακαινίσει τοῦ νοὸς ἐπιδείξει· εἶτα πλούσιον γένος, ᾧ τὸ πλουτεῖν ἐστι περισπούδαστον · ού τοῖς άπὸ γῆς σεμνυνόμενον χρήμασιν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς οὐρανίοις θησαυροῖς κομῶντατ Γ ἐνους δὲ σεμνότητα, ού κατὰ τὴν αὐτόματον συντυχίαν, πολλοῖς καὶ τῶν φαύλων προσοῦσαν, κάκεῖνος ἔχειν φιλοτιμήσεται, ἀλλὰ τὴν πόνῳ καὶ σπουδῇ διʼ οἰκείων κατορθωμάτων προσγινομένην, ἣν μόνοι αύχοῦσιν οί τοῦ φωτὸς υίοὶ, καὶ τέκνα Θεοῦ, καὶ τῶν άφ ’ ἡλίου ἀνατολῶνέύγενεῖς διὶέεᾷ τεινῶν χρηματίζοντες· ἰσχὺν δὲ καὶ εὐεξίαν, ού σῶμα ἀσκῶν, οὐδὲ καταπιαίνων τὴν σάρκα περιποιήσεται, ἀλλά πᾶν τούναντίον, ἐν τῇ τοῦ σώματος ἀσθενείᾳ τελειῶν τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος δύναμιν. Οἶδα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἕδνα τοῦ γάμου τούτου οὐκ ἀπὸ φθαρτῶν χρημάτων πεποιημένα, ἀλλʼ ὲκ τοῦ ἰδίου πλούτου τῆς. ψυχῆς δωροφορούμενα. Βούλει μαθεῖν τὰ τῶν δώρων ὀνόματα; ἄκουσον Παύλου τοῦ καλοῦ νυ μφοστόλου, ὲν τίσι πλουτοῦσιν οῖ ὲν παντὶ συνιστῶντες ἑαυτούς· ὲν οἷς ἄλλα τε πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα είπὼν, ι Καὶ ὲν ἁγνό· τητι ι φησίν. Καὶ πάλιν ὅσα ἑτέρωθεν ὲν τοῖς τοῦ πνεύματος καρποῖς ἀπαριθμεῖται, πάντα τοῦ γάμου τούτου δῶρά ἐστι· καὶ ετ τις μέλλει πείθεσθαι τῷ Σο·λομῶντι, καὶ τὴν ἀληθινὴν σοφίαν σύνοικόν τὲ καὶ βʼίου κοινωνὸν ἑαυτῷ λαμέάνειν ( περὶ ἦς φησιν, ὅτι ι Ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς, καὶ τηρήσει σε · τίμησον αὐτὴν. ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ »)’ ἐπαξίως τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ταύτης παρασκευάσεται ὲν καθαρᾷ τῇ στολῇ τοῖς ὲν τῷ γάμῳ συνευφραινομένοις συνεορτάζειν· ἵνα μὴ ἀπόβλητος γένηται, τῆς μὲν ἑορτῆς συμμετασχεῖν άξιιῖλν, τὸ δὲ ἔνδυμα τοῦ γάμου μὴ περικείμενος. Δῆλον δὲ ὅτι κοινὸς 6 λόγος ἐστὶν, ἐπί τε ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν ὁμοίως. εἰς τὴν περὶ τῶν τοιούτων γάμων σπουδήν · ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, καθώς φησιν 6 Ἀπόστολος, ι Οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ · πάντα δὲκαὶ ἐν πᾶσι Χριστός· ι εἰκότως 6 τῆς σοφίας ἐραστὴς τὸν ἔνθεον ἔχει τῆς ἐπιθυμίας σκοπὸν, ὃς ἐστιν ἡ ἀληθὴς σοφία· καὶὴ τῷ ἀφθάρτῳ νυμφίῳ προσκολληθεῖσα ψυχὴ, τῆς ἀλη ὶινῆς σοφίας ἔχει ἔρωτα, ῆτίς ἐστὶν. ὀιὸεόςί-’Δλλά τί μὲν 6 πνευματικὸς γάμος ἐστὶ, καὶ πρὸς τίνα βλέπει σκοπὺν 6 καθαρός τε καὶ οὐράνιος ἔρως, μετρίως ἡμῖν ὲκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀνακεκάλυπται.
’Oti adynaton homou tais sōmatikais hypēretein hēban-heis. kai tōn kata Theon euphrosynēn kar- pous ai. pousyai. Ōs gar ouk esti kata tauton dyo tisi technais ypēretein dia tēs tōn cheirōn energeias; hoion geōrgounta kai nautillomenon, ē chalkeuonta te kai te; ktaineuonta; allʼ ei mellei mias hygiōs antilēpsesthai, tēs eteras aphekteon autǭʼ houtōs hēmin kai dyo prokeimenōn gamōn, tou men dia sarkos epiteloumenou, tou de dia pneumatos, ē peri ton hena spoudē ton tou heterou chōrismon anankaion poiei. Oute gar dyo kata tauton ophthalmos idein hikanos estin, ei mē ana meros kai idią hekaterǭ ton ophthalmon epereiseieno oute hē glōssa diaphorois hypēretēsei phōnais, Ebraiōn te rhēmata kai Hellēnōn en tǭ autǭ phthengomenē; oute hē akoē diēgēseōs te pragmatōn kal didaktikōn logōn kata tauton akroasetai. ’11 gar diaphora tēs phōnēs, ei men ana meros hakouoito. ensēmainetai tois akroōmenois tēn ennoian; ei de kata tauton michtheisa periēchoiē tēn akoēn, sygi chysis tis adiakritos tēn dianoian lēpsetai, tōn sēmainomenōn en allēlois syncheomenōn. Kata ton a6ton logon kai to epithymētikon hēmōn physin ouk echei homou tais sōmatikais exypēretein hēdonais, kai ton pneumatikon metienai gamon. Oude gar dia tōn homoiōn epitēdeumatōn dynaton estin hekaterou tōn ,skopōn labesthai ; tou men gar enkrateia, kai sōmatos nekrōsis, kai tōn kata sarka pantōn hypero alata proxenoi ginontaio tēs de sōmatikēs synapheias panta ta enantia. Oukoun hōsper dyo kyriōn en hairesei prokeimenōn, epeidē kata tauton ouk estin amphoterōn genesthai hypēkoon (oudeis gar dynatai dysi kyriois douleuein), ton ōphelimōteron ho eu phronōn hepilexetai; houtōs hēmin kal dyo prokeimenōn gamōn, epeidē ouk estin en amphoterois einai gar agamos merimną ta tou Kyriou, ho de gamēsas merimną ta tou kosmou), sōphronountōn an phēmi mē diamartein tēs eklogēs tou sympherontos; alla mēte tēn epi touton agousan hodon agnoēsai, hēn ouk estin allōs ē dia tinos analogias mathein. Ōs gar en tǭ sōmatikǭ gamǭ '6 mē apoblēteos genesthai spoudazōn, kai , tēs tou sōmatos euexias, kai tou prepontos kallō. pismou, kai ploutou periousias, kaitou mēden, mēte ek tou biou, mēte ek tou genous epagesthai ti oneidos, pollēnapoiēsetai pronoian (houtō gar an tychę̄ malista tōn kata gnōmēn); ton hauton tropon kai ho ton pneumatikon gamon heautǭ metiōn, prōton men neon heauton kai pasēs palaiotētos kechōrismenon tę̄ anakainisei tou noos epideixei; eita plousion genos, hǭ to ploutein esti perispoudaston ; ou tois apo gēs semnynomenon chrēmasin, alla tois ouraniois thēsaurois komōntat G enous de semnotēta, ou kata tēn automaton syntychian, pollois kai tōn phaulōn prosousan, kakeinos echein philotimēsetai, alla tēn ponǭ kai spoudę̄ diʼ oikeiōn katorthōmatōn prosginomenēn, hēn monoi auchousin oi tou phōtos uioi, kai tekna Theou, kai tōn aph ’ hēliou anatolōneugeneis diieeą teinōn chrēmatizontes; ischyn de kai euexian, ou sōma askōn, oude katapiainōn tēn sarka peripoiēsetai, alla pan tounantion, en tę̄ tou sōmatos astheneią teleiōn tēn tou pneumatos dynamin. Oida de kai ta hedna tou gamou toutou ouk apo phthartōn chrēmatōn pepoiēmena, allʼ ek tou idiou ploutou tēs. psychēs dōrophoroumena. Boulei mathein ta tōn dōrōn onomata? akouson Paulou tou kalou ny mphostolou, en tisi ploutousin oi en panti synistōntes heautous; en hois alla te polla kai megala eipōn, i Kai en hagno; tēti i phēsin. Kai palin hosa heterōthen en tois tou pneumatos karpois aparithmeitai, panta tou gamou toutou dōra esti; kai et tis mellei peithesthai tǭ So;lomōnti, kai tēn alēthinēn sophian synoikon te kai bʼiou koinōnon heautǭ lameanein ( peri ēs phēsin, hoti i Erasthēti autēs, kai tērēsei se ; timēson autēn. hina se perilabę̄ »)’ epaxiōs tēs epithymias tautēs paraskeuasetai en katharą tę̄ stolę̄ tois en tǭ gamǭ syneuphrainomenois syneortazein; hina mē apoblētos genētai, tēs men heortēs symmetaschein axiiiln, to de endyma tou gamou mē perikeimenos. Dēlon de hoti koinos 6 logos estin, epi te andrōn kai gynaikōn homoiōs. eis tēn peri tōn toioutōn gamōn spoudēn ; epeidē gar, kathōs phēsin 6 Apostolos, i Ouk eni arsen kai thēly ; panta dekai en pasi Christos; i eikotōs 6 tēs sophias erastēs ton entheon echei tēs epithymias skopon, hos estin hē alēthēs sophia; kaiē tǭ aphthartǭ nymphiǭ proskollētheisa psychē, tēs alē iinēs sophias echei erōta, ētis estin. oioeosi-’Dlla ti men 6 pneumatikos gamos esti, kai pros tina blepei skopyn 6 katharos te kai ouranios erōs, metriōs hēmin ek tōn eirēmenōn anakekalyptai.
That it is impossible both to serve bodily pleasures and to enjoy the gladness that is according to God. For as it is not possible to serve two arts at the same time by the activity of the hands, such as farming and sailing, or smithing and carpentry, but if one is going to take up one soundly, he must keep away from the other, so too, when two marriages are set before us, one accomplished through the flesh and the other through the spirit, zeal for the one makes separation from the other necessary. For neither can the eye see two things at the same time, unless it fixes the eye on each in turn and separately; nor will the tongue serve different languages, uttering words of Hebrew and Greek at the same time; nor will the hearing listen at the same time to a narrative of events and to words of instruction. For the different voices, if heard in turn, convey their meaning to the hearers; but if they strike the hearing mixed at the same time, an indistinct confusion will take hold of the mind, the meanings being confused with one another. By the same reasoning our desiring power too is not by nature able at once to serve bodily pleasures and to pursue the spiritual marriage. For it is not possible to lay hold of each aim by the same practices: for the one, self-control, the deadening of the body, and contempt of all things of the flesh are the promoters; for bodily union, all the opposite. As, then, when two masters are set before us to choose, since it is not possible to obey both at the same time (for no one can serve two masters), the sensible man will choose the more profitable, so too, when two marriages are set before us, since it is not possible to be in both (for the unmarried man cares for the things of the Lord, while the married man cares for the things of the world), I say that sensible people would not fail in choosing what is profitable, nor be ignorant of the road that leads to it, which cannot be learned otherwise than by a certain analogy. For as in bodily marriage one who is eager not to be rejected will take much forethought for bodily health, fitting adornment, abundance of wealth, and that no reproach be brought against him from his life or family (for so he would best obtain what he wishes), in the same way one who is pursuing the spiritual marriage will first show himself young and separated from all oldness by the renewal of his mind; then rich in family, for whom being rich is much sought, not proud of earthly money but abounding in heavenly treasures. As for nobility of family, he too will be ambitious to have it, not the kind that comes by chance and belongs to many worthless people too, but that which is gained by toil and zeal through one’s own achievements, which only those boast of who are called sons of light and children of God and nobles from the rising of the sun through good deeds. Strength and health he will acquire not by exercising his body or fattening his flesh, but quite the opposite, by perfecting the power of the spirit in the weakness of the body. I know too that the bridal gifts of this marriage are not made of perishable money but are brought from the soul’s own wealth. Do you want to learn the names of the gifts? Hear Paul, the good friend of the bridegroom, in what those are rich who commend themselves in everything: among many other great things he says, “and in purity.” And again, everything he lists elsewhere among the fruits of the Spirit, all these are gifts of this marriage. And if anyone is going to obey Solomon and take true wisdom as his wife and life’s companion (of whom he says, “Love her, and she will keep you; honour her, that she may embrace you”), he will prepare himself worthily of this desire to keep the feast in a pure robe with those who rejoice at the wedding, so as not to be cast out, deemed worthy to share the feast but not wearing the wedding garment. It is clear that the argument is common to men and women alike, in their zeal for such marriages. For since, as the Apostle says, “there is no male and female, but Christ is all and in all,” the lover of wisdom fittingly has as the aim of his desire the divine one, who is the true Wisdom; and the soul joined to the incorruptible Bridegroom has love for the true Wisdom, which is God. What the spiritual marriage is, then, and to what aim the pure and heavenly love looks, has been sufficiently uncovered by what has been said.
Matt 6:24 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:32 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 7:33 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:20 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Thess 5:5 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:9 (allusion, high confidence) · John 3:29 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 6:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:22 (allusion, high confidence) · Prov 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 4:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 3:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 1:24 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: One cannot pursue both bodily pleasure and the spiritual marriage; the soul that seeks union with Christ must, as in an earthly match, make itself young, rich, noble, and strong in spiritual ways, bringing the virtues as its bridal gifts.
- The chapter heading is partly garbled in the scan and translated by sense. References: Matt 6:24; 1 Cor 7:32–33; Eph 4:23; Matt 6:20; Luke 16:8 and 1 Thess 5:5 (“sons of light”); Isa 41:2 and Matt 2:1 (“from the rising of the sun”); 2 Cor 12:9; John 3:29 (“friend of the bridegroom”); 2 Cor 6:4–6 (“in purity”); Gal 5:22–23; Prov 4:6, 8; Matt 22:11–13; Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; 1 Cor 1:24.
Topics: Marriage
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 20 (PG 46:397b–400d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 21
21PG 46:400d–401b
ἔρὴ τὸν ἀκριὸξᾶκ ζῇν προελόμενον, πρὸς πᾶν ο( (nonattan ’ἡδονίηρ ἠλλοτρίωτ- Ivem. εἶδος σωματικῆςήδὸνῆξ ἀλλὸτριωξ (latr. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῇ καθαρότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ προσεγγίσαι, ιοι μὴ αὐτόν τινα πρότερον τοιοῦτον γενόμενον, ἀδύνατον κατεφάνη· ἀναγκαῖον ἂν εἴη μεγάλῳ τινὶ καὶ ἰσχυρῷ διατειχίσματι πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς ἑαυτὸν διαστῆσαι· ὡς ἂν μηδαμοῦ τῷ προσεγγισμῷ τούτῳ:6 καθαρὸν τῆς καρδίας ὲπιμολύνοιτο. Τεῖχος δέ ἐστιν ἀσφαλὲς, ἡ τελεία πρὸς πᾶν:6 ἐμπαθῶς ἑπιτελούμενον ἀλλοτρίωσις. Μία γὰρ οὖσα τῷ γένει ἡ ἡδονὴ, καθὼς ἀκούειν ἔστι τῶν σοφῶν, ὥσπερ τι ὕδωρ ἐκ μιᾶς πηγῆς είς διαφόρους ὀχετοὺς μεριζόμενον, διʼ ἑκάστου τῶν αἰσθητηρίων τοῖς φιληδόνοις έγκαταμίγνυται. Οὐκοῦν 6 διὰ μιᾶς τινος τῶν αἰσθήσεων τῆς ὲγγινου μένης αὐτῷ ἡδονῆς ἡττηθεὶς, ἐκεῖθεν ἐτρώθη τὴν καρδίαν · καθὼς διδάσκει ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ φωνὴ, ὄτι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν 6 πληρώσας, ὲν τῇ καρδίᾳ. τὴν βλάβην ἐδέξατο. Οἶμαι δὲ ἀπὸ μέρους ἐνταῦθα περὶ παντὸς αἰσθητηρίου προειρηκέναι τὸν Κύριον ὥστε ἀκολουθοῦντας ἡμᾶς τῷ εἰρημένῳ, καλῶς ἂν προσθεῖναι, ὅτι 6 ἀκούσας πρὸς:6 ἐπιθυμῆσαι, καὶ 6 ἁψάμενος, καὶ 6 πᾶσαν τὴν ὲν ἡμῖν δύναμιν είς ὑπηρεσίαν ἡδονῆς κατασπάσας, τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐξήμαρτεν. Ἵνα οὖν μὴ τοῦτο γένηται, κανόνι χρηστέον τούτῳ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον βίον τῷ σώφρονι, τῷ μήποτε προσθέσθαι τινὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν, ᾧ δέλεάρ τι ἡδονῆς καταμέμικταιο πρό γε πάντων τὴν ἐπὶ τῆς γεύσεως ήδονὴν διαφερόντως φυλάσσειν, διότι προσεχεστέρα πως αῦτη δοκεῖ εἷναι, καὶ οἱονεὶ μήτηρ τῆς ἀπηγο· ρευμένης· αἱ γὰρ κατὰ βρῶσιν καὶ πόσιν ἡδοναὶ, πλεονάζουσαι τῶν ἐδωδίμων τὴν ἀμετρίαν, ἀνάγκην ἐμποιοῦσι τῷ σώματι τῆς τῶν ἀβουλήτων κακῶν πλησμονῆς, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐντικτούσης τὰ τοιαῦτα πάθη. Ὠς ἂν οὖν μάλιστα γαληνιαῖον ἡμῖν διαμένοι:6 σῶμα, μηδενὶ τῶν ὲκ τοῦ κόρου παθημάτων ὲπιθολού μενον, προνοητέον τῆς ἐγκρατεστέρας διαγωγῆς, μέτρον μὲν καὶ ὅρον τῆς ἀπολαύσεως ού τὴν ἡδονὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐφʼ ἑκάστῳ χρείαν ὁρίζειν. Ei δὲ τῇ χρείᾳ καὶ:6 ἦδος πολλάκις συγκαταμέμικται (πάντα γὰρ οἶδεν ἐφηδύνειν ἡ ἔνδεια, τῷ σφοσ δρῶ τῆς ὀρέξεως:6 τῇ χρείᾳ παρευρεθὲν ἅπαν καταγλυκαίνουσαὶ, οὐκ ἀπωστέον τὴν χρείαν διὰ τὴν ἐπακολουθοῦσαν ἀπόλαυσιν· οὔτε μὴν κατά προηγούμενον μεταδιωκτέον τὴν ἡδονήν · ἀλλʼ ἐκ πάντων ὲκο λεγομένους τὸ χρήσιμον, ύπερορᾷν προσήκει τοῦ τὰς αἰσθήσεις εὐφραίνοντος.
erē ton akrioxak zę̄n proelomenon, pros pan o( (nonattan ’hēdoniēr ēllotriōt- Ivem. eidos sōmatikēsēdonēx allotriōx (latr. Epeidē de tę̄ katharotēti tou Theou prosengisai, ioi mē auton tina proteron toiouton genomenon, adynaton katephanē; anankaion an eiē megalǭ tini kai ischyrǭ diateichismati pros tas hēdonas heauton diastēsai; hōs an mēdamou tǭ prosengismǭ toutǭ:6 katharon tēs kardias epimolynoito. Teichos de estin asphales, hē teleia pros pan:6 empathōs hepiteloumenon allotriōsis. Mia gar ousa tǭ genei hē hēdonē, kathōs akouein esti tōn sophōn, hōsper ti hydōr ek mias pēgēs eis diaphorous ochetous merizomenon, diʼ hekastou tōn aisthētēriōn tois philēdonois enkatamignytai. Oukoun 6 dia mias tinos tōn aisthēseōn tēs enginou menēs autǭ hēdonēs hēttētheis, ekeithen etrōthē tēn kardian ; kathōs didaskei hē tou Theou phōnē, oti tōn ophthalmōn tēn epithymian 6 plērōsas, en tę̄ kardią. tēn blabēn edexato. Oimai de apo merous entautha peri pantos aisthētēriou proeirēkenai ton Kyrion hōste akolouthountas hēmas tǭ eirēmenǭ, kalōs an prostheinai, hoti 6 akousas pros:6 epithymēsai, kai 6 hapsamenos, kai 6 pasan tēn en hēmin dynamin eis hypēresian hēdonēs kataspasas, tę̄ kardią exēmarten. Hina oun mē touto genētai, kanoni chrēsteon toutǭ pros ton idion bion tǭ sōphroni, tǭ mēpote prosthesthai tini kata psychēn, hǭ delear ti hēdonēs katamemiktaio pro ge pantōn tēn epi tēs geuseōs ēdonēn diapherontōs phylassein, dioti prosechestera pōs autē dokei heinai, kai hoionei mētēr tēs apēgo; reumenēs; hai gar kata brōsin kai posin hēdonai, pleonazousai tōn edōdimōn tēn ametrian, anankēn empoiousi tǭ sōmati tēs tōn aboulētōn kakōn plēsmonēs, hōs ta polla tois anthrōpois entiktousēs ta toiauta pathē. Ōs an oun malista galēniaion hēmin diamenoi:6 sōma, mēdeni tōn ek tou korou pathēmatōn epitholou menon, pronoēteon tēs enkratesteras diagōgēs, metron men kai horon tēs apolauseōs ou tēn hēdonēn, alla tēn ephʼ hekastǭ chreian horizein. Ei de tę̄ chreią kai:6 ēdos pollakis synkatamemiktai (panta gar oiden ephēdynein hē endeia, tǭ sphos drō tēs orexeōs:6 tę̄ chreią pareurethen hapan kataglykainousai, ouk apōsteon tēn chreian dia tēn epakolouthousan apolausin; oute mēn kata proēgoumenon metadiōkteon tēn hēdonēn ; allʼ ek pantōn eko legomenous to chrēsimon, yperorąn prosēkei tou tas aisthēseis euphrainontos.
That one who has chosen to live exactly must be estranged from every form of bodily pleasure. And since it has been shown to be impossible to draw near to the purity of God unless one has first become such oneself, it would be necessary to separate oneself from pleasures by some great and strong wall, so that the purity of the heart may never be defiled by drawing near to them. And a safe wall is complete estrangement from everything done with passion. For pleasure, being one in kind, as one may hear from the wise, like water from one spring divided into different channels, is mingled with lovers of pleasure through each of the sense organs. One who has been overcome by the pleasure arising in him through any one of the senses, then, has been wounded in the heart from that point; as the voice of God teaches, that one who has filled the desire of his eyes has received the damage in his heart. I think the Lord here spoke from a part about every sense organ, so that, following what was said, we might well add that one who has listened so as to desire, and one who has touched, and one who has dragged down every power in us to the service of pleasure, has sinned in his heart. So that this may not happen, the self-controlled person must use this rule for his own life: never to attach himself in soul to anything in which some bait of pleasure is mixed; and above all to guard especially against the pleasure of taste, because it seems somehow nearer, and as it were the mother of the forbidden pleasure. For the pleasures of eating and drinking, by excess in immoderate amounts of food, produce in the body the necessity of a surfeit of unwanted evils, since such fullness mostly gives birth to such passions in people. So that our body may remain as calm as possible, troubled by none of the disorders that come from satiety, we must take care for a more self-controlled way of life, fixing as the measure and limit of enjoyment not pleasure but the need in each case. And if pleasure is often mixed with need (for want knows how to sweeten everything, making all that is found for the need sweet by the vehemence of appetite), we must not reject the need because of the enjoyment that follows, nor yet pursue pleasure as the chief thing; but, choosing what is useful from everything, we should look down on what delights the senses.
Matt 5:28 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 5:8 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Since only the pure can approach God, one must wall oneself off from all sensual pleasure, especially the pleasures of food and drink, taking need, not pleasure, as the measure of eating.
- The chapter heading is garbled in the scan and translated by sense. “Filled the desire of his eyes … in his heart” refers to Matt 5:28. “Pleasure is one in kind … like water from one spring” is attributed to “the wise” (philosophers), unidentified. The “forbidden pleasure” whose “mother” is the pleasure of taste is sexual pleasure.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 21 (PG 46:400d–401b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.
Chapter 22
22PG 46:401b–405a
Ὅτι οὐ δεῖ πέρα τοῦ δέοντος ἀσκεῖν τὴν ἐγκρά- Ὀρῶμεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς γεωργοὺς ἀναμεμιγμένον τῷ σίτῳ:6 ἄχυρον τεχνικῶς διακρίνοντας ' ὡς ἂν ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν είς προσήκουσαν χρείαν παραληφθείη,:6 μὲν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ζωὴν, τὸ δὲ είς καῦσίν τε ἅμα καὶ είς τὴν τῶν ἀλόγων τροφήν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὁ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐργάτης διακρίνων τῆς ἡδονῆς τὴν χρείαν, ὥσπερ ἀχύρου τὸν σῖτον, τὴν μὲν ἀπορρίψει τοῖς ἀλογωτέροις, ὧν:6 τέλος εἰς καῦσιν, ῶς φησιν 6 Ἀπόστολος· τῆς δὲ χρείας αὐτῆς κατὰ:6 ἐνδέον εύίαριστῶν μεταλήψεται. Ἀλλʼ ἐπειδὴ πολλοὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἕτερον εἰδος τῆς ἀμετρίας κατολισθήσαντες, διὰ τῆς ὑπερβαλλούσης ἀκριβείας, ἔλαθον ὑπεναντία σπουδάζοντες τῷ ἰδίῳ σκοπῷ, καὶ ἀλλῳ τρόπῳ τῶν ὑψηλῶν τε καὶ θειοτέρων τὴν ψυχὴν ἀποστήσαντες, εἰς ταπεινὰς φροντίδας καὶ ἀσχολίας κατήγαγον, πρὸς τά σωματικὰ παρατηρήματα τήν διάνοιαν αὑτῶν κλίναντες· ὡς μηκέτι αὐτοῖς ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ. μετεωροπορείν τὸν νοῦν, καὶ τὰ ἄνω βλέπειν, ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τὸ πονοῦν καὶ ωντριβόμενον τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπικλίνεσθαι · καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι καὶ τούτου ποιεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶτὰς ἐξ ἑκατέρων ἐπιμετρίας ἐπίσης παραφυλάττεσθαι, μήτε διά πολυσαρκίας καταχωννύντας τὸν νοῦν, μηδʼ αὖ πάλιν ταῖς ἐπεισάκτοις ἀσθενείαις ἐξίτηλον αὑτὸν καὶ ταπεινὸν ποιεῖν, καὶ πε pi. τοὺς σωματικοὺς πόνους ήσχολημένον ο μεμνῆσθαι δέ τοῦ σοφοῦ ampαγγέλματος, τοῦ ἐπίσης ἀπειρηκότος τήν τε ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά καί τά ἐναντία παρατροπήν. Ἤκουσα δέ τινος ἰατρικοῦ τά ἐκ τῆς τέχνης διεξιόντος, ὅτι ἐκ τεσσάρων ήμῖν οὑχ ὁμοειδῶν στοιχείων, ἀλλʼ ἐναντίως κειμένων, τὸ σῶμα συνέστηκε ο θερμόν τε καὶ ψυχρὸν συγκεκρᾶσθαι ο καὶ ὑγροῦ πρὸς ξηρὸν εἶναι τὴν μίξιν παράλογον, τῇ διὰ μέσου τῶν συζυγιῶν οἰκειότητι πρὸς τά ἐναντία συναπτομένων. Καί τινι λεπτουργίᾳ τοιαύτῃ τὸν λόγον φυσιολογῶν ἀπεδείκνυε, φάσκων ἑκάστου τούτων ἐκ διαμέτρου πρὸς τὸ ἀντικείμενον ἀφεστὼς τῇ φύσει διὰ τῆς συγγενείας τῶν παρακειῖ μένων ποιοτήτων τοῖς ἐναντίοις συνάπτεσθαι. Τοῦ γὰρ ψυχροῦ xui. τοῦ θερμοῦ κατά τὸ ἴσον ὑγροῖς τε καὶ ξηροῖς ἐγγινομένων, καὶ τὸ ἔμπαλιν τοῦ ὑγροῦ τε καὶ ξηροῦ ἐν τοῖς θερμοῖς τε καὶ ψυχροῖς ὁμοίως συνισταμένωνο ἡ τῶν ποιοτήτων ταυτότης ἐπίσης τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἐμφαινομένη, διʼ ἐαυτῆς ποιεῖ τῶν ἀν· τικειμένων τὴν σύνοδον. Ἀλλά τί μοι τὰ καθʼ ἕκαστον διʼ ἀκριβείας ἐξιέναι, ὅπως ταῦτα καὶ τέτμηται ἀπʼ ἀλλήλων τῇ ἐναντιώσει τῆς φύσεως, καί πάλιν ἥνωται τῇ συγγενείᾳ τῶν ποιοτήτων ἀλλήλοις συνανακιρναμενα; Πλὴν οῦ χάριν τῶν εἰρημένων ἐμνήσθημεν, ὅτι συνεβούλευεν ό τὴν τοῦ σώματος φύσιν τῇ θεωρίᾳ ταύτῃ κατανοήσας προνοεῖν, ὼς οἶόν τε, τῆς ἰσοκραέ τείαςῃτῶν ποιοτήτων ἐν τούτῳ γὰρ εἶναι τὸ ὑγιαίο νειν, ἐν τῷ μηδὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐτέρου τῶν ἐν ήμίν δυναστεύεσθαι. Οὐκοῦν ἐπιμελητέον ἡμῖν τῆς τοιαύτης καταστάσεως πρὸς τὴν τῆς ὑγείας διαμονὴν, εἴπερ τι ἀληθὲς αὑτῶν ό λόγος ἐχει, μηδενὶ μέρει ἐτῶν ξε ὦν συνεστήκαμεν ἢ πλεονασμὸν ἢ ἐλάττωσιν ἐκ τῆς κατά τὴν δίαιταν ἀνωμαλίας ἐπάγοντες · ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ ἅρματος ἐπιστάτης, εἰ μὴ συμφωνούντων km: στατοίη τῶν πώλων, οὔτε τὸν ὀξὺν ἐπισπέρχει μάστιγι, οὔτε τὸν βραδὺν κατάγει ταῖς ήνίαιςο οὑξ) αὖ πάλιν τὸν ἐνδιάστροφονῆ δυσήνιον ἄνετον ἐᾷ ταῖς οἰκείαις ὁρμαῖς εἰς ’ἀταξίαν ἐκφέρεσθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν μὲν εὐθύνει, τὸν δέ ἀνακόπτει, τοὺς δέ καθικνεῖτίιι διὰ τῆς μάστιγος, ἓως μίαν τοῖς πᾶσι τήν πρὸς τδγ δρόμον σύμπνοιαν ἐμποιήσῃ· τὸν αὑτὸν τρόπον-καὶ ὁ ἡμέτερος νοῦς ὁ τὰς τοῦ σώματος ήνίας ἐφʼ tauτὸν ἔχων, οὑτε πλεονάζοντι τῷ θερμῴ κατὰ τὸν ξαι- {in νεότητος τὰς τῆς πυρώσεως προσθήκας tm: νοήσει, οὗτε κατεψυγμένη) διὰ πάθοςῆ “dvas,” ψύχοντα καὶ τὰ μαραίνοντα πλεονάσει καὶ ἐπὶτῶν λοιπῶν ποιοτήτων ὁμοίως τῆς Γραφῆς ἀκούσεται · Ἵνα μήτε 6 τὸ πολῦ πλεονάσῃ, μήτε 6 τὸ ὀλίγον ἐλατravim] · ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐν ἐκατέρῳ ἄμετρον περικόπτων, τῆς τοῦ ἐνδέοντος προσθήκης ἐπιμελήσεται, καὶ ἐπίσης τὴν ἐφʼ ἑκάτερα τοῦ σώματος ἀχρηστίαν φυλάξεται · μήτε διʼ ὑπερβαλλούσης εὐπαθείας ἄτακτον καὶ δυσήνιον τὴν σάρκα ἑαυτοῦ ἐπασκήσας, μήτε διά τῆς ἀμέτρου κακοπαθείας νοσώδη καὶ λελυμένην καὶ ἄτονον πρὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ὑπηρεσίαν παρασκευάσας · οἶκτος 6 τελειότατος τῆς ἐγκρατείας σκοπὸς, οὐκὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ σώματος βλέπειν κακοπάθειαν, ἁλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ψυχικῶν διακονημάτων εὐκολίαν.
Hoti ou dei pera tou deontos askein tēn enkra- Orōmen de kai tous geōrgous anamemigmenon tǭ sitǭ:6 achyron technikōs diakrinontas ' hōs an hekateron autōn eis prosēkousan chreian paralēphtheiē,:6 men eis tēn tōn anthrōpōn zōēn, to de eis kausin te hama kai eis tēn tōn alogōn trophēn. Oukoun kai ho tēs sōphrosynēs ergatēs diakrinōn tēs hēdonēs tēn chreian, hōsper achyrou ton siton, tēn men aporripsei tois alogōterois, hōn:6 telos eis kausin, ōs phēsin 6 Apostolos; tēs de chreias autēs kata:6 endeon euiaristōn metalēpsetai. Allʼ epeidē polloi epi to heteron eidos tēs ametrias katolisthēsantes, dia tēs hyperballousēs akribeias, elathon hypenantia spoudazontes tǭ idiǭ skopǭ, kai allǭ tropǭ tōn hypsēlōn te kai theioterōn tēn psychēn apostēsantes, eis tapeinas phrontidas kai ascholias katēgagon, pros ta sōmatika paratērēmata tēn dianoian hautōn klinantes; hōs mēketi autois en eleutherią. meteōroporein ton noun, kai ta anō blepein, allʼ epi to ponoun kai ōntribomenon tēs sarkos epiklinesthai ; kalōs an echoi kai toutou poieisthai tēn epimeleian, kaitas ex hekaterōn epimetrias episēs paraphylattesthai, mēte dia polysarkias katachōnnyntas ton noun, mēdʼ au palin tais epeisaktois astheneiais exitēlon hauton kai tapeinon poiein, kai pe pi. tous sōmatikous ponous ēscholēmenon o memnēsthai de tou sophou ampangelmatos, tou episēs apeirēkotos tēn te epi ta dexia kai ta enantia paratropēn. Ēkousa de tinos iatrikou ta ek tēs technēs diexiontos, hoti ek tessarōn ēmin houch homoeidōn stoicheiōn, allʼ enantiōs keimenōn, to sōma synestēke o thermon te kai psychron synkekrasthai o kai hygrou pros xēron einai tēn mixin paralogon, tę̄ dia mesou tōn syzygiōn oikeiotēti pros ta enantia synaptomenōn. Kai tini leptourgią toiautę̄ ton logon physiologōn apedeiknye, phaskōn hekastou toutōn ek diametrou pros to antikeimenon aphestōs tę̄ physei dia tēs syngeneias tōn parakeii menōn poiotētōn tois enantiois synaptesthai. Tou gar psychrou xui. tou thermou kata to ison hygrois te kai xērois enginomenōn, kai to empalin tou hygrou te kai xērou en tois thermois te kai psychrois homoiōs synistamenōno hē tōn poiotētōn tautotēs episēs tois enantiois emphainomenē, diʼ eautēs poiei tōn an; tikeimenōn tēn synodon. Alla ti moi ta kathʼ hekaston diʼ akribeias exienai, hopōs tauta kai tetmētai apʼ allēlōn tę̄ enantiōsei tēs physeōs, kai palin hēnōtai tę̄ syngeneią tōn poiotētōn allēlois synanakirnamena? Plēn ou charin tōn eirēmenōn emnēsthēmen, hoti synebouleuen o tēn tou sōmatos physin tę̄ theōrią tautę̄ katanoēsas pronoein, ōs oion te, tēs isokrae teiasę̄tōn poiotētōn en toutǭ gar einai to hygiaio nein, en tǭ mēden hypo tou eterou tōn en ēmin dynasteuesthai. Oukoun epimelēteon hēmin tēs toiautēs katastaseōs pros tēn tēs hygeias diamonēn, eiper ti alēthes hautōn o logos echei, mēdeni merei etōn xe ōn synestēkamen ē pleonasmon ē elattōsin ek tēs kata tēn diaitan anōmalias epagontes ; hōsper gar ho tou harmatos epistatēs, ei mē symphōnountōn km: statoiē tōn pōlōn, oute ton oxyn episperchei mastigi, oute ton bradyn katagei tais ēniaiso houx) au palin ton endiastrophonē dysēnion aneton eą tais oikeiais hormais eis ’ataxian ekpheresthai, alla ton men euthynei, ton de anakoptei, tous de kathikneitiii dia tēs mastigos, heōs mian tois pasi tēn pros tdg dromon sympnoian empoiēsę̄; ton hauton tropon-kai ho hēmeteros nous ho tas tou sōmatos ēnias ephʼ tauton echōn, houte pleonazonti tǭ thermǭ kata ton xai- {in neotētos tas tēs pyrōseōs prosthēkas tm: noēsei, houte katepsygmenē) dia pathosē “dvas,” psychonta kai ta marainonta pleonasei kai epitōn loipōn poiotētōn homoiōs tēs Graphēs akousetai ; Hina mēte 6 to poly pleonasę̄, mēte 6 to oligon elatravim] ; alla to en ekaterǭ ametron perikoptōn, tēs tou endeontos prosthēkēs epimelēsetai, kai episēs tēn ephʼ hekatera tou sōmatos achrēstian phylaxetai ; mēte diʼ hyperballousēs eupatheias atakton kai dysēnion tēn sarka heautou epaskēsas, mēte dia tēs ametrou kakopatheias nosōdē kai lelymenēn kai atonon pros tēn anankaian hypēresian paraskeuasas ; oiktos 6 teleiotatos tēs enkrateias skopos, ouki pros tēn tou sōmatos blepein kakopatheian, halla pros tēn tōn psychikōn diakonēmatōn eukolian.
That self-control must not be practised beyond what is fitting. We see farmers too skilfully separating the chaff mixed with the wheat, so that each may be taken for its proper use, the one for human life and the other for burning and at the same time for feeding the irrational animals. So the worker of self-control too, separating need from pleasure like wheat from chaff, will throw the one to the more irrational, whose end is burning, as the Apostle says, and will partake of the need itself, as far as is lacking, with thanksgiving. But since many, slipping into the other kind of immoderation through excessive exactness, have unawares pursued things contrary to their own aim, and, in another way withdrawing the soul from lofty and more divine things, have brought it down to lowly cares and occupations, bending their mind to bodily observances, so that their mind no longer travels aloft in freedom and looks to the things above, but is bent toward what is suffering and worn out in the flesh, it would be well to take care of this too, and to guard equally against excesses on either side, neither burying the mind under fleshiness nor again making it faint and lowly by self-inflicted weaknesses and occupied with bodily pains, but remembering the wise precept that forbids equally deviation to the right and to the opposite side. I heard a physician going through the teachings of his art, that our body is composed of four elements not of the same kind but opposed: hot and cold are blended, and the mixture of moist with dry is paradoxical, the opposites being joined by the affinity of the pairs between them. And he showed the account by a fine natural argument, saying that each of these, standing diametrically apart from its opposite by nature, is joined to its opposites through the kinship of the qualities lying beside it. For since cold and hot occur equally in moist and dry things, and conversely moist and dry exist alike in hot and cold things, the sameness of qualities appearing equally in the opposites produces by itself the meeting of contraries. But why should I go through each detail exactly, how these are both separated from one another by the opposition of their nature and again united, blended with one another by the kinship of their qualities? The reason I mentioned these things is that the one who had understood the nature of the body by this study advised taking care, as far as possible, of the equal balance of the qualities; for health consists in this, in nothing in us being dominated by another. We must take care, then, of such a state for the preservation of health, if their account has any truth, bringing neither excess nor deficiency to any part of which we are composed by irregularity of diet. For as the driver of a chariot, if his horses do not run together in agreement, neither whips on the swift one with the lash nor holds back the slow one with the reins, nor again lets the one that turns aside or is hard to rein run off into disorder by its own impulses, but straightens one, checks another, and touches others with the whip, until he produces one agreement in all of them for the race: in the same way our mind too, holding the reins of the body, will not add the fuel of burning to the heat when it abounds in the time of youth, nor will it increase the cooling and withering things when the body is chilled by disease or age, and so with the other qualities; it will listen to Scripture: so that “he who has much may not have too much, nor he who has little too little.” Rather, cutting off the immoderation on either side, it will take care of adding what is lacking, and will guard equally against making the body useless in either direction, neither training its flesh to be disorderly and hard to rein by excessive comfort, nor making it sickly and slack and unable for necessary service by immoderate hardship. For the most perfect aim of self-control is to look not to the ill-treatment of the body but to the ease of the soul’s ministries.
Matt 3:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 6:8 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Tim 4:4 (allusion, medium confidence) · Col 3:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Prov 4:27 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 8:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 16:18 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Self-control must avoid both excess and excessive severity; like a physician balancing the body’s elements or a charioteer managing his horses, the mind should keep the body fit for the soul’s service.
- The opening sentence is the chapter’s heading as printed in the edition; part of it is cut off in the scan. Several words are garbled in the charioteer comparison and translated by sense (“by disease or age”). References: Matt 3:12; Heb 6:8 (“whose end is burning”); 1 Tim 4:4 (with thanksgiving); Col 3:2; Prov 4:27 and Deut 5:32 (“neither to the right nor to the left”); 2 Cor 8:15 (Exod 16:18). The theory of four elements and qualities is ancient medicine.
Cite (SBL): Gregory of Nyssa, Virg. 22 (PG 46:401b–405a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-virginitate/17/#p-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR, corrections logged; lines lost in the scan marked …), then compared section by section with the public-domain English of NPNF² 5 (Moore and Wilson, 1893); differences checked against the Greek.