# Life of Macrina

- Author: [Gregory of Nyssa](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/gregory-of-nyssa/)
- Latin title: *Vita sanctae Macrinae*
- Date: ca. 380 (approximate)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 46 (Paris: Migne, 1863), cols. 959–1000 (OCR by the Internet Archive; lines extracted for this site)

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Virginia Woods Callahan, ed., Gregorii Nysseni Opera Ascetica, Gregorii Nysseni Opera 8.1 (Leiden: Brill, 1952) (cited only; not reproduced)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/
- Passages: 12

## Life of Macrina, part 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory explains that he writes at a friend's request after their meeting in Antioch, and tells of Macrina's grandmother, her mother's reluctant marriage, and the vision that gave the child the secret name Thecla.

### Greek text

Τὸ μὲν εἶδος τοῦ βιδλίου, ὅσον ἐν τῷ τῆς προγραφῆς τύπῳ, ἐπιστολὴ εἶναι δοκεῖ· τὸ δὲ πλῆθος ὑπὲρ τὸν ἐπιστολιμαῖον ὄρον ἐστὶν, εἰς συγγραφιχὴν χρηγορίαν παρατεινόμενον· ἀλλ᾽ ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἡ σύνθεσις, ἧς ἕνεκεν γράψαι παρεχελεύσω, πλείων οὖσα, ἣ κατ᾽ ἐπιστολῆς συμμετρίαν. Πάντως δὲ οὐκ ἀμνημονεῖς τῆς συντυχίας, ὅτε κατ᾽ εὐχὴν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐπιφοιτᾷν μέλλων, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ τὰ σημεῖα τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιδημίας ἐν τοῖς τύποις ἰδεῖν, συνέδραμόν σοι, κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχου πόλιν, καὶ πᾶντοίων ἀναχινουμένων ἡμῖν λόγων· οὐδὲ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἣν ἐν σιωπῇ τὴν συντυχίαν εἶναι’ πολλὰς τῷ λόγῳ τὰς ἀφορμὰς τῆς σῆς συνέσεως ἐπιθαλλούσης. Οἷα ὃξ φιλεῖ πολλάκις ἐν τούτοις γίνεσθαι, εἰς μνῆΒ μὴν βίου τινὸς εὐδοκίμου προῆλθε ῥέων ὁ λόγος γυνὴ δὲ ἦν ἢ τοῦ διηγήματος ἀφορμή· εἴπερ γυνή ᾿ οὐκ οἷδα γὰρ εἰ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἐκ τῆς φύσεως αὑτὴν ὀνομάζειν, τὴν ἄνω γενομένην τῆς φύσεως, Τὸ δὲ διήγημα ἡμῖν οὐκ ἐξ ἀκοῆς ἑτέρων διηγημάτων τὸ πιστὸν εἶχεν· ἀλλ᾽ ὧν ἡ πεῖρα διδάσκαλος ἦν, ταῦτα δι᾿ ἀχριθείας ἐπεξήει ὁ λόγος, εἰς οὐδὲν ἀκοὴν ἀλλοπτρίαν ἐπιμαρτυρούμενος. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ξένη τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν ἡ μνημονευθεῖσα παρθένος, ὡς ἀνάγκην εἶναι δι᾿ ἑτέρων γινώσκειν τὰ κατʼ ἐκείνην θαύματα, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν αὑτῶν ἡμῖν γονέων, ὥσπερ τις ἀπαρχὴ καρπῶν, πρώτη τῆς μητρῴας νηδύος ἀναθλαστήσασα, Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐδοκίμασας φέρειν τι κέρδος τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἱστορίαν ὡς ἂν μὴ λάθοι τὸν κατὰ ταῦτα χρόνον ὁ τοιοῦτος βίος, μηδὲ ἀνωφελὴς παραδράμοι διὰ σιωπῆς συγχαλυφθεῖσα ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἀκρότατον τῇς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀρετῆς ὄρον ἑαυτὴν διὰ φιλοσοφίας ἐπἀρασα, καλῶς ἂν ἔχειν ᾧῳήθην, σοί τε πεισῦτιναι, καὶ δι᾽ ὀλίγων, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ὦ, τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν ἱστορῆσαι, -Ξ καὶ ἁπλῷ διηγήματι. Μαχρίνα ἣν ὄνομα τῇ παρθένῳ εὐδόκιμος δέ τις πάλαι κατὰ τὸ γένος ἣν ἡ Μαχρίνα, μήτηρ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν γεγενημένη, ταῖς ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ ὁμολογίαις τῷ καιρῷ τῶν διωγμῶν ἐναθλήσασα, ἣ ἐπωνομάσθη παρὰ τῶν γονέων ἡ παῖς. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἣν ἐν φανερῷ τὸ ὄνομα, τὸ παρὰ τῶν γινωσκόντων ὀνομαξόμενον. Ἕτερον δὲ κατὰ τὸ λεληθὸς αὐτῇ ἐπεκέκλητο᾽ ὃ πρὶν ἐλθεῖν διὰ τῶν ὠδίνων εἰς φῶς, ἔκ τινος ἐπιφανείας ἐπωνομάσθη - ἦν γὰρ δὴ τοιαύτη, κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν καὶ ἡ μήτηρ, ὡς πανταχοῦ τῷ θείῳ βουλήματι χειραγω. - διαφερόντως δὲ τὴν καθαράν τε καὶ ἀχηλίτὸν τοῦ βίου διαγωγὴν ἡσπασμένη, ὡς μηδὲ τὸν γάμον ἑκουσίως ἑλέσθαι. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ὀρφανὴ μὲν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων ἣν· ὑπερήνθει δὲ τῇ ὥρᾳ τοῦ σώματος· καὶ πολλοὺς ἡ φήμη τῆς εὐμορφίας πρὸς τὴν μνηστείαν συνήγειρε· κίνδυνος δὲ ἦν, εἰ μὴ κατὰ ἑκούσιόν τινι συναρμοσθείη, παθεῖν τι τῶν ἀδουλήτων ἐπηρείας, πρὸς ἁρπαγὰς παρεσχενασμένων τῶν ἐπι- Ὦ μεμηνότων τῷ χάλλετιʼ διὰ τοῦτο ἑλομένη τὸν ἐπὶ σεμνότῆτι βίου γνωριζόμενόν τε καὶ μαρτυρούμενον, ὥστε φύλακα κτήσασθαι τῆς ἰδίας ζωῆς, εὐθὺς ἐν ταῖς πρώταις ὠδῖσι, ταύτης γίνεται μήτηρ᾽ καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ὁ καιρὸς, καθ᾽ ὃν ἔδες λυθῆναι τὴν ὠδῖνα τῷ τόκῳ, εἰς ὕπνον τραπεῖσα, φέρειν ἐδόκει διὰ χειρὸς τὸ ὥς τι ὑπὸ τῶν σπλάγχνων περιεχόμενον· καί τινα ἐν εἴδει καὶ σχήματι μεγαλοπρεπεστέρῳ, ἣ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐπιφανέντα, προσειπεῖν τὴν βασταζομένην ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος θέχλην - Θέχλης ἐκείνης, ἧς πολὺς ἐν ταῖς παρθένοις ὁ λόγος. Ποιήσαντα δὲ τοῦτο καὶ μαρτυρούμενον εἰς τρὶς, μεταστῆναι: τῶν ὄψεων, καὶ δοῦναι τῇ ὠδῖνι τὴν εὐκολίαν, ὡς ὁμοῦ τε τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτὴν διαστῆναι, καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ὕπαρ ἰδεῖν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ὄνομα τὸ κεκρυμμένον ἐκεῖνο ἦν. Δοχεῖζ δέ μοι μὴ οσοῦτον πρὸς τὴν ὀνομαστιχὴν κλῆσιν ὁδηγῶν τὴν γειναμένην ὁ ἐπιφανεὶς τοῦτο προφθέγξασθαι· ἀλλὰ τὸν βίον προειπεῖν τῆς νέας, καὶ τὴν τῆς προχιρέσεως ὁμοιότητα διὰ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας ἐπιδείξασθαι.

### English translation (Claude)

The form of this book, as far as the shape of its heading goes, seems to be a letter; but its length is beyond the measure of a letter, stretching out to the extent of a treatise. Yet the subject on which you bade me write is our defence, being greater than fits the proportions of a letter. You surely remember our meeting, when I was about to travel to Jerusalem in fulfilment of a vow, to see the signs of the Lord's sojourn in the flesh in the very places, and I met you in the city of Antioch; and all kinds of conversation were stirred up between us (for it was not likely that our meeting should be spent in silence, since your intelligence supplied the conversation with many starting points). As often happens in such talk, the conversation flowed on to the memory of a life held in honour. A woman was the occasion of the account; if indeed she was a woman, for I do not know whether it is fitting to name her from her nature, she who came to be above nature. The account did not rest its trustworthiness on what we had heard from others' accounts, but the conversation went through with exactness the things of which experience was the teacher, calling on no outside hearsay as witness for anything. For the virgin we mentioned was no stranger to our family, so that one would need to learn her wonders through others; she was born of the same parents as we, like a first-fruit of the crop, the first to spring up from our mother's womb. Since, then, you judged that the history of good things brings some gain, so that such a life should not be forgotten in later times, nor should she who raised herself by philosophy to the highest limit of human virtue pass by without profit, covered in silence, I thought it well both to obey you and to relate in a few words, as far as I can, what concerns her, in an artless and simple narrative.

The virgin's name was Macrina. There was a Macrina long ago in the family, held in honour, who had been our father's mother, who had contended in the confessions for Christ in the time of the persecutions; after her the child was named by her parents. But this was the name in public, by which she was called by those who knew her. Another name had been given her in secret, which, before she came to the light through the birth pangs, was given her through a vision. For her mother too was such in virtue that she was led by the hand by the divine will in everything, and especially had embraced the pure and spotless conduct of life, so that she did not choose marriage willingly. But since she was an orphan of both parents and was in the full bloom of bodily beauty, and the fame of her good looks gathered many suitors, and there was a danger that, unless she was joined to someone of her own will, she would suffer some unwelcome outrage from those who were mad for her beauty and ready to carry her off, for this reason she chose a man known and attested for the dignity of his life, so as to gain a guardian of her own life; and at her first labour she becomes mother of this child. When the time had come for the pangs to be released in childbirth, she fell asleep and seemed to be carrying in her hand what was still held in her womb; and a person in a form and appearance more majestic than human appeared and addressed the child she was carrying by the name Thecla, that Thecla who is much spoken of among virgins. Having done this and testified to it three times, he departed from her sight and gave her ease in her labour, so that at the same moment she awoke from sleep and saw the dream fulfilled in waking reality. This, then, was the hidden name. It seems to me that the one who appeared uttered it not so much to guide the mother in the choice of a name, as to foretell the young girl's life and to show by the sameness of name the likeness of her choice.

### Extrabiblical texts

- Acts Paul (Acts of Paul): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Key terms: φιλοσοφία "philosophy" (the ascetic life), ἀρετή "virtue", ἡ Μεγάλη "the Great One" (Gregory's title for Macrina). The addressee is unnamed in the text (traditionally the monk Olympius). Gregory's journey to Jerusalem and meeting at Antioch are dated after 379. Thecla is the virgin of the Acts of Paul and Thecla.
- Compared afterwards with the Fathers of the Church translation (FOTC 58), privately, for errors only.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 1 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1).

## Life of Macrina, part 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1/#p-2
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Macrina is educated in Scripture rather than pagan poetry, refuses all suitors after her betrothed dies, holding that marriage, like birth and death, is one, and stays always with her mother.

### Greek text

᾿Τρέφεται τοίνυν τὸ παιδίον· οὔσης μὲν αὐτῷ καὶ τιθήνης ἰδίας, τὰ δὲ πολλὰ τῆς μητρὸς ἐν ταῖς χερσὶ ταῖς ἰδίαις τιθηνουμένης. Ὑπερθᾶσα δὲ τὴν τῶν νηπίων ἡλικίαν, εὐμαθὴς ἣν τῶν παιδικῶν μαθημάτῶν· καὶ πρὸς ὅπερ ἂν ἡ τῶν γονέων κρίσις ἦγε μάθημα, κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνο ἡ φύσις τῆς νέας διέλαμπεν. Ἦν δὲ τῇ μητρὶ σπουδὴ, παιδεῦσαι μὲν τὴν παῖδα· μὲν τοι τὴν ἔξωθεν ταύτην καὶ ἐγκύκλιον παίδευσιν, ἣν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ, διὰ τῶν ποιημάτων αἱ πρῶται τῶν παιδενομένων ἡλικίαι διδάσκονται. Αἰσχρὸν γὰρ ᾧετο, καὶ παντάπασιν ἀπρεπὲς, ἣ τὰ τραγικὰ πάθη, ὅσα ἐκ γυναικῶν τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ τὰς ὑποθέσεις τοῖς ποιηταῖς ἔδωκαν, ἣ τὰς χωμῳδιχὰς ἀσχημοσύνας, ἀπαλὴν καὶ εὔπλαστον φύσιν μένην τρόπον τινὰ τοῖς ἀσεμνοτέροις περὶ τῶν γυναικείων διηγήμασιν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅσα τῆς θεοπνεύστου Γραφῆς ἀληπτότερα ταῖς πρώταις ἡλικίαις δοκεῖ, ταῦτα ἣν τῇ παιδὶ τὰ μαθήματα, καὶ μάλιστα ἡ τοῦ Σολομῶντος Σοφία· καὶ ταύτης πλέον, ὅτα πρὸς τὸν ἣθιχὺν ἡμῶν ἔφερε βίον. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ τῆς ψαλμῳδουμένης Γραφῆς οὐδ᾽ ὁτιοῦν ἠγνόει· καιροῖς ἰδίοις ἕκαστον μέρος τῆς ψαλμῳδίας διεξιοῦσα· τῆς τε κοίτης διανισταμένη, καὶ τῶν σπουδαίων ἁπτομένη τε καὶ ἀνακαὶ πρισιεμένη τροφὴν, καὶ βδιυάϊὰ δουϑάθγοι, εἶνε τραπέζης, καὶ ἐπὶ κοίτην ἰοῦσα, καὶ εἰς προσευχὰς διανισταμένη, πανταχοῦ τὴν Ῥαλμῳδίαν εἶχεν, οἷόν τινα σύνοδον ἀγαθὴν μηδενὸς ἀπολιμπανομένην χρόἐπικόπτει τὰς χρηστοτέρας ἐλπίδας, ἀναρπάσας αὐτὸν Τούτοις συναυξανομένη καὶ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐπιτηδεύμασι, καὶ τὴν χεῖρα πρὸς τὴν ἐρουργίαν διαφερόντως ἀσχήσασα, πρόεισιν εἰς δωδέκατον ἔτος· μάλιστα τὸ τῆς νεότητος ἄνθος ἐκλάμπειν ἄρχεται. Ἔνθα δὴ καὶ θαυμάζειν ἄξιον, ὅπως οὐδὲ κεκρυμμένον τὸ κάλλος τῇς νέας ἐλάνθανεν. Οὐδέ τι κατὰ τὴν πατρίδα πᾶσαν ἐκείνην τοιοῦτον θαῦμα ἐδόκει, οἷον ἐν συγκρίσει τοῦ κάλλους ἐκείνου καὶ τῆς εὐμοροίας εἶναι· ὡς μηδὲ ζωγράφων χεῖρας ἐφικέσθαι δυνηθῆΒ ναι τῆς ὥρας· ἀλλὰ τὴν πάντα μηχανωμένην τέχνην, καὶ τοῖς μεγίστοις ἐπιτολμῶσαν, ὡς καὶ αὑτῶν τῶν στοιχείων τὰς εἰκόνας διὰ τῆς μιμήσεως ἀνατυποῦσθαι, τὴν τῆς μορφῆς ἐκείνης εὐκληρίαν μὴ ἰσχῦσαι δι᾿ ἀχριδείας μιμήσασθαι. Τούτου χάριν πολὺς ἐσμὸς τῶν μνηστευόντων τὸν γάμον αὐτῆς τοῖς γονεῦσι περιεκεῖτο. Ὁ ὃὲ πατὴρ (ἣν γὰρ δὴ σώφρων καὶ κρίνειν τὸ καλὸν ἐπεσχεμμένυς) εὐδόκιμόν τινα τῶν ἐκ γένους γνώριμον ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ, ἄρτι τῶν πα:τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποχρίνας, ἐχείχατεγγυᾶσθαι ἐγνώκει τὴν παῖδα, εἴπερ εἰς ἡλικίαν ἔλθοι. Ἐν τούτῳ δὲ ὁ μὲν ἐν ἐλπίσιν ἣν ταῖς καὶ καθάπερ τι τῶν χεχαρισμένων ἕδνων, τὴν διὰ τῶν λόγων εὐδοκίμησιν προσῆγε τῷ πατρὶ τῆς νέας, ἐν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδικουμένων ἀγῶσι τὴν τῶν λόγων ἐπιδεικνύμενος δύναμιν. Ὁ δὲ φθόνος ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς ἐν ἐλεεινῇ τῇ νεότητι. Οὐκ ἡγνόει δὲ τὰ τῷ πατρὶ δεδογμένα ἧ κόρη. Αλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τῷ θανάτῳ τοῦ νεανίου τὸ κεκριμένον ἐ π᾿ αὑτῇ διεχόπη· γάμον ὀνομάσασα τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς κρίσιν, ὡς γεγενημένου τοῦ κεκριμένου, μένειν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῆς τὸ λοιπὸν ἠξίου. Καὶ ἦν ἡ κρίσις τῆς ἡλικίας παγιωτέρα. Πολλάκις γὰρ αὐτῇ τοὺς περὶ τῶν γάμων προσαγαγόντων λόγους τῶν γεννησαμένων, διὰ τὸ πολλοὺς εἶναι τοὺς κατὰ φήμην τοῦ χάλλου; μνηστεύειν ἐθέλοντας, ἄτοπον εἶναι ἔλεγε καὶ παράνομὸν, μὴ στέργειν τὸν ἅπαξ ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῇ χυρωθέντα γάμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἕτερον ἀναγκάζεσθαι βλέπειν· ἑνὸς ὄντος ἐν τῇ φύσε: τοῦ γάμου, ὡς υἱα γένεσις, καὶ θάνατος εἷς τὸν δὲ συναρμοσθέντα Ὠ κατὰ τὴν τῶν γονέων κρίσιν μὴ τεθνάναι δ:ισχυρί: ζετο, ἀλλὰ τὸν τῷ Θεῷ ζῶντα, διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῇς ἀναστάσεως, ἐπόδημον κρίνειν, καὶ οὐ νεκρόν· ἄτοπον δὲ εἶναι τῷ ἐχδημοῦντι νυμφίῳ μὴ φυλάσσειν τὴν πίστιν. Τοῖ; τοιούτοις λόγοις ἀπωθουμένη τοὺς παραπείθειν ἐπιχειροῦντας, ἐν ἐδοκίμασεν ἑαυτῇ τῆς ἀγαθῆς κρίσεως φυλακτήριον, τὸ μηδέποτε τῆς ἰδίας μητρὸς, μηδὲ ἐν ἀκαρεῖ τοῦ χρόνου διαζευχθζιναιὡς πολλάκις τὴν μητέρα πρὸς αὐτὴν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν τέκνων τεταγμένῳ τινὶ χρόνῳ ἐχυοφόρησεν, ἐκείνην δὲ διαπαντὸς φέρε! πάντοτε τρόπον κινὰ τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἑαυτῆς περιέχουσα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐκ ἣν ἐπίπονος, οὐδὲ ἀκερδὴς τῇ μετρὶ τῆς θυγατρὸς ἡ συυδιαγωγή. ᾿Αντὶ γὰρ πολλῶν αὐτῇ, θεραπαινίδων ἣν ἢ παρὰ τῆς θυγατρὸς θεραπεία· καὶ ἣν ἀντίδησίς τις;

### English translation (Claude)

The child, then, is brought up. She had her own nurse, but for the most part her mother nursed her in her own hands. When she had passed beyond the age of infancy she was quick to learn the lessons of childhood, and to whatever lesson the parents' judgment led her, in that the young girl's nature shone. Her mother was eager to educate the child, not, however, in this outside and general education which the first ages of those being educated mostly learn through the poems. For she thought it shameful and altogether unfitting that a tender and pliable nature should be taught either the tragic passions, which have given the poets their beginnings and subjects from women, or the indecencies of comedy, being … in a way by the less seemly tales about women. But whatever parts of the God-inspired Scripture seem more easily grasped by the first ages, these were the child's lessons, and especially the Wisdom of Solomon, and of this more particularly whatever bears on our moral life. Nor was she ignorant of any part of the Psalter, going through each part of the psalmody at its proper times: rising from bed, taking up her tasks and resting, taking food and rising from table, going to bed and rising for prayer, everywhere she had the psalmody, like a good travelling companion, missing no time …

Growing up with these and such pursuits, and having trained her hand especially in wool-work, she reaches her twelfth year, [at which age] the flower of youth most of all begins to shine. Here indeed it is worth wondering how the young girl's beauty did not escape notice even when hidden. Nothing in all that country seemed such a wonder as to bear comparison with that beauty and comeliness, so that not even the hands of painters could match her loveliness; that art which contrives everything and dares the greatest things, so as to model even images of the very elements by imitation, was not able to imitate exactly the good fortune of that form. For this reason a great swarm of suitors for her hand crowded around her parents. But her father (for he was a man of good sense and practised in judging what is good) chose from the rest a young man of the family, held in honour and known for his self-control, just [come from his studies], and decided to betroth the girl to him when she came of age. Meanwhile the young man was in the brightest hopes, and, like a welcome bride-gift, brought to the girl's father the good repute of his eloquence, showing the power of his words in contests on behalf of the wronged. But envy cut off the better hopes, snatching him from life at a pitiable youth.

The girl was not ignorant of what her father had decided. But when the decision about her was cut off by the young man's death, she named her father's decision a marriage, as though what had been decided had come to pass, and she resolved to remain by herself for the future. And her decision was firmer than her age. For when her parents often brought proposals of marriage to her, because many wished to woo her on account of the fame of her beauty, she said it was absurd and unlawful not to be content with the marriage once ratified for her by her father, but to be forced to look to another, since marriage is one by nature, as birth is one and death one. She insisted that the one joined to her by her parents' decision was not dead, but judged that the one who lives to God, because of the hope of the resurrection, was abroad and not a corpse; and that it was absurd not to keep faith with a bridegroom who was away from home. Repelling with such words those who tried to persuade her, she decided on one safeguard of her good decision for herself: never to be separated from her own mother, not even for a moment of time; so that her mother often said to her that she had carried the rest of her children in her womb for a fixed time, but carried her always, in a way holding her continually in her womb. But living with her daughter was neither burdensome nor unprofitable for the mother. For instead of many maidservants she had her daughter's service; and there was a kind of good exchange,

### Scripture references

- Luke 20:38: allusion, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Wis (Wisdom of Solomon): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Macrina's refusal of a second betrothal is translated as written: she calls her father's decision a marriage, holds that marriage is one by nature, "as birth is one and death one", and that the betrothed who lives to God in the hope of the resurrection is "abroad, not a corpse". This concerns a betrothal, not a completed marriage; she does not discuss remarriage in general.
- Words are lost in the scan after the list of poems (marked …) and at the end of the psalmody sentence; the scan's line order is disturbed around the young man's death (ὁ δὲ φθόνος … ἐπικόπτει τὰς χρηστοτέρας ἐλπίδας), restored here by sense. "Wisdom of Solomon" here is the deuterocanonical book.
- "Twelfth year" is the age of betrothal.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 2 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/2).

## Life of Macrina, part 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1/#p-3
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Macrina serves her widowed mother, draws her toward the ascetic life and wins back the proud young Basil to philosophy; Naucratius leaves a public career for solitude on the Iris.

### Greek text

ἀγαθὴ παρ᾽ ἀμφοτέρων ἀλλήλαις ἀντιπληρουμένη. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν τῆς νέας, ἡ δὲ τὸ σῶμα τῇς μητρὸς ἐθεράπενεν, ἕν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις πᾶσι τὴν ζητουμένην ὑπηρεσίαν ἀποπληροῦσα· καὶ ἐν τῷ ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ πολλάκις τῇ μητρὶ παρασχενάζειν τὸν ἄρτον. Ὅπερ οὐ κατὰ τὸ προηγούμενον αὐτῇ διεσπουδάσθη. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ ταῖς μυστικαῖς ὑπηρεσίαις τὰς χεῖρας ἑαυτῆς ἔχρισε, πρέπειν ἡγησαμένη τῷ ἐπιτηδεύματι τοῦ βίου τὴν περὶ τοῦτο σπουδὴν, ἐκ τοῦ περιόντος τῇ μητρὶ παρεχορήγει τὴν ἐκ τῶν οἰκείων πόνων τροφὴν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτῇ συνδιῳχονόμει τὴν ἐπικειμένην φροντίδα. Τεσσάρων γὰρ υἱῶν ἣν μήτηρ, καὶ πέντε θυγατέρων, καὶ τρισὶν ἄρχουσιν ὑπετέλει, διὰ τὸ ἐν τοσούτοις ἔθνεσιν αὑτῆς κατεσπάρθαι τὴν κτῇσιν. Ποικίλως τοίνυν τῆς μητρὸς ταῖς φροντίσι διὰ τοῦτο μεριζομένης· ἤδη γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ἐξεληλύθει τὸν βίον· ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις κοινωνὸς ἣν τῇ μητρὶ τῶν πόνων, συνδιαιρουμένη τὰς φροντίδας, γαὶ τὸ βαρὺ τῶν ἀλγηδόνων ἐπιχουφίζουσα· καὶ ὁμοῦ μὲν τῇ παιδαγωγίᾳ τῆς μητρὸς ἄμωμον διεφύλασσεν ἑαυτῇ τὸν βίον ἐν μητρῴοις ὀφθαλμοῖς διαπαντὸς εὐθυνὅμενόν τε καὶ μαρτυρούμενον· ὁμοῦ τε παρέσχε πρὸς τὺν ἴσον σχηπὸν, τὸν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν λέγω, μεγάλην κῇ μητρὶ διὰ τοῦ βίου ἑαυτῆς τὴν ὑφήγησιν, κατ᾽ ὀλίγον αὐτὴν πρὸ; τὴν ἄῦλόν τε καὶ τελειοτέραν ζωὴν ἐφελκομένη. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὰ κατὰ τὰς ἀδελφὰς πρὸς πὸ δοκοῦν ἐκάστῃ μετ᾽ εὐσχημοσύνης ἡ μήτηρ ᾧκονομήσατο, ἐπάνεισιν ἐν τούτῳ τῶν παιδευτηρίων πολλῷ χρόνῳ προσασχηθεὶς τοῖς λόγοις, ὁ πολὺς Βασίλειος, ὁ ἀδελφὸς τῆς προειρημένης. Λαθοῦσα τοίνυν αὐτὸν ( ὑπερφυῶς ἐπηρμένον τῷ περὶ τοὺς λόγους φρονήματι, καὶ πάντα περιφρονοῦντα τὰ ἀξιώματα, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ λαμπροὺς ἐπηρμένον τῷ ὄγκῳ, τοπτούτῳ τάχει κἀκεῖνον πρὸς τὸν τῖςς φιλοσοφίας σκοπὸν ἐπεσπάσατο, ὥστε ἀποστάντα τῆς κοσμικῆς περιφανείας, καὶ ὑπεριδόντα τοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον θαυμάζεσθαι, πρὸς τὸν ἐργατικὸν τουτονὶ καὶ αὐτόχειρα βίον αὐτομολῆσαι, διὰ τῆς τελείας ἀκτημοσύνης, ἀνεμπόδιστον ἑαυτῷ τὸν εἰς ἀρετὴν βίον παρασχευάζονῖα. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὁ μὲν ἐκείνου βίος, καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς ἐπιτηδεύματα, δι᾽ ὧν ὀνομαστὸς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ ὑφ᾽ ἥλιον γενόμενος, ἀπέκρυψε τῇ δόξῃ πάντας τοὺς ἐν ἀρετῇ διαλάμψαντας, μακρᾶς ἂν εἴη συγγραφῆς καὶ χρόνου πολλοῦ· ἐμοὶ δὲ πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον πάλιν ὁ λόγος πετράφθω. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πάσης ὑλωδεστέρας ζωῆς ὑπόθεσις ἤδη αὐτῆς περιχέχοπτο, πείθει τὴν μητέρα χαταλιποῦσαν τὸν ἐν ἔθει βίον, καὶ τὴν χομπωδεστέραν διαγωγὴν, καὶ τὰς ἐκ τῶν ὑποχειρίων θεραπείας, αἷς προείθιστο κατὰ τὸν ἔμπροσθεν χρόνον, ὁμότιμον γενέσθαι τοῖς πολλοῖς τῷ φρονήματι, καὶ χαταμῖξαι τὴν ἰδίαν ζωὴν τῇ μετὰ τῶν παρθένων διαγωγῇ ὅσας εἶχε μεθ᾽ ἑαυτῆς ἐκ δουλίδων, καὶ ὑποχειρίων ἀδελφὰς, καὶ ὁμοτίμους ποιησαμένη· μᾶλλον δὲ μικρόν βούλομα: παρενθεῖναι τῷ διηγήματι, καὶ μὴ παραδραμεῖν ἀνιστόρητον πρᾶγμα τοιοῦτον, δι᾽ οὗ μᾶλλον τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῆς παρθένου ἯΝν τῶν τεσσάρων ἀδελφῶν, ὁ δεύτερος μετὰ τὸν μέγαν Βασίλειον, Ναυχράτιος ὄνομα, φύσεως εὐχληκαὶ σώματος κάλλει, καὶ ῥώμῃ, καὶ τάχει, καὶ τῇ πρὺς πᾶν ἐπιτηδειότητι διαφέρων τῶν ἄλλων. Προελθὼν οὗτος εἰς δεύτερον ἔτος καὶ εἰχοστὺν, καὶ … δοὺς τῶν οἰκείων πόνων ἐπὶ δημοσίας ἀκοῆς τὰς ἀποδείξεις, ὥστε ἅπαν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ σεισθῆναι τῶν ἀκουόντων τὸ θέατρον, θείᾳ τινὶ προμηθείᾳ τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἀπάντων ὑπεριδὼν, πρὸς τὸν μονήρη καὶ ἀχτήμονα βίον ἀπῆλθεν ἐν μεγάλῃ τινὶ τῆς διανοίας ὁρμῇ, οὐδὲν ἐπαγόμενος μεθ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ πλὴν ἑαυτοῦ· εἴπετο δέ τις αὐτῷ καὶ τῶν οἰκετῶν Χρυσάφιος τοὔνομα, τῷ τε πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχειν ἐκεῖνον ἐπιτηδείως, καὶ τῷ τὴν αὐτὴν προαίρεσιν περὶ τὸν βίον ἐνστήσασθαι. Διῆγε τοίνυν καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐσχατιάν τινα καταλαδὼν, πρὸς τῷ Ἴριδι. Ποταμὸς δὲ ὁ Ἷρις ἐστὶ, μέσον διαῤῥέων τὸν Πόντον· ὃς ἀπ᾽ αὐτῆς τῆς ᾿Αρμενίας τὰς ἀρχὰς ἔχων, διὰ τῶν ἡ μετέρων τόπων, ἐπὶ τὸν Εὐξείνου Πόντον τὸ ῥεῖθρον ἐκδίδωσι. Περὶ τοῦτον εὑρών τινα τόπον ὁ νεανίας ὕλῃ βαθείᾳ κομῶντα, καὶ λόφον τινὰ τῆς ὑπερτεταμένης τοῦ ὄρους ῥαχίας ἐγκεκρυμμένον, ἐν αὐτῷ διῆγε, τῶν ἀστυχῶν θορύύων καὶ τῶν ἀπὸ στρατείας τε καὶ τῶν ἐν δικαστηρίοις ῥητορικῆς ἀσχολημάτων πόῤῥω γενόμενος. Καὶ πάντων τῶν περὶ τὸν βίον περιηχούντων τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν ἑαυτὸν ἐλευθερώσας . τοὺς πρεσθύτας τινὰς πενίᾳ καὶ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ συζῶντας, ταῖς ἰδίαις χεροὶν ἐθεράπευε· πρέπειν δοκιμάσας τῷ ἰδίῳ βίῳ τὴν τοιαύτην ἀσχολίαν διὰ φροντίδος ἔχειν.

### English translation (Claude)

filled up mutually by both for each other. For the one cared for the young girl's soul, the other for her mother's body, fulfilling the service needed in all other things, and also often preparing bread for her mother with her own hands. This she did not make her principal concern; but since she had anointed her hands with the mystical services, thinking that care for this befitted the pursuit of her life, she supplied her mother over and above with food from her own labours. And not this only, but she also shared with her in managing all the care that lay upon her. For her mother was the mother of four sons and five daughters, and paid taxes to three governors, because her property was scattered among so many provinces. Since, then, her mother was divided among cares in various ways (for her father had already departed this life), in all these things she was her mother's partner in labours, dividing her cares and lightening the weight of her sorrows. At the same time, under her mother's training, she kept her life blameless, always guided and attested under her mother's eyes; and at the same time she gave her mother, by her own life, great guidance toward the same aim, I mean that of philosophy, drawing her little by little toward the immaterial and more perfect life.

When the mother had arranged the affairs of the sisters with seemliness according to what seemed good for each, there returned at this time from the schools, having been trained for a long time in letters, the great Basil, the brother of the one we are speaking of. She took him, then, exceedingly puffed up with pride in his eloquence, looking down on all dignities, and lifted up in self-importance above those who were brilliant in power, and drew him too so quickly to the aim of philosophy that he withdrew from worldly distinction, despised being admired for his eloquence, and deserted to this laborious life of working with one's own hands, preparing for himself by perfect poverty a life unhindered for virtue. But his life and the pursuits that followed, through which he became famous throughout the whole world under the sun and eclipsed by his glory all who had shone in virtue, would need a long treatise and much time; let my discourse turn back again to its subject. For since every occasion of a more material life had now been cut off for her, she persuades her mother to leave her accustomed way of life, the more ostentatious manner of living, and the services of subordinates to which she had been accustomed in earlier time, and to become equal in mind with the many, and to mingle her own life with the way of life of the virgins, making sisters and equals of all the slaves and subordinates whom she had with her. But I wish to insert a little into the narrative, and not to pass by without relating such a matter, by which the loftiness of the virgin [is shown] the more.

[There was among] the four brothers one, the second after the great Basil, Naucratius by name, who excelled the others in natural gifts, in beauty of body, in strength and speed and fitness for everything. When he had reached his twenty-second year and had given proofs of his own labours before a public audience, so that the whole theatre of hearers was shaken by him, by some divine providence he despised everything in his hands and went off to the solitary life without possessions, with a great impulse of mind, bringing nothing with him but himself. One of the servants followed him, Chrysaphius by name, both because he was devoted to him and because he had taken up the same choice of life. He lived by himself, then, having taken a remote spot on the Iris. The Iris is a river flowing through the middle of Pontus; having its source in Armenia itself, it sends its stream through our parts into the Euxine Sea. Near it the young man found a place thick with deep woods and a hill hidden in the overhanging ridge of the mountain, and lived there, far from the noises of the city and the occupations of military service and of rhetoric in the law courts. And having freed himself from everything that din about human life, he cared with his own hands for some old people who lived in poverty and sickness, judging that such an occupation fitted his own life.

### Translation notes

- "Anointed her hands with the mystical services": probably that she baked the eucharistic bread (ταῖς μυστικαῖς ὑπηρεσίαις). The family: four sons and five daughters; property in three provinces. Naucratius's age is "his twenty-second year" in this text.
- The scan's leaked Latin-column text is removed by logged corrections; some words are lost before the Naucratius episode (marked …).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 3 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/3).

## Life of Macrina, part 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1/#p-4
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Naucratius dies suddenly while hunting; Macrina's steadfastness keeps their mother from grief, and mother and daughter take up a common life with their former maids, living like the angels.

### Greek text

Θηρεύων τοίνυν ἰχθύας ἤγρενεν ὁ γεννάδας - καὶ διὰ τὸ πρὸ; πᾶν εἶδος θηρευτιχῆς ἐπινοίας ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν, ἐπόριζε διὰ τῆς θήρας τοῖς στέργουσ! τὴν τροφήν· καὶ τὴν νεότητα τοῖς τοιούτοις ἅμα χατεδάμαξζε πόνοις· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μητρῴοις θελήμασιν, εἴ ποτέ τι παρʼ αὐτῆς προσταχθείη, προθύμως ὑπηρετῶν, δι᾿ ἀμφοτέρων κατώρθου τὸν βίον· τοῖς τε πόνοις χαταχρατῶν τῆς νεότητος, τῇ τε περὶ τὴν μητέρα σπουδῇ, διὰ νῶν θείων ἐντολῶν, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὑὐοδούμενος. Πέμπτον διήγαγεν ἕτος τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον φιλοσοφῶν, καὶ μαχαριστὴν ποιῶν τὴν μητέρα τῇ ἰδίᾳ ξωῇ, οἷς τε κατεκόσμει διὰ σωφροσύνης τὴν οἰκίαν ζωὴν, οἷς τε παρεῖχε πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν ἑαυτοῦ τῷ θελήματι τῆς γεννησαμένης. Εἶτα βαρύ τι καὶ τραγικὸν πάθος ἐξ ἐπιδουλῇς, οἵμαι, τοῦ ἀντικειμένου τῇ μητρὶ συντυέχθη, ὃ παντὶ τῷ γένει πρὸς συμφοράν πε καὶ πένθος ἐπήρκεσεν. Αἰφνιδίως γὰρ ἐκ τῆς ζωῆς παρασχευάπαντος, οὐκ ἄλλου τοιούτου τινὸς τῶν συνἥθων καὶ γνωρίμων ἐπαγαγόντος τῷ νέῳ τὸν θάνατον· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ θήραν ὁρμήσας, δι᾿ ἃς παρεῖχε τοῖς τὰ ἐπιτήδεια, νεκρὸς τῷ οἴκῳ αὖτοῦ ἐπανάγεται, αὑτός τε ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ὁ κοινωνὸς αὐτῷ τοῦ βίου Χρυσάφιος. Πόῤῥω δὲ ἣν τῶν γινομένων ἣ μήτηρ, τριῶν ἡμερῶν ὁδὸν ἀφεστῶσα τῆς συμφορᾶς. Καί τις ἀφίκετο παρ᾽ αὑτὴν μηνύων τὸ πάθος· ἡ δὲ τελεία μὲν τοῖς κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν ἅπασιν ἦν, πλὴν ἐκράτει κἀκείνης κατὰ τὸ ἶσον ἢ φύσις. Ὁχλάσατα ὙΥΧρ τὴν ψυχὴν, ἄπνους τε καὶ ἄφθογγος παραχρῖμα ἐγένετο, τοῦ λογισμοῦ τῷ πάθει παραχωρήσαντος. καὶ ἔκειτο ὁμοῦ τῇ προσθολῇ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἀκοῆς, καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴς γενναῖος, ἀπροσδοκήτῳ χαταἀρετῇ· ὅπως τῷ πάθει ἑαυτήν τε ἄπτωτον διεφύλαξε, καὶ τῆς μητρικῆς ἀσθενείας ἔρεισμα γενομένη, πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ βυθοῦ τῆς λύπης αὐτὴν ἀνενεῴσατο᾽· τῷ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὴν στεῤῥῷ τε καὶ ἀνενδότῳ, καὶ τὴν τῆς μητρὸς ψυχὴν πρὸς Οὐκοῦν οὐ παρεσύρη πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἡ μήτηρ, οὐδὲ ἔπαθε δυσγενές τι καὶ γυναικεῖον, ὥστε βοῆσαι πρὸς τὸ κακὸν, ἣ περιῤῥήξασθαι τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἣ ἐπικωχῦσαι τῷ πάθει, ἣ ταῖς γοεραῖς μελῳδίαις ἀνακινῆσαι τοὺς θρήνους. ᾿Αλλὰ ἡσυχῇ διεκαρτέρει τοῖς λογισμοῖς, ταῖς τῆς φύσεως προσδολαῖς διωθουμένη, λογισμοῖς τε τοῖς ἰδίοις καὶ τοῖς παρὰ τῆς θυγαρὸς αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κακοῦ θεραπείαν προσαγομένοις. Τότε γὰρ δὴ μάλιστα ὑψηλή τε καὶ ἐπηρμένη ἡ τῆς παρθένου ψυχὴ διεφάνη· ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ μὲν ἡ φύσις τὸ᾽ ἴδιον ἔπασχεν· ἀδελφὸς γὰρ ἦν, καὶ ἀδελφῶν ὁ κεχαρισμένος, ὁ τῷ τοιούτῳ τρόπῳ τοῦ θανάτου ἀναρπασθείς. Ὅμως ὑψηλοτέρα γενομένη τῆς φύσεως, συνεπῆρε τοῖς ἰδίοις λογισμοῖς τὴν μητέρα, καὶ ὑπεράνω τοῦ πάθους ἔστησε· τῷ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὴν ὑποδείγματι, πρὸς ὑπομονὴν τε καὶ ἀνδρείαν παιδα· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ ὁ. βίος αὐτῆς ἀεὶ δι᾽ ἀρετῆς ὑψούμενος, οὐ παρεῖχε τῇ μητρὶ χαερὸν ἐπὶ τῷ λείποντι δυσχεραίνειν μᾶλλον, ἢ τῷ ὁρωμένῳ ἀγαθῷ , Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐπαύσατο τῇ μητρὶ, ἢ τε τῆς παιδοτροφίας φροντὶς καὶ ἡ τῆς παιδεύσεώς τε καὶ καταστάσεως τῶν τέκνων μέριμνα, καὶ αἱ πλείους τῆς ὑλωδεστέρας ζωῆς ἀφορμαὶ, εἰς τὰ τέκνα χατεμερίσθησαν᾽ τότε, καθὼς προείρηται, γίνεται σύμθουλος τῆς μητρὸς ἡ τῆς παρθένου ζωὴ πρὸς τὴν ἐμφιλόσοφον ταύτην καὶ ἄϊδλον τοῦ βίου διαγωγήν καὶ ἀποστήσασα τῶν ἐν συνηθείᾳ πάντων, πρὸς τὸ ἴδιον τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης μέτρον μετήγαγεν· ὁμότιμον αὐτὴν γενέσθαι τῷ πληρώματι τῶν παρθένων παρασκευάσασα, ὡς καὶ τραπέζης μιᾶς, καὶ κοίτης, καὶ πάντων τῶν πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν κατὰ τὸ ἴσον συμμετέχειν αὐταῖς, πάσης τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν διαφορᾶς ὑφαιρεθείσης αὐτῶν τῆς ζωῆς. Καὶ τοιαύτη τις ἦν ἡ τοῦ βίου τάξις, καὶ τοσοῦτον τὸ ὕψος τῆς φιλοσοφίας, καὶ ἡ σεμνὴ τῆς ζωῆς πολιτεία ἐν τῇ καθ᾽ Ἡμέραν τε καὶ νύκτα διαγωγῇ, ὡς ὑπερόαίνειν τὴν ἐκ τῶν λόγων ὑπογραφήν. Καθάπερ γὰρ αἱ διὰ θανάτου τῶν σωμάτων ἐχλυθεῖσαι ψυχαὶ, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον μεριμνῶν συνεχλύονται, οὕτως χεαὑτῶν ἡ ζωὴ, καὶ χῆς ματαιότητος, καὶ πρὸς μέμησιν τῆς τῶν ἀγγέλων ζωῆς ἐῤῥυθμίξετο. Ἔν οἷς γὰρ οὐ θυμὸς, οὐ φθόνος, οὐ μῖσος, οὐκ ὑπέροψία, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν τοιούτων ἐνεωρᾶτο᾽ ἣ τε τῶν ματαίων ἐπιθυμία, τιμῆς τε καὶ δόξης, καὶ τύφου, καὶ ὑπερηφανίας, καὶ πάντων τῶν τοιούτων ἐχθεθλημένων. Τρυφὴ δὲ ἣν ἡ ἐγκράτεια, καὶ δόξα τὸ μὴ γινώσκεσθαι. Πλοῦτος δὲ ἦν ἢ ἀκτημοσύνη, καὶ τὸ πᾶσαν τὴν ὑλικὴν περιουσίαν, οἷόν τινα κόνιν τῶν σωμάτων, ἀποτινάξασθα!. Ἔργον δὲ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ζωὴν ταύτην σπουδαζομένων οὐδὲν, ὅτι μὴ πάρεργον. Μόνη δὲ -ἣ τῶν θείων μελέτη, καὶ τὸ τῆς προσευχῆς ἀδιάλειπτον, καὶ ἡ ἄπαυστο: ὑμνῳδία- κατὰ τὸ ἴσον συμπαρατεινομένη τῷ χρόνῳ, διὰ γυχτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας πάσης ᾿ ὥστε αὐταῖς καὶ ἔμ τον ᾿ρβῶγι πὶ εἶναι τοῦτο, καὶ ἔργον, ἀνάπαυσιν. Τὴν τοίνυν τοιαῦτὴν διαγωγὴν τίς ἂν ὑπ᾽ ὄψιν ἀγάγοι λόγος ἀνθρώ; Παρ᾽ οἷς μεθόριο: ἦν ἡ ζωὴ τῆς τε ἀνθρωπίνης καὶ τῆς ἀσωμάτου φύσεως. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἕλευΘερωθῆναι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων παθημάτων τὴν φύσιν κρεῖττον ἣ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἧν᾽ τὸ δὲ ἐν σώματι φαίνεσθαι καὶ σχήματι περιειλῆφθαι, καὶ τοῖς αἰσθητιχοῖς ὀργάνοις συζῇν, ἐν τούτῳ τῆς ἀγγελικῆς τε καὶ ἀσωμάτου φύσεως τὸ ἔλαττον εἶχον. Τάχα δ᾽ ἄν τις τολμήσας εἴποι μηδὲ καταδεεστέραν τὴν παραλλαγὴν εἶναι· ὅτε σαρκὶ συζῶντες, καθ᾽ ὁμοιότητα τῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων, οὐκ ἐδαροῦντο τοῦ σώματος ᾿ ἀλλ᾽ ἀνωφερής τε καὶ μετέωρο;

### English translation (Claude)

So the noble youth hunted and caught fish; and because he was skilled in every kind of hunting device, he provided food for those he loved by his hunting, and at the same time subdued his youth with such labours. He also served his mother's wishes eagerly, whenever she gave him any command, and through both he set his life right: subduing his youth by labours, and through his care for his mother making a good journey to God by the divine commandments. He spent the fifth year living this philosophic life, making his mother blessed by his own life, both by adorning his home life with self-control and by putting all his strength at the will of the one who bore him. Then a heavy and tragic suffering befell the mother, by the plotting, I think, of the adversary, which sufficed to bring calamity and mourning on the whole family. For he was suddenly snatched from life …, no other such person of his companions and acquaintances having brought death on the young man; but having set out on a hunt, by which he provided necessities for those [he cared for], he is brought home dead, he himself and Chrysaphius, the partner of his life. His mother was far from what happened, three days' journey away from the calamity. Someone came to her reporting the misfortune. She was perfect in all the virtues, yet nature prevailed even over her equally. For, her soul giving way, she at once became breathless and speechless, her reason yielding to the passion; and she lay there at the very blow of the evil news, like a noble athlete [overthrown] by an unexpected [blow]. [Here Macrina's] virtue [was shown]: how in the passion she kept herself from falling and, becoming a support for her mother's weakness, raised her again from the depth of grief, [leading] her mother's soul too by her own firmness and steadfastness [to endurance]. So the mother was not swept away by the passion, nor suffered anything ignoble and womanish, so as to cry out at the evil, or tear her garment, or wail over the suffering, or stir up laments with mournful songs. But she endured quietly in her thoughts, thrusting off the assaults of nature both by her own thoughts and by those brought to her by her daughter for the healing of the evil. For then above all the virgin's soul appeared lofty and exalted: because nature in her too suffered what was its own; for he was her brother, and the dearest of her brothers, who was snatched away by such a manner of death. Nevertheless, becoming higher than nature, she raised her mother with her by her own thoughts and set her above the passion, [training her] by her own example to endurance and courage. And besides, her life, always raised up by virtue, did not give her mother occasion to be distressed at what was lacking more than to rejoice in the good that was seen.

When, then, the mother's care for the bringing up of children and her concern for the education and settling of the children had ended, and most of the occasions of the more material life had been divided among the children, then, as has been said, the virgin's life becomes her mother's counsellor toward this philosophic and immaterial manner of life; and having drawn her away from all that was customary, she brought her over to her own measure of humility, preparing her to become equal to the whole community of virgins, so that she shared with them on equal terms one table and bed and everything needed for life, every difference of rank having been removed from their life. And such was the order of their life, and so great the height of their philosophy, and so venerable the conduct of their life in their manner of living by day and night, that it surpasses description in words. For just as souls released from bodies by death are released at the same time from the cares of this life, so their life was separated from [all worldly] vanity and ordered in imitation of the life of the angels. For among them was seen no anger, no envy, no hatred, no arrogance, nor anything of the kind, the desire for vain things, honour and glory and vanity and pride and all such things, having been cast out. Their luxury was self-control, and their glory to be unknown; their wealth was poverty and having shaken off all material abundance like dust from their bodies. Of the things pursued in this life none was their work except as a by-work. Only the study of divine things, and unceasing prayer, and ceaseless hymnody, stretched out equally with time through every night and day, so that this was for them both work and rest from work. What human word could bring such a manner of life before the eyes? Their life was on the border between human and incorporeal nature. For that their nature was freed from human passions was more than human; but that they appeared in a body and were enclosed in a form and lived with the organs of sense, in this they had less than the angelic and incorporeal nature. Perhaps one might dare to say that the difference was not even lower, since, living with the flesh, they were not weighed down by the body, like the incorporeal powers, but their life was borne upward and aloft,

### Scripture references

- Luke 20:36: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Thess 5:17: allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Lines are lost in the scan describing the manner of Naucratius's death and Macrina's response (bracketed words supplied by sense). The scan reads τοῖς στέργουσι ("those he loved") for the old people Naucratius fed; the reading is uncertain.
- The community's life: one table and bed for all, "every difference of rank removed"; continual prayer and psalmody day and night.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 4 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/4).

## Life of Macrina, part 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/1/#p-5
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Macrina raises her youngest brother Peter; their mother dies blessing them as first-fruits and tithe; Basil becomes bishop and ordains Peter, then dies; Gregory, after a synod at Antioch and eight years of exile, sets out to visit her.

### Greek text

αὐτῶν ἡ ζωὴ, ταῖς οὐρανίαις συμμετεωροποροῦσα δυνάμεσι· χρόνος ἣν τῆς τοιαύτης διαγωγῆς, οὐκ ὀλίγος· καὶ συνηύξετο τῷ χρόνῳ τὰ κατορθώματα, ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ καθαρώτερον ταῖς τῶν ἐφευρισχομένων ἀγαθῶν προσθήκαις τῆς φιλοτοφίας ἐπιδιδούσης. Ἦν δὲ αὐτῇ, ὁ μάλιστα πρὸς τὸν μέγαν τοῦτον τοῦ βίου σκοπὸν ὑπηρετῶν, ἀδελφός τις ὁμογάστριος, Πέτρος ὄνομα αὑτῷ, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ ἔληξαν τῆς μητρὸς ἡμῶν αἱ ὠδῖνες. Οὗτος γὰρ ἦν ὁ τελευταῖος τῶν ὠδίνων βλαστός - ὃς ὁμοῦ τε υἱὸς, καὶ ὀρφανὸς ὠνομάσθη ἅμα γὰρ τῷ παρελθεῖν τοῦτον εἰς φῶς, καταλείπει ὁ πατὴρ τὸν βίον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἡ πρεσδυτάτη τῶν ἀδελφῶν, περὶ ἧς ὁ λόγος, μικρὰ τῆς θηλῆς αὐτὸν παρὰ τὴν πρώτην γένεσιν μετασχόντα, εὐθὺς ἀποσπάσασα τῆς πιθηνουμένης, δι᾽ ἑαυτῆς ἀνατρέφει τε καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν Ἦγαγε παίδευσιν, τοῖς ἱεροῖς τῶν μαθημάτων ἐκ νηπίων αὐτὸν δοῦναι τῇ ψυχῇ σχολὴν πρός τι τῶν ματαίων ἔπικλιθῆναι. ᾿Αλλὰ πάντα γενομένη τῷ νέῳ,, πατὴρ, διδάσκαλος, παιδαγωγὸς, μήτηρ, ἀγαθοῦ παντὸς σύμὄουλος, τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν ἀπειργάσατο, ὡς πρὶν ἐξελθεῖν τὴν ἡλικίαν τῶν παίδων ἕτι ἐν μειρακίῳ, τῇ ἀπαλότητι τῆς ἡλικίας ἀνθοῦντα, πρὸς τὸν ὑψηλὸν τῆς φιλοσοφίας σκοπὸν ἐπαρθῆναι. Καί τινι φύσεως εὐχληρίᾳ πρὸς πᾶσαν τέχνην ἰδίαν τὴν διὰ χειρὸς ἐνεργουμένην ἐπιτηδείως ἔχειν, ὡς μηδενὸς καθηγουμένου, διὰ πάσης ἀχριθείας ἑκάστου τὴν ἐπιστήμην κατωρθωκέναι, ὧν χρόνῳ καὶ πόνῳ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἡ μάθησις γίνεται. Οὗτος τοίνυν τῆς περὶ τοὺς ἔξωθεν Ὁ τῶν λόγων ἀσχολίας ὑπεριδὼν, ἱκανὴν δὲ διδάσκαλον παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ μαθήματος τὴν φύσιν ἔχων, ἀεί τε πρὸς τὴν ἀδελφὴν βλέπων, καὶ σκοπὸν ἀγαθοῦ παντὸς ἐκείνην ποιούμενος, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐπέδωκεν ἀρετῆς εἶδος, ὡς μηδὲν ἔλαττον τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου δοκεῖν ἔχειν ἐν τοῖς κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν προτερήμασιν ἐν τῷ ϑετὰ ταῦτα βίῳ. Τότε δὲ ἀντὶ πάντων ἦν τῇ ἀδελφῇ καὶ τῇ μητρὶ, συνεργῶν αὑταῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀγγελικὴν Ὅς ποτε καὶ σιτολειψίας χαλεπῆς γεγενημένης, καὶ πολλῶν πανταχόθεν κατὰ φήμην τῆς εὐποιίας πρὸς τὴν ἐσχατιὰν, ἐν ἧ χκατῴχουν, ἐπιῤῥεόντων· τοσοῦτον δι᾽ ἐπινοιῶν τὰς τροφὰς ἐπλεόνασεν, ὡς τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἐπιφοιτώντων, πόλιν εἶναι τὴν ἐρημίαν δοκεῖν· ἐν τούτῳ εἰς γῆρας λιπαρὸν προελθοῦσσ μήτηρ, πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν μετανίστατο, ἐν ταῖς ἀμφοτέρων τῶν τέκνων χεροὶ τὸν βίον ἑαυτῆς ἀναπαύσασα. Ἧς ἄξιον τὴν τῆς εὐλογίας ἱστορῆσαι φωνὴν, ἧ ἐπὶ κῶν τέκνων ἐχρήσατο, τῶν τε μὴ παρόντων ἑκάστου κατὰ τὸ πρὸς φίλον ἐπιμνησθεῖτα, ὡς μηδὲ ἕνα γενέσθαι τῆς εὐλογίας ἀπόχληρον, καὶ διαφερόντως τοὺς παρόντας αὐτῇ τῷ Θεῷ διὰ προσευχΐς παραθεμένη. Παρακαθημένων γὰρ αὐτῇ κατὰ τὸ πλάγιον ἐφ᾽ ἑκάτερα τῆς κλίνης τῶν δύο τούτων, ἐκατέρᾳ χειρὶ ἐφαψαμένη τῶν τέκνων, ταῦτα πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εἶπεν ἐν τελευταίαις φωναῖς· Σοὶ, Κύριε, καὶ ἀπάργομαι, καὶ ἀποδεκατῶ τὸν καρπὸν τῶν ὠδίνων. ᾿Απαρχή μοι ἣ πρωτότοκος αὕτη, καὶ ἐπιδέχατος οὗτος ἢ τελευταία ὠδίς. Σοὶ δὲ ἀφιέρωται παρὰ τοῦ νόμου ἑκάτερα, καὶ σά ἐστιν ἀναθήματα. Οὐκοῦν ἕλθοι ὁ ἁγιασμὸς ἐπί τε τὴν ἀρχήν μου ταύτην, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἐπιδέκατον τοῦτο δείξασα ταῖς ἐπιδειχτιξζαῖς φωναῖς τὴν θυγατέρα καὶ τὸν παῖδα. Ἡ μὲν οὖν τοῦ εὐλογεῖν παυσαμένη, καὶ τοῦ ζῇν ἐπαύσατο, τοῖς παισὶν ἐπισχήψασα τὸ τῇ πατρῴᾳ σορῷ καὶ τὸ ἐκείνὴς ἐναποθέσθαι σῶμα. Οἱ δὲ πληρώσαντες τὸ διατεταγμένον, ὑψηλότερον εἴχοντο τῆς φιλοσοφίας, ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον διαμιλλώμενοι βίον, καὶ τὰ φθάσαντα τῶν κατορθωμάτων τοῖς ἐφεξῆς ἀποἘν τούτῳ ὁ πολὺς ἐν ἁγίοις Βασίλειος τῆς μεγάλης Καισαρέων Ἐκκλησίας ἀνεδείχθη προστάτης· ἐπὶ τὸν κλῆρον τῆς ἐν τῷ πρεσθυτερείῳ ἱερωσύνης τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἄγει, ταῖς μυστικαῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἑερουργίαις ἀφιερώσας. Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ πάλιν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τὸ σεμνότερόν τε καὶ ἁγιώτερον προήε! ὁ βίος, τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐπαυξηθείσης. Ὀκτὼ δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο διαγενομένων ἐτῶν, τῷ ἐννάτῳ ἐνιαυτῷ, ὁ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ὀνομαστὸς Βασίλειος, ἐξ ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν μετοιχίζεται, κοινὴ. πένθους ἀφορμὴ τῇ πατρίδι καὶ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ γενόμενος. Ἢ δὲ πόῤῥωθεν ἐκ φήμης ἀκούσασα τὴν συμφορὰν, ἔπαθε μὲν τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπὶ τῇ τοσαύτῃ ζημίᾳ (πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔμελλεν ἅπτεσθαι κἀκείνης τὸ πάθος, οὗ καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπήσθοντο; )· καθάπερ δὲ τὴν τοῦ χρυσοῦ φασι δοκιμασίαν ἐν διαφόροις γίνεσθαι χωνευτηρίοις, ὡς εἴ. τι τὴν πρώτην διαφύγοι χωνείαν, ἐν τῇ δευτέρᾳ διακριθῆναι, καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῇ τελευταίᾳ πάντα τὸν ἐμμεμιγμένον ῥύπον τῇ ὕλῃ τὴν δὲ ἀχριδεστέραν εἶναι βάσανον Ὦ τοῦ δοκίμου χρυσοῦ, ἧ διὰ πάση: διεξελθὼν χωνείας μηδένα ῥύπον ἀποποιήσειε· τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ἐπ’· ταῖς διαφόροις τῶν λυπηρῶν προσδολσῖς τῆς ὑψηλῆς διανοίας βασανισθείσης, πανταχόθεν ἀναδειχθῆναι τὸ τῆς ψυχῆς ἀχιδδήλευτόν καὶ ἀταπείνωτον. Πρότερον μὲν ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ ἄλλου μεταστάσει· μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ἐν τῷ χωρισμῷ τῆς μιτρός· ἐκ τρίτου δὲ, ὅτε τὸ κοινὸν τῆς γενεᾶς καλὸν, ὁ μέγας Βασίλειος, τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ζωῆς ἔχωρίξετο.·Ἔμεινε τοίνυν, καθάπερ τις ἀθλητὴς ἀκαταγώνιοστος, οὐδαμοῦ τῇ προσδολῇ τῶν συμφορῶν ἀποἜΝννατος ἣν μετὰ τὸ πάθος τοῦτο μὴν, ἣ μικρὸν ὑπὲρ τοῦτο, καὶ σύνοδο: ἐπισκόπων κατὰ τὴν ᾿Αντιόχου πόλιν ἐθροίζετο, ἧς καὶ ἡμεῖς μετέσχομεν. Καὶ ἐπειξὴ πάλιν πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἔκαστος ἀπελύϑημεν, πρὶν τὸν ἐνιαυτὸν παρελθεῖν, ἐνθύμιον ἐμοὶ τῷ Γρητοιαύτη τις ἣν, ὡς ἀντὶ προσκεφαλαίου τῇ κεφαλῇ δαίνουσα, καὶ καταθυμίως ἀνέχουσα ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῆς τὸν γορίῳ γίνεται πρὸς αὑτὴν διαθῆναι. Πολὺς γὰρ ἧ ὁ διὰ μέσου χρόνος, ἐν ᾧ τὰς ἐπισχέψεις αἱ τῶν πειρασμῶν περιστάσεις ἐκώλυσαν, ἃς ὑπέμενον πανταχοῦ τῆς πατρίδος ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς αἱρέσεως ἐπιστα τούντων ἐξελαυνόμενος, Καὶ ἀριθμοῦντί μοι τὸν δ: μέσου χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ τὴν κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὺς συντυχίαν οἱ πειρασμοὶ διεχώλυσαν, οὐκ ὀλίγον ἐφαίνετο τὸ διάστημα ὀκτὼ μικροῦ δεῖν παραμετρούμφνον ἔτεσιν.

### English translation (Claude)

travelling aloft together with the heavenly powers. The time of such a manner of life was not short, and their achievements grew with time, their philosophy always advancing toward greater purity by the addition of goods discovered.

She had a brother of the same womb who served her most in this great aim of life, Peter by name, with whom our mother's childbearing ended. For he was the last shoot of her labours, who was named at once son and orphan; for as soon as he came into the light, his father left this life. But the eldest of the siblings, of whom this account speaks, took him from the nurse at once, when he had had a little of the breast at his first birth, and brought him up herself, and led him to all the higher education, [training him] from infancy in the sacred lessons, [so as not to give] his soul leisure to incline to anything vain. Becoming everything to the young man, father, teacher, tutor, mother, counsellor in every good, she made him such that before he passed out of the age of boyhood, while still a youth blooming in the tenderness of his age, he was raised to the lofty aim of philosophy. And by some good fortune of nature he was so apt for every art practised by hand that, with no one guiding him, he mastered with all exactness the skill of each of the things which most people learn with time and labour. He, then, despising occupation with outside learning, and having in his nature a sufficient teacher of every good lesson, and always looking to his sister and making her the aim of every good, advanced so far in every kind of virtue that in his later life he seemed to have nothing less than the great Basil in the excellences of virtue. But at that time he was everything to his sister and his mother, working with them toward the angelic [life]. Once, when a severe famine had come and many from everywhere flowed to the remote place where they lived because of the fame of their good works, he so multiplied the food by his contrivances that the wilderness seemed a city because of the crowd of those who came.

Meanwhile the mother, having come to a rich old age, departed to God, resting her life in the hands of both these children. It is worth recording the words of blessing that she used over her children, remembering each of those absent as was fitting, so that not one was left without a share in the blessing, and especially commending to God in prayer those who were present. For as these two sat beside her on either side of the bed, she took hold of the children with each hand and said these things to God in her last words: "To you, Lord, I offer both the first-fruits and the tithe of the fruit of my labours. This firstborn is my first-fruits, and this last child is the tithe. Both have been dedicated to you by the law, and they are your offerings. Let sanctification come, then, upon this first-fruit of mine and upon this tithe," pointing with her words to the daughter and the son. So, ceasing to bless, she ceased to live, having charged her children to lay her body in their father's tomb. And they, having fulfilled what was ordered, held to philosophy more loftily, always contending with their own life and [surpassing] by later achievements those that had gone before.

Meanwhile Basil, great among the saints, was appointed head of the great church of the Caesareans. He brings his brother to the clergy of the priesthood of the presbyterate, consecrating him by his own mystical rites. And in this their life again advanced to greater dignity and holiness, their philosophy being increased by the priesthood. When eight years had passed after this, in the ninth year Basil, famous throughout the whole world, moves from among men to God, becoming a common occasion of mourning for his country and for the world. When she heard of the calamity from afar by report, she suffered in soul at so great a loss (for how could the grief not touch her, when even the enemies of the truth felt it?); but as they say the testing of gold takes place in different furnaces, so that if anything escapes the first melting it is separated in the second, and again in the last all the dross mixed with the material [is purged], and the most exact test of proved gold is that which, having passed through every furnace, leaves no dross: something like this happened to her too; her lofty mind was tested by different assaults of grief, and the genuineness and unbowed spirit of her soul was shown on every side: first at the departure of her other brother, then at the separation from her mother, and a third time when the common glory of the family, the great Basil, was separated from human life. She remained, then, like an unconquered athlete, nowhere [overthrown] by the assault of calamities.

It was the ninth month or a little more after this suffering, and a synod of bishops was gathered in the city of Antioch, in which I too took part. And when we were released each to his own place, before the year had passed, it came into the mind of me, Gregory, to go to her. For the intervening time was long, during which the circumstances of trials had prevented visits, since I was driven everywhere from my country by those who presided over the heresy. And when I counted the intervening time during which the trials had prevented meeting face to face, the interval did not seem short, measuring nearly eight years.

### Scripture references

- Exod 22:29: allusion, medium confidence
- Lev 27:30: allusion, medium confidence
- Num 18:12: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The mother's blessing applies the law of first-fruits and tithes to her firstborn and last-born (Exod 22:29; Lev 27:30). Peter is ordained presbyter by Basil ("the priesthood of the presbyterate"). Gregory's exile under the Arian party ("those who presided over the heresy") lasted nearly eight years in his count. The synod of Antioch is that of 379.
- Some words are lost in the scan (bracketed).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 5 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/5).

## Life of Macrina, part 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/6/#p-6
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory dreams of shining martyrs' relics, finds Macrina dying on a plank, hears her discourse on the soul and the resurrection, and her thanksgiving for God's blessings on their family.

### Greek text

Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ διανύσας, μιᾶς ἡμέρας ἀπεῖχον ὁδὸν, ὄψις τις ἡμῖν ἐξ ἐνυπνίου φανεῖσα, φοδερὰς ἐποίει τὰς ἐλπίδας τοῦ μέλλοντος. Ἐδόκουν γὰρ λείψανα μαρτύρων διὰ χειρὸς φέρειν· εἶναι δὲ ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν αὐγὴν, οἷα ἐκ καθαροῦ τινος γίνεται κατὀπτρου, ὅταν͵ πρὸς τὸν ἥλιον τεθῇ ἀντιπρόσωπον, ὥστε μοι τὰς ὄψεις πρὸς τὴν μαρμαρυγὴν τῆς λαμπηδόνος ἀμδλύνεσθαι. Καὶ τῆς αὑτῆς μοι νυκτὸς εἰς τρὶς γενομένης τῆς τοιαύτης ὄψεως, συμθαλεῖν μὲν οὐκ εἶχον καθαρῶς τοῦ ἐνυπνίου τὸ αἴνιγμα· λύπην δέ τινα τῇ ψυχῇ προσεώρων, καὶ ἐπετήρουν τῇ ἐχδάσει κρῖναι τὴν φαντασίαν. Καὶ δὴ γενόμενος πλησίον τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς, ἐν ἧ διἦγεν ἐκείνη τὴν ἀγγελικήν τε καὶ ἐπουράνιον κατορθοῦσα ξωὴν, ἠρόμην τῶν ἐπιτηδείων τινὰ περὶ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ πρῶτον, εἰ παρὼν εἴη· φήσαντος δὲ πρὸς ἡμᾶς, αὐτὸν ἐξωρμηχέναι, καὶ τετάρτην ἄγειν, συνεὶς ὅπερ ἦν, ὅτι δι᾽ ἑτέρας ὁδοῦ γέγονεν αὐτῷ πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἡ ὁρμὴ, τότε καὶ περὶ τῆς Μεγάλης ἐπυνθανόμὴν τοῦ δὲ φήσαντος, ἐν ἀῤῥωστίᾳ γεγενῆσθαί τινι, σπουδαιότερον εἰχόμην,, ἐν ἐπείξει τὸ λειπόμενον τῆς (Ὁ ὁδοῦ διανύων. Καὶ γάρ με λύπη τις καὶ φόδος μηνυτὴς τοῦ μέλλοντος ὑποδρακὼν διετάρασσεν· καὶ κατ᾽ αὑτὸν ἐγενόμην τὸν τόπον, καὶ προχατήγτῇ ἀδελφότητι τὴν παρουσίαν ἡ φήμη τότε σύνταγμα τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἅπαν, ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρῶνος πρὸς ἡμᾶς προεχέθη· σύνηθες γὰρ αὐτοῖς τιμᾷν τῇ ὑπαντήσει τοὺς χαταθυμίους. Ὁ δὲ ἐν γυναιξὶ τῆς παρθενίας χορὸς εὐκόσμως κατὰ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τὴν εἴσοδον ἡμῶν ἀνέμενεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τέλος εἶχεν ἡ εὐχὴ τε καὶ ἡ εὐλογία, καὶ αἱ μὲν μετὰ τὸ ὑποσχεῖν τῇ εὖλογίᾳ τὴν κεφαλὴν εὐσχημόνως ἀναποδίζουσαι πρὸς ἑαυτὰς ἀνεχώρουν, ὑπελείπετο δὲ ἐξ αὑτῶν πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὐδεμία· εἰκάσας ὅπερ ἧν, μὴ ἐν ἐκείναις εἶναι τὴν χαθηγουμένην, προγγησα μένου ἑινὸς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον, ἐν ᾧ ἣν [ἡ] Μεγάλη, καὶ τὴν θύραν διαπετάσαντος, ἐντὸς τῆς ἱερᾶς ἐκείνης ἐγενόμην μονῆς· ἡ δὲ σφοδρῶς ἤδη τῇ ἀῤῥωστίᾳ κατείχετο· ἀνεπαύετο δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ κλίνης τινὸς ἢ στρωμνῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους, σανίδος ὑποτεταμένης τῷ σάκκῳ,, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἑτέρας πάλιν σανίδος ὑπερειδούσης, ἧς ἡ ἐργασία γίνεσθαι, ἐν λοξῷ τῷ σχήματι τοὺς τένοντας ὑποἘπεὶ οὖν εἶδεν ἐγγὺς τῶν θυρῶν με γενόμενον ὀρθώσασα ἑαυτὴν ἐπ᾽ ἀγκῶνος, προσδραμεῖν οὐκ οἵα τ᾽ ἦν, ἐν τῷ πυρετῷ ἤδη τῆς ἰσχύος ὑπολυθείσης πήξασα δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ὅσον οἷόν τε ἦν, ἔξω ἑαυτὴν τοῦ χαμευνίον προτείνασα, τὴν τῆς ὑπαντήσεως ἐπλήρου τιμήν - κἀγὼ προσδραμὼν, καὶ ταῖς χερσὶν ὑποδαλὼν χαμαὶ τὸ πρόσωπον κεκλιμένον, ἀνώρθωσά τΞ αὐτὴν πάλιν, ΟὨΡΕΠ καὶ ἀπέδωκα τῷ συνήθει τῆς κατακλίσεως σχήματι. προτείνασα τῷ Θεῷ τὴν χεῖρα, Καὶ ταύτην ἐπλήρωσάς μοι, φησὶ, τὴν χάριν, ὁ Θεός· καὶ οὐκ ὑστέρησάς με ἐκ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας μου· ὅτι ἐχίσας τὸν σὸν αἰχέτην εἰς ἐπίσκεψιν τῆς παιδίσκης σου. ν Καὶ ὡς ἂν μηδεμίαν ἐπαγάγοι τῇ ἐμῇ ψυχῇ δυσθυμίαν, τὸν στεναγμὸν χατεπράῦνε, καὶ τὴν συνοχὴν τοῦ ἄσθματος κρύπτειν πως ἐδιάζετο· διὰ πάντων τε πρὸς τὸ εὐθυμότερον μεθηρμόζετο, τῶν χαταθυμίων λόγων αὐτῇ τε κατάρχουσα, καὶ ἡμῖν πὰς ἀφορμὰς, δι᾽ ὧν ἠρώτα, παρασκευάζουσα. Τῆς ὃ περὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Βασιλείου μνήμης τῇ ἀκολουθίᾳ ποῦ λόγου παρεμπεσούσης, ἐμοὶ μὲν ἐπώχλαζεν ψυχὴ, καὶ συνέπιπτεν ἐν κατηφείᾳ τὸ πρόσωπον· ἡ δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχε τῷ ἡμετέρῳ πάθει, ὥστε ἀφορμὴν ποιησαμένη ὑψηλοτέρας φιλοσοφίας τὴν περὶ τοῦ ᾿Αγίου μνήμην, τοιούτους διεξὯλθε λόγους φυσιολογοῦσά τε τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ τὴν θείαν οἰκονομίαν τὴν διὰ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν κεκρυμμένην τῷ λόγῳ διαχαλύπτουσα· τά τε περὶ τῆς μελκαθάπερ θεοφορουμένη τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, διεξιοῦσα· ὥστε μοι τὴν ψυχὴν ἔξω μικροῦ δεῖν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως εἶναι δοκεῖν συνεπαρθεῖσαν τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ ἐντὸς τῶν οὐρανίων ἀδύτων τῇ χειραγωγίᾳ τοῦ λόγου Καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Ἰὼῤδ ἱστορίας ἀκούομεν, ὅτι πανταχόθεν τῇ σηπεδόνι τῶν τραυμάτων ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι δι᾽ ἰχώρων ὁ ἀνὴρ συντηχόμενος, οὐ πρὸς τὸ ἀλγύνον τὴν αἴσθησιν τοῖς λογισμοῖς ἐπεχλίνετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν μὲν τῷ σώματι, τὸ ἀλγοῦν εἶχεν· ὁ δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν οὐκ ἡμδλύνετο, οὐδὲ διέχοπτε τὸν λόγον τοῖς ὑψηλοτέροις ἐμδατεύοντα· τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς μεγάλης ἑώρων ἐκείνης, τοῦ πυρετοῦ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν αὐτῆς χαταφρύγοντος, καὶ πρὸς τὸν θάνατον συνελαύνοντος, καθάπερ δρόσῳ τινὶ τὸ σῶμα τῇ περὶ τῶν ὑψηλῶν θεωρίᾳ τὸν νοῦν, οὐδὲν ὑπὸ τῆς τοσαύτης ἀῤῥωστίας παραδλαπτόμενον. Καὶ εἰ μὴ πρὸς ἄπειρον ἐξετείνετο μῆκος ἡ συγγραφῇ, πάντα ἂν καθεξῆς διηγησάμην· ὅπως ἐπήρθη τῷ λόγῳ περί τε τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῖν φιλοσοφοῦσα, καὶ τῆς διὰ σαρκὸς ζωῆς τὴν αἰτίαν διεξιοῦσα ᾿ καὶ ὅτου χάριν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ὅπως θνητός· καὶ ὅθεν ὁ θάνατος· καὶ τίς ἡ ἀπὸ τούτου πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν πάλιν ἀνάλυσις. Ἐν οἷς ἅπασιν, ὥσπερ ἐμπνευσθεῖσα τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος πάντα διεξήει σαφῶς τε καὶ ἀκολούθως, ἐν εὐκολίᾳ πάσῃ τοῦ λόγου ῥέοντος καθάπερ ἐκ πηγῆς τινος, καὶ ἀπαραποδίστως πρὸς τὸ πρανὲς φερομένου Ἐπεὶ δὲ συνεπεράσθη ὁλόγος,ε Ὥρα σοι, φησὶν, ἀδελφὲ, πολλῷ τῷ κόπῳ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας πεπονηχότι, βραχύ τι διαναπαῦσαι τὸ σῶμα. Κἀμοὶ μεγάλη μὲν καὶ ἀληθὴς ἄνεσις ἣν τὸ προσορᾷν τε αὐτὴν καὶ τῶν μεγάλων ἑἐπαχροᾶσθαι λόγων· ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο κεχαρισμένον ἣν καὶ φίλον αὐτῇ, ὡς ἂν διὰ πάντων πείθεσθαι τῇ διδασκάλῳ δοκοίην, ἕν τινι τῶν παρακειμένων χηπίων χαρίεσσάν τινα καταγωγὴν παρεἐσχευασμένην εὑρὼν, ὑπὸ τὴν τῶν ἀναδενδράδων σκιὰν ἀνεπαυόμην· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἦν δυνατὸν τῶν εὐφραινόντων τὴν αἴσθησιν ἔχειν, τῆς Ψυχῆς ἔνδοθεν τῇ τῶν σκυθρωπῶν ἐλπίδι συνεχομένης. Τῶν γὰρ ἐνυπνίων ἡ ὄψις ἐχχαλύπτειν μοι διὰ τῶν φαινομένων ἐδόκει τὸ αἴνιγμα. Ἦν γὰρ ὡς ἀληθὲς τὸ προκείμενοῦ θέαμα, μάρτυρος ἁγίου λείψανα, ἃ τῇ μὲν ἁμαρτίᾳ ἑἐνενέχρωτο, τῇ δὲ ἐνοιχούσῃ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτι χατελάμπετο. Καὶ ταῦτα πρός τινα διεξῇειν τῶν προακηκοότων μου τὸ ἐνύπνιον· κατηφέστερον δὲ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν λυπηρῶν διακειμένων, οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως στοχασαμένη τῆς ἐν ἡμῖν διανοίας, ἀγγελίαν τινὰ τῶν εὐθυμοτέρων πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαπεμψαμένη, θαῤῥεῖν ἐνεχελεύετο, καὶ τὰς ἀμείνους ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς ἔχειν ἐλπίδας· ἐπήσθετο γὰρ τῆς πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ῥοπῆς. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ πρὸς ἀπάτην ἐλέγετο, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας ὁ λόγος ἦν, κἂν ἡμεῖς πρὸς τὸ παρὸν ἡγνοήσαμεν. Τῷ ὄντι φθεγγομένη, ὅτι ε ᾿Απόκειταί μοι λοιπὸν ὁ τῆς γὰρ καθάπερ τις δρομεὺς παραδραμὼν τὸν ἀντίπαλον, καὶ ἤδη πρὸς τῷ τέρματι τοῦ σταδίου γενόμενος, πρησεγγίζων τῷ βραδείῳ, καὶ τὸν ἐπινίκιον στέφανον βλέπων, ὡς ἤδη τετυχηκὼς τῶν προκειμένων ἐπαγάλλεται αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τοῖς εὐνουστέροις τῶν θεατῶν τὴν νίκην εὐαγγελίζεται· ἀπὸ τοιαύτης ἡμῖν διαθέσεως κἀκείνη τὰ χρηστότερα περὶ αὐτῆς ἐλπίζειν ἐδήλου· ἤδη πρὸς τὸ βραδεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως βλέπουσα, καὶ μονονουχὶ τὸ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ δίκαιος Κριτῆς· ἐπειδὴ ε τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἢγώνισμαι, καὶ τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα καὶ τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα. ν Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀγγελίαν εὔθυμοι καταστάντες, τῆς τῶν προκειμένων ἀπολαύσεως ἦμεν. Ποικίλα δὲ ἣν ταῦτα, καὶ πάτης πλήίρωτο θυμηδίας ἣ παρασκευὴ, οὕτω τῆς Μεγάλης καὶ μέχρι τούτων τῇ σπουδῇ κατιούσης. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πάλιν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἦμεν αὐτῆς, οὐ γὰρ εἴα τὴν εὔσχολον ὥραν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτῶν διάγειν, ἀναλαθοῦσα τῶν ἐκ νεότητος αὐτῆς βεδιωμένων τὴν μνήμην, καθάπερ ἐπὶ συγγραφῆς πάντα καθεξῆς διεξήρχετο· καὶ ὅσα τῆς τῶν πατέρων ζωῆς διὰ μνήμης εἶχε, καὶ τὰ πρὸ τῆς ἐμῆς γεννήσεως, καὶ τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα βίον· σκοπὸς δὲ αὐτῇ τοῦ διηγήματος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαριστία. Τῶν γὰρ γονέων ἀπεδείκνυ τὸν βίον, οὐ τοσοῦτον ἐκ περιουσίας λαμπρὸν τοῖς τότε καὶ περίδλεπτον ὄντα, ὅτον ἐκ θείας φιλανθρωπίας ἐπαυξηθέντα, τῶν μὲν τοῦ πατρὸς γονέων διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ὁμολογίαν δεδημευμένων τοῦ δὲ κατὰ Ὁ μητέρα προπάτορος ἐκ βασιλικῆς ἀγανακτήσεως ἀνρημένου, καὶ πάντων τῶν προσόντων εἰς ἑτέρους μεταχκεχωρηχότων δεσπότας· καὶ ὅμως εἰς τοσοῦτυν διὰ πίστεως τὴν ζωὴν αὐξηθῆναι, ὡς μὴ εἶναι τὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς τότε χρόνοις ὀνομαζόμενον. Πάλιν δὲ τῆς περιουσίας αὑτῶν κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν τέκνων ἐννεαχἧ διατμηθείσης, οὕτω; ἑκάστῳ δι᾽ εὐλογίας πληθυνθῆναι τὴν μοῖραν, ὡς ὑπὲρ τὴν τῶν γονέων εὐκληρίαν τὴν ἑκάστου τῶν τέκνων εἶναι ζωήν αὐτῆς δὲ ἐκείνης τῶν μὲν ἐπωνομασθέντων αὐτῇ κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἰσομοιρίαν ὑπολειφθῆναι μηδὲν, ἀλλὰ πάντα ταῖς χερσὶ τοῦ ἱερέως κατὰ τὴν θείαν ἐντολὴν οἰκονομηθῆναι ᾿ τὸν δὲ βίον αὐτῆς τοιοῦτον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χορηγίας γενέσθαι, ὡς μηδέποτε λῆξαι τὰς χεῖρας εἰς ἐντολὴν ἐνεργούσας, μηδὲ πρὸς ἄνθρωπον ἀποδλέψαι ποτέ· μηδὲ διά τινος ἀνθρωπίνης εὐεργεσίας γενέσθαι αὐτῇ τὰς πρὸς τὴν εὐσχήμονα διαγωγὴν ἀφορμάς· ἀλλὰ μήτε τοὺς αἱτοῦντας ἀποστραφῆναι, μὴτε τοὺς διδόντας ἐπιζητῆσαι, λεληθότως τοῦ θεοῦ καθάπερ τινὰ σπέρματα τὰς βραχείας ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ἀφορμὰς εἰς πολύχουν γαρπὸν ταῖς εὐλογίαις ἐπαύξοντος. Ἐμοῦ δὲ τοὺς ἰδίδυς πόνους, ἐν οἷς ἤμην, διεξιόντος, πρότερον μὲν τοῦ βασιλέως Οὐάλεντος διὰ τὴν πίστιν ἐλαύνοντος, μεξὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῆς ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις συγχύσεως πρὸς ἄθλους ἡμᾶς καὶ καμάτους ἐχχαλουμένης, παύσῃ, φησὶν ἡ Μεγάλη, ἀγνωμόνως ἐπὶ τοῖς θείοις ἀγαθοῖς διακείμενος ; Οὐ θεραπεύσεις τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ ἀχάριστον ; Οὐκ ἀντιπαραθήσεις τοῖς τῶν πατέρων τὰ σά; Καίτοι γε κατὰ τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἐν τούτῳ δὴ μάλιστα μεγαλαυχοῦμεν, ἐν τῷ εὖ γεγονέναι, καὶ ἀπὸ εὐγενῶν φῦναι δοκεῖν. Πολὺς, φησὶ, κατὰ τὴν παίδευσιν ἐν τοῖς τότε χρόνοις ὁ πατὴρ ἐνομίζετο, ἀλλὰ μέχρι τῶν ἐγχωρίων δικαστηρίων ἡ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἰἴστατο δόξα. Μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ τῶν λοιπῶν διὰ τῆς σοφιστικῆς αὐτοῦ καθηγουμένου, οὐκ ἐξῆλθε τὸν Πόντον ἡ φήμη· ἀλλ᾽ ἀγαπητὸν ἦν ἐκείνῳ τὸ ἐν τῇ πα φησὶ, ε πόλεσι, καὶ δήμοις, καὶ ἔθνεσιν ὀνομαστὸς εἶ· καὶ σὲ πρὸς συμμαχίαν τε καὶ διόρθωτιν Ἐκκλησίαι πέμπουσι, καὶ καλοῦσι· καὶ οὐκ ὁρᾷς τὴν χάριν; Οὐδὲ ἐπιγινώσκεις τῶν τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι σε τῶν γονέων αἱ εὐχαὶ πρὸς ὕψος αἴρουσιν, οὐδεμίαν, ἣ ὀλίγην οἴκοθεν ἔχοντα πρὸς τοῦτο παρασκευήν; Ταῦτα διεξιοῦσα, ἐγὼ μὲν παρατείνεσθα: πλέον τὸ (αὶ ἐπόθουν μέτρον, ὡς ἂν μὴ λήξειε καταγλυχαίνουσα ἡμῶν τὴν ἀκοήν ἀλλ᾽ ἡ φωνὴ τῶν Ψαλλόντων πρὸς τὰς ἐπιλυχνίους εὐχαριστίας ἐξεκαλεῖτο, κἀμὲ πρὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἐχπέμψασα, πάλιν ἡ Μεγάλη διὰ τῶν εὐχῶν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἀνεχώρει.

### English translation (Claude)

When, then, I had completed most of the journey and was a day's journey away, a vision that appeared to me in a dream made my hopes of the future fearful. For I seemed to be carrying relics of martyrs in my hand, and a radiance came from them, such as comes from a clean mirror when it is set facing the sun, so that my eyes were dazzled by the flashing of the brilliance. When such a vision had come to me three times in the same night, I could not clearly interpret the riddle of the dream; but I foresaw some grief for my soul, and watched to judge the vision by its outcome. When I came near the remote place where she spent her life, achieving the angelic and heavenly life, I asked one of the people there first about my brother, whether he was present. When he told us that he had set out and that this was the fourth day, I understood what had happened, that his departure to meet us had been by another road; then I asked also about the Great One. When he said she had fallen into some illness, I held on more eagerly, completing the rest of the journey in haste. For a certain grief and fear, as a messenger of what was to come, crept in and troubled me. And when I had come to the place itself, and the report had announced my presence beforehand to the brotherhood, the whole company of the men poured out from the men's quarters to meet us; for it is their custom to honour those dear to them by going out to meet them. The choir of virginity among the women waited in good order at the church for our entry. When the prayer and the blessing were over, and the women, after bowing their heads for the blessing, withdrew becomingly to their own quarters, and none of them remained with us, I guessed what was the case, that the superior was not among them; and with one man leading the way to the house in which the Great One was, and opening the door, I came within that holy dwelling. She was already gripped severely by the illness; she was resting not on a bed or a mattress, but on the ground, on a plank spread with sackcloth, with another plank supporting her head, made so as to support the sinews of the neck in a slanting position, [serving] instead of a pillow, and comfortably holding up the neck on itself.

When she saw me near the door she raised herself on her elbow; she was not able to run to me, her strength being already undone by the fever; but fixing her hands on the floor and stretching herself out of her pallet as far as she could, she paid the honour of meeting me. I ran to her and, putting my hands under her face bent to the ground, I raised her again and restored her to her usual reclining position. Stretching out her hand to God she said, "This grace too you have fulfilled for me, O God, and you have not deprived me of my desire, since you moved your servant to visit your handmaid." And so as to bring no despondency on my soul, she calmed her groaning and forced herself somehow to hide the distress of her breathing, and in every way adapted herself to greater cheerfulness, both beginning pleasant conversation herself and giving us occasions for it by her questions. When in the course of the conversation the memory of the great Basil fell in, my soul gave way and my face fell in dejection. But she was so far from sharing our grief that, making the memory of the saint an occasion of loftier philosophy, she went through such discourses, explaining human nature by natural reasoning, uncovering in her discourse the divine economy hidden in sad events, and going through what concerns the [future] life as if inspired by the Holy Spirit, so that my soul seemed almost to be outside human nature, raised up with what was said and [brought] within the heavenly sanctuaries by the guidance of her discourse. And as we hear in the history of Job that the man, wasting away with discharges over his whole body from the rotting of his wounds on every side, did not incline his thoughts to what pained his sense, but had the pain in his body while his [mind] was not dulled in its own activity nor cut short its discourse as it entered on loftier things, so I saw in that Great One too: while the fever parched all her strength and drove her toward death, she refreshed her body as with dew [and kept] her mind [free] in the contemplation of lofty things, in no way harmed by so great an illness. And if the account were not to stretch to endless length, I would have related everything in order: how she was lifted up by her discourse, philosophizing to us about the soul, and going through the cause of life in the flesh, and why man exists, and how he is mortal, and whence death comes, and what is the release from it back to life. In all these she went through everything clearly and in sequence, as if inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit, her discourse flowing with all ease as from a spring, carried down unhindered.

When the discourse was finished, she said, "It is time, brother, for you, worn out by the great toil of the journey, to rest your body a little." For me it was a great and true refreshment to look at her and to listen to her great words; but since this was welcome and dear to her, so that I might seem to obey my teacher in everything, I found a pleasant lodging prepared in one of the neighbouring gardens and rested under the shade of the climbing vines. But it was not possible to have any sense of the delights, since my soul within was gripped by the expectation of sad things. For the vision of the dreams seemed to me to uncover its riddle through what appeared. For truly the sight before me was relics of a holy martyr, dead to sin and shining with the indwelling grace of the Spirit. And I related this to one of those who had heard my dream before. While we were naturally rather dejected in expectation of sorrows, she, guessing somehow the thought in us, sent us a message of more cheerful things, bidding us take courage and have better hopes for her; for she perceived a turn for the better. This was not said to deceive, but the word was true in very truth, even if at the time we did not understand it. For as a runner who has passed his rival and is already near the end of the stadium, drawing near the prize and seeing the crown of victory, exults in himself as if he had already obtained what was set before him, and announces the victory to the more friendly of the spectators, so from such a disposition she too showed us that she hoped for better things for herself, already looking to the prize of the upward call, and all but saying the apostle's word: "There is laid up for me henceforth the crown of righteousness, which the righteous judge will give me, since I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."

We, then, made cheerful by the message of good things, were enjoying what was set before us. These were varied, and the preparation was full of every delight, the Great One's care descending even to these things. When we were again in her presence (for she did not let us spend the leisure hour by ourselves), she took up the memory of what she had lived through from her youth and went through it all in order, as in a written history: whatever she held in memory of our parents' life, both before my birth and afterwards. The aim of her account was thanksgiving to God. For she showed that our parents' life was not so much brilliant and admired by those of that time because of wealth, as increased by divine love for mankind. Our father's parents had had their property confiscated for their confession of Christ; our maternal grandfather had been killed by the emperor's anger, and all his possessions had passed to other masters. Nevertheless their life was increased so much through faith that no one in those times was named above them. Again, when their property was divided into nine parts according to the number of the children, each one's portion was so multiplied by blessing that each of the children's life was beyond the good fortune of the parents. As for herself, of what was assigned to her in the equal division with her brothers and sisters, nothing was left, but all was managed by the hands of the priest according to the divine commandment. And her life by God's provision was such that her hands never ceased working for the commandment, nor did she ever look to a human being, nor did the means for a seemly manner of life come to her through any human benefaction; but she neither turned away those who asked nor sought out those who gave, God secretly increasing by his blessings the small means from her works, like seeds, into a plentiful crop.

When I went through my own troubles, in which I had been, first when the emperor Valens was persecuting for the faith, and afterwards when the confusion in the churches called us to struggles and labours, the Great One said: "Will you not stop being ungrateful for the divine goods? Will you not cure the thanklessness of your soul? Will you not compare your lot with that of your parents? Yet in this world we boast most of this, of being of good birth and seeming to spring from noble parents. Our father," she said, "was thought great in learning in those times, but his fame went no further than the local law courts. Afterwards, though he led the rest in the art of rhetoric, his reputation did not go beyond Pontus; but he was content with being known in his own country. But you," she said, "are famous in cities and peoples and nations; churches send for you and call you to help and to set things right; and do you not see the grace? Do you not recognize the cause of such great goods, that your parents' prayers lift you to the height, though you have no, or little, preparation for it of your own?" While she went through these things, I longed for the measure of the day to be stretched out longer, so that she might not stop sweetening our hearing. But the voice of the singers was calling to the thanksgiving at the lamp-lighting, and having sent me to the church, the Great One withdrew again to God in prayer.

### Scripture references

- Luke 1:48: echo, low confidence
- Job 2:7–8: allusion, high confidence
- Rom 6:11: allusion, medium confidence
- Phil 3:14: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Tim 4:7–8: quotation, high confidence
- Matt 19:21: allusion, low confidence
- Rom 12:6: allusion, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Macrina's discourse "about the soul … and the release from death back to life" is the subject of Gregory's dialogue On the Soul and the Resurrection. Gregory compares her to Job (Job 2:7–8) and quotes 2 Tim 4:8, 7. The family history: the paternal grandparents' property confiscated for confessing Christ, the maternal grandfather killed by the emperor's anger; Macrina gave her share to the priest to administer. The emperor Valens persecuted the Nicenes.
- Words are lost in the scan in the description of the plank and the future life (bracketed).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 6 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/6).

## Life of Macrina, part 7

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/6/#p-7
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: On her last day Macrina, freed from fear of death, turns toward the east and prays to Christ, who has destroyed death, crushed the dragon and given the sign of the cross.

### Greek text

Καὶ ἡ μὲν νὺξ ἐν τούτοις ἦν. Ὡς δὲ ἡμέρα ἐγένετο, ἐμοὶ μὲν πρόδηλον ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἦν, ὅτι ὁ ἔσχατος αὐτῇ τῆς κατὰ σάρκα ζωῆς ὄρος ἡ ἐνεστῶσα ἡμέρα ἦν, πᾶσαν τὴν ἐγκειμένην τῇ φύσει δύναμιν τοῦ πυρετοῦ δαπανήσαντος. Ἧ δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἀσθενὲς τῆς διανοίας ἡμῶν βλέπουσα, παράγειν ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς χατηφεστέρας ἐλπίδος ἐμηχανᾶτο, πάλιν τοῖς καλοῖς ἐκείνοις λόγοις διαχέουσα τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ λυπούμενον ἐν λεπτῷ λοιπὸν καὶ συνεχομένῳ τῷ βσθματι. Ἔνθα δὲ, καὶ μάλιστα ποικίλως διετίθετό μοι πρὸς τὸ Ὁ φαινόμενον ἡ ψυχή· τῆς μὲν φύσεως εἰς σχυθρωπότητα, κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς, βαρουμένης, διὰ τὸ μηκέτι προσδοκᾷν τῆς τοιαύτης φωνῆς καὶ αὖθις ἀκούσεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ὅσον οὐδέπω τὸ κοινὸν καύχημα τῆς γενεᾶς ἐλπίζειν ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου βίου μεταστήσεσθαι· τῆς δὲ ψυχῆς, οἷον ἐνθουσιώσης ἐκ τῶν φαινομένων, καὶ ὄντως ἐχδεδηκχέναι τὴν κοινὴν φύσιν ὑπονοούσης. Τὸ γὰρ μηδὲ ἐν ἐσχάταις ἀναπνοαῖς οὖσαν παθεῖν κινα ξενιχὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ἐλπίδι τῆς μεταστάσεως, μηδὲ δειλιάσαι πρὸς τὸν χωρισμὸν τῆς ζωῆς, ἀλλ᾽ ὑψηλῇ τῇ διανοίᾳ τοῖς ἐξ ἀρχῆς αὐτῇ περὶ τοῦ τῇδε βίου κεκριμένοις μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης ἐμφιλοσοφεῖν ἀναπνοῆς, οὐκέτι μοι ἐδόκει τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων εἶναι· ἀλλ᾽ οἷον ἀνγέλου τινὸς, οἰκονομικῶς ἀνθρωπίνην ὑπελθόντος μορφὴν, ᾧ μηδεμιᾶς οὔσης πρὸς τὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ταὶ, {πης φαΐ τοῦ σώματος. Τῷ ὄντι γὰρ, ὡς πρὸς ἀρετὴν ὁ δρόμος ἑαυτὸ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπιστρέφοντος. μηδ πεῖς ἰδοῦ βῸη ΤΟΙ ΘΙ Αι, πιδρὶβ ἐχί [πὶ βίον τῆς συγγενείας, ἢ οἰκειώσεως, οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς ἐν ἀπαθείᾳ τὴν διάνοιαν μένειν· μὴ χαθελχούσης τῆς σαρκὸς τὸν νοῦν πρὸς τὰ ἴδια πάθη. Διὰ τοῦτό μοι δοκεῖ τὸν θεῖον ἐκεῖνον καὶ καθαρὸν ἔρωτα τοῦ ἀοράτου νυμφίου, ὃν ἐγκεκρυμμένον εἶχεν ἐν τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀποῤῥήτοις τρεφόμενον, ἔκδηλον ποιεῖν πότε τοῖς παροῦσι, καὶ δημοσιεύειν τὴν ἐν καρδίᾳ διάθεσιν - τὸ ἐπείγεσθαι πρὸς τὸν ποθούμενον, ὡς ἂν διὰ τάχους σὺν αὐτῷ γένοιτο τῶν δεσμῶν ἐχλυθεῖσα ἐγίνετο, οὐδενὸς ἄλλου τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἡδέων πρὸς Καὶ τῆς μὲν ἡμέρας ἤδη παρῳχήχει τὸ πλέον, καὶ ὁ ἥλιος πρὸς δυσμὰς ἐπεχλίνετο. Τῇ δὲ οὐκ ἐνεδίδου ἡ προθυμία, ἀλλ᾽ ὅσον τῇ ἐξόδῳ προσήγγιξζεν, ὡς πλέον θεωροῦσα τοῦ νυμφίου τὸ κάλλος, ἐν σφοπρὸς τὸν ποθούμενον φθεγγομένη, οὐκέτι πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς παρόντας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκεῖνον, πρὸς ὅν ἀτενὲς ἀφεώρα τοῖς ὄμμασι. Πρὸς γὰρ ἀνατολὴν τέτραπτο αὑτῇ τὸ χαμεύνιον καὶ ἀποστᾶσα τοῦ πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαλέγεσθαι, δι᾽ εὐχῆς ὡμίλει τὸ λοιπὸν τῷ Θεῷ, χερσέ τε ἱκετεύουσα, καὶ ὑποφθεγγομένη λεπτῇ τῇ φωνῇ ὥστε ἡμᾶς ἐπαῖειν μετρίως τῶν λεγομένων· τοιαύτη δὲ ἦν ἡ εὐχὴ, ὡς μηδὲ ἀμφιδάλλειν, ὅτι καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐγίνετο, καὶ παρ᾽ ἐκείνης ἠκούετο. Σὺ, φησὶν, ἔλυσας ἡμῖν, Κύριε, τοῦ θανάτου τὸν φόθον. Σὺ ζωῆς ἀληθινῆς ἀρχὴν ἡμῖν ἐποίησας τὸ τέλος τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς. Σὺ πρὸς καιρὸν διαναπαύεις ὕπνῳ τὰ σώματα, καὶ πάλιν ἀφυπνίζεις ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ σάλπιγγι. Σὺ δίδως παρακαταθήκην τῇ γῇ τὴν ἡμετέραν γῆν, ἣν ταῖς σαῖς χερσὶ διεμόρφωσας· λιν ᾿ἀνακομίζῃ ὃ δέδωκας, ἀφθαρσίᾳ καὶ χάριτι βεταμορφώσας τὸ θνητὸν ἡμῶν καὶ ἄσχημον. Σὺ ἐ ὀῥύσω ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς κατάρας καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἀμφότερα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν γενόμενος. Σὺ συνέθλασας τὰς κεφαλὰς τοῦ δράκοντος, τοῦ διὰ τοῦ χάσματος τῆς παρακοῆς τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Σὺ ὡδοποίησας ἡμῖν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, συντρίψας τὰς πύλας τοῦ ἄδον, καὶ καταργήσας τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου Σὺ ἔδωκας τοῖς φοθουμένο:ς σε σημείωσιν τὸν τύπον τοῦ ἁγίου σου σταυροῦ εἰς καθαίρεσιν τοῦ ᾿Αντικειμένου καὶ εἰς ἀσφάλειαν τῆς ἡμετέρας ζωῆς.

### English translation (Claude)

And so the night passed. When day came, it was evident to me from what I saw that the present day was the last limit of her life in the flesh, since the fever had consumed all the strength that lay in her nature. But she, looking to the weakness of our mind, contrived to lead us away from the gloomier expectation, again dispelling the grief of our soul with those beautiful words, with breath now thin and laboured. At this point above all my soul was variously affected by what it saw: nature was weighed down to sadness, as was to be expected, because I no longer expected to hear such a voice again, but hoped that very soon the common boast of the family would depart from human life; while my soul, as if inspired by what it saw, supposed that she had truly gone beyond common nature. For that even in her last breaths she felt nothing strange at the expectation of her departure, nor was afraid of separation from life, but with lofty mind philosophized to her last breath on what she had decided about this life from the beginning, seemed to me no longer to belong to human things; but as if an angel had taken on human form by some economy, [an angel] who, having no kinship or affinity with the life in the flesh, [naturally] keeps the mind in freedom from passion, the flesh not dragging the mind down to its own passions. [That is why it seemed to me] that she made manifest to those present that divine and pure love of the invisible bridegroom, which she had kept hidden and nourished in the secret places of her soul, and made public the disposition of her heart, hastening to the one she longed for, so that she might be with him quickly, released from the bonds [of the body]. For truly her course was toward virtue, no other of the pleasures of life turning her eye to itself.

Most of the day had already passed, and the sun was declining toward its setting. But her eagerness did not slacken; rather, the nearer she drew to her departure, as one who saw the bridegroom's beauty the more, [the more] intensely she hastened toward the one she longed for, speaking no longer to us who were present, but to him himself, at whom she gazed steadily with her eyes. For her pallet had been turned toward the east; and ceasing to converse with us, she spoke for the rest of the time with God in prayer, supplicating with her hands and murmuring in a faint voice, so that we could just hear what was said. And the prayer was such that one could not doubt that it was made to God and heard by him:

"You, Lord, have freed us from the fear of death. You have made the end of life here the beginning of true life for us. You give rest to our bodies in sleep for a season, and wake them again at the last trumpet. You give our earth, which you shaped with your hands, as a deposit to the earth; [and again] you take back what you gave, transforming what is mortal and unshapely in us with incorruption and grace. You redeemed us from the curse and from sin, having become both for our sake. You crushed the heads of the dragon, who [had seized] man in his jaws through the gulf of disobedience. You opened for us the way to resurrection, having shattered the gates of Hades and destroyed the one who has the power of death. You gave to those who fear you a sign, the figure of your holy cross, for the destruction of the adversary and for the safety of our life.

### Scripture references

- Heb 2:15: allusion, high confidence
- Heb 2:14: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Cor 15:52: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 2:7: allusion, medium confidence
- Gen 3:19: allusion, medium confidence
- Gal 3:13: allusion, high confidence
- 2 Cor 5:21: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 74:13–14 (73:13-Ps LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Matt 16:18: allusion, medium confidence
- Song 1:7: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The deathbed prayer (continued in the next section) is woven from Scripture: Heb 2:14–15; 1 Cor 15:52; Gen 2:7; 3:19; Gal 3:13; 2 Cor 5:21; Ps 74:13–14 (LXX 73:13–14); Matt 16:18; the sign of the cross.
- A line is damaged in the scan in the angel comparison (bracketed words supplied by sense).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 7 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/7).

## Life of Macrina, part 8

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/6/#p-8
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Macrina ends her prayer asking for a shining angel and forgiveness, signs herself with the cross, dies at the lamp-lighting, and the virgins break into lament for their mother and teacher.

### Greek text

Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, ᾧ ἐπεῤῥίφην ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου· ὃν ἢγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐξ ὅλης δυνάμεως, ᾧ ἀνέθηκα καὶ τὴν σάρκα καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπὸ νεότητός μου, καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν. Σύ μοι παραχατάστησον φωτεινὸν ἄγγελον τὸν χειραγωγοῦντά μὲ πρὸς τὸν τόπον τῆς ἀναψύξεως, ὅπου τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς ἀναπαύσεως, παρὰ τοὺς κόλπους τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων· ὁ διακόψας τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν, καὶ ἀποδοὺς τῷ πσραδείσῳ τὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν συσταυρωθέντα σοι, καὶ ὕποπεσόντα τοῖς οἰκτιρμοῖς σου· κἁμοῦ μνήσθητι ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου· ὅτι κἀγὼ σοὶ συνεσταυρώθην, χαθηλώσασα ἐκ τοῦ φόδου σου τὰς σάρκας μον᾽ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν κριμάτων σου τὸ χάσμα τὸ φοδερὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν σον, Μηδὲ ἀντιστήτω ὁ βάσκανος τῇ ὁδῷ μον, μηδὲ εὑρεθείη αὶ τπτρ χοτενώπιον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου ἡ ἁμαρτία μον, εἴ τι σφαλεῖσα διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῆς φύσεως ἡμῶν, ἐν λόγῳ, ἣ ἔργῳ, ἣ κατὰ διάνοιαν ἥμαρτον, ὁ ἔχων ἐπὶ γῆς ἐξουσίαν ἀφιέναι ἁμαρτίας, ἄνες μοι· ἵνα ἀναψύξω, καὶ εὑρεθῶ ἐνώπιόν σου ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματός μου, μὴ ἔχουσα σπῖλον ἐν τῇ μορφῇ τῆς ψυχῆς μου. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἄμωμος, καὶ ἀκηλίδωτηος προσδε χθείη ἡ ψυχῆ μου ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου, ὡς θυμίαμα ἐνώπιόν σου. Καὶ ταῦτα ἅμα λέγουσα, ἐπετίθει τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τῷ στόματι καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ. Καὶ κατ᾽ ὀλίγον, ἥ τε γλῶσσα τῷ πυρετῷ χαταφρυγεῖσα, οὐκέτι διήρθρου τὸν λόγον, καὶ ἡ φωνὴ ὑπεδίδου. Καὶ ἐν μόνῃ τῇ τῶν χειλέων διαστολῇ, Καὶ ἐν τούτοις τῆς ἑσπέρας ἐπιλαδούσης, καὶ φωτὸς εἰσχομισθέντος, ἀθρόον τὸν τῶν ὁμμάτων διατείλασα κύκλον, καὶ πρὸς τὴν αὐγὴν ἀπιδοῦσα, δηλος μὲν ἦν φθέγξασθαι τὴν ἐπιλύχνιον εὐχαριστίαν προθυμουμένη· τῆς δὲ φωνῆς ἐπιλειπούσης, διὰ τῆς καρδίας καὶ τῆς τῶν χειρῶν κινήσεως ἐπλήρου τὴν πρόθεσιν, καὶ τὰ χείλη πρὸς τὴν ἔνδοθεν ὁρμὴν συν εἐχινεῖτο· ὡς δὲ ἐπλήρωσε τὴν εὐχαριστίαν, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ ἐπαχθεῖσα διὰ τῆς σφραγῖδος τῷ προσώπῳ, τὸ πέρας τῆς εὐχῆς διεσήμαινε, μέγα τι καὶ βύθιον ἀναπνεύσασα, τῇ προσευχῇ τὴν ζωὴν συγχατέληξεν. Ὡς δὲ ἦν τὸ λοιπὸν ἄπνους τε καὶ ἀκίνητος, μνησθεὶς τῶν ἐντολῶν, ἃς εὐθὺς παρὰ τὴν πρώτην συντυχίαν πεποίητο, εἰποῦσα βούλεσθαι τὰς ἐμὰς τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὑτῆς ἐπιόληθῆναι χεῖρας, καὶ δι᾽ ἐμοῦ τὴν νενομισμένην θεραπείαν ἐπαχθῆναι τῷ σώματι, ἐπήγαὙὸν τῷ ἁγίῳ προσώπῳ νεναρχυῖαν ἐκ τοῦ πάθους τὴν χεῖρα, ὅσον μὴ δόξαι τῆς ἐντολῆς ἀμελεῖν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τῶν ἐπανορθούντων οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν γίνεται ὕπνον, τοῖς βλεμεμυχότα, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες εὐπρεπῶς ἐπαναχλιθεῖσαι τῷ στήθει, πᾶσά τε ἡ τοῦ σώματος θέσις αὐτομάτως κατὰ τὸ εὔσχημον ἁρμοσθεῖσα, οὐδὲν τῆς τῶν κοσμούντων χειρὸς ἐπεδέετο. Ἐμοὶ δὲ διχόθεν ἐγίνετο πάρετος ἡ ψυχῆ· εἰς τὸ φαινόμενον ξόλεπον, καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν διὰ τῆς γοερᾶς τῶν παρθένων οἰμωγῆς περιηχούμην. Τέως μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ διεχαρτέρουν ἐκεῖναι, καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν καὶ τῇ τῶν χειρῶν κινήσει, τὸ ἐν προσευχῇ εἶναι ὀδύνην ἐγχαταχλείουσαι, τὴν τῆς οἰμωγῆς ὁρμὴν τῷ … καὶ σιωπῶντος ἤδη τοῦ προσώπου τὴν ἐπιτίμησιν, μήτι παρὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον αὐταῖς φωνῆς τινος παρ᾽ αὐτῶν ἐχραγείσης, λυπηθείη πρὸς τὸ γινόμενον ἡ διδάσκαλος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ οὐκέτι χαταχρατεῖσθαι δι᾽ ἡσυχίας τὸ πάθος ἠδύνατο, τοῦ πένθους οἱονεὶ πυρός τινος ἔνδοθεν αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς ,διασμύχοντος, ἀθρόως πικρός τις καὶ ἄσχετος ἀναῤῥήγνυται ἦχος· ὥστε μοι μηκέτι μένειν ἐν τῷ χαῦἐστηκότι τὸν λογισμὸν, ἀλλὰ καθάπερ χειμάῤῥου τινὸς ἐπικλύσαντος, ὑποδρύχιον παρενεχθῆναι τῷ πάθει, καὶ τῶν ἐν χερσὶν ἀμελήσαντα, ὅλὸν τῶν θρήνων εἷναι. Καί μοι δικαία πως ἐδόκει καὶ εὔλογος ἢ τοῦ πένθους ἀφορμὴ ταῖς παρθένοις εἶναι. Οὐ γὰρ συνηθείας τινὸς τῆς κατὰ σάρκα κηδεμονίας τὴν στέρησιν ἀπωδύροντο, οὐδ᾽ ἄλλο τι τοιοῦτον οὐδὲν ἐφ᾽ ᾧ πρὸς τὰς συμφορὰς δυσανασχετοῦσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι· ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ἐλπίδος αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς τῶν ψυχῶν σωτηρίας ἀποσχισθεῖσαι, ταῦτα ἐδόων, καὶ ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς θρήνοις λέγουσαι, τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἡμῶν ὁ λύχνος : τὸ φῶς τῆς τῶν ψυχῶν ὁδηγίας· διελύθη τῆς ζωῆς ἡμῶν ἡ ἀσφάλεια! ἤρθη ἡ σφραγὶς τῆς ἀφθαρσίας· διεσπάσθη ὁ σύνδεσμος τῆς σωφροσύνης· πὸ στήριγμα τῶν ἀτονούντων, ἀφῃρέθη ἡ θεραπεία τῶν ἀσθενούντων· ἐπὶ σοῦ ἡμῖν καὶ ἡ νὺξ ἀντὶ ἡμέρας ἦν, ἐν καθαρᾷ ζωῇ φωτιζομένη· νῦν δὲ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα πρὸς ζόφον μεταστραφήσεται. Χαλεπώτερον δὲ παρὰ τὰς ἄλλας τὸ πένθος ἐξέχαιον αἱ μητέρα αὐτὴν καὶ τροφὸν ἀναχαλοῦσαι. Ἦσαν δὲ αὗται, ἃς ἐν τῷ τῆς σιτοδείας καιρῷ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἐῤῥιμμένας ἀνελομένη ἐτιθηνήσατό τε καὶ ἀνεθρέψατο, καὶ πρὸς τὸν καθαρόν τε καὶ ἄφθορον βίον ἐχειραγώγησεν.

### English translation (Claude)

"O eternal God, upon whom I was cast from my mother's womb, whom my soul has loved with all its strength, to whom I dedicated both my flesh and my soul from my youth until now: set beside me a shining angel to lead me by the hand to the place of refreshment, where is the water of rest, in the bosom of the holy fathers. You who cut through the flaming sword and restored to paradise the man who was crucified with you and fell before your mercies, remember me too in your kingdom; for I too was crucified with you, having nailed my flesh with fear of you and having been afraid of your judgments. Let not the fearful gulf separate me from your chosen ones. Let not the envious one stand in my way, nor let my sin be found before your eyes, if, falling through the weakness of our nature, I have sinned in word or deed or thought. You who have power on earth to forgive sins, forgive me, so that I may be refreshed and be found before you, when I put off my body, without stain in the form of my soul; but may my soul be received, blameless and spotless, into your hands, as incense before you."

And as she said this she made the seal of the cross on her eyes and her mouth and her heart. And little by little, her tongue parched by the fever, she no longer articulated her words, and her voice gave way; and only by the parting of her lips [and] the movement of her hands did we know that she was in prayer. Meanwhile evening came on and a light was brought in; she opened the circle of her eyes all at once and, looking at the gleam, made it clear that she was eager to say the thanksgiving at the lamp-lighting. When her voice failed, she fulfilled her purpose with her heart and the movement of her hands, and her lips moved in accord with the impulse within. When she had completed the thanksgiving and her hand, brought to her face to make the seal, signified the end of the prayer, she drew a great deep breath and ended her life together with her prayer.

When she was at last without breath and motionless, I remembered the instructions she had given at our very first meeting, saying that she wished my hands to be laid on her eyes and the customary care to be given to the body through me; and I brought my hand, numbed by grief, to her holy face, only so as not to seem to neglect the instruction. For the eyes needed no one to close them, being closed becomingly with the eyelids as happens in natural sleep; [the lips were fittingly closed,] the hands laid becomingly on the breast; and the whole position of the body, arranged of itself in seemliness, needed no hand of those who lay out the dead. My soul was paralysed in two ways: by what I saw, and by my hearing ringing with the mournful wailing of the virgins. For until then they had endured in quiet, shutting the grief up in their soul and stifling the impulse to wail [for fear] of her rebuke even when her face was already silent, lest, if any cry should break from them against her instruction, their teacher should be grieved at what happened. But when the grief could no longer be held in check by quiet, the mourning smouldering like a fire within their souls, a bitter and uncontrollable cry suddenly broke out, so that my reason no longer stayed in its settled state, but, as if a torrent had flooded over it, I was carried away under the water by the grief, and neglecting what was at hand, I gave myself wholly to lamentation. And the occasion of the virgins' mourning seemed to me somehow just and reasonable. For they were not lamenting the loss of some customary companionship or care according to the flesh, or anything else of the kind at which people are vexed in calamities; but as if cut off from their hope in God and the salvation of their souls, so they cried out, and said these things in their laments: "The lamp of our eyes has been put out; the light of the guidance of our souls has gone away; the safety of our life has been undone; the seal of incorruption has been taken away; the bond of self-control has been broken; the support of the weak has been shattered; the care of the sick has been removed. With you even the night was day for us, lit by your pure life; but now even the day will be turned to gloom." Harder than the others those burned with grief who called her mother and nurse. These were the ones whom, in the time of the famine, she had taken up when they had been cast out along the roads, and nursed and brought up and led by the hand to the pure and incorrupt life.

### Scripture references

- Ps 22:10 (21:11 LXX): quotation, high confidence
- Song 1:7: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 23:2 (22:2 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Luke 16:22: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 3:24: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 23:42–43: allusion, high confidence
- Gal 2:19: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 119:120 (118:120 LXX): allusion, medium confidence
- Luke 16:26: allusion, high confidence
- Matt 9:6: quotation, high confidence
- Eph 5:27: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 141:2 (140:2 LXX): quotation, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Prayer: Ps 22:10 (LXX 21:11); Song 1:7; Ps 23:2 (LXX 22:2); Luke 16:22, 26; Gen 3:24; Luke 23:42–43; Gal 2:19; Ps 119:120 (LXX 118:120); Matt 9:6; Eph 5:27; Ps 141:2 (LXX 140:2). The lamp-lighting thanksgiving is the evening office.
- The scan has lost the words for her lips and a few others (bracketed). The virgins whom she had rescued as infants abandoned on the roads in the famine called her mother and nurse.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 8 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/8).

## Life of Macrina, part 9

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/6/#p-9
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory turns the virgins' wailing into psalmody; the widow Vetiana and the deaconess Lampadia help prepare the body, revealing Macrina's iron cross, a ring holding a relic of the cross, and the scar of a healed tumour.

### Greek text

Ἐπεὶ δέ πως καθάπερ ἐκ βυθοῦ τινος τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀνελεξάμην, πρὸς τὴν ἀγίαν ἐκείνην κεφαλὴν ἀτενίσας, ὥσπερ ἐπιτιμηθεὶς ἐν τῇ ἀταξίᾳ τῶν ἐπιθορυδούντων διὰ τοῦ θρήνου, ε Πρὸς ταύτην εἶπον μεγάλῃ τῇ φωνῇ, πρὸς τὰς παρῦθέγους βοήσας· ε καὶ τῶν παρεγγελμάτων αὑτῆς ἀναμνήσθητε δι᾽ ὧν τὸ ἐν παντὶ τεταγμένον καὶ εὔσχηβοὸν παρ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐπαιδεύθητε. Ἕνα καιρὸν τῶν δακρύων ἡμῖν ἡ θεία ψυχὴ αὕτη ἐνομοθέτησεν, ἐν τῷ τῆς προσευχῆς καιρῷ τοῦτο πράττειν παρεγγυήσασα᾽ ὃ καὶ νῦν ποιεῖν ἔξεστι, τῆς τῶν θρήνων οἰμωγῆς εἰς συμπαθῆ ψαλμῳδίαν μετατεθείσης. Ταῦτ᾽ ἔλεγον μείζονι τῇ φωνῇ, ὡς ἂν τὸν ἦχον τῶν θρήνων ὑπερηχήσαιμι. Εἶτα μεταστῆναι παρεκάλεσα μικρὸν ἐπὶ τὸν σύνεγγυς οἶκον, καταλειφθῆναι: δέ τινας ἐξ αὐὖτῶν, ὧν ἡδέως ἐν τῇ ζωῇ τὴν θεραπείαν προσίετο. Ἐν ταύταις ἦν γυνὴ τις τῶν εὐσχημόνων, πλούτῳ, καὶ γένει, καὶ τῇ τοῦ σώματος ὥρᾷ, καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ περιφανείᾳ περίδλεπτος ἐν νεότητι γενομένη· καὶ ασυνοιχισθεῖσά τινι τῶν ἐπὶ μείζονος ἀξίας, καὶ βραχὺν συνοικήσασα χρόνον, καὶ ἐν νέῳ τῷ σώματι τῆς συζυγίας διαζευχθεῖσα, φύλακα, καὶ παιδαγωγὸν τῇς χηρείας τὴν μεγάλην Μαχρίναν ποιησαμένη, συνῆν τὰ πολλὰ ταῖς παρθένοις, τὸν πρὸς ἀρετὴν βίον παρ᾽ ἧς ὁ πατὴρ εἷς ἣν τῶν εἰς τὴν τῶν ὑπάτων συντελούντων βουλήν: πρὸς ταύτην εἶπον, ἀνεπέφθονον εἶναι νῦν γοῦν τὸν φαιδρότερον ἐπιδαλεῖν κόσμον τῷ σώματι, καὶ λαμπραῖς ὁθόναις κατακοσμῆσαι τὴν καθαρὰν ἐκείνην καὶ ἀχηλίξωτον σάρκα. Ἧ δὲ μαθεῖν ἔφη χρῆναι, τί τῇ ἁγίᾳ περὶ τούτων καλῶς ἔχειν ἐδοκιμάσθη μὴ γὰρ εὐαγὲς εἶναι παρὰ τὸ κεχαρισμένον αὐτῇ τι παρ᾽ ἡμῶν γενέσθαι πάντως. Πάντως δὲ ὃ τῷ Θεῷ φίλον τε καὶ εὐάρεστον, χἀχεένῃ Καὶ ἦν τὶς προτεταγμένη τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν παρθένων ἐν τῷ τῆς διακονίας βαθμῷ, Λαμπαδία ὄνομα αὐτῇ,· ἀχριθῶς ἔφη γινώσκειν περὶ τῶν κατὰ τὴν ταφὴν᾽ δεδογμένων ἐκείνῃ· ἐπεὶ δὲ ἢρόμην αὐτὴν περὶ τούτων (παροῦσα γὰρ ἔτυχε τῇ βουλήσει), ἔφη. μετὰ δακρύων· Τῇ ἁγίᾳ κόσμος, ὁ καθαρὸς βίος διεσπουδάσθη· τοῦτο καὶ τῆς ζωῆς ἐγχαλλώπισμα, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου ἐντάφιον ἐκείνης ἐστί· τὰ δ᾽ ὅσα πρὸς καλλωπισμὸν σώματος βλέπει, οὔτε ἐν τῷ τῆς ζωῆς Λρόνῳ προσήκχατο, οὔτε εἰς τὴν παροῦσαν χρῆσιν ἐταμιεύσατο· ὥστε οὐδὲ βουλομένοις ἡμῖν ἔσται τι πλέον, τῆς εἰς αὐτὸ τοῦτο παρασκευῆς οὐ παρούσης. - Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν τοῖς ἀποκειμένοις εὑρεῖν, ἔφην ἐγώ, τῶν ἐπιχοσμῆσαί τι δυναμένων τὴν ἐκφοράν ;Ποίοις, εἶπεν, ἀποκειμένοις ; Ἐν χερσὶν ἔχεις πᾶν τὸ ἀπόθετον· ἰδοὺ τὸ ἱμάτιον, ἰδοὺ τῆς κεφαλῆς ἡ κχαλύτετρυμμένα τῶν ποδῶν ὑποδήματα· οὗτος ὁ πλοῦτος· αὕτη ἡ περιουσία, Οὐδὲν παρὰ τὸ φαινόμένον ἐν ἀποκρύφοις ἀπόκειται, χιδωτοῖς τισιν ἣ θαλάμοις ἠσφαλισμένον. Μίαν ἀποθήκην ἤδει τοῦ ἰδίου πλούτον, τὸν θησαυρὸν τὸν οὐράνιον· ἐχεῖ πάντα ἀποθεμένη, οὐδὲν ἐπὶ γῆς ὑπελείπετο. --- Τί οὖν, ἔφην πρὸς ταύτην ἐγὼ, εἰ τῶν ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν ταφὴν ἧτοιμῆτι τῶν ἀδουλήτων αὐτῇ διὰ τοῦτο γενήσεται ; Οὐκ οἴεσθαι ἔφη, τοῦτο παρὰ Ὑνώμην εἶναι αὐτῇ. Προσέσθαι γὰρ ἃν αὐτὴν καὶ ζῶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην παρὰ σοῦ τιμὴν κατ᾽ ἀμφότερα, διά τε τὴν ἱερωσύνην, τὴν ἀεὶ τιμίαν αὐτῇ, καὶ διὰ τὴν κοινωνίαν τῆς φύσεως· μηδὲ γὰρ ἀλλότριον αὖτῆς τὸ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ νομίσαι. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ταῖς σαῖς χερσὶ κοσμηθῆναι τὸ σῶμα Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐδέδοχτη, καὶ ἔδει περισταλῆναν αἷς ὀθόναις τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο σῶμα, διελόμενοι τὴν σπουδὴν, ἄλλος ἄλλο τι περὶ αὐτὴν ἐπενοοῦμεν. Καὶ ἐγὼ μὲν τὴν ἐσθῆτα τῶν ἐμῶν τινι προσαγαγεῖν ἁγίαν ἐκείνην κεφαλὴν ταῖς ἰδίαις χερσὶ χαταχοαμοῦσα, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸν αὐχένα τὴν χεῖρα ἤνεγκεν, Ἰδοὺ, φησὶ, πρὸς ἐμὲ βλέψασα, οἷος περιδέραιος κόσμος τῆς ᾿Αγίας ἐξήρτηται. Καὶ ἅμα τοῦτο λέγουσα, ἐχλύσασα τὸν δεσμὸν ἐκ τοῦ κατόπιν, προἔτεινε τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἡμῖν σιδηροῦ τοῦ σταυροῦ τὸν τύπον, καὶ δακτύλιόν τινα τῆς αὐτῆς ὕλης ᾿ ἅπερ ἀμφότερα λεπτῆς ὁρμιᾶς ἐξημμένα τῆς καρδίας διαπαντὸς ἦν. Καὶ ἐγὼ εἴπον᾽ Κοινὸν γενέσθω τὸ κτῆμα. Καὶ σὺ μὲν ἔχε τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ φυλακτήρίον· ἐμοὶ δὲ ἀρκέσει ἡ τοῦ δακτυλίου κληρονομία· ν καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῆς τούτου σφραγῖδος ὁ σταυφησὶ πάλιν πρὸς ἐμὲ ἡ γυνὴ Οὐκ ἀποσχοποῦσα γέγονεν ἡ ἐκλογὴ τοῦδε τοῦ κτήματος. Κοῖλος γὰρ κατὰ τὴν σφενδόνην ἐστὶν ὁ δαχτύλιος, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς χατακέχρυπται· καὶ οὕτως ἄνωθεν ἡ σφραγὶς τῷ ἰδίῳ τύπῳ μηνύει τὸ ὑποκείμενον. Ὡς δὲ καὶ περικαλυφθῆναι τῇ ἐσθῆτι τὸ καθαρὸν σῶμα καιρὸς ἦν, κἀμοὶ τὴν διακονίαν ταύτην ἡ ἐντολὴ τῆς μεγάλης ἐκείνης ἀναγκαίαν ἐποίει· παροῦσα τῷ ἔργῳ καὶ συνεφαπτομένη ἢ τῆς μεγάλης ἐκείνης ἡμῖν κληρονομίας κοινωνήσασα, ε Μὴ παραδράμῃς, φησὶν, ἀνιστόρητον τὸ μέγεθος τῶν ὑπὸ τῆς ἁγίας αὐτης κατορθωθέντων θαυμάτων..---Τί τοῦτο; ἔφην ἐγώ. Ἢ δὲ μέρος τι τοῦ στήθους παραγυμνώσασα, Ὁρᾷς, ἔφη, τὸ λεπτὸν τοῦτο καὶ ἀφανὲς ὑπὸ τὴν δέῤῥην σημεῖον ; Στίγματι προσέοικε διὰ λεπτῆς ῥαφίδος ἐγγενομένῳ. Καὶ ἅμα τὸν λύχνον ἐγγύτερον ἐποίει τοῦ δεικνυμένου μοι τόπου. ε Τί οὖν, εἶπον, θαυμαστὸν, εἰ ἀφανεῖ τινι σημείῳ τὸ σῶμα κατὰ τοῦτο μέρος ἔστιχται; --- Καὶ τοῦτο, φησὶ, τῆς μεγάλης τοῦ Θεοῦ βοηθείας μνημόσυνον τῷ σώματι ὑπολέλειπται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐφύει ποτέ τι κατὰ τὰ μέρος τοῦτο πάθος ἀνιαρὸν, καὶ κίνδυνος ἣν ἀνατμηθῆναι τὸν ὄγκον, ἣ πάντη καὶ πάντως εἰς ἀνήκεστον προελθεῖν τὸ κακὸν, εἰ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν τόποις· ἐδέετο μὲν ἢ Μήτηρ, φησὶ, πολλὰ καὶ : ἱκέτενε παραδέξασθαι τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, ὡς καὶ ταύτης ἐκ Θεοῦ τῆς τέχνης ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ φησὶ τι τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις, τοῦ πάθους χαλεπώτερον κρίνασα, ἑσπέρας χαταλαθούσης, ἐπειδὴ τῇ Μητρὶ τὴν συνήθη διὰ τῶν χειρῶν ὑπηρεσίαν ἐπλήρωσεν, ἐντὸς γενομένη τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, παννύχιον προσπίπτει τῷ θεῷ τῶν ἰάσεων· καὶ τὸ ἀποῤῥέον τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ὕδωρ πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἄναχέασα, τῷ ἐκ τῶν δακρύων πηλῷ, φαρμάκῳ πρὸς τὸ πάθος ἐχρήσατο: τῆς δὲ Μητρὸς ἀθύμως διακειμένης, καὶ πάλιν ἐνδοῦναι τῷ ἰατρῷ παρακαλούσης, ἀρχεῖν ἔλεγε, πρὸς θεραπείαν αὐτῇ τοῦ κακοῦ, εἰ τῇ ἰδέᾳ χειρὶ ἡ Μήτηρ ἐπιδθαλεῖ τῷ τόπῳ τὴν ἁγίαν σφραγῖδα. Ὡς δὲ ἐντὸς ἐποιήσατο τοῦ κόλπον τὴν χεῖρα ἢ Μήτηρ, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ περισφραγίσαι τὸ μέρος, ἡ μὲν σφραγὶς ἐνὴργει· τὸ δὲ πάθος οὐκ ἦν. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῦτο, φησὶ, πιο- ( βραχὺ σημεῖον, καὶ τότε ἀντὶ τοῦ φριχτοῦ ὡράθη ἕλχους, καὶ μέχρι τέλους παρέμεινεν. Ὡς ἂν, οἶμαι, τῆς θείας ἐπισκέψεως μνημόσυνον εἴη πρὸς ἀφορμὴν καὶ ὑπόθεσιν τῆς δίηνεκοῦς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν εὐχαριστίας. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πέρας εἶχεν ἡμῖν ἡ σπουδὴ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων περιεχοσμήθη τὸ σῶμα, πάλιν φησὶν ἡ διάμὴ πρέπειν νυμφικῶς ἐσταλμένην αὐτὴν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν παρθένων ὁρᾶσθαι. ε ᾿Αλλʼ ἔστι μοι, φησὶ, τῆς μητρὸς τῆς ὑμετέρας τῶν φαιῶν πέφυλαγμένον ἱμάτιον - ὃ ἄνωθεν ἐπιθληθῆναι καλῶς ἔχειν φημί: ὡς ἂν μὴ τῷ ἐπεισάχτῳ διὰ τῆς ἐσθῆτος κόσμῳ, τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο κάλλος λαμπρύνοιτο, Ἐκράτει τὰ δεδογμένα· καὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον ἐπεδλήθη· ἔλαμπε καὶ ἐν τῷ φαιῷ, τῆς θείας, οἶμαι, δυνάμεως καὶ ταύτην προσθείσης τὴν χάριν τῷ σώματι ὥστε κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἐνυπνίου ὄψιν ἀχριδῶς αὐγάς τινας ἐκ τοῦ κάλλους ἐκλάμπειν δοκεῖν.

### English translation (Claude)

When I had somehow gathered my soul as from a depth, I gazed at that holy head, and as if rebuked for the disorder of those raising an uproar with their lament, I cried out to the virgins in a loud voice: "Look at her, and remember her instructions, by which you were taught by her order and seemliness in everything. This divine soul laid down for us one time for tears, bidding us do it at the time of prayer; and this we may do now, by changing the wailing of laments into psalmody in harmony with our grief." I said this in a louder voice, so as to sound above the noise of the laments. Then I asked them to withdraw a little to the house nearby, and that some of them should remain, whose service she had gladly accepted in her life.

Among these was a woman of the well-born, who in her youth had been admired for wealth and family and bodily beauty and every other distinction, and had been married to one of those of higher rank, and having lived with him a short time and been separated from the union while still young in body, she had made the great Macrina the guardian and tutor of her widowhood, and spent much of her time with the virgins, [learning] the life of virtue from her. [Her name was Vetiana,] and her father was one of those who belonged to the council of the consuls. I said to her that now at least it would not be blameworthy to put brighter adornment on the body and to adorn that pure and spotless flesh with shining linens. She said that we must learn what the holy one had judged right about these things; for it would not be pious for anything at all to be done by us contrary to what pleased her; and surely what is dear and pleasing to God was pleasing to her too. And there was one set over the choir of virgins in the rank of the diaconate, Lampadia by name, who said she knew exactly what had been decided by her about her burial. When I asked her about these things (for she happened to have been present at the decision), she said with tears: "The holy one's adornment was the pure life she strove for; this is both the ornament of her life and the shroud of her death. Whatever looks to adorning the body she neither accepted in the time of her life nor stored up for the present use; so that even if we wish there will be nothing more, since there is no provision for this very thing." "And can nothing be found among what is stored up," I said, "that could adorn the funeral procession?" "Stored up?" she said. "You have in your hands all that was laid by. See the cloak, see the covering of her head, the worn shoes of her feet; this is the wealth, this the property. Nothing besides what is visible is stored in hidden places, secured in chests or chambers. She knew one storehouse for her own wealth, the heavenly treasure; having stored everything there, she left nothing on earth." "What, then," I said to her, "if I brought one of the things I had prepared for my own burial, would anything happen that she would not wish?" She said she did not think this was against her mind; for while living too she would have accepted such honour from you on both counts, because of the priesthood, which was always honoured by her, and because of the kinship of nature; for she did not think what belonged to her brother foreign to herself. "For this reason she [ordered] that her body be adorned with your hands."

When this had been decided and that holy body had to be wrapped in the linens, we divided the task, and each of us attended to something different about her. I bade one of my people bring the garment. [Vetiana], adorning that holy head with her own hands, when she put her hand to the neck, looked at me and said, "See what an ornament hangs about the holy one's neck." And as she said this she undid the fastening at the back, stretched out her hand, and shows us a figure of the cross made of iron and a ring of the same material, both of which, hung on a thin cord, were always on her heart. And I said, "Let the possession be shared. You keep the protective cross; the inheritance of the ring will suffice me." For on its seal too the cross [was engraved]. [Looking at it,] the woman said to me again: "The choice of this possession was not made without forethought. For the ring is hollow at the bezel, and in it [a piece] of the wood of life is hidden; and so the seal above shows by its own figure what lies beneath."

When it was time to cover the pure body with the garment, and the great one's command made this service necessary for me, the woman who was present at the work and helped in it, and who had shared with us that great inheritance, said, "Do not pass by without recording the greatness of the wonders achieved by this holy one." "What is this?" I said. She, uncovering a part of the breast, said, "Do you see this fine and faint mark under the skin? It resembles a mark made by a fine needle." And at the same time she brought the lamp nearer the place she was showing me. "What wonder, then," I said, "if the body has been marked with a faint mark in this part?" "This too," she said, "has been left on the body as a memorial of God's great help. For once a painful affliction grew in this part, and there was danger that the tumour would have to be cut out, or that the evil would altogether and certainly become incurable if it [spread] to the parts near the heart. Her mother," she said, "begged and entreated her much to accept the doctor's care, since this art too was given by God for salvation; but she, judging it worse than the affliction to uncover any part of her body to the eyes of strangers, when evening came, after she had performed for her mother the usual service with her hands, went inside the sanctuary and fell down all night before the God of healings; and pouring on the earth the water that flowed from her eyes, she used the mud made from her tears as a remedy for the affliction. When her mother was despondent and again urged her to yield to the doctor, she said it would be enough for the cure of the evil if her mother would make the holy seal on the place with her own hand. When her mother put her hand inside her bosom to seal the part with the cross, the seal worked, and the affliction was gone. But this small mark," she said, "appeared then instead of the dreadful sore and remained to the end, so that, I think, it might be a memorial of the divine visitation, an occasion and subject of continual thanksgiving to God."

When our task was finished and the body had been adorned from what was at hand, the deaconess said again that it was not fitting for her to be seen by the eyes of the virgins dressed as a bride. "But I have kept," she said, "a dark cloak of your mother's, which I think it well to put over her, so that this holy beauty may not be made bright by the adornment of clothing brought in from outside." Her opinion prevailed, and the cloak was put on. She shone even in the dark garment, the divine power, I think, adding this grace too to the body, so that, exactly as in the vision of my dream, certain rays seemed to shine out from her beauty.

### Scripture references

- Matt 6:20: allusion, medium confidence
- John 9:6: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Vetiana is a young widow who placed her widowhood under Macrina's guidance; her name and her father's are lost in the scan (bracketed). Lampadia is "set over the choir of virgins in the rank of the diaconate" (a deaconess). The ring held a fragment "of the wood of life" (the true cross). The healing came through prayer, tears and her mother's sign of the cross; Macrina refused to show her body to a physician.
- Some words are lost in the scan (bracketed).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 9 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/9).

## Life of Macrina, part 10

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/10/#p-10
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Crowds gather for an all-night vigil; Gregory arranges the singing, and with bishop Araxius carries the bier in a candle-lit procession to the church of the martyrs where their parents lie.

### Greek text

Ὡς δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐν τούτοις ἥμεν, καὶ αἱ ψαλμῳδίαι τῶν παρθένων τοῖς θρήνοις καταμιχθεῖσαι περιήχουν τὸν τόπον, οὐκ οἵδ᾽ ὅπως ἐν κύκλῳ πανταχόθεν ἀθρόως τὸν τόπον συνέῤῥεον· ὡς μηκέτι τὸ προαύλιον ἱκανὸν εἶναι χωρεῖν τοὺς συντρέχοντας. Τῆς οὖν παννυχίδος, περὶ αὐτὴν ἐν ὑμνῳδίαις, καθάπερ ἐπὶ μαρτύρων πανηγύρεως, τελεσθείσης· ἐπειδὴ ὄρθρος ἐγένετο, πὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν ἐκ πάσης τῆς περιοικίδος συῤῥυέντῶν ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν, ἐπεθορύῦδει πάϊς οἰ μῶν γαῖς τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν· ἐγὼ δὲ, καίτοι κακῶς τὴν ψὺχὴν ὑπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς διακείμενος, ὅμως ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων ἔπενόουν, εἰ δυνατὸν, μηδὲν τῶν ἐπὶ τοιαύτῃ κηδείᾳ πρεπόντων παραλειφθῇῆναι. ᾿Αλλὰ διαστήσας κατὰ γένος τὸν συῤῥέοντα λαὸν, καὶ τὸ ἐν γυναιξὶ πλῆθος τῷ τῶν παρθένων συγκαταμίξας χορῷ, τὸν δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν δῆμον τῷ τῶν μοναζόντων τάγματι· μίαν ἐξ ἑκατέρων εὕὔρυθμόν τε καὶ ἐναρμόνιον, καθάπερ ἐν χοροστασίᾳ, τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν γενέσθαι παρἐσκεύασα, διὰ τῆς κοινῆς πάντων συνῳδίας εὐχόσμως κατ᾽ ὀλίγον ἡ ἡμέρα, καὶ ἐστενοχωρεῖτο πᾶς ὁ τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς τόπος τῷ πλήθει τῶν παραστάντων , ὁ τῶν τόπων ἐκείνων διὰ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς προεστὼς (᾿Αράξιος ὄνομα αὐτῷ· παρῆν τὰρ σὺν παντὶ τῷ τῆς ἱερωσύνης πληρώματι) παρἀγειν ἡρέμα παρεκάλει τὸ σκήνωμα· ὡς πολλοῦ τε ὄντος τοῦ μεταξὺ διᾳστήματος, καὶ τοῦ πλήθους πρὸς τὴν ὀξυτέραν κίνησιν ἐμποδὼν γενησομένου· καὶ ἅμα ταῦτα λέγων προσεκαλεῖτο πάντας τοὺς τῆς ἱεαὐτῷ συμμετέχοντας, ὡς ἂν δι᾽ ἐκείνων Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐδέδοχτο, καὶ ἐν χερσὶν ἦν ἡ σπουδή· ὑποδὰς τὴν κλίνην ἐγὼ, κἀκεῖνον ἐπὶ τὸ ἕτερον μέρος προσκαλεσάμενος· ἄλλων τε δύο τῶν ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ δόντων, ἥειν τοῦ πρόσω ἐχόμενος, βάδην, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ κατ᾽ ὀλίγον ἡμῖν γινομένης τῆς κινήσεως. Τοῦ γὰρ λαοῦ περὶ τὴν κλίνην πεπυχνωμένου, καὶ πάντων ἀπλήστως ἐχόντων τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐκείνου θεάματος, οὐκ ἦν ἐν εὐκολίᾳ τὴν πορείαν ἡμῖν διανύεσθαι· προηγεῖτο δὲ καθ᾽ ἑκάτερον μέρος διακόνων τε καὶ ὑπηρετῶν οὐκ ὀλίγον πλῆθος, στοιχηδὸν τοῦ σκηνώματος προπομπεῦον, τὰς ἐκ κηροῦ λαμπάδας ἔχοντες πάντες· καὶ ἦν τις μυστικὴ πομπὴ τὸ γινόμενον, ὁμοφώνως τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ἀπ᾽ ἄκρων ἐπὶ ἐσχάτους, καθἀπερ ἐν τῇ τῶν τριῶν παίδων ὑμνῳδίᾳ, μελῳδουμένης. Ἑπτὰ δὲ ὄντων, ἣ ὀκτὼ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ σταδίων ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν ἁγίων Μαρτύρων οἷκον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ τῶν γονέων ἀπέκειτο σώματα· διὰ πάσης σχεδὸν τῆς ἡμέρας μόλις τὴν ὁδὸν διηνύσαμεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἴα τὸ πλῆθος, τό τε συνερχόμενον καὶ τὸ ἀεὶ προσγινόμενον, κατὰ γνώμην τὴν πρόοδον γενέ σθαι. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν ἐντὸς τοῦ οἴκου κατέστημεν, ἀποθέμενοι τὴν κλίνην, τὰ πρῶτα εἰς προσευχὴν ἔτρεπόμεθα- ἡ δὲ εὐχὴ, θρήνων γίνεται ἀφορμὴ τῷ λαῷ. Τῆς γὰρ ψαλμῳδίας κατασιγασθείσης· ἐπειδὴ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο πρόσωπον αἱ παρθένοι προσέδλεψαν· Ἰ καὶ ἡ σορὸς ἤδῃ τῶν γονέων ἀπεκαλύπτετο, ἐν ἦ καταθέσθαι δεδογμένον ἦν’ μιᾶς τινος ἀτάκτως βοησάσης, ὅτι οὐκέτι μετὰ τὴν ὥραν ταύτην τὸ θεοειδὲς τοῦτο προσθλέψομεν πρόσωπον- ὡς καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ παρθένοι τὸ ἴσον μετ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐξεδόησαν, σύγχυσις ἄτακτος τὴν εὔτακτον ἐκείνην καὶ ἱεροπρεπῇ ψαλμῳδίαν διέχεε, πάντων πρὸς τὴν τῶν παρθένων οἷ· μωγὴν ἐπιχλασθέντων. Μόγις δέ ποτε ἡμῶν τὴν σιωπὴν διανευόντων, καὶ τοῦ κήρυκος εὐχὴν ὑφηγουμένου, καὶ τὰς συνήθεις ἐχδοῶντος τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ φωγὰς, κατέστη πρὸς τὸ σχῆμα τῆς εὐχῆς ὁ λαός.

### English translation (Claude)

While we were thus engaged, and the psalmody of the virgins mingled with laments was ringing round the place, the news somehow spread suddenly through all the surrounding country, and all those who lived around began to flow together to the place, so that the forecourt was no longer large enough to hold those who ran together. When the all-night vigil around her had been completed with hymns, as at a festival of martyrs, and dawn came, the crowd of men and women who had flowed together from the whole neighbourhood disturbed the psalmody with their wailing. But I, although my soul was in a bad state from the calamity, nevertheless contrived from what was available that, if possible, nothing fitting for such a funeral should be left out. I divided the people who flowed together by sex, mingling the multitude of women with the choir of virgins and the crowd of men with the order of monks, and arranged that the psalmody should be one from both, rhythmic and harmonious, as in a choir, through the common singing of all in good order. [When] the day had [advanced] little by little, and the whole place of the remote spot was crowded by the multitude of those present, the one who presided over those places as bishop (Araxius by name; he was present with the whole body of the priesthood) urged that the bier be carried forward slowly, since the distance between was great and the crowd would hinder quicker movement. And as he said this he summoned all those who shared the priesthood with him, so that it might be carried [by them].

When this had been decided and the task was in hand, I went under the bier and, calling him to the other side, and two others of the clergy taking [the back], I went forward, slowly, as was to be expected, our movement being gradual. For as the people were packed around the bier, and all were insatiable of that holy sight, it was not easy for us to make the journey. On either side went ahead no small number of deacons and attendants, escorting the bier in rows, all holding wax tapers; and what happened was a kind of mystical procession, the psalmody being sung with one voice from the first to the last, as in the hymn of the three young men. Though there were seven or eight stades between the remote place and the house of the holy martyrs, in which the bodies of our parents too were laid, we barely completed the way in almost the whole day. For the crowd, both those who came with us and those who kept joining, did not let the procession go as we wished.

When we had come inside the house, we set down the bier and first turned to prayer; and the prayer becomes an occasion of laments for the people. For when the psalmody fell silent, and the virgins looked at that holy face, and our parents' tomb was already being uncovered, in which it had been decided to lay her, one of them cried out in disorder that after this hour we shall no longer look on this godlike face; and as the rest of the virgins cried out the same with her, a disorderly confusion broke up that orderly and sacred psalmody, all being broken down by the wailing of the virgins. When at last we had with difficulty signalled for silence, and the herald was leading the prayer and crying out the customary words to the assembly, the people settled into the posture of prayer.

### Extrabiblical texts

- Pr Azar (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- The scan reads ἠρέμα ("slowly") for the bishop's instruction to move the bier; the clause that follows (the distance and the crowd) suggests haste, and the reading may be corrupt. The hymn of the three young men is the Greek addition to Dan 3 (Pr Azar 28–68).
- Some words are lost in the scan (bracketed).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 10 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/10).

## Life of Macrina, part 11

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/10/#p-11
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Mindful of the command not to uncover a parent's shame, Gregory covers the parents' remains before laying Macrina beside her mother; on the way home an officer of Sebastopolis tells how Macrina promised to heal his daughter's eye.

### Greek text

Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ πρέπον ἡ εὐχὴ πέρας ἔλαθεν, φόβος μέ τις τῆς θείας ἐντολῆς εἰσέρχεται, τῆς κωλυούσης πατρὸς ἣ μητρὸς ἀνακαλύπτειν ἀσχημοσύνην. ε Καὶ πῶς, ἔφην ἐγὼ, ἔξω τοῦ τοιούτου γενήσομαι χρίμαὃς, ἐν τοῖς τῶν γονέων σώματι βλέπων τὴν κοινὴ· τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως ἀσχημοσύνην· διαπεπτωχότων, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ διαλελυμένων, καὶ εἰς εἰδεχθῇ δυσάντητον ἀμορφίαν μεταδλτθέντων; Ταῦτα δέ μοι λογιζομένῳ, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Νῶε κατὰ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀγαπραχτέον ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ Νῶε. Ἐπεχαλύφθη γὰρ σινδόνι καθαρᾷ, πρὶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν γενέσθαι τὰ σώματα τῇ τοῦ πώματος ἐπάρσει, καθ᾽ ἑκάτερον ἄκρον τῆς σινδόνος ἀντεισιούσης· καὶ οὕτως ὑποχρυφθέννων τῇ σινδόνι τῶν σωμάτων ἀράμενοι τῆς κλίνης τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο σῶμα, ἐγώ τε καὶ ὁ μνημονευθεὶς τῶν τόπων ἐπίσκοπος, τῇ μητρὶ παραχατεχλίναμεν, κοινὴν ἀμφοτέραις πληροῦντες εὐχήν. Τοῦτο γὰρ παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ζωὴν συμφώνως ἀμφότεραι τὸν Θεὸν ἡτοῦντο, ἀνακραθῆναι μετὰ τὸν θάνατον ἀλλήλαις τὰ σώματα, καὶ τὴν κατὰ τὸν βίον ἐν τῇ ζωῇ κοινωνίαν μηδὲ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ Ἐπεὶ δὲ πάντα ἡμῖν τὰ ἐν τῇ χηδείχ νενομισ μένα πεπλήρωτο, καὶ ἔδει πάλιν τῆς ἐπανόδου γενέσθαι, ἐπιπεσὼν τῷ τάρῳ, καὶ τὴν κόνιν ἀσπασάμενος, εἰχόμην πάλιν τῆς ὁδοῦ κατηφής τε καὶ δεδαχρυμένος, λογιζόμενος, ὅσου ἀγαθοῦ διεζεύχθη ὁ βίο:. Κατὰ δὲ πὴν ὁδὸν ἀνήρ τις τῶν ἐν στρατείᾳ λαμπρῶν, στρατιωτικὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχων τῶν ἐν πολίχνῃ τινὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν Πόντον, ἧ Σεδαστόπολις ὄνομα, μετὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων ἐνδιαιτώμενος:, ἀπήντησέ τε φιλοφρόνως κατ᾽ αὐτὴν γενομένῳ, καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ἀκούσας, καὶ χαλεπῶς ἐνεγκὼν (ἣν γὰρ δὴ τῶν ἐκ γένους ἡμῖν οἰκείων τε καὶ ἐπιτηδείων), προσέθηκέ μοί τι διήγημα τοῦ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν θαύματος, ὃ δὴ καὶ μόνον ἐγγράψσς τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, καταπαύσω τὴν συγγραφήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπαυσάμεθα τῶν δακρύων, καὶ εἰς ὁμιλίαν κατἔστημεν, ἴλχουε, φησὶ, πρός με λέγων ἐκεῖνος, οἷον, καὶ ὅσον ἀγαθὸν τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης μετέστη ζωῆς. Καὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, οὕτως ἄρχεται τοῦ διηγήματος· Ἐγένετό τις ἡμῖν ἐπιθυμία ποτὲ τῇ γαμετῇ καὶ ἐμοὶ καταλαθεῖν, κατὰ σπουδὴν, τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς φροντιστήριον, Οὕτω γὰρ οἶμαι χρῆναι, φησὶ, ε τὸν χῶρον ἐκεῖνον χατονομάξεσθαι, ἐν ᾧ τὴν διαγωγὴν εἶχεν ἡ μακαρία ψυχή· συνῆν δὲ ἡμῖν καὶ τὸ θυγάτριον, ἐν ᾧ τις ἐκ λοιμώδους ἀῤῥωστίας συνέδη περὶ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν συμφορά· καὶ ἣν θέαμα εἰδεχθὲς, καὶ ἐλεεινὸν, παχυνθέντος τοῦ περὶ τὴν κόρην χιτῶνος, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πάθους ὑπολευχαίνοντος. Ὡς δὲ ἐντὸς ἦμεν τῆς θείας ἐκείνης διαγωγῆς, διελόμενοι κατὰ γένος τὴν ἐπίσκεψιν τῶν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ φιλοσοφούντων, ἐγώ τε καὶ ἡ ὁμόζυγος· ἐγὼ μὲν ἐν τῷ ἀνδρῶνι ἔμτν, ὧν καθηγεῖτο Πέτρος ὁ σὸς ἀδελφός· ἡ δὲ τοῦ παρθενῶνος ἐντὸς γενομένη τῇ ᾿Αγίᾳ συνῆν ᾿ συμμέτρου δὲ διαγενομένου ἐν τῷ μεταξὺ διαστήματος, εἶναι τοῦ ἀποχωρεῖν τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς πάλιν ἐκρίναμεν· καὶ ἤδη πρὸς τοῦτο ἦν ἡμῶν ἡ ὁρμὴ, σύμφωνος δὲ παρ᾽ ἑκατέρων ἡ περὶ ἡμᾶς φιλοφροσύνη ἐγένετο. Ἐμοι τε καὶ ὁ σὸς ἀδελφὸς μένειν ἐνεχελεύετο, καὶ μετασχεῖν τῆς φιλοσόφου τραπέζης· ἢ τε μακαρία τὴν ἐμὴν γαμετὴν οὐ μεθίει, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν κόλποις ἔχουσα τὸ θυγάτριον, οὐ πρότερον ἔλεγεν ἀποδώσειν, πρὶν τράπεζαν αὐταῖς παραστήσασθαι, καὶ τῷ τῆς φιλοσοφίας δεξιώσασθαι πλούτῳ’ φιλοῦσα δὲ, οἷα εἰκὸς, τὸ παιδίον, καὶ προσάγουσα τὸ στόμα τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, ἐπειδὴ εἶδε τὸ περὶ τὴν κόρην πάθος, Ἐάν μοι, φησὶ, δῶτε τὴν χάριν, καὶ τῆς τραπέζης ἡμῖν χοινωνήσητε, ἀντιδώσω μισθὸν ὑμῖν τῆς τοιαύτης τιμῆς οὐκ ἀνάξων. Τίνα δὴ τοῦτον, εἰπούσης τῆς τοῦ παιδίου μητρός ; Ἔστι μοι φάρμακον, ἡ Μεγάλη φησὶν, ὃ δυνατῶς ἔχει τὸ κατὰ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἰάσασθαι πάθος. ᾿Επὶ δὲ εἶθ, βραι απ σγ ὨΟπΟΓΟ ποη τούτοις ; δηλώματός μοι παρὰ τῆς γυναικωνίτιδος ἥκοντος ὑπὸ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐκείνην χαταμηνύσαντος, ἄσμενοι παρεμείναμεν· μικρὰ φροντίσαντες τῆς ἐπειγούσης ἡμᾶς πρὸς τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ἀνάγκης.

### English translation (Claude)

And when the prayer had come to its fitting end, a [fear] came over me of the divine commandment that forbids uncovering the shame of father or mother. "And how," I said, "shall I escape such a judgment if I look on the common shame of human nature in the bodies of our parents, fallen apart, as is likely, and dissolved, and changed into a loathsome and repulsive unsightliness?" As I thought about this, and [feared] the anger of Noah against his son, the history of Noah [taught me] what had to be done. For before the bodies came before our eyes when the lid was raised, they were covered with a clean linen cloth, carried in at either end of the cloth; and so, the bodies being hidden under the cloth, I and the bishop of those places whom I mentioned lifted that holy body from the bier and laid it beside her mother, fulfilling a prayer common to both. For throughout their whole life both had asked God with one accord that after death their bodies should be mingled with each other, and that the fellowship they had in life should not be broken even in death.

When all that is customary at a funeral had been completed for us, and it was time to return, I fell on the tomb and kissed the dust, and took the road again, downcast and in tears, reckoning of how great a good life had been deprived. On the road a man distinguished in military service, holding military command over a small town in Pontus named Sebastopolis and living there with those under him, met me in a friendly way as I came near it, and on hearing of the calamity was grievously affected (for he was one of our relatives and intimates by family); and he added for me an account of a wonder concerning her, which alone I will write into the history and then end the treatise. When we had stopped our tears and had settled into conversation, he said to me: "Hear what and how great a good has departed from human life." And having said this, he begins his account thus:

"My wife and I once had a desire to visit in haste that school of virtue (for so I think one must name that place in which the blessed soul spent her life). Our little daughter was with us, on whom a misfortune had come in the eye from a pestilential illness; and she was a loathsome and pitiable sight, the membrane around the pupil having thickened and grown whitish from the disease. When we were inside that divine dwelling, my wife and I divided the visit to those who practised philosophy there by sex: I was in the men's quarters, whose superior was Peter your brother; she went into the virgins' quarters and was with the holy one. When a reasonable interval had passed, we decided that it was time to leave the remote place again; and our setting out was already in hand, but the kindness of both sides toward us was in accord. Your brother bade me stay and share the philosophic table; and the blessed one would not let my wife go, but holding the little girl in her bosom said she would not give her back before she had set a table before them and entertained them with the wealth of philosophy. Kissing the child, as was natural, and putting her mouth to her eyes, when she saw the disease about the pupil, she said, 'If you do me the favour and share our table, I will give you in return a reward not unworthy of such an honour.' When the child's mother said, 'What is this?', the Great One said, 'I have a medicine that is able to heal the disease of the eye.' Then, when a message came to me from the women's quarters announcing that promise, we gladly stayed, caring little for the necessity that was pressing us on our journey.

### Scripture references

- Lev 18:7: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 9:20–25: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Gregory applies Lev 18:7 (not uncovering the shame of father or mother) and Noah's anger at Ham (Gen 9:20–25) to the opening of the parents' tomb.
- Some words are lost in the scan (bracketed).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 11 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/11).

## Life of Macrina, part 12

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/10/#p-12
- Source: PG 46
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: The officer's wife discovers on the road home that their daughter's eye has been healed by Macrina's prayer; Gregory ends by declining to record her further miracles for fear of unbelief.

### Greek text

Ὡς δὲ τέλος εἶχεν ἡ εὐωχία, καὶ πλήρης ἣν ἡμῖν ἢ εὐχὴ, τοῦ μὲν μεγάλου Πέτρου ταῖς οἰκείαις χερσὶν εὐωχοῦντος ἡμᾶς, καὶ φαιδρύνοντος, τῆς δὲ ἁγίας Μαχρίνης, διὰ πάσης εὐπρεποῦς θυμηδίας τὴν ὁμό: ξυγον ἡ μῖν ἀνιείσης· οὕτω φαιδρύνοντες καὶ γεγηθότες, τὴν αὐτὴν ὁδὸν ἐπανήειμεν, διήγημα τῷ ἑτέρῳ τὰ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἑκάτερος ἐν τῇ ὁδοιπορίᾳ ποιούμενοι· κἀγὼ μὲν διεξήειν τὰ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνδρῶνος, ὅσα τε εἶδον, καὶ ὅσα ἤκουσα- ἐκείνη δὲ τὰ καθ᾽ ἕκαστον ἐχδιηγουμένη, καθάπερ ἐφ᾽ ἱστορίας, οὐδὲν ᾧετο δεῖν, οὐδὲ τῶν μικρῶν, παραλανθάνεινʼ ἀκολούθως δὲ πάντα καθάπερ ἐπὶ συζυγίᾳ τῆς συγγραφῆς διεξιοῦσα· ὡς κατὰ τὸ μέρος γέγονεν ἐκεῖνο, ἐν ᾧ ἡ ὑπόσχεσις ἣν τῆς τοῦ ὀφθαλμοῦ θεραπείας, ἐχχόψασα τὴν διήγησιν, Τί τοῦτο, φησὶ, πεπόνθαμεν; Πῶς τῆ: ὑποσχέσεως ρίῳ φάρμακον ; Κἀμοῦ συνδυσχεραίνοντος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀμελείᾳ, καί τινα διὰ τάχους ἐχδραμεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ φάρμακον ἐγχελευσαμένου, βλέπει κατὰ τὸ συμδὰν πρὸς τὴν μητέρα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὃν τῆς τιθηνουμένης τὸ νήπιον, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ νηπίου φησὶ, δυσχεραίνων ἐπὶ τῇ , ἀμελείᾳ. Μεγάλῃ τοῦτο φωνῇ ὑπὸ χαρᾶς ἅμα καὶ ἐχπλέξεως λέγουσα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οὐδὲν ἐλλέλειπται ἡμῖν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἐκείνης φάρμάκον, τὸ τῶν παθημάτων ἰατρικὸν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ ἂκ τῶν εὐχῶν θεραπεία, καὶ ἔδωκε, καὶ ἐνεργὸν ἤδη γέγονε, καὶ ὑπολέλειπται τῆς κατὰ τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν ἀῤῥωστίας οὐδοτιοῦν, τῷ θείῳ ἐκείνῳ φαρμάκῳ κεκαθαρμένον. Καὶ ἅμα ταῦτα διεξιοῦσα, αὐτή τε τὸ παιδίον ἐνηγκαλίζετο, καὶ ταῖς ἐμαῖς ἐνετίθει χερσί. Κἀγὼ τότε τὰ ἀπιστούμενα κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον θαύματα, τῇ διανοίᾳ λαθὼν, Τέ μέγα, εἶπον, διὰ χειρὸς Θεοῦ τυφλοῖς τὰς ὄψεις ἀποχαθίσασθαι· ὁπότε νῦν ἡ δούλη αὐτοῦ, τὰς ἰάσεις ἐκείνας κατορθοῦσα τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν πίστει, κατείργασται πρᾶγμα οὐ πολὺ τῶν θαυμάτων ἐκείνων ἀπολειπόμενον; ν Ταῦτα λέγων μεταξὺ λυγμῷ τὴν φωνὴν ἐνεχόπτετο, τῶν δακρύων ἐπιῤῥυέντων τῷ διηγήματι. Τὰ μὲν οὖν παρὰ τοῦ στρατιώτου, ταῦτα. Ὅσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα παρὰ τῶν συνεζηχότων αὐτῇ, καὶ δι᾽ ἀχριδείας τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτὴν ἐπισταμένων ἠκούσαμεν, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς οἶμαι προσθεῖναι τῷ διηγήματι. Οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὰ ἑαυτῶν μέτρα τὸ πιστὸν ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις κρίνουσι᾽ τὸ δὲ ὑπερβαῖνον τὴν τοῦ ἀκούοντος δύναμιν, ὡς ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας, ταῖς τοῦ ψεύδους ὑπονοίαις ὑδρίζουσι. Δι) παρἴημι τὴν ἄπιστον ἐκείνην ἐν τῷ λιμῷ γεωργίαν· πῶς ἐχθαλλόμενος ὁ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν σἴτος, οὐδεμίαν αἴσθησιν ἐποίει τῆς ὑφαιρέσεως, ἐν τῷ ὁμοίῳ διαμέγων ὄγκῳ, καὶ πρὶν διαδοθῇ ταῖς τῶν αἰτούντων χρείαις· καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἄλλα τούτων παραδοξόπτερα· παθῶν ἰάσεις, καὶ δαιμονώντων καθάρσεις, καὶ ἀψευδεῖς προῤῥήσεις τῶν ἐχδησομένωνʼ ἅπαντα τοῖς μὲν δι᾽ ἀχριθείας ἐγνωκόσιν, ἀληθῆ εἶναι πιστεύεται, κἂν ὑπὲρ πίστιν ἦ· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν σαρχωδεστέρων, ἔξιυ τοῦ ἐνδεχομένου νομίζεται, οἵ οὐκ ἴσασιν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἡ τῶν χαρισμάτων διανομὴ παραγίνεται· μικρὰ μὲν ὀλιγοπίστοις, μεγάλη δὲ τοῖς πολλὴν ἔχουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν εὑρυχωρίαν τῆς πίστεως. Ὡς ἂν. οὖν μὴ βλαδεῖεν οἱ ἀπιστότεροι, ταῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεαῖς ἀπιστοῦντες· τούτου ἕνεκεν καθεξῆς ἱστορεῖν περὶ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων θαυ-᾿ μάτων παρῃτησάμην, ἀρχεῖν ἡγούμενος τοῖς εἰρημένοῖς περιγράψαι τὴν περὶ αὑτῆς ἱστορίαν.

### English translation (Claude)

"When the feast was over and our prayer complete, the great Peter having entertained and cheered us with his own hands, and the holy Macrina having sent my wife away to us with all becoming gladness, we went back by the same road, cheerful and rejoicing, each of us telling the other what had happened to him on the journey. I went through what happened in the men's quarters, all that I had seen and heard; and she, relating each thing as in a history, thought she should leave out nothing, not even small things, going through everything in order as if in a narrative; and when she came to that part where the promise of the cure of the eye was, she broke off her account and said, 'What has happened to us? How did we forget the promise, the medicine?' And as I too was vexed at the neglect and ordered someone to run back quickly for the medicine, the child, who was in the arms of her nurse, happened to look toward her mother; and the mother, looking at the child's eyes, said to me, who was vexed at the neglect, crying out with joy and astonishment at once: 'Stop being vexed at the neglect. For see, nothing of what was promised has been left undone for us; but that true medicine of hers, which heals diseases, that is, the cure that comes from prayers, she both gave and it has already become effective, and nothing at all is left of the illness of the eye, which has been cleansed by that divine medicine.' And as she said this she took the child in her arms and put her into my hands. And then, taking in my mind the wonders of the Gospel that are disbelieved, I said, 'What great thing is it for the blind to have their sight restored by the hand of God, when now his handmaid, achieving those healings by faith in him, has done something not far short of those wonders?'" As he said this, his voice was broken by a sob between his words, tears flowing into his account.

So much for the soldier's account. Whatever other such things we heard from those who lived with her and knew her affairs exactly, I do not think it safe to add to the narrative. For most people judge the credibility of what is said by their own measure; and what surpasses the hearer's capacity they insult with suspicions of falsehood, as being outside the truth. For this reason I pass over that incredible farming in the famine: how the grain given out for need gave no sense of being diminished, remaining in the same bulk both before it was distributed to the needs of those who asked and afterwards; and other things more extraordinary than these: healings of diseases, cleansings of the possessed, and truthful predictions of what was to come. All are believed to be true by those who knew them exactly, even if they are beyond belief; but among the more fleshly they are thought to be outside what is possible, by those who do not know that the distribution of gifts too comes according to the proportion of faith, small for those of little faith, great for those who have much spaciousness of faith in themselves. So that those more inclined to disbelieve may not be harmed by disbelieving the gifts of God, for this reason I declined to relate in order the loftier wonders, thinking it enough to bring the history about her to its close with what has been said.

### Scripture references

- Matt 9:27–30: allusion, medium confidence
- John 9:1–7: allusion, medium confidence
- Rom 12:6: allusion, high confidence
- 1 Kgs 17:14–16: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- "According to the proportion of faith" echoes Rom 12:6. The multiplied grain in the famine recalls 1 Kgs 17:14–16.
- This is the end of the Life. The staged sections 13–16 are not part of it: they are Gregory's Letter 1, to Flavian, on his reception by Helladius of Caesarea, and have not been translated here.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory of Nyssa, Macr. 12 (PG 46; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/gregory-nyssa-vita-macrinae/12).