# Address of Thanksgiving to Origen

- Author: [Gregory Thaumaturgus](https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/authors/gregory-thaumaturgus/)
- Latin title: *Oratio panegyrica in Origenem*
- Date: ca. 238–245 (approximate)
- Source: J.-P. Migne, ed., Patrologiae cursus completus, Series Graeca 10 (Paris: Migne, 1857), cols. 1049–1104

- Translation: Claude, from the original text, unless a passage says otherwise; each passage below gives the translator
- Editions and translations: Henri Crouzel, ed., Grégoire le Thaumaturge: Remerciement à Origène, SC 148 (Paris: Cerf, 1969)
- Work page: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/
- Passages: 19

## Address of Thanksgiving 1

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-1
- Source: PG 10:1052a–1053a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory excuses his lack of eloquence: for eight years he has studied philosophy and Roman law rather than oratory.

### Greek text

Καλόν τι χρῆμα ἡ σιωπὴ, τῶν τε ἄλλων πολλοῖς πολλάκις, κάμοὶ δὲ μάλιστα νῦν, καὶ ἑκόντι καὶ ἄκοντι ἐπιστομιζομένῳ καὶ σιωπᾷν κατηναγκασμένῳ. Ἀμελετήτως γὰρ ἔχω, καὶ ἄπειρός εἰμι λόγων τῶν καλῶν τούτων καὶ εὐπρεπῶν, τῶν ὑπὸ τοῖς ἐπιλέκτοις καὶ δοκίμοις ὀνόμασί τε καὶ ῥήμασι. κατὰ τὸ ἐξῆς ἀκωλύτῳ τινὶ εἰρμῷ, λεγομένων ἦ συνταττομένων· τάχα μὲν καὶ ἦττον πεφυκὼς τὸ χαρίεν τουτὶ καὶ Ἐλληνικὸν ὄντως ἔργον διαπονήσασθαι. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀκταετής μοι χρόνος οὐτος ἤδη, ἐξ οὗ οὕτε αὐτὸς εἰπών τι ἢ γράψας λόγον τινὰ μέγαν ἢ μικρὸν ὅλως τυγχάνω, οὕτε ἄλλου ἤκουσε του ἰδίᾳ γράφοντος ἢ λέγοντος, ἢ καὶ δημοσίᾳ πανηγυρικοὺς λόγους καὶ ἀγωνιστικοὺς παρεχομένου, ὅτι μὴ τῶν θαυμασίων τούτων ἀνδρῶν τῶν τὴν καλὴν φιλοσοφίαν ἀσπασαμένων· οἶς καὶ αὐτοῖς εὐεπείας μὲν ἦττον μέλει καὶ εὐπρεπείας ὀνομάτων· ἐν δευτέρῳ δὲ θέμενοι τὰς φωνὰς, τὰ πράγματα αὐτὰ, ὡς ἔχει ἔκαστα, διερευνᾶσθαί τε μετὰ ἀκριβείας καὶ ἐξαγγέλλειν ἐθέλουσιν· οὐχὶ οὐ βουλόμενοι, οἶμαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄγαν βουλόμενοι τὰ καλὰ καὶ ἀκριβῆ τῶν νοημάτων, καλῷ καὶ εὐειδεῖ ἐκτυποῦν τῷ λόγῳ· ἀλλʼ ἴσως οὐ δυνάμενοι οὕτως ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου δύναμιν τοῖς ἰδίοις δημοσιεῦσαι νοήμασι τὴν ἱερὰν καὶ θεοειδῆ, καὶ λόγον τὸν ἐν ταῖς λέξεσιν εὐεπῆ, δύο ἀνθρώπων ἰδίᾳ ἐκάστου πλεονεκτήματα, μιᾷ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ, καὶ ταύτῃ μικρᾷ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ περιλαβεῖν ψυχῇ, ὄντα πως ἐναντιώτατα· εἴγε νοήσει μὲν καὶ εὐρέσει φίλον πως καὶ συνεργόν ἐστι σιωπή· τὸ δὲ εὕλαλον καὶ εὕηχον ἐν λόγῳ οὐκ ἀλλαχόθι ἄν που ζητῶν εὕροις ἢ ἐν φωναῖς, καὶ τῇ τούτων συνεχεῖ μελέτῃ. Οὐ μην ἀλλὰ καί γε τὸν νοῦν ἕτερόν τι μάθημα δεινῶς ἐπιλαμβάνει, καὶ τὸ στόμα συνδεῖ τὴν γλῶτταν, εἴ τι καὶ μικρὸν εἰπεῖν τῇ Ἐλλήνων ἐθελήσαιμι φωνῇ· οἱ θαυμαστοὶ ἡμῶν τῶν σοφῶν νόμοι, οἶς νῦν τὰ πάντων τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἀνθρώσπων κατενθύνεται πράγματα, οἱ μεν οὕτε συγκείμενοι, καὶ ἐκμανθανόμενοι ἀταλαιπώρως· ὄντες μὲν αὐτοὶ σοφοί τε καὶ ἀκριβεῖς καὶ ποικίλοι καὶ θαυμαστοὶ, καὶ συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, Ἐλληνικώτατοι· ἐκφρασθέντες δὲ καὶ παραδοθέντες τῇ Ῥωμαίων φωνῇ, καταπληκτικῇ μὲν καὶ ἀλαζόνι, καὶ συσχηματιζομένῃ τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ βασιλικῇ, φορτικῇ δὲ ὅμως ἐμοί· οὐ μὴν ἄλλως πως οὕτε δυνατὸν ἦν, εἰ καὶ βουλητὸν εἶναί μοι εἴποιμʼ ἄν ποτε. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ εἰκόνες τινές εἰσι τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν παθημάτων αἱ λέξεις ἡμῶν· τοῖς μὲν δυνατοῖς εἰπεῖν, ὥσπερ τισὶν ἀγαθοῖς ζωγράφοις, καὶ τέχνῃ μὲν ὅτι τεχνικωτάτοις, πλουσίοις δὲ καὶ τῇ τῶν χρωμάτων ὕλῃ, οὐχ ὀμοίας μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποικίλας, καὶ περικαλλεῖς τῷ πολυμιγεῖ τῶν ἀνθῶν, γράφειν ἐξεῖναι τὰς γραφὰς κατὰ μηδὲν ἐμποδιζομένοις, ὁμολογήσαιμεν.

### English translation (Claude)

A fine thing is silence, for many others on many occasions, and especially now for me, who, willingly and unwillingly, am muzzled and compelled to keep silent. For I am unpractised and inexperienced in those fine and seemly speeches that are spoken or composed in choice and approved nouns and verbs, in an unhindered sequence; and perhaps I am also less fitted by nature to labour at this graceful and truly Greek work. Moreover, it is now eight years since I myself have happened to speak or write any speech at all, great or small; nor have I heard anyone else writing or speaking in private, or delivering panegyrics or competitive speeches in public, except these wonderful men who have embraced the fair philosophy. They too care less for eloquence and elegance of words; placing words second, they wish to investigate accurately and to announce the things themselves, as each is; not, I think, from not wishing, but rather from greatly wishing, to express the fine and accurate fruits of their thinking in fine and comely speech; but perhaps being unable so readily to bring forth in their own thoughts the sacred and godlike power and at the same time speech that is eloquent in its words, and to comprehend in one and the same soul, and that a small and human one, two excellences, each peculiar to different men and somehow most opposed to each other: since silence is a friend and helper to thought and invention, while fluency and sonority in speech you would find nowhere else than in words and their continual practice. Moreover, another study grips my mind fiercely and the mouth binds the tongue, if I should wish to say even a little in the language of the Greeks: our wonderful laws of the wise, by which the affairs of all men under the rule of the Romans are now directed, which are neither composed nor learned without toil; being themselves wise and exact and varied and wonderful, and, in a word, most Greek, but expressed and handed down in the language of the Romans, which is impressive and lofty and shaped to the imperial authority, but burdensome to me. Nor was it possible otherwise, even if I should say it was my wish. And since our words are nothing else than images of the affections of our soul, we would grant that those able to speak, like good painters, most skilled in their art and rich also in the material of colours, may paint pictures not only of a likeness but also varied and very beautiful in their mixture of flowers, being in nothing hindered.

### Translation notes

- Gregory delivers this farewell speech in Origen's presence at Caesarea in Palestine, about 238. "Philosophy" here means the Christian life of study taught by Origen. A stray footnote number and a leaked footnote mark are removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 1 (PG 10:1052a–1053a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-1).

## Address of Thanksgiving 2

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-2
- Source: PG 10:1053b–1057a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory hesitates to speak of the godlike Origen, whose ears are used to the pure words of the divine Word.

### Greek text

Ἡμεῖς δὲ, οἶά τινες ὄντες πένητες, ἀποροῦντες τῶν ποικίλων τούτων φαρμάκων, καὶ ἤτοι οὐδὲ κτησάμενοι πώποτε, ἢ καὶ ἀποβεβληκότες ἴσως, οἶα ἐξ ἀνθράκων μόνων ἢ ὀστράκων, τῶν συνήθων τούτων καὶ κοινῶν ὀνομάτων καὶ ῥημάτων, κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, τὰ πρωτότυπα τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν τῶν παθημάτων ταῖς ἡμῖν εὐπόροις ὑπογράφοντες φωναῖς ἀπομιμούμεθα, ὑποφαίνειν τοὺς χαρακτῆρας τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς τύπων, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἐναργεῖς, μηδὲ κεκαλλωπισμένους, ἀλλʼ ὡς ἐν ἀνθρακογραφίᾳ γοῦν πειρώμενοι, εἰ μέν τι καὶ εὐειδὲς καὶ εὕγλωττον ἀπαντᾷ ποθεν, ἀσπασάμενοι ἡδέως, ἐπεὶ καὶ περιφρονήσαντες. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐκ τρίτων αὗθις ἄλλως κωλύει τε καὶ ἀποτρέπει, καὶ πολὺ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπέχει μᾶλλον καὶ ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν ἀτεχνῶς προστάττει, ἡ ὑπόθεσις αὕτη· ἦσπερ ἕνεκα λέγειν προεθυμήθην μὲν, μέλλω δὲ καὶ ὀκνῶ. Περὶ γὰρ ἀνδρὸς διανοοῦμαί τι λέγειν, φαινομένου μὲν καὶ δοκοῦντος ἀνθρώπου, τὸ δὲ πολὺ τῆς ἔξεως τοῖς καθορᾷν δυναμένοις ἀπεσκευασμένου ἤδη μείζονι παρασκευῇ μεταναστάσεως τῆς πρὸς τὸ θεῖον. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ γένος οὐδὲ ἀνατροφὰς σώματος ἐπαινέσων ἔρχομαι, εἶτα μέλλω καὶ ἀναβάλλομαι ὑπʼ εὐλαβείας περιττῆς· οὐδέ γε ἱσχὺν ἢ κάλλος· ταῦτα δὴ τὰ τῶν μειρακίων ἐγκώμια, ὡν ἤττων φροντὶς κατʼ ἀξίαν τε καὶ μὴ, λεγομένων. Πραγμάτων γὰρ οὐ μονίμων οὐδὲ ἐστώτων, φθειρομένων δὲ ποικίλως καὶ ταχέως, λόγον ποιεῖσθαί τινα σεμνοειδῶς καὶ ἀξιοπρεπῶς δὴ ταῖς ἀναβολαῖς, μὴ καὶ ψυχρὸν ἢ πέρπερον ᾖ· οὐκ ἄν μοι τούτων εἴπερ τι λέγειν προῦκειτο, ἀχρήστων μὲν ὄντων καὶ ματαίων, καὶ οἶων οὐκ ἄν ποτε ἑκὼν προὐθέμην λέγειν· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ εἴπερ προύκειτό τι τοιοῦτον, οὐδʼ εἶχεν ἂν εὐλάβειαν ὁ λόγος, οὐδὲ φροντίδα, μή πή τι λέγων, ἤττων τῆς ἀξίας φαινοίμην. Νυνὶ δὲ ὅ τι θεοειδέστατον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅπερ ἐν αὐτῷ συγγενὲς ὄν τυγχάνει Θεῷ, ἐγκαθειργμένον μὲν τῷ φαινομένῳ καὶ θνητῷ τῷδε, ὅτι δὲ φιλοπονώτατα ἐξομοιοῦσθαι βιαζόμενον τῷ Θεῷ· τούτου μνημονεύων καὶ ἐφάπτεσθαί πως μέλλων πραγμάτων μειζόνων, καί τινος διὰ τούτου καὶ τῆς εἰς τὸ Θεῖον εὐχαριστίας, ὅτι μοι συγκυρῆσαι τοιούτῳ δεδώρηται ἀνδρὶ παρὰ πᾶσάν γε τὴν ἀνθρώπων προσδοκίαν τῶν τε ἄλλων καὶ τὴν ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ, οὕτε προθεμένου ποτὲ οὕτε καὶ ἐλπίσαντος· τοιούτων ἐφάπτεσθαι μέλλων, μικρὸς ὡν καὶ ἄνους παντελῶς, οὐκ εὐλόγως ἀναδύομαί τε καὶ ὀκνῶ καὶ ἐκὼν εἶναι σιωπῶ. Καὶ δῆτα τὴν ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν ἀσφαλές μοι καταφαίνεται, μή πη προφάσει μὲν εὐχαριστίας, ὑπὸ δὲ προπετείας ἴσως περὶ σεμνῶν καὶ ἱερῶν ἄσεμνά τε καὶ εὐτελῆ καὶ καταπεπατημένα διεξιὼν, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐφικνῶμαι τῆς ἀληθείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθαιρῶ τι, τό γε ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ, παρὰ τοῖς οὕτως ἔχειν πιστεύουσιν, ὡς ἀσθενὴς ὦν ὁ λόγος, περιυβρίζων μᾶλλον, ἤπερ ἐξομοιούμενος τοῖς ἔργοις τῇ δυνάμει, ὑποτυπώσεται. Καίτοι τὰ μὲν σὰ ἀκαθαίρετα καὶ ἀνύβριστα, ὡ φίλη κεφαλὴ, καὶ πολὺ μᾶλλον τὰ θεῖα μένοντα ἐφʼ ἑαυτῶν, ὡς ἔχει, ἀσάλευτα, οὐδὲν βλαπτόμενα ὑπὸ τῶν μικρῶν καὶ ἀναξίων ἡμετέρων λόγων· ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως τὴν τῆς θρασύτητος καὶ προπετείας δόξαν διαφευξόμεθα, ἐπιπηδήσαντες ὑπʼ ἀνοίας, μικρῷ καὶ νῷ καὶ παρασκευῇ, μεγάλοις καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ἴσως πράγμασι. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἀλλαχόθι που καὶ ἐπʼ ἄλλων τοιαῦτα προεθυμήθημεν νεανιεύσασθαι, θρασεῖς μὲν καὶ οὕτως ἦμεν καὶ τολμηροί τινες· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἀναίδεια τῆς προπετείας αἰτία, τῷ μὴ ἐπὶ σοὶ ταῦτα θρασύνεσθαι. Νυνὶ δὲ πᾶν τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἀνοίας ἀποπλήσομεν, ἢ καὶ ἀπεπλήσαμεν ἤδη, ἐπεμβαίνειν τολμήσαντες ἀνίπτοις τοῖς ποσὶ (τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου) ἀκοαῖς, αἷς αὐτὸς ὁ θεῖος Λόγος οὐκ ἐσκεπασμένοις, ὡς ταῖς τῶν πολλῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῖς ποσὶν, ῶσπερ ὑπὸ παχέων τινῶν δερμάτων τῶν αἰνιγματωδῶν καὶ ἀσαφῶν λέξεων, ἀλλὰ γυμνοῖς (ώς ἄν εἴποι τις), σαφὴς καὶ πρόδηλος ἐμβατεύων ἐνεπιδημεῖ· ἡμεῖς δὲ ὦσπερ ῥύπον ἢ πηλόν τινα τοὺς ἀνθρωπίνους ἡμῶν λόγους φέροντες ἐπαντλεῖν ἐτολμήσαμεν ἀκοαῖς θείων καὶ καθαρῶν ἀκούειν μεμελετηκυίαις φωνῶν. Ἀρʼ οὖν ἀπόχρη μέχρι τούτου ἁμαρτεῖν· καὶ νῦν γοῦν σωφρονεῖν ἄρξασθαι χρὴ, μηκέτι μὲν περαιτέρω προβαίνοντας τῷ λόγῳ, αὐτοῦ δὲ καταπαύσαντας, ἐβουλόμην μέν. Οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ ἅπαξ μοι θρασυνομένῳ ἐξέστω τὴν αἰτίαν πρῶτον εἰπεῖν, ὑφʼ ἦς ἐπαρθεὶς ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἦκα τὸν ἀγῶνα, εἴ πη καὶ συγγνώμη γένοιτό μοι τῆς προπετείας ταύτης.

### English translation (Claude)

But we, like poor men, lacking these varied pigments, and either never having acquired them or perhaps having lost them, imitate, as with charcoal or potsherds only, with these usual and common nouns and verbs, according to our ability, the originals of the affections of our soul, sketching them with the words we have at hand, trying to show the outlines of the impressions of the soul, if not vividly or ornately, at least as in a charcoal drawing; and if anything comely and eloquent comes our way from anywhere, we welcome it gladly, though we disregard it otherwise. But thirdly, in yet another way, the subject itself hinders and deters me, and holds me back much more than the others and simply commands me to keep quiet: the very subject for whose sake I eagerly wished to speak, yet I delay and hesitate. For I intend to say something about a man who appears and seems to be a man, but who, to those able to see, has already put off most of his condition in greater preparation for the departure to the divine. I am not coming to praise his birth or bodily upbringing, so that I should delay and put it off out of excessive caution; nor his strength or beauty, these praises of youths, about which there is less concern whether they are spoken fittingly or not. For to make a speech with solemn dignity and delays about things that are not lasting or stable but perish in various ways and quickly, would perhaps be cold and pretentious. If I had intended to speak of any of these things, useless and vain as they are and such as I would never willingly have proposed to speak of, my speech would have had no caution and no anxiety lest in speaking I should appear beneath their worth. But now I intend to speak of what is most godlike in him, that in him which is akin to God, shut up in this visible and mortal form but striving most laboriously to be made like God; and intending in some way to touch on greater matters, and through this also on thanksgiving to the Divine, because it has been granted me to meet such a man beyond all human expectation, others' and my own, who had never purposed or hoped for it: being about to touch on such things, small and wholly foolish as I am, I not unreasonably shrink back and hesitate and would willingly keep silent. And indeed it seems safe to me to keep quiet, lest, under pretext of thanksgiving, but perhaps from rashness, going through things mean and cheap and trite about things solemn and holy, I should not only fail to reach the truth but even, as far as in me lies, detract something among those who believe it so, since my speech, being weak, will outline it insultingly rather than in a way that matches the deeds in power. And yet what is yours, dear friend, cannot be pulled down or insulted, and much more do the divine things remain unshaken as they are in themselves, in nothing harmed by our small and unworthy words; but we, I do not know how we shall escape the reputation of boldness and rashness, having leaped in our folly, with small mind and preparation, upon matters great and perhaps beyond us. And if we had eagerly undertaken such youthful daring somewhere else and in the case of others, we would even so be bold and daring; yet shamelessness would not be the cause of our rashness, since we would not be making this bold attempt in your presence. But now we shall fill up the whole measure of folly, or have already filled it, having dared to tread with unwashed feet (as the saying goes) upon ears into which the divine Word himself enters and dwells, not as into those of most men, with feet shod, as it were, in the thick hides of enigmatic and obscure words, but bare (as one might say), clear and plain; while we, bringing our human words like dirt or mud, have dared to pour them into ears trained to hear divine and pure voices. Is it enough, then, to have sinned this far, and should we now at least begin to be sensible, going no further with the speech but stopping here? I would wish it. Yet, having once been bold, let me be allowed first to state the cause by which I was induced to come to this contest, in case I may obtain pardon for this rashness.

### Translation notes

- "With unwashed feet": a Greek proverb. A scholion on the poverty of Apollonius, who wrote on potsherds, had leaked into the text and is removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 2 (PG 10:1053b–1057a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-2).

## Address of Thanksgiving 3

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-3
- Source: PG 10:1057a–1060b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Ingratitude is terrible; like the poor widow, Gregory will offer what thanks he can, though no one can thank God worthily.

### Greek text

Δεινόν μοι ἡ ἀχαριστία καταφαίνεται, δεινὸν καὶ πάνδεινον. Παθόντα γάρ τι καλῶς, μὴ καὶ ἀμείβεσθαι πειρᾶσθαι, εἰ καὶ μὴ ἄλλως δυνατὸν, εὐχαριστίαις γοῦν ταῖς διὰ λόγων, ἢ ἀνοήτου πάντη καὶ ἀναισθήτου τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν, ἢ ἀμνήμονος· ὅτῳ δὲ καὶ αἴσθησις, καὶ γνῶσις ὧν ἔπαθε καλῶν προσεγένετο πρῶτον, εἰ μὴ καὶ μνήμη διασώζεται εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον, εἰ μὴ καὶ ἀναφέροι τινὰ χάριν τῷ ἄρξαντι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ἀργὸς οὗτος καὶ ἀχάριστος καὶ ἀσεβὴς, ἐξαμαρτάνων οὐ συγγνωστὰ οὕτε μεγάλῳ ὄτε μικρῷ· εἰ μὲν μέγας τίς ἐστι καὶ μεγαλόνους, ὐκ ἀνὰ στόμα φέρων σὺν πάσῃ εὐχαριστίᾳ καὶ τιμῇ ὰς μεγάλας αὐτοῦ εὐεργεσίας· εἰ δὲ μικρὸς καὶ ὐκαταφρόνητος, οὐκ ἀνυμνῶν καὶ εὐφημῶν πάσῃ ῇ αὐτοῦ δυνάμει τὸν οὐ μεγάλων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μικρῶν εὐεργέτην. Τοῖς μὲν οὖν μείζοσι καὶ διαβεηκόσι δυνάμει ψυχῆς, οἶα δὴ ἐκ πλείονος περιουσίας αὶ μεγάλου πλούτου, μείζους καὶ φιλοτιμοτέρας ναγκαῖον ἀποδιδόναι τοῖς εὐεργέταις τὰς κατὰ δύαμιν εὐφημίας· τοῖς δὲ μικροῖς καὶ ἐν στενῷ καθε-,, τῶσιν, οὐδʼ αὐτοῖς ἀμελεῖν, οὐδὲ ῥᾳθυμεῖν προσῆκον, ὐδʼ ἀναπεπτωκέναι, ὡς οὐδὲν ἄξιον φέρειν, οὐδὲ τέειον δυναμένοις· ἀλλʼ οἶα πένητας μὲν, εὐγνώμονας ἐ, οὐ τὴν τοῦ τιμωμένου, τὴν δʼ αὐτῶν δύναμιν μερήσαντας, ἐκ τῆς παρούσης δυνάμεως ἀναφέρειν ὰς τιμὰς, χαριέσσας ἴσως ἐσομένας καὶ καταθυμίους ῷ τετιμημένῳ, καὶ οὐκ ἐν δευτέρᾳ χώρᾳ παρʼ αὐτῷ ῶν μεγάλων καὶ πολλῶν, εἰ σύν τινι προθυμίᾳ μείζονι καὶ γνώμῃ προσφέροιεν ὀλοκλήρῳ. Οὕτως ἐν ἱεραῖς βίβλοις φέρεται, ὅτι δὴ μικρά τις καὶ πτωχὴ γυνὴ ἀμα πλουσίοις καὶ δυνατοῖς, οἶ προσέφερον ἐκ οῦ πλούτου μεγάλα καὶ πολυτελῆ, μόνη μικρὰ μὲν ιαὶ ἐλάχιστα, πάντα δὲ ὅμως τὰ ὄντα αὐτῇ συμβαλομένη, τὴν τῆς πλείονος δόσεως μαρτυρίαν ἀπηνέγκατο. Οὐ γὰρ οἶμαι τῷ ποσῷ τῆς διδομένης ὕλης, ) ὕσης ἔξωθεν, ταῖς δὲ προσφερούσαις γνώμαις μᾶλον καὶ προαιρέσεσι τὴν φιλοτιμίαν καὶ τὴν μεγαλοπρέπειαν, ὁ ἱερὸς λόγος ἐσταθμήσατο. Οὐ τοίνυν ὐδὲ ἡμᾶς ἀποκνεῖν πάντη προσῆκον δέει τοῦ μὴ ἐξισωθήσεσθαι τὴν εὐχαριστίαν ταῖς εὐεργεσίαις, ἱλλὰ πᾶν τοὐναντίον τολμᾷν καὶ πειρᾶσθαι, εἰ καὶ ὴ τὰς ἴσας, τὰς γοῦν δυνατὰς προσφέρειν ὡς ἐν μοιβῇ τιμάς· εἰ πως, τῶν τελείων διαμαρτάνων, τῶν πὶ μέρους γοῦν τεύξηται ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, τὴν παντελῆ βς ἀχαριστίας δόξαν διαδράς. Ἄχρηστον γὰρ ἀληθῶς ἡ παντελῶς σιωπὴ ὑπὸ πιθανῷ τῷ τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαι ἄξιόν τι λέγειν προκαλύμματι· εὕγνωμο δς ἡ πεῖρα ἡ πρὸς τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἀεὶ, κὰν ἤττων ττῖς ἀξίας δύναμις τοῦ τὴν χάριν ἀναφέροντος ἦ. Οὐ γόρ, εἰ μὴ κατʼ ἀξίαν οἶός τέ εἰμι λέγειν σιωπήσομαι υλ. εἰ ἀποπλήσω πάνθʼ ἂ μοι δυνατόν ἐστι, καὶ σεμονοῦμαι. Ἔστω δή μοι ὁ λόγος ὅδε χαριστήριος· Θεῷ μὲν τῷ τῶν ὅλων, οὐκ ἂν ἐθελήσαιμι λέγειν· καίτοι γε ἐκεῖθεν ἡμῖν πᾶσαι μὲν αἱ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρχαὶ, ἐκεῖθεν δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς τῶν εὐχαριστιῶν ἢ ὕμνων καὶ αἴνων ἄρχεσθαι χρή. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐδʼ εἰ ὅλον ἐμαυτὸν, μὴ οἶος μὲν νῦν εἰμι βέβηλος καὶ ἀκάθαρτος. ἀναμεμιγμένος καὶ πεφυρμένος παναγεῖ αὶ ἀκαθάρτῳ κακῷ· γυμνὸν δὲ αὐτὸν ὅτι καθαρῶτατον λαμπρότατόν τε καὶ εἰλικρινέστατον, καὶ ἀμηῆ παντὸς χείρονος· οὐδʼ εἰ ὅλον, φημὶ, γυμνὸν, ῶστερ τινὰ γενόμενον φέρων ἐπιδοίην, φέροιμι ἄν τι παρ ἐμαυτοῦ δῶρον ἄξιον εἰς τιμὴν καὶ ἀμοιβὴν τῷ πὰντων ἡγεμόνι καὶ αἰτίῳ· ὅν οὕτε ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστος πώποτε, οὕτε καὶ ἅμα πάντες, ὡσεὶ ἐν καὶ ταὐτὸ γένοιτο πάντα καθαρὰ, αὐτῶν μὲν ἐκστάντα, πρδς αὐτὸν δὲ ἐπιστρέψαντα μᾶλλον, ἀθρόα ἑνὶ πνεύματι καὶ μιᾷ ὁρμῇ τῇ συμφώνῳ, ἀξίως ἂν εὐφημῆ·σαι δύναιντο. Ὁτι γὰρ τῶν αὐτοῦ δημιουργημάπωτ καὶ διανοηθῆναί τις ἄριστα καὶ ὀλοκλήρως, καὶ (εi οἶόν τε) εἰπεῖν κατʼ ἀξίαν περὶ αὐτοῦ δυνηθείτ· αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς δυνάμεως ἔνεκεν ἦς ἠξίωται οὐ παρ ἄλλου του, παρʼ αὐτοῦ δὲ λαβὼν, οὐκ ἔσθʼ ὅπως ὅν ἄλλο τι μεῖζόν ποθεν εὐπορήσας εἰς εὐχαριστίαν ἀναθείη.

### English translation (Claude)

Ingratitude seems to me a terrible thing, terrible and utterly terrible. For one who has been well treated not to try to repay, if not otherwise possible, at least by thanks in words, is the mark of one wholly senseless and without feeling for benefits, or forgetful. And one who had perception and knowledge of the benefits he received at first, if he does not also preserve the memory into later time, and does not render some thanks to the one who began the good things, is idle and ungrateful and impious, committing an unpardonable sin whether he be great or small: if he is great and great-minded, by not having his great benefits on his lips with all thanks and honour; if small and despised, by not celebrating and praising with all his power the benefactor not only of great but even of small things. For the greater, those who excel in power of soul, must, as from greater abundance and great wealth, render greater and more lavish praises to their benefactors according to their ability; and the small, those in narrow circumstances, ought not to neglect it either, nor be slack, nor lie down as though unable to bring anything worthy or perfect; but as poor men, yet well-disposed, measuring not the power of the one honoured but their own, they should bring honours from their present ability, which will perhaps be gracious and pleasing to the one honoured, and not in second place with him to great and many (gifts), if they offer them with greater eagerness and a whole mind. So it is recorded in the sacred books that a small and poor woman, along with rich and powerful people who offered great and costly gifts from their wealth, alone contributed small and very little things, but all she had, and carried off the testimony of the greater giving. For I think the sacred word weighed munificence and magnificence not by the quantity of the material given, which is external, but rather by the intentions and choices of those who offered. Neither, then, should we hold back altogether through fear that our thanksgiving will not equal the benefits, but quite the contrary, dare and try to offer in return, if not equal honours, at least those we can; so that, if our speech misses the perfect, it may at least attain part, escaping the reputation of total ingratitude. For total silence under the plausible cover of being unable to say anything worthy is truly useless; but the attempt at repayment is always well-intentioned, even if the ability of the one rendering thanks is beneath the worth. For I will not keep silent because I cannot speak worthily; but I will be satisfied if I fulfil all I can. Let this speech, then, be my thanksgiving. To God, the God of all things, I would not wish to call it that, although all the beginnings of good things come to us from there, and from there too we must begin our thanksgivings, hymns, and praises. But not even if I should give myself wholly, not as I now am, profane and impure, mixed and confused with all-defiling and impure evil, but bare, as pure as possible, most bright and unalloyed, and untouched by anything worse; not even if I gave myself wholly, I say, bare, as if newborn, would I bring from myself any gift worthy as honour and recompense to the Leader and Cause of all things; whom neither each by himself nor all together, as if all things became one and the same and pure, standing outside themselves and turning rather to him, united in one spirit and one harmonious impulse, could ever worthily praise. For even if one could think best and wholly about his works and (if it were possible) speak worthily of him, yet, because of the very power of which he was thought worthy, having received it not from another but from him, there is no way he could find anything greater from anywhere to offer in thanksgiving.

### Scripture references

- Mark 12:42: allusion, high confidence
- Mark 12:43: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 21:1: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- The widow's offering: Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:1–4.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 3 (PG 10:1057a–1060b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-3).

## Address of Thanksgiving 4

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-4
- Source: PG 10:1060c–1066b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Only the Word can thank the Father worthily; Gregory thanks Origen, and his guardian angel who led him to Origen.

### Greek text

Ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν εἰς τὸν πάντων βασιλέα καὶ κηδεμόνα, τὴν διαρκῆ πηγὴν πάντων ἀγαθῶν, εὐφημίας καὶ ὕμνους τῷ κὰν τούτῳ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἡμῶν ἰωμένῳ, καὶ τὸ ἐνδέον ἀναπληροῦν μόνῳ δυναμένῳ ἐπιτρέψωμεν, τῷ προστάτῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων ψυχῶν καὶ Σωτῆρι, τῷ πρωτογενεῖ αὐτοῦ Λόγῳ, τῷ πάντων δημιουργῷ καὶ κυβερνήτῃ· αὐτῷ μόνῳ ὑπέρ τε ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντων ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ ἐκάστου, καὶ ἀθρόον ἅμα δυνατὸν ὄν ἀναπέμπειν διηνεκεῖς καὶ ἀδιαλείπτους τῷ Πατρὶ τὰς εὐχαριστίας· ὅτι αὐτὸς ἡ ἀλήθεια ὡν, καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν ὅλων καὶ σοφία καὶ δύναμις, πρὸς δὲ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ὦν, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀτεχνῶς ἡνωμένος, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅπως ἢ διὰ λήθην ἢ ἀσόφως ἢ ὑπʼ ἀσθενείας τινὸς, ὡσπερ τις ἀπεξενωμένος αὐτοῦ, ἢ οὐκ ἐφίξεται τῇ δυνάμει τῆς δυνάμεως, ἢ ἐφίξεται μὲν, ἑκὼν δὲ (ὃ μὴ θέμις εἰπεῖν) ἐάσῃ τὸν Πατέρα ἀνευφήμητον· μόνῳ τούτῳ δυνατὸν )ν τελειότατα πᾶσαν ἀποπληρῶσαι τὴν ἀξίαν τῶν ὐτῷ προσηκόντων αἴνων· ὅν τινα αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Πατὴρ ἓν πρὸς αὐτὸν ποιησάμενος, διʼ αὐτοῦ μονονουχὶ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ἐκπεριὼν, τῇ ἴσῃ πάντη υνάμει τῇ αὐτοῦ τρόπον τινὰ τιμῷη καὶ τιμῷτο· περ πρῶτος καὶ μόνος ἔχειν ἔλαχεν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ντων ὁ Μονογενὴς αὐτοῦ, ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ Θεὸς Λόγος· τῶν ἄλλων πάντων οὕτω μόνον εὐχαρίστων καὶ εὐσεβῶν εἶναι δυναμένων, εἰ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ φέροντες μόνῳ ἀντὶ πάντων τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν, τὴν δύναμιν τῆς ἀξίας εὐχαριστίας ἀναθήσομεν μίαν ὁδὸν εὐσεβείας ταύτην εἶναι ὁμολογήσαντες τὴν ʼ αὐτοῦ πᾶσαν μνήμην) τῷ τῶν ὅλων αἰτίῳ. ὸ δὴ τῆς μὲν ἐπὶ πᾶσι διαρκοῦς προνοίας ἔν τε εγίστοις καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις κηδομένης ἡμῶν, αὶ εἰς τοῦτό γε προαγομένης, ἐκεῖνος ἄξιος διαρκὴς ἴναι λόγος εἰς εὐχαριστίας καὶ ὕμνους ὀμολογείσθω, τελειότατος ὦν καὶ ζῶν, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ πρώτου Νοῦ Λόγος ἔμψυχος ὡν· ὁ δʼ ἡμέτερος οὗτος ἔστω χαρι τήριος ἀνθρώπων μὲν πάντων μάλιστα τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ρῷ τῷδε εἰ δέ τι καὶ περαιτέρω μεληγορεῖν θέλοιμι, καὶ τῶν οὐ φαινομένων μὲν, θειοτέρων δὲ αὶ κηδομένων ἀνθρώπων, τούτῳ ὅς με ἐκ παίδων ρίσει τινὶ μεγάλῃ οἰκονομεῖν τε καὶ τιθηνεῖσθαι καὶ ἐπιτροπεύειν ἐκληρώσατο, ὁ ἱερὸς ἄγγελος Θεοῦ, « ὁ τρέφων με ἐκ νεότητός μου, φησὶν ἐκεῖνος ὁ Θεῷ ίλος ἀνὴρ, τὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων δηλαδή ἀλλʼ ὁ μὲν μέας ὡν, ἀναλόγως μέγιστόν τινα(ἤτοι ἄλλον ὅστις ἂν εἴνος ἡ, ἢ καὶ αὐτὸν ἴσως τόν τῆς μεγάλης βουλῆς Ἄγγελον, τὸν κοινὸν πάντων Σῶτηρα, ὑπὸ τειότητος μόνον ἤδη φύλακα αὐτῷ εἶναι κληρωσάμες, οὐκ οἶδα τοῦτο σαφῶς), πλὴν ὁ μὲν τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ίγαν τινὰ, ὅς τίς ποτʼ ἂν ἦ, καὶ γινώσκων καὶ εὐγμμῶν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ πρὸς τῷ κοινῷ πάντων ἀνθρώπων βερνήτῃ, καὶ τοῦτον, ὅς τίς ποτʼ ἐστὶν, ἰδίᾳ παιδαγωγὸς ἡμῶν ὄντων νηπίων. Ὁς τά τε ἄλλα πάντη ἱντα ἀγαθὸς ὢν τροφεὺς καὶ κηδεμὼν ἐμὸς(οὐχὶ ἐμοὶ τινι τῶν ἐμοὶ προσηκόντων φίλων, τυφλοὶ γὰρ εῖς καὶ μηδὲν τῶν ἐμπροσθεν ὀρῶντες ὥστε τι ὶ κρίνειν δύνασθαι τῶν δεόντων, ἀλλʼ ἢ αὐτῷ προωμένῳ πάντα τὰ πρὸς ὡφέλειαν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν, συμφέρον εἶναι καταφαίνεται), πάλαι τε καὶ νῦν ἔτι ἐκτρέφει τε καὶ παιδεύει καὶ χειραγωγεῖ· κὶ ὲ πρὸς πᾶσι τοῖς ἄλλοις καὶ συνάψαι με τῷ ἀνδρὶ τούτῳ, τοῦτο δὴ τὸ κεφαλαιωδέστατον πάντων, ᾠκονομήσατο, οὔτε γένει καὶ αἵματί μοι ἀνθρωπίνῳ τινὶ προσήκοντα, οὕτε ἄλλως προσοικοῦντα, ἢ ὄντα τινὰ τῶν πλησιοχώρων, οὕτε καὶ ὁμοεθνῆ ὅλως (ταῦτα δὴ1 πρόφασις φιλίας καὶ ἐνώσεως τοῖς πολλοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων γίνεται), ἀλλὰ συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, ἀγνώστους, ἀλλοτρίους, ἀπεξενωμένους, ἀλλήλων ἀφεστηκότας πάμπολυ, ὅσον μέσα ἔθνη καὶ ὄρη καὶ ποταμοὺς διείργει ἡμᾶς, ὑπὸ τῆς θείας ὄντως καὶ σοφῆς προμηθείας εἰς ταυτὸν ἀγαγὼν, τὴν σωτήριον ἐμοὶ σύνοδον ταύτην ἐμηχανήσατο· ἄνωθεν τοῦτο προμηθούμενος οἶμαι, ἐκ πρώτης γενέσεως καὶ ἀνατροφῆς. Πῶς δὲ, μακρὸν ἂν εἴη διεξιέναι, οὐχὶ ἀκριβολογουμένῳ μόνον καὶ μηδὲν παραλιπεῖν πειρωμένῳ, ἀλλʼ εἰ καὶ, τὰ πολλὰ παρεὶς, ἀθρόως ὀλίγων τῶν κεφαλαιωδεστέρων μνημονεύειν ἐθελήσαιμι.

### English translation (Claude)

But let us entrust the praises and hymns to the King and Guardian of all things, the unfailing spring of all good things, to the one who heals our weakness in this too and alone can fill up what is lacking: to the Protector and Saviour of our souls, his first-born Word, the Maker and Pilot of all things. For to him alone it is possible, both for himself and for all, individually for each and all together at once, to send up continual and unceasing thanksgivings to the Father; because, being himself the Truth, and the Wisdom and Power of the Father of all things, and moreover being in him and truly united to him, it cannot be that through forgetfulness or lack of wisdom or some weakness, as one estranged from him, he either will not reach (the task) by his power, or, reaching it, will willingly (which it is unlawful to say) leave the Father unpraised. For to him alone is it possible to fill up most perfectly the whole worth of the praises due to him: him whom the Father of all made one with himself, and through whom, as if himself encircling himself, he in some way honours and is honoured with a power in every way equal to his own; this his Only-begotten, God the Word who is in him, first and alone obtained to have of all beings. All others can be thankful and pious only in this way: if, bringing it to him alone in return for all the good things (given) us from the Father, we offer the power of worthy thanksgiving, confessing that this is the one way of piety, to bring all remembrance through him to the Cause of all things. Let it be confessed, then, that for the providence that suffices for all, caring for us in the greatest and the least things and leading us even to this point, he is the worthy and sufficient word for thanksgivings and hymns, being most perfect and living, the ensouled Word of the first Mind himself. But let this speech of ours be a thanksgiving, of all men, above all to this holy man; and if I should wish to speak further also of those who are not seen but are more divine and care for men, (a thanksgiving) to the one who from childhood, by some great decision, was allotted to manage, nurse, and guard me, the holy angel of God, "who feeds me from my youth," as that man dear to God says, speaking evidently of his own angel. But he, being great, (was allotted) proportionally a very great one (whether some other, whoever he was, or perhaps even the Angel of great counsel himself, the common Saviour of all, whom by his perfection he had already obtained as his own guardian, I do not clearly know); yet he knew and thanked his own angel, whoever he was. But we, besides the common Pilot of all men, (thank) this one too, whoever he is, who was our own tutor when we were infants. He, being in all other respects a good nurse and guardian of mine (not in my judgment or that of any of my friends, for we are blind and see nothing ahead so as to be able to judge anything needful, but in the judgment of him who foresees all things for the benefit of our soul, it seems better so), both long ago and still now rears and educates and leads me by the hand; and besides all the rest he arranged to join me to this man, the most important thing of all; a man neither related to me by birth and human blood, nor otherwise a neighbour or one of those dwelling near, nor even of the same nation at all (these are the occasions of friendship and union for most men); but, in a word, bringing together by truly divine and wise providence us who were unknown to each other, strangers and foreigners, standing very far apart, as far as the intervening nations and mountains and rivers separate us, he contrived this saving meeting for me; foreseeing it from above, I think, from my first birth and upbringing. How, it would be long to recount, not only if I were to be exact and try to omit nothing, but even if, passing over most, I should wish to mention briefly a few of the chief points.

### Scripture references

- 1 Cor 1:24: allusion, high confidence
- John 14:6: allusion, medium confidence
- John 1:18: echo, medium confidence
- Gen 48:15: quotation, high confidence
- Gen 48:16: allusion, high confidence
- Isa 9:6 (9:5 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Matt 18:10: echo, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Christology: the Word is "in" the Father and "united to him", the Father's Truth, Wisdom, and Power (1 Cor 1:24; John 14:6), honoured with "a power in every way equal" to the Father's; this is Gregory's own wording, translated exactly.
- "Who feeds me from my youth": Jacob in Gen 48:15–16. "Angel of great counsel": Isa 9:6 (Septuagint, 9:5).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 4 (PG 10:1060c–1066b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-4).

## Address of Thanksgiving 5

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-5
- Source: PG 10:1066b–1068d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Orphaned at fourteen, Gregory began to receive the Word; providence diverted his journey to study law at Berytus and brought him to Origen at Caesarea.

### Greek text

Ἀνατροφαὶ γὰρ αἱ πρῶται ἐκ γενέσεως, αἱ ὑπὸ ὑπὸ γονεῦσι· καὶ πάτρια ἔθη τὰ πεπλανημένα· ὧν ἡμᾶς ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαι οὕτε ἄλλος οἶμαι προσεδόκησεν, οὕτε καὶ ἐμοὶ ἐλπίς τις ἦν παιδίῳ μὲν ὄντι καὶ ἀλόγῳ, ὑπὸ πατρὶ δὲ δεισιδαίμονι. Εἶτα πατρὸς ἀποβολὴ καὶ ὀρφανία ἣ δή μοι τάχα καὶ ἀρχὴ τῆς τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἐπιγνώσεως ἦν. Τότε γὰρ πρῶτον ἐπὶ τὸν σωτήριον καὶ ἀληθῆ μετετέθην λόγον, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως, κατηναγκασμένος μᾶλλον ἤπερ ἑκών. Τίς γὰρ ἐμοὶ κρίσις ἦν, ὄντι τεσσαρεσκαιδεκέτει; Πλὴν ἐξ ἐκείνου πως ἐπιδημεῖν μέν μοι ὁ ἱερὸς ὅδε Λόγος ἤρξατο εὐθὺς, οἶα δὴ ἄρτι πληρουμένου τοῦ κοινοῦ πάντων ἀνθρώπων λόγου, ἐπεδήμει δʼ ὅμως τότε πρῶτον. Ὁ δὴ καὶ οὐ μικρὸν, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάλαι, νῦν γοῦν ἀναλογιζόμενος ἐγὼ, σύμβολον τίθεμαι τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ θαυμαστῆς περὶ ἐμὲ Προνοίας, τὴν συνδρομὴν ταύτην οὕτω τοῖς ἔτεσι διηριθμημένην, ἴνα τὰ μὲν φθάνοντα πάντα τήνδε τὴν ἡλικίαν. δα πλάνης ἦν ἔργα, νηπιότητι καὶ ἀλογίᾳ παραδεδομένα ῇ· μὴ μάτην δὲ ὁ ἱερὸς παραδοθῇ Λόγος ψυχῇ οὐδέπω λογικῇ· λογικῇ δὲ ἤδη γενομένῃ, d καὶ μὴ λόγου θείου καὶ καθαροῦ, φόβου γοῦν τοῦ κατὰ τὸν λόγον τόνδε, μὴ ἔρημος ῇ· ἄλλʼ δμοῦ ἐ τε ἀνθρώπινος καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἄρξηται ἐν ἐμοὶ λόγος· ὁ μὲν βοηθῶν τῇ ἀλέκτῳ μὲν ἐμοὶ, οἰκείᾳ δὲ αὐτῷ δυνάμει· ὁ δὲ βοηθούμενος. Ὃ δὴ λογιζόμενον, εὐφροσύνης ὁμοῦ καὶ δέους ἀναπίπλησί με, μεγαλυνόμενον μὲν τῇ προαγωγῇ, φοβούμενον δὲ, μή πη. αὶ τοιούτων ἀξιωθεὶς τοῦ τέλους ὀμοίως σφαλῶ. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως ἐνεβράδυνέ μοι τῷδε τῷ μέρει λόγος, τὴν θαυμαστὴν οἰκονομίαν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε ὁδῷ διηγήσασθαι θέλων, σπεύδων δὲ ὅμως πρότερον καὶ βραχυλογούμενος ἐπὶ τάδε τὰ ἐξῆς, ot ὡς εὐφημίαν ὀφειλομένην τῷ οὕτως οἰκονομήσαπ γενομένη. ἐποδιδοὺς, ἢ εὐχαριστίαν καὶ εὐσέβειαν (μὴ φορτικοὶ μὲν οὕτως ὀνομάζοντες μὲν, ἄξιον δὲ λέγοντες οὐδόν)· ἀλλʼ ὡς διήγησιν καὶ ὀμολογίαν, ἢ τι τῶν ἐπιεικεστέρων τούτων ὀνομάτων ποιούμενος. Ἐδὸκει τῇ μόνῃ ἐκ τῶν γονέων κήδεσθαι ἡμῶν παραλειπομένῃ μητρὶ, τʼ ἄλλα ἐκπαιδευομένους, οἶα παῖδας οὐκ ἀγεννῶς δῆθεν καὶ φύντας καὶ τρεφομένους, φοιτᾶν καὶ ῥήτορι, ὡς δὴ ῥήτορας ἐσομένους. Καὶ δῆτα ἐφοιτῶμεν, καὶ ῥήτορας μὲν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἔσεσθαι ἡμᾶς ἔλεγον οἱ τότε κρίνοντες οὕτως· οὐκ ἔγωγε τοῦτο λέγειν οὕτε οἶδα, οὕτʼ ἂν θελήσαιμι· λόγος δὲ οὐδεὶς ἦν τούτων, οὐδέ τις καταβολὴ οὐδέπω τῶν τῇδε φέρειν ἡμᾶς δυναμένων αἰτιῶν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἄγρυπνος ὦν ὁ θεῖος παιδαγωγὸς καὶ ἀληθὴς κηδεμὼν, οὕτε τῶν οἰκείων διανοουμένων, οὕτε καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ προθυμουμένου, ἐπῆν, συμβαλών τινι τῶν ἐμῶν διδασκάλων (ἄλλως τὴν Ῥωμαίων φωνὴν ἐκπαιδεύειν με πεπιστευμένῳ, οὐκ ὡς ἐπʼ ἄκρον ἤξοντα, ὡς δὲ μὴ ἄπειρος εἴην πάντη καὶ τῆσδε τῆς φωνῆς· ἔτυχε δὲ νόμων οὐκ ἄπειρος ὢν), τοῦτο ἐπὶ νοῦν βαλὼν, προὐτρέψατό με διʼ αὐτοῦ τῶν Ῥωμαίων ἐκμανθάνειν νόμους. Καὶ λιπαρῶς γε τοῦτο ἐποίει ὁ ἀνὴρ ἐκεῖνος, κάγὼ μέν τοι ἐπειθόμην, τάνδρὶ μᾶλλον χαριζόμενος ἤπερ τῆς τέχνης ἐραστὴς ὡν. Ὁ δέ με λαβὼν ἀκροατὴν, φιλοτίμως μὲν διδάσκειν ἤρχετο ἐπεφθέγξατο δέ τι, ὅ μοι ἀληθέστατα πάντων ἀποβέβηκε, μέγιστον ἔσεσθαί μοι ἐφόδιον (τοῦτο γὰρ τοὔνομα ἐκεῖνος ὠνόμασεν), εἴτε τις ῥήτωρ τῶν ἐν τοῖς δικαστηρίοις ἀγωνιουμένων, εἴτε καὶ ἄλλος τις εἶναι θελήσαιμι, τὴν μάθησιν τῶν νόμων. Ὁ μὲν οὕτως ἀπεφθέγξατο, τείνων εἰς τὰ ἀνθρώπινα τὸν λόγον· ἐμοὶ δʼ ἀτεχνῶς ὑπό τινι θειοτέρᾳ ἐπινοίᾳ ἀποφοιβάσαι δοκεῖ τῆς αὐτοῦ ὑπολήψεως. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἐξεπαιδευόμην ἑκὼν καὶ ἄκων τοὺς νόμους τούσδε, δεσμοὶ μέν πως ἤδη κατεβέβληντο καὶ αἰτία καὶ ἀφορμὴ τῆς ἐπὶ τάδε ὀδοῦ, ἡ τῶν Βηρυτίων πόλις· ἡ δὲ οὐ μακρὰν ἀπέχουσα τῶν ἐνταῦθα πόλις Ῥωμαϊκωτέρα πως, καὶ τῶν νόμων τούτων εἶναι πιστευθεῖσα παιδευτήριον. Τὸν δʼ ἱερὸν τοῦτον ἄνδρα ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἐκ τῆς Ἀλεξανδρέων πόλεως, ἔνθα τὴν ἑστίαν ἔχων ἔτυχε πρότερον, καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκίνει καὶ μετανίστη ἐπὶ τόδε τὸ χωρίον, ὥσπερ ἀπαντήσοντα ἡμῖν, ἕτερα πράγματα. Οὐκ ἔγωγε καὶ ταῦτα αἰτιολογεῖσθαι οὕτε οἶδα, καὶ ἐκὼν παρήσω· οὐ μὴν ἀλλʼ οὕπωγε τῆς ἐνθάδε μοι ἀφίξεως καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα συμπλοκῆς οὐδὲν οὕτως παρέδωκεν ἀνθρώπῳ, πᾶσαν, εἱ δυνατὸν, πρόνοιαν A ἀναγκαῖον ἦν ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς νόμοις ἡμῶν, δυνατὸν ὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀποδημῆσαι πόλιν. Πῶς οὖν καὶ τοῦτο ἐξεπορίσθη; Κηδεστήν μου ἄνδρα ἀδελφῆς ἐμῆς, ὁ τότε ἄρχων τῶν Παλαιστίνων, τοῦτον παραλαβὼν ἐξαίφνης ἄκοντα μόνον κεχωρισμένον τῆς ὀμοκοίτου, ἤγαγεν ἐνταῦθα, συνεπιβοηθήσοντα καὶ κοινωνήσοντα τῶν τοῦ ἔθνους ἄρχοντος πόνων· νομικὸς γάρ τις ἦν, καὶ ἔστιν ἴσως ἔτι. Ὃς δὴ ἐλθὼν ἅμα αὐτῷ ἔμελλε μὲν οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν μετάπεμπτον ἀπολήψεσθαι τὴν γυναῖκα, ἐπαχθῶς αὐτῆς καὶ ἄκων κεχωρισμένος, καὶ ἡμᾶς δὲ ἅμα αὐτῇ συνεπισπώμενος. Ἐξαίφνης γοῦν, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως, ἀποδημεῖν μὲν, ἀλλʼ ἐτέρωθί ποι μᾶλλον ἀποδημεῖν ἤπερ ἐνταῦθα διανοουμένοις ἡμῖν ἐπέστη στρατιώτης φέρων ἐντολὴν, παραπέμπειν μὲν καὶ διασώζεσθαι τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν καταλαμβάνουσαν τὸν ἄνδρα, ἄγειν δὲ καὶ ἡμᾶς συνδοιπόρους ἅμʼ αὐτῇ· χαριουμένους μὲν καὶ τῷ κηδεστῇ, καὶ μάλιστα τῇ ἀδελφῇ (ὅπως μὴ οὐκ εὐσχήμων τε ἢ ὀκνηροτέρα πρὸς τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν ἦ), οἰκέτας αὐτοῖς καὶ τοῖς συγγενέσι τιμήσασι· καὶ οὐ μικρόν τι ἕτερον τῶν προὕργου διαπραξαμένοις, εἰ ἐπὶ τὴν Βηρυτίων ἔλθοιμεν πόλιν, ἐκεῖ τὸ τῶν νόμων μάθημα ἐκπονήσαντες. Πάντα τοιγαροῦν ἐκίνει ἡμᾶς, τὸ πρὸς τὴν ἀδελφὴν εὕλογον, τὸ ἡμέτερον αὐτῶν μάθημα· πρὸς δὲ καὶ ὁ στρατιώτης (ἐπεὶ καὶ τοῦτο μνημονεῦσαι δεῖ) φέρων ἐξουσίαν πλειόνων τῶν δημοσίων ὀχημάτων τῆς χρήσεως, καὶ σύμβολα πλείονος ἀριθμοῦ ἡμῶν μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἀδελφῆς μόνης ἔνεκα. Φαινόμενα μὲν ταῦτα· τὰ δὲ μὴ φαινόμενα μὲν, ἀληθέστερα δὲ, ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τοῦτον κοινωνία, τὴν ἀληθῆ διʼ αὐτοῦ περὶ τὰ τοῦ Λόγου μαθήματα, ἡ τῶν ψυχῶν ἡμῶν ὡφέλεια εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἦγεν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τάδε, τυφλώττοντας μὲν καὶ οὐκ εἰδότας, σωτηριωδῶς δὲ ἡμῖν. Τοιγαροῦν οὐχ ὁ στρατιώτης, θεῖος δέ τις συνοδοιπόρος καὶ πομπὸς ἀγαθὸς καὶ φύλαξ, ὁ διὰ παντὸς τοῦ βίου τούτου, ὥσπερ μακρᾶς ὀδοιπορίας διασώζων ἡμᾶς, παραμειψάμενος τά τε ἄλλα, καὶ τὴν Βηρυτὸν, ἦς μάλιστα ὀρμᾷν ἐνταῦθα ὡήθημεν, ἐνταῦθα φέρων κατεστή- .σατο, πάντα ποιῶν καὶ κινῶν, ἕως πάσῃ μηχανῇ τῷ τῶν πολλῶν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν αἰτίῳ τούτῳ συνδήσεται. Καὶ ὁ μὲν διὰ τοσούτων ἐλθὼν τὴν οἰκονομίαν παραδιδοὺς τούτῳ ὁ θεῖος ἄγγελος, ἐνταῦθά που καὶ ἴσως ἀνεπαύσατο, οὐχ ὑπὸ καμάτου τινὸς ἢ μόχθου (ἀκάματον γὰρ τὸ τῶν θείων λειτουργῶν γένος), ἄλλʼ δπι καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν ἀποπλήσοντι.

### English translation (Claude)

My first upbringing from birth was under my parents, and in the erring customs of my fathers; from which neither anyone else, I think, expected that we would be freed, nor had I myself any hope, being a little child and without reason, under a superstitious father. Then came the loss of my father and orphanhood, which was perhaps for me the beginning of the knowledge of the truth. For then first I was brought over to the saving and true Word, I do not know how, compelled rather than willing. For what judgment had I, being fourteen years old? But from then on, somehow, this holy Word began at once to dwell with me, just as the common reason of all men was reaching its completion in me; yet it came to dwell then for the first time. And this, reckoning it now if not before, I take as no small sign of the holy and wonderful Providence over me: this concurrence so numbered by the years, so that all that came before this age, being works of error, might be given over to infancy and unreason, and so that the holy Word might not be given in vain to a soul not yet rational; but that, when it had become rational, it might not be without, if not the divine and pure Word, at least the fear that accords with this word; but that the human reason and the divine Word might begin together in me, the one helping with a power inexpressible to me but its own, the other being helped. Reckoning this fills me with gladness and fear together: exalted by the advancement, but afraid lest, having been thought worthy of such things, I should nonetheless fail of the end. But somehow my speech has lingered on this part, wishing to recount in order the wonderful arrangement that brought me to this man, though hastening first, and briefly, to what follows; not as rendering the praise owed to the one who so arranged it, or thanksgiving and piety (not that we name it so burdensomely, while saying nothing worthy), but making it as a narrative and confession, or with some more modest name than these. It seemed good to my mother, the one of my parents left to care for us, that, being educated in other respects as children not ignobly born and bred, we should also attend a rhetorician, as if to become rhetoricians. And we did attend, and those who then judged such things said that we would soon be rhetoricians; I neither know this nor would I wish to say it; but there was no thought of these things, nor yet any laying down of the causes that could bring us here. But the divine Tutor and true Guardian, ever wakeful, when neither my family thought of it nor I myself desired it, came upon me, and, meeting one of my teachers (who had been entrusted besides with teaching me the language of the Romans, not that I should reach the summit, but that I should not be wholly unacquainted with this language too; and he happened to be not unversed in the laws), put this into his mind, and through him urged me to learn the laws of the Romans thoroughly. And that man did so persistently, and I complied, gratifying the man rather than being a lover of the art. Having taken me as a pupil, he began teaching me with zeal; and he said something which has turned out the truest of all things for me: that the learning of the laws would be my greatest provision for the journey (for that is the word he used), whether I wished to be one of the orators who contend in the law courts or something else. So he spoke, directing his words to human affairs; but to me he seems to have prophesied, under some more divine inspiration, beyond his own conception. For when I was being educated, willingly and unwillingly, in these laws, bonds were already somehow laid down, and the city of the Berytians became the cause and occasion of the journey here, a city not far from here, somewhat more Roman, and believed to be a school of these laws. And other affairs moved this sacred man too from Egypt, from the city of the Alexandrians, where he formerly happened to have his home, and transferred him to this place, as if to meet us. I neither know how to give the reasons for these things and will willingly pass them by; but not yet … since it would have been possible, as far as our laws went, to travel even to the city of the Romans. How, then, was this also provided? The then governor of the Palestinians suddenly took my brother-in-law, my sister's husband, against his will, separating him, alone, from his wife, and brought him here to help and share in the labours of the governor of the province; for he was a lawyer, and perhaps still is. Having come with him, he intended before long to send for his wife and receive her, from whom he had been separated grievously and unwillingly, and to draw us along with her. Suddenly, then, I do not know how, while we were intending to travel, but rather somewhere else than here, a soldier came upon us bearing a command to escort and protect our sister on her way to join her husband, and to take us too as fellow travellers with her; thus doing a favour to our brother-in-law, and most of all to our sister (so that she might not travel in an unseemly way or be more hesitant about the journey), and … our kinsfolk …; and we would accomplish no small thing besides if we went to the city of the Berytians and completed the study of the laws there. Everything, then, moved us: the reasonable claim of our sister, our own study; and besides, the soldier (for this too must be mentioned), who bore authority for the use of more public conveyances, and passes for a larger number, on our account rather than for our sister alone. These were the visible things; but the invisible yet truer things, the fellowship with this man, the true (teaching) through him in the matters of the Word, the benefit of our souls for salvation, brought us here, blind and not knowing, but to our salvation. Therefore not the soldier, but a divine fellow-traveller and good escort and guardian, who keeps us safe through this whole life as on a long journey, passed by everything else, including Berytus, toward which we thought we were most hastening, brought us here and established us, doing and moving everything until by every means he should bind us to this man, the cause of many good things to us. And the divine angel, having come through so much and handed over the charge to this man, here perhaps rested, not from any fatigue or toil (for the race of divine ministers is untiring), but as having handed us to one who would fulfil the care.

### Scripture references

- Ps 111:10 (110:10 LXX): echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The "common reason" (κοινὸς λόγος) is the faculty of reason common to all, which Gregory says matured in him just as the divine Word began to dwell in him. Berytus (Beirut) had the chief school of Roman law in the East.
- A line is garbled in the scan in the sentence "but not yet …" (the sense is that nothing yet required him to come here, since he might have gone to Rome), and another after "most of all to our sister"; both are shown as "…". A stray footnote number and a leaked word are removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 5 (PG 10:1066b–1068d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/1/#p-5).

## Address of Thanksgiving 6

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-6
- Source: PG 10:1068d–1073b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen won Gregory to philosophy by argument and by kindness; like Jonathan's soul knit to David's, Gregory's soul is bound to Origen.

### Greek text

Ὁ δὲ ὑποδεξάμενος ἐξ ἡμέρας τῆς πρῶτης. (τῆς ὄντως ἐμοὶ πρώτης, τῆς τιμιωτάτης πασῶν, εἰ δεῖ λέγειν, ἡμερῶν, ὅτε μοι πρῶτον ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἀνατέλλειν ἤλιος ἤρξατο), πρῶτον μὲν ῶσπερ θῆράς tum τὴν ἀληθῆ), τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, τὴν ἐμὴν μίαν, τόν τινας ἀγρίους ἢ ἰχθύας, ἢ τινας ὄρνεις, ἐμπεσόντας μὲν εἰς τὰς ἄρκυς ἢ εἰς τὰς σαγήνας, ἐξολισθαίνειν δὲ καὶ ἀποδιδράσκειν πειρωμένους, ἀναχωρεῖν τε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ βουλομένους ἐπὶ τὴν Βηρυτὸν ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν πατρίδα, συνδήσασθαι πάντα τρόπον ἐμηχανήσατο πάντας λόγους στρέφων, καὶ πάντα κάλων (τοῦτο δὴ τὸ τοῦ λόγου) κινῶν, καὶ πάσας τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτοῦ προχειριζόμενος· ἐπαινῶν μὲν φιλοσοφίας ἐραστὰς, μακροῖς τοῖς ἐπαίνοις καὶ πολλοῖς τοῖς τε προσήκουσι τούτους μόνους ζῆν ὄντως τὸν λογικοῖς προσήκοντα βίον, λέγων, τοὺς ὀρθῶς βιοῦν ἐπιτηδεύοντας, ἐαυτούς τε γινώσκοντας, πρῶτον οἶτινές εἰσι, κἄπειτα τὰ ὄντως ἀγαθὰ ἃ μεταδιώκειν ἄνθρωπον χρὴ καὶ τὰ ἀληθῶς κακὰ ὧν ἀποτρέχειν δεῖ· ψέγων δὲ τὴν ἀμαθίαν, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀμαθεῖς· πολλοὶ δὲ οὗτοι ὅσοι θρεμμάτων δίκην τυφλώττοντες τὸν νοῦν, οὐδʼ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ὅπερ εἰσὶν ἐγνωκότες, ὥσπερ ἄλογοι πεπλανημένοι, ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακὸν ὅ τί ποτέ ἐστιν, ὅλως οὕτε εἰδότες αὐτοὶ, οὕτε μαθεῖν θέλοντες, ὡς ἐπὶ ἀγαθὸν ἄττουσι καὶ ἐπτόηνται, χρήματα καὶ δόξας και τιμὰς τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν καὶ τὴν τοῦ σώματος εὐεξίαν· αὐτά τε περὶ πολλοῦ καὶ τοῦ παντὸς τιθέμενοι, καὶ τῶν τεχνῶν ὅσαι ταῦτα ἐκπορίζεσθαι δύνανται, καὶ τῶν βίων ὅσοι ταῦτα παρέξονται, στρατιὰς καὶ τὴν δικανικὴν καὶ ἐκμάθησιν τὴν τῶν νόμων· ταῦθʼ ἅπερ ἡμᾶς ἀνέσειε, μάλιστα λέγων καὶ μάλα τεχνικῶς, τοῦ κυριωτάτου, φησὶ, τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν λόγου ἀμελήσαντας. Οὐκ ἔχω νῦν ἐγὼ λέγειν, ὅσας τοιαύτας ἐξήχει φωνὰς, προτρέπων φιλοσοφεῖν· οὐ μιᾶς ἡμέρας μόνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλειόνων ὅσων αὐτῷ προσήειμεν τῶν πρώτων, βεβλημένοι μὲν ὥσπερ τινὶ βέλει τῷ παρʼ αὐτοῦ λόγῳ καὶ ἐκ πρώτης ἡλικίας (ῆν γάρ πως καὶ ἡδείᾳ τινὶ χάριτι καὶ πειθοῖ καί τινι ἀνάγκῃ μεμιγμένος), στρεφόμενοι δέ πως ἔτι καὶ λογιζόμενοι· καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν μὲν προσκαρτερήσαντες οὐδέπω πάντη πεπεισμένοι, ἀφίστασθαι δὲ πάλιν οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως, οὐ δυνάμενοι· ἀεὶ δὲ ὥσπερ ὑπό τισιν ἀνάγκαις μείζοσι τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλκόμενοι. Ὁλως γὰρ οὐδʼ εὐσεβεῖν εἰς τὸν τῶν ὅλων Δεσπότην (τοῦτο ὅ δὴ μόνος τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς πάντων ζώων ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἔχειν ἐτιμήθη τε καὶ ἠξιώθη, καὶ εἰκότως πᾶς ὁστισοῦν, καὶ σοφὸς καὶ ἀμαθὴς, περιέχεται τούτου, ὅστις μὴ παντελῶς τὰς ἐννοίας ἀπολώλεκεν ὑπό τινος φρενοβλαβείας)· οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ εὐσεβεῖν ὅλως δυνατὸν εἶναι ἔφασκεν, ὀρθῶς λέγων, μὴ φιλοσοφήσαντι· ἕως πολλοὺς τοιούτους ἄλλους ἐπʼ ἄλλοις ἐπαντλῶν λόγους, ὥσπερ τινας καταγεγοητευμένους, ἐπὶ τέλει ταῖς αὐτοῦ τέχναις ἀκινήτους ἀτεχνῶς, φέρων ἡμᾶς παριδρύσατο, λόγοις τοῖς αὐτοῦ, οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅπως, σύν τινι θείᾳ δυνάμει. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ φιλίας ἡμῖν κέντρον ἐνέσκηψεν οὐκ εὐκαταγώνιστόν τι, δριμὺ δὲ καὶ ἀνυτικώτατον, δεξιότητος καὶ διαθέσεως τῆς ἀγαθῆς, ὅση εὐνοητική τις ἡμῖν αὐταῖς φωναῖς αὐτοῦ προσφθεγγομένου καὶ ὀμιλοῦντος ἐνεφαίνετο· οὐκ ἐκπεριεῖναι ἡμᾶς ἄλλως λόγοις πειρωμένου, δεξιᾷ δὲ καὶ φιλανθρώπῳ καὶ χρηστοτάτῃ γνώμῃ σώζειν, καὶ κοινωνοὺς τῶν τε ἐκ φιλοσοφίας ἀγαθῶν καταστήσασθαι, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων μάλιστα ὅσα τὸ Θεῖον παρὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἢ εἰ καὶ παρὰ πάντας ἴσως τοὺς νῦν ἀνθρώπους, αὐτῷ μόνῳ ἐδωρήσατο· τὸν διδάσκαλον εὐσεβείας, τὸν σωτήριον λόγον, πολλοῖς μὲν ἐπιφοιτῶντα, καὶ πάντας κατεργαζόμενον ὅσοις ἀν προστύχῃ (οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ὅ τι αὐτῷ ἐνστήσεται, πάντων καὶ ὄντι καὶ ἐσομένῳ βασιλεῖ)· κρυπτόμενον δὲ, καὶ οὐ γινωσκόμενον οὕτε ῥᾳδίως οὕτε καὶ δυσχερῶς τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὡς ἐρωτηθέντας ἔχειν περὶ αὐτοῦ σαφὲς εἰπεῖν. Οἶος οὖν τις σπινθὴρ ἐνσκήψας μέσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ ἡμῶν, ἀνήπτετό τε καὶ ἐξεκαίετο, ὅ τε πρὸς τὸν ἀπάντων ὑπὸ κάλλους ἀῤῥήτου ἐπακτικώτατον αὐτὸν Λόγον τὸν ἱερὸν τὸν ἐρασμιώτατον, καὶ ὁ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τόνδε, τὸν αὐτοῦ φίλον καὶ προήγορον ἔρως· ῷ μάλιστα τετρωμένος, ἀπάντων τῶν δοκούντων ἡμῖν προσήκειν πραγμάτων ἢ μαθημάτων, τῶν τε ἄλλων καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν καλῶν μου νόμων, ἀμελεῖν ἐπειθόμην πατρίδος τε καὶ οἰκείων, τῶν τε παρόντων ἐνταῦθα, καὶ οἶς ἀπεδημήσαμεν· ἓν δέ μοι φίλον ἦν καὶ ἀγαπώμενον, φιλοσοφία τε καὶ ὁ ταύτης καθηγεμὼν οὗτος ὁ θεῖος ἄνθρωπος. Καὶ συνεδέθη ἡ ψυχὴ Ἰωνάθαν Δαβίδ. Τοῦτο ἀνέγνων μὲν ὕστερον ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Γράμμασιν· ἔπαθον δὲ πρότερον οὐχ ἦττον ἐναργῶς, ἢ εἴρηται, καίτοιγε ἐναργέστατα κεχρησμῳδημένον. Οὐ γὰρ συνεδέθη ἀπλῶς Ἰωνάθαν Δαβὶδ, αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ κυριώτατα, ψυχὴ, ταῦθʼ ἅπερ, οὐδὲ χωρισθέντων τῶν φαινομένων καὶ βλεπομένων ἀνθρώπῳ, χωρισθῆναι καὶ αὐτὰ μηχανῇ τινι καταναγκασθήσεται, ἄκοντα μὲν οὐδαμῶς. Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἐλεύθερον καὶ οὐκ ἐγκατάκλειστον οὐδενὶ τρόπῳ, οὐδʼ ἂν ἐν οἰκίσκῳ καθείρξας τηρῇς. Καὶ γὰρ εἶναι πέφυκε τόν γε πρῶτον λόγον, οὗπερ ἄν ὁ νοῦς ᾖ· εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐν τῷ οἰκίσκῳ σοι εἶναι δοκεῖ, κατὰ δεύτερόν τινα λόγον ἐνταῦθά σοι φαντάζεται οὐδαμῶς εἶναι ἐκεῖ διὰ τοῦτο κεκωλυμένη, οὗπερ ἂν εἶναι βουληθῇ· μᾶλλον δὲ πάντη πάντως ἐκεῖ μόνον εἶναι καὶ δυναμένη καὶ πιστευθεῖσα ἂν εἰκότως, οὗπερ ἂν καὶ πρὸς ἂν τὰ μόνης αὐτῆς ἴδια κατʼ αὐτὴν ἔργα ἦ. Οὐκοῦν περιφανέστατον τοῦδʼ ὅπερ ἔπαθον βραχυτάταις λέξεσιν ἐδήλωσε, τὴν ψυχὴν Ἰωνάθαν συνδεδέσθαι τῆ ψυχῇ Δαβίδ· ταῦθʼ ἅπερ ἄκοντα μὲν οὐδαμῶς, ὡς ἔφην, χωρισθῆναι ἐκνικηθήσεται, ἑκόντα δὲ οὐ ῥᾳδίως θελήσει. Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ χείρονι, οἶμαι, ὄντι πολυτρόπῳ καὶ εὐκολωτέρῳ μεταβουλεύεσθαι ἡ τῆς ἀναλύσεως τῶν ἱερῶν τῶν φιλίων τούτων δεσμῶν ἐξουσία. ἐφʼ ᾧπερ οὐδὲ τὸ καταδήσασθαι ἐγένετο τὴν ἀρχὴν μόνῳ· ἀλλʼ ἐπὶ τῷ κρείττονι ὄντι μονίμῳ καὶ οὐκ εὐσείστῳ, ἐφʼ ᾧπερ καὶ κατεργάσασθαι τοὺς δεσμοὺς καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν τοῦτο ἅμμα μᾶλλον ἦν. Συνεδέθη γοῦν ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου λόγου οὐχ ἡ ψυχὴ Δαβὶδ τῇ ψυχῇ Ἰωνάθαν· ἔμπαλιν δὲ ἡ τοῦ χείρονος ψυχὴ τούτου παθοῦσα συνδεομένη λέγεται τῇ ψυχῇ Δαβίδ. Οὐ γὰρ τὸ κρεῖττον, αὔταρκες ὄν, ἔλοιτο ἂν τῷ αὐτοῦ συνδεδέσθαι χείρονι· ἀλλὰ τὸ χεῖρον ἐπικουρίας δεόμενον τῆς παρὰ τοῦ βελτίονος, συνδεθὲν τῷ κρείττονι προσηρτῆσθαι ἐχρῆν· ἵνα τὸ μὲν, μένον ἐφʼ ἑαυτοῦ, μηδεμίας ἀπολάβη βλάβης ἐκ τῆς πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον κοινωνίας· τὸ δʼ ἄτακτον ἐξ αὐτοῦ, καταδεθὲν καὶ συναρμοσθὲν τῷ κρείττονι, μηδὲν βλάψαν ταῖς ἀνάγκαις τῶν δεσμῶν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἐκνικηθῇ. Διὸ καὶ κατεργάζεσθαι μὲν τοὺς δεσμοὺς τοῦ διαφέροντος, ἀλλʼ οὐ τοῦ ἤττονος ἦν· συνδεῖσθαι δὲ τοῦ χείρονος, ὡς μηδʼ ἐξουσίαν ἔχειν πως ἀπολελύσθαι τῶν δεσμῶν. Τοιαύταις τισὶν ἀνάγκαις Δαβὶδ οὗτος συσφιγξάμενος ἡμᾶς ἔχει, νῦν τε καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνου, οὐδʼ εἰ βουλοίμεθα, τῶν δεσμῶν αὐτοῦ λελύσθαι δυναμένους. Οὐ τοίνυν, καὶ εἰ ἀποδημήσαιμεν, ἀνήσει τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν, κατὰ τὸ θεῖον γράμμα ἔχων οὕτω συνδεδεμένας.

### English translation (Claude)

And he, receiving us from the first day (the day truly first for me, the most precious of all days, if I must say so, when the true sun first began to rise for me), first, like hunters with wild beasts or fish or birds that have fallen into the nets or seines but are trying to slip out and escape, when we wished to withdraw from him to Berytus or to our homeland, devised every means to bind us, turning every argument and moving every rope (as the saying goes), and bringing forward all his powers. He praised philosophy and its lovers with long and many praises, saying that they alone truly live the life fitting for rational beings who practise living rightly, knowing themselves first, who they are, and then the truly good things that a man must pursue and the truly evil things from which he must run away. And he blamed ignorance and all the ignorant; and many are these, who, blind in mind like cattle, not knowing even this, what they themselves are, wander like irrational creatures, neither knowing nor wishing to learn what good or evil is at all, but rush and flutter toward money and glory and the honours of the crowd and the well-being of the body, as toward the good; setting great store, even everything, by these, and by all the arts that can procure them, and by the ways of life that will provide them: military service, legal practice, and the study of the laws. These things especially he said, very skilfully, which shook us: (that they had) neglected the most sovereign thing in us, reason. I cannot now say how many such speeches he sounded forth, urging us to philosophize, not on one day only but on many of the first days we came to him; struck by his word as by an arrow even from our first meeting (for it was somehow mixed with a sweet grace and persuasion and a certain compulsion), but still wavering and reasoning; persevering in philosophizing, but not yet wholly persuaded, and yet, I do not know how, unable to withdraw again; always drawn to him by his words as by greater necessities. For he said, and rightly, that it is not possible at all to be truly pious toward the Lord of all (this which, alone of all the living things on earth, man has been honoured and thought worthy to have, and to which everyone whatsoever, wise and ignorant, rightly holds, unless he has wholly lost his notions through some derangement), it is not possible at all, he said, to be pious without philosophizing; until, pouring on us many such words one after another, he at last brought us, as if bewitched by his arts, simply unable to move, and settled us beside him by his words, I do not know how, with a certain divine power. For he also struck into us a goad of friendship not easily resisted, but keen and most effective: (that of) his kindness and good disposition, which showed itself benevolent in the very words he spoke to us in conversation; not trying merely to get the better of us by argument, but with a kind and humane and most excellent purpose to save us and make us sharers in the goods that come from philosophy, and especially in those others which the Divine has given to him alone beyond most men, or perhaps beyond all men of the present: the teacher of piety, the saving Word, who visits many and subdues all whom he meets (for there is nothing that will stand against him, being and to be King of all), yet is hidden and not known, neither easily nor with difficulty, by most, so that when asked they could say anything clear about him. Like a spark falling into the midst of our soul, love was kindled and blazed up, both for the holy Word himself, the most lovely of all, who by his unspeakable beauty draws all most powerfully to himself, and for this man, his friend and advocate. Most deeply wounded by this love, I was persuaded to neglect all the affairs and studies that seemed to concern us, both the others and my fine laws themselves, my country and my family, both those present here and those from whom we had travelled away; and one thing was dear and beloved to me, philosophy and its leader, this divine man. "And the soul of Jonathan was knit to David." This I read afterwards in the sacred writings, but I experienced it before, no less vividly than it is said, though it is said most vividly in prophecy. For Jonathan was not simply knit to David, but the most sovereign things, the souls, which, even when the visible and seen parts of a man are separated, cannot be forced by any device to be separated, not at all against their will. For the soul is free, and in no way to be shut in, not even if you keep it confined in a cell. For by nature, in the first sense, it is where the mind is; and if it seems to you to be in the cell, it appears to you to be there in a second sense, not on that account hindered at all from being wherever it wishes; rather, it is able, and could rightly be believed, to be wholly and only there, where, and with whom, its own proper works are. Most plainly, then, (Scripture) showed in very few words what I experienced: that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David; which, as I said, can never be forced to be separated against their will, and will not easily wish it willingly. For the power of loosing these sacred bonds of friendship does not lie, I think, with the worse, which is changeable and more easily altered in purpose, and with which alone the binding did not lie at the beginning either; but with the better, which is stable and not easily shaken, with which the making of the bonds and of this sacred knot rather lay. So it is not the soul of David that is said by the divine word to have been knit to the soul of Jonathan; but conversely the soul of the inferior, this one, is said to be knit to the soul of David. For the better, being self-sufficient, would not choose to be knit to what is worse than itself; but the worse, needing help from the better, had to be bound and attached to the better; so that the one, remaining in itself, might receive no harm from fellowship with the worse, while what was disorderly in itself, bound and fitted to the better, might be overcome toward the better by the constraints of the bonds without harm. So the making of the bonds belonged to the superior, not to the inferior; while being bound belonged to the worse, in such a way that it had no power to be loosed from the bonds. With such constraints this David of ours holds us bound, both now and ever since, so that even if we wished we could not be loosed from his bonds. Nor, then, even if we go away, will he let our souls go, holding them so knit together, according to the divine writing.

### Scripture references

- 1 Sam 18:1: quotation, high confidence
- Mal 4:2 (3:20 LXX): echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- 1 Sam 18:1 ("the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David"). "Philosophy" for Origen includes the whole Christian intellectual and moral life; "no piety without philosophizing" is reported as Origen's teaching. The "saving Word" is Christ.
- A note of Migne (listing the verbs συνεῖναι, ἀπεῖναι, προσεῖναι) had leaked into the text and is removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 6 (PG 10:1068d–1073b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-6).

## Address of Thanksgiving 7

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-7
- Source: PG 10:1073b–1077a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Like a farmer clearing a field, Origen first trained Gregory's mind in logic, teaching him to test arguments and not to assent rashly.

### Greek text

Πλὴν οὕτως ἡμᾶς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐλὼν, καὶ πάντα τρόπον ἐκπεριελθὼν, ἐπειδὴ ἤνυστο αὐτῷ τὸ πλεῖον, καὶ μένειν ἐδόκει, τοὐντεῦθεν, ὥσπερ εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς γεωργὸς γῆν ἀργήν τινα, καὶ ἤτοι οὐδὲ εὕγειον οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλά τινα ἀλμυρὰν καὶ κεκαυμένην, ὑπόπετρόν τε καὶ ψαφαρὰν, ἢ οὐ πάντη μὲν ἄφορον, οὐδέ γε ἀφυῆ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολυφυῆ μὲν, χέρσον δὲ ὅμως καὶ ἡμελημένην, ἀκάνθαις καὶ θάμνοις ἀγρίοις ἐστρυφνωμένην καὶ δυσεργῆ· ἢ οἶά τις φυτουργὸς ἀνὴρ φυτὸν, ἤτοι ἄγριον, καὶ καρπῶν ἡμέρων ἄφορον μὲν, οὐ μὴν πάντη ἄχρηστον· εἴ τις τέχνῃ τῇ φυτουργικῇ φέρων βλαστὸν ἤμερον ἐμφυτεύσει, μέσον σχίας, εἶτα συμβαλὼν καὶ συνδήσας, ἄχρις ἂν συμβλύσαντα ὡς ἄμφω τρέφηται (οὕτω γὰρ ἂν ἴδοις δένδρον τι συμμιγὲς, καὶ νόθον μὲν, εὔκαρπον δὲ ἐξ ἀκάρπου, καρποὺς ἐλαίας τῆς καλῆς ἐπὶ ῥιζῶν ἀναφέρον ἀγρίων· ἢ ἄγριον μὲν, οὐ μὴν ἄχρηστον ἀνδρὶ τεχνίτῃ φυτουργῷ· ἢ καὶ ἤμερον μὲν, εὔκαρπον δὲ ἄλλως, ἢ ἀπορίᾳ τέχνης πάλιν ἀκλάδευτον καὶ ἀπότιστον καὶ αὐχμηρὸν, πνιγόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ἐκεῖ πολλῶν καὶ περιττῶν ἐκφυομένων βλαστῶν· τελειοῦσθαι δὲ τῇ βλάστῃ, καὶ φέρειν τὸν καρπὸν ὑπʼ ἀλλήλων ἐμποδιζόμενον)· τοιούτους τινὰς παραλαβὼν, καὶ τέχνῃ ἑαυτοῦ τῇ γεωργικῇ ἐκπεριιὼν καὶ κατασκοπῶν οὐ τὰ πᾶσιν ὀρώμενα μόνον καὶ ἐν ἐπιφανείᾳ κείμενα· ἀνορύττων δὲ καὶ τῶν ἐνδοτάτων ἀποπειρώμενος, ἐρωτῶν καὶ προτείνων καὶ ἀποκρινομένων ἀκούων, ἐπειδὴ κατενόησέ τι οὐκ ἄχρηστον καὶ ἀνωφελὲς καὶ ἀνήνυτον ἐν ἡμῖν, ἔσκαλλεν, ἀνέστρεφεν, ἐπότιζεν, ἐκίνει πάντα, ἅπασαν προσῆγε τὴν παρʼ αὐτοῦ τέχνην καὶ ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ κατειργάζετο ἡμᾶς· ἀκάνθας μὲν καὶ τριβόλους καὶ πᾶν τὸ τῶν ἀγρίων γένος βοτανῶν ἢ φυτῶν, ὅσον ὑλομανοῦσα ἀνέπεμπε καὶ ἀνεδίδου σεσοβημένη ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν (οἶα δὴ ἄτακτος οὕσα καὶ προπετὴς), πᾶν ἐκκόπτων καὶ ἐξαίρων τοῖς ἐλέγχοις καὶ τῷ κωλύειν· καθαπτόμενος ἡμῶν, καὶ μάλα Σωκρατικῶς, ἔστιν ὅτε καὶ ὑποσκελίζων τῷ λόγῳ, εἴ πη πάντη ἀφηνιάζοντας ἡμᾶς, ὥσπερ τινὰς τῶν ἀγρίων ἵππων, ἑώρα, σκιρτῶντας ἔξω τῆς ὁδοῦ καὶ πολλὰ ἐκπεριτρέχοντας, ἔως οὗ πειθοῖ τινι καὶ ἀνάγκῃ ὡς ὑπὸ χαλινῷ τῷ ἐκ στόματος ἡμῶν λόγῳ, ἡσυχίους αὐτῷ κατεστήσατο· δυσχερῶς μὲν ἡμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἀλύπως τὸ πρῶτον, οἶα δὴ ἀήθεσι καὶ κατακολουθεῖν τῷ λόγῳ οὐδέπω μεμελετηκόσι, προσάγων τοὺς παρʼ ἑαυτῷ λόγους· ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐκκαθαίρων ὅμως. Ἐπεὶ δʼ ἂν ἐπιτηδείους ἡμᾶς ἐποιήσατο, καὶ εὐπαρεσκευάσατο εἰς παραδοχὴν τῶν τῆς ἀληθείας λόγων· τότε δὴ οἷα εὐκατειργασμένῃ γῇ, καὶ ἀπαλῇ, ἐτοίμῃ τε ἀναφύειν τὰ ἐπαχθέντα τῶν σπερμάτων, ἐπέφερεν ἀφειδῶς, εὔκαιρον καὶ τὴν τῶν σπερμάτων καταβολὴν ποιούμενος, εὕκαιρον καὶ τὴν λοιπὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἅπασαν οἰκείως ἕκαστα κατεργαζόμενος, καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις τοῦ λόγου πᾶν μὲν ὅσον ἀμβλὺ καὶ νόθον τῆς ψυχῆς (ἢ πεφυκυίας οὕτως, ἢ καὶ ὑπὸ τροφῶν περιττῶν τοῦ σώματος παχυνομένης), παροξύνων καὶ ἐξισχναίνων τοῖς λεπτοῖς τῶν λογικῶν παθημάτων λόγοις καὶ τρόποις, οἳ ἐξ ἁπλουστάτων τῶν πρώτων ἀνειλούμενοι ἐπάλληλοι, καὶ ποικίλως στρεφόμενοι εἰς ἀμήχανόν τινα καὶ δυσεξέλικτον προΐασι πλοκάς, ἐξανιστῶντες ἡμᾶς ὥσπερ καθεύδοντας, καὶ ἔχεσθαι ἀεὶ τῶν προκειμένων, μηδαμῶς ὑπολισθαίνοντας μήτε ὑπὸ μήκους μήτε ὑπὸ λεπτότητος, ἐκδιδασκόμενοι. Ὁσον δὲ ἄκριτον καὶ προπετὲς, συγκατατιθεμένων τε τοῖς ἐπιτυχοῦσιν, ὀποῖά ποτʼ ἂν ἦ, κἂν ψευδῆ τύχῃ καὶ ἀντιλεγόντων πολλάκις, κἂν ἀληθῆ τινα εἰρημένα ἢ· καὶ τοῦτο ἐκπαιδεύων τούτοις τε τοῖς προειρημένοις καὶ ἐτέροις ποικίλοις λόγοις (πολυειδὲς γὰρ τουτὶ τὸ μέρος τῆς φιλοσοφίας)· συνεθίζων μὴ εἰκῇ μηδʼ ὡς ἔτυχε ῥίπτειν τε τὰς μαρτυρίας καὶ πάλιν ἀνανεύειν, ἀλλʼ ἐξετάζοντας ἀκριβῶς μὴ τὰ προφανῆ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κεκρυμμένα. Πολλὰ γὰρ ἔνδοa αὐτόθεν καὶ σεμνοειδῆ, ὑπὸ εὐσχήμοσι ταῖς φωναῖς εἰσδραμόντα εἰς τὰς ἀκοὰς ἡμῶν, ὡς ἀληθῆ, ὕπουλα ὄντα καὶ ψευδῆ, συναρπάσαντα καὶ λαβόντα ψήφισμα ἀληθείας παρʼ ἡμῶν, μετʼ οὐ πολὺ σαθρὰ καὶ οὐκ ἀξιόπιστα κατεφωράθη ὄντα, μάτην τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑποκρινόμενα· καὶ ἡμᾶς εὐκόλως ἀπέφηνε καταγελάστως ἐξηπατημένους, κάπιμαρτυρήσαντας εἰκῇ οἷς ἥκιστα ἐχρῆν· πάλιν τε αὖ ἕτερα σεμνὰ μὲν, κl οὐκ ἀλαζονευόμενα μὲν, ἢ οὐκ ἀξιοπίστοις ταῖς φφοæ ναῖς κείμενα, παράδοξα καὶ πάντων ἀπεστότατα ἐναὐτόθεν τε ἀποδοκιμασθέντα ὡς ψευδῆ, αd ὑβρισθέντα ἀναξίως, εἶθʼ ὕστερον ἐξιχνεύσασι κd κατανοήσασιν ἀκριβῶς, πάντων ἀληθέστατα κ7 ἄμαχα ἀτεχνῶς εἶναι κατενοήθη, τὰ τέως ἀπόβλτπα καὶ ἀδόκιμα νομισθέντα. Μὴ δὴ τὰ προφανῆ μάον καὶ προκύπτοντα, ἔστι δʼ ὅτε δολερὰ καὶ σεσοπσμένα· τὰ δὲ ἔνδον διερευνωμένους μὲν καὶ περικροοντας ἕκαστον, μή πή τι σαθρὸν ἡχῇ, καὶ ἐν αὐτς πιστουμένους ἑαυτοὺς πρῶτον, οὕτως κκαὶ τοῖς ἐατβς συνομολογεῖν καὶ ἀποφαίνεσθαι περὶ ἐκάστων ἐδδσκεν. Οὕτως μὲν τὸ περὶ τὰς λέξεις καὶ τοὺς λόγους κριτικὸν ἡμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς μέρος λογικῶς ἐξεπαιδεύετο· οὐ κατὰ τὰς καλῶν ῥητόρων κρίσεις, εἴ τι ληνικὸν ἢ βάρβαρόν ἐστι τῇ φωνῇ (τὸ μικρὸν τοῦτο καὶ οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον μάθημα), ἀλλὰ τοῦτο πᾶσιν ἀναγκαιότατον Ἐλλησί τε καὶ βαρβάροις καὶ σοφοῖς καὶ ἰδιώταις, καὶ ὅλως ίἵνα μὴ μακρὸς εἴη μοι λόγος, ἑκάστας τέχνας καὶ ἐπιτηδεύματα ἐπεξιὼν) πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τοῖς ὁντινοῦν βίον ἐλομένοις· εἴ γε πᾶσι τοῖς περὶ ὁτουδήποτε κοινολογουμένοις μέλει τε καὶ διεσπούδασται μὴ ἡπατῆσθαι.

### English translation (Claude)

So, having taken us from the beginning and gone round us in every way, when the main part had been achieved and we seemed resolved to stay, from then on, like a good farmer with fallow land, either not good soil at all but salty and burnt, rocky and sandy, or not wholly barren or unfit but even very fertile, yet uncultivated and neglected, rough with thorns and wild bushes and hard to work; or like a gardener with a plant, either wild and bearing no cultivated fruit, yet not wholly useless—if one, by the gardener's art, brings and grafts in a cultivated shoot, splitting it in the middle, then fitting and binding them together until, their sap flowing together, both are nourished (for so you would see a mixed tree, a hybrid, yet fruitful from unfruitful, bearing the fruit of the good olive on wild roots); or a wild one, yet not useless to a skilled gardener; or even a cultivated one, otherwise fruitful, but again, through lack of skill, unpruned and unwatered and dry, choked by the many superfluous shoots growing out there, hindered by one another from coming to perfection in its growth and bearing its fruit: taking such as us, and going round us by his art of husbandry and surveying not only what is seen by all and lies on the surface, but digging up and probing the innermost parts, questioning and proposing and listening to our answers, when he perceived anything in us that was not useless and unprofitable and fruitless, he dug, turned it up, watered, moved everything, brought to bear all his art and care, and worked upon us. Thorns and thistles and every kind of wild weed or plant which our soul, running riot and agitated (being disorderly and rash), sent up and produced, he cut out and removed altogether by his refutations and restraints, laying hold of us, and quite in the manner of Socrates sometimes tripping us up with his argument, if he saw us altogether taking the bit between our teeth like wild horses, leaping out of the road and running all about, until by persuasion and a certain compulsion, as with the bridle of the word from his mouth, he made us quiet before him. This was hard for us at first and not without pain, since we were unaccustomed and not yet practised in following argument, when he applied his words; but he was purifying us nevertheless. And when he had made us fit and well prepared for receiving the words of truth, then, as on soil well worked and soft and ready to bring up the seeds put into it, he applied himself without stint, making the sowing of the seeds at the right time, and the rest of the care at the right time, working each thing fittingly. And with the proper (methods) of reason, whatever in the soul was dull and spurious (either so by nature or thickened by excessive feeding of the body), he sharpened and refined by the subtle arguments and modes of logical reasoning, which, starting from the simplest first (principles) and unrolled one upon another, and turning in various ways, advance to an intricate and hard-to-untangle complexity, rousing us as if we were asleep, and (teaching us) to hold fast always to what is proposed, never slipping away, whether through length or through subtlety. And whatever was undiscerning and rash in us, when we assented to whatever came along, whatever it might be, even if it was false, and often contradicted things even if what was said was true, this too he trained by the arguments mentioned and by other various ones (for this part of philosophy is manifold), accustoming us not to throw in our testimony, and again withdraw it, at random and as chance would have it, but to examine accurately not only what is obvious but also what is hidden. For many things that look reputable and solemn at first sight, running into our ears under seemly words as if true, though rotten and false, have carried us away and gained our vote for truth, and before long have been detected as unsound and untrustworthy, vainly feigning the truth; and they have easily shown us to have been ridiculously deceived and to have borne witness at random where we should least have done so. And again, other things, solemn and not boastful, or set out in words that did not win credence, strange and most incredible, rejected immediately as false and unworthily insulted, were afterwards, when we tracked them down and examined them exactly, perceived to be the truest of all and simply unassailable, though they had until then been thought worthless and to be rejected. Not, then, (attending) only to what is obvious and stands out, which is sometimes deceitful and sophistical, but searching out what is within and sounding each thing, lest anything ring hollow, and first establishing our own conviction about it, so he taught us to agree with others too and to declare our judgment about each thing. Thus the critical part of our soul concerning words and arguments was trained logically; not according to the judgments of fine rhetoricians, whether something is Greek or barbarous in expression (this small and unnecessary study), but in what is most necessary for all, Greeks and barbarians, wise and unlettered, and, in a word (not to be long by going through each art and occupation), for all men who have chosen any life whatever; since all who discuss anything whatever care and take pains not to be deceived.

### Scripture references

- Rom 11:17: echo, medium confidence
- Rom 11:24: echo, medium confidence
- Matt 13:3: echo, low confidence
- Gen 3:18: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The grafted olive recalls Rom 11:17–24; the sowing, the parable of the sower (Matt 13:3–8). "Logic" here is the first stage of Origen's curriculum. Several words garbled in the scan are read by sense; stray marks are removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 7 (PG 10:1073b–1077a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-7).

## Address of Thanksgiving 8

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-8
- Source: PG 10:1077a–1077c
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: After logic Origen taught natural science, geometry, and astronomy, turning amazement at the world into rational wonder.

### Greek text

Καὶ μὴ τοῦθʼ ὅπερ εἶδος διαλεκτικὴ κατορθοῦν μόνη εἴληχε· τὸ δέ γε πάλιν ταπεινὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν ἐκτεθαμβημένων μὲν τῇ μεγαλουργίᾳ καὶ θαυματουργίᾳ καὶ ποικίλῃ καὶ πανσόφῳ δημιουργίᾳ τῇ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τεθαυμακότων μὲν ἀλόγως, ὑπεπτηχότων δὲ ὑπὸ ἐκπλήξεως· εἰδότων δὲ οὐθʼ ὁτιοῦν ἐπιλογίσασθαι, δίκην ἀλόγων ζώων· ἐξεγείρων καὶ ἐνορθῶν μαθήμασιν ἐτέροις τοῖς φυσικοῖς· σαφηνίζων ἕκαστα τῶν ὄντων καὶ διακρίνων, καὶ μάλα σαφῶς εἰς τὰ πρώτιστα στοιχεῖα, κατεπιπλέκων τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ ἐπιπορευόμενος τήν τε τῶν ὅλων καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ μέρους ἐκάστου φύσιν· τροπήν τε τὴν πολυειδῆ, καὶ μεταβολὴν τῶν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ· ἔως φέρων ὑπὸ σαφοῦς τῆς παρʼ αὐτοῦ διδασκαλίας καὶ λόγων ὧν τε ἔμαθεν ὧν τε ἐξεύρετο, περὶ τῆς τῶν ὅλων οἰκονομίας τῆς ἱερᾶς, καὶ φύσεως τῆς ἀμωμήτου, ἀντὶ λόγου λογικὸν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐγκατέθετο θαῦμα. Τοῦτο δὴ μάθημα ὑψηλὸν καὶ ἔνθεον ὅν, ἡ ἐρασμιωτάτη πᾶσιν ἐκδιδάσκει φυσιολογία. Τί δεῖ λέγειν τὰ τῶν ἱερῶν μαθημάτων, γεωμετρίαν μὲν τὴν πᾶσι φίλην καὶ ἀναμφισβήτητον, καὶ ἀστρονομίαν τὴν μετεωροπόρον; ἃ δὴ ἕκαστα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν ἐνετυποῦτο, διδάσκων, ἢ ἀναμιμνήσκων, ἢ οὐκ οἶδʼ ὅ τι χρὴ λέγειν· τὴν μὲν, ὡς ὑποβάθραν πάντων ἁπλῶς ποιησάμενος οὖσαν ἄσειστον, τὴν γεωμετρίαν, καὶ κρηπῖδά τινα ἀσφαλῆ· ἀνάγων δὲ καὶ μέχρι τῶν ἀνωτάτω διὰ τῆς ἀστρονομίας, ὥσπερ διὰ κλίμακός τινος οὐρανομήκους, ἐκατέρου τοῦ μαθήματος, βατὸν ἡμῖν τὸν οὐρανὸν παρασκευάσας.

### English translation (Claude)

And not only this, which dialectic alone has been allotted to accomplish; but also the lowly part of our soul, when we were astonished at the great and wonderful works and the varied and all-wise craftsmanship of the world, and wondered without reason, and cowered in amazement, not knowing how to reason about anything, like irrational animals, he roused and set upright by other studies, those of nature: making plain each of the things that are and distinguishing them, and very clearly resolving them into their first elements, weaving them together in his discourse, and going through the nature both of the whole and of each part, and the manifold turning and change of things in the world; until, carrying us along by his clear teaching and by the arguments, some learned and some found out by himself, concerning the holy ordering of the universe and its blameless nature, he placed in our souls a rational wonder in place of an irrational one. This lofty and divine study the most lovely science of nature teaches all. What need is there to speak of the sacred studies, geometry, dear to all and indisputable, and astronomy that travels on high? Each of these he engraved on our souls, teaching or reminding, or I do not know what I should call it: the one, geometry, he made as the unshaken base of all, a safe foundation; and through astronomy he led us up even to the highest things, as by a ladder reaching to heaven, making heaven accessible to us by each of these studies.

### Scripture references

- Gen 28:12: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The Greek has "rational wonder in place of reason" (ἀντὶ λόγου); the sense requires "in place of an irrational one", and a letter has probably been lost in the scan.
- The "ladder reaching to heaven" recalls Jacob's ladder (Gen 28:12).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 8 (PG 10:1077a–1077c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-8).

## Address of Thanksgiving 9

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-9
- Source: PG 10:1077d–1080d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen taught the moral virtues, prudence, temperance, justice, and courage, by self-examination and by his own example, not by mere definitions.

### Greek text

Ἀ δὲ ἀπάντων ἐστὶ κορυφαιότατα, καὶ ὧν μάλιστα ἕνεκα πᾶν τὸ φιλόσοφον διαπονεῖται γένος, ὥσπερ ἐκ φυτείας ποικίλης τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων μαθημάτων, καὶ φιλοσοφίας μακρᾶς, καρποὺς ἀγαθοὺς δεχόμενον, τὰς θείας ἀρετὰς τὰς περὶ ἦθος, ἐξ ὧν ἡ ἀτάραχος καὶ εὐσταθὴς τῶν ὀρμῶν τῆς ψυχῆς κατάστασις γίνεται· καὶ ἀλύπους μὲν καὶ ἀπαθεῖς πάντων κακῶν, εὐτάκτους δὲ καὶ εὐσταθεῖς καὶ θεοειδεῖς ἤμελλεν ἡμᾶς ὄντως καὶ μακαρίους καταστήσεσθαι· καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἐξεπονεῖτο λόγοις τε ἰδίοις πραΰνουσι καὶ σοφοῖς, οὐχ ἤκιστα καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτοις περὶ τῶν ἠθῶν καὶ τῶν τρόπων ἡμῶν· καὶ οὐ λόγοις μόνον, ἀλλʼ ἤδη καὶ ἔργοις τρόπον τινὰ διεκυβερνᾶτο παρʼ ἡμῶν τὰς ὀρμὰς, αὐτῇ τῇ τῶν ὀρμῶν καὶ παθῶν τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς θεωρίᾳ καὶ κατανοήσει, ἐξ ἧς μάλιστα κατεγνωσμένης κατορθοῦσθαι ἐξ ἀναρμοστίας πέφυκεν ἡμῶν ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ κεκριμένον καὶ εὕτακτον ἐκ συγκεχυσμένης μετατίθεσθαι ὥσπερ ἐν κατόπτρῳ ἐαυτὴν θεωρήσασα (αὐτὰς τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ῥίζας τῶν κακῶν, τὸ ἄλογον αὐτῆς πᾶν, ἐξ οὖ τὰ ἄτοπα ἡμῖν ἐπανίσταται πάθη· καὶ πᾶν ὅσον ἄριστον αὐτῆς μέρος, λογικὸν ὑφʼ οὗ κρατοῦντος μένει γε ὑφʼ ἐαυτῆς ἀβλαβὴς καὶ ἀπαθής)· εἶτα ταῦτα ἐν αὐτῇ κατανοήσασα ἀκριβῶς, πάντα μὲν τὰ ἐκ τοῦ χείρονος ἐκφυόμενα, ἐκχέοντα ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ ἀκολασίας, ἢ συστέλλοντα καὶ συμπνίγοντα ὑπὸ ταπεινότητος, οἶον ἡδονὰς καὶ ἐπιθυμίας, ἢ λύπας καὶ φόβους, καὶ ὅσος τοῖς γένεσι τοῖσδε ἕπεται στόλος κακῶν· ταῦτα μὲν ἐκβάλλοι καὶ ἐκ ποδῶν ποιοῖτο, ἔτι ἀρχομένοις καὶ ἄρτι φυομένοις ἐπανισταμένη, καὶ οὐκ ἐῶσα οὐδὲ μικρὸν αὔξειν, ἀλλʼ ἀπολλύουσα καὶ ἐξαφανίζουσα· ὅσα δὲ ἐκ τοῦ κρείττονος ἀνατέλλει ἡμῖν ἀγαθὰ ὄντα, ταῦτα ἐκτρέφοι τε καὶ διασώζοι, καὶ ἀρχόμενα τιθηνοῦσα καὶ συμφυλάττουσα ἄχρι τελειότητος. Οὕτω γὰρ ἄν ποτε παραγενέσθαι ψυχῇ τὰς θείας ἀρετάς· φρόνησίν τε τὴν αὐτὰ ταῦτα τῆς ψυχῆς τὰ κινήματα κρίνειν πρῶτον δυναμένην ἐξ αὐτῶν, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ ἔξω ἡμῶν, εἰ τινά ἐστιν, ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν ἐπιστήμης γενομένης· καὶ σωφροσύνην τὴν ταῦτα ἐν ἀρχαῖς ὀρθῶς αἱρουμένην δύναμιν· καὶ δικαιοσύνην, ἢ τὰ ἄξια ἐκάστοις ἀπονέμει· καὶ τὴν πάντων τούτων σωτηρίαν ἀνδρείαν. Οὐ λόγοις τοίνυν ἀπαγγελλομένοις συνείθιζεν ὡς δὴ εἴη ἐπιστήμη ἀγαθῶν καὶ κακῶν, ἢ ποιητέων καὶ οὐ ποιητέων ἡ φρόνησις· τοῦτο δὴ τὸ κενὸν καὶ ἀνωφελὲς μάθημα, εἰ ὁ λόγος εἴη τῶν ἔργων δίχα, καὶ φρόνησις οὐχὶ ποιοῦσα τὰ ποιητὰ, καὶ ἀποτρέπουσα τῶν οὐ ποιητῶν, γινώσκειν δὲ ταῦτα παρεχομένη τοῖς ἔχουσιν αὐτὴν, οἴους πολλοὺς ὀρῶμεν. Ἢ δὲ σωφροσύνη πάλιν ὅτι δὴ εἴη τις ἐπιστήμη αἱρετῶν καὶ οὐχ αἰρετῶν, οὐ πάνυ τι διδασκόντων αὐτὴν τῶν ἄλλων φιλοσόφων, καὶ μάλιστά γε τῶν νεωτέρων, ὄντων μὲν εὐτόνων καὶ ἐῤῥωμένων τοῖς λόγοις (οὓς ἐγὼ πολλάκις ἐθαύμασα, ὅταν τὴν αὐτὴν ἀρετὴν Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς τὰ πρῶτα Θεῷ ἴσον εἶναι τὸν σοφὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀποδείξωσιν)· οὕτε δὲ τὴν φρόνησιν ὡς καὶ ποιεῖ τις τὰ φρονήσεως· οὕτε τὴν σωφροσύνην ὡς καὶ αἱρεῖτό τις ταῦθʼ ἅπερ ἔμαθε, παραδοῦναι δυναμένων· ὀμοίως δὲ κἀπὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀνδρείας. Οὐχ οὕτως οὗτος τὰ περὶ ἀρετῶν ἡμῖν διεξήει λόγοις, ἐπὶ δὲ τὰ ἔργα μᾶλλον παρεκάλει· καὶ παρεκάλει πλέον τοῖς ἔργοις. ἢ οἶς ἔλεγεν.

### English translation (Claude)

But the things that are the very summit of all, for the sake of which the whole race of philosophers labours, gathering good fruits as from a varied planting of all the other studies and from long philosophy: the divine virtues concerning character, from which comes the untroubled and stable settlement of the impulses of the soul; these he meant should make us free of grief and passion toward all evils, well-ordered and stable and godlike, and truly blessed. And these too he laboured at with his own discourses, gentle and wise, and most necessary, about our characters and ways; and not with words only, but already in a way with deeds he steered our impulses, by the very contemplation and observation of the impulses and passions of the soul, through which above all, when it is understood, our soul is naturally set right out of discord, and brought from confusion to what is distinct and orderly, seeing itself as in a mirror (both the very beginnings and roots of evils, all its irrational part, from which absurd passions rise up in us, and its whole best part, the rational, under whose rule it remains of itself unharmed and free of passion); then, having observed these things in itself exactly, it should cast out and remove all that grows from the worse, which pours us out in licentiousness or contracts and stifles us in abjection, such as pleasures and desires, or griefs and fears, and the whole host of evils that follows these kinds, rising up against them while they are still beginning and just sprouting, and not letting them grow even a little, but destroying them and making them vanish; while the good things that spring up in us from the better it should nurture and preserve, nursing them from the beginning and guarding them until they are perfected. For so the divine virtues might come to the soul: prudence, which can first judge these very movements of the soul from themselves, when knowledge of the goods and evils outside us, if there are any, has come; temperance, the power of rightly choosing these things at their beginnings; justice, which assigns what is due to each; and courage, the preservation of all these. He did not accustom us by words merely spoken that prudence is the knowledge of goods and evils, or of what is to be done and not done (this empty and useless study, if the word is apart from deeds, and prudence does not do what is to be done and turn us from what is not, but only enables those who have it to know these things, as we see many to be); or again that temperance is a knowledge of what is to be chosen and not chosen. The other philosophers do not teach it at all in this way, especially the more recent ones, though they are vigorous and strong in argument (I have often wondered at them when they demonstrate that the virtue of God and of men is the same, and that the wise man on earth is first, equal to God); for they are unable to hand down prudence so that one does what belongs to prudence, or temperance so that one chooses what one has learned; and likewise with justice and courage. Not so did he go through what concerns the virtues with us in words; he exhorted us rather to deeds, and he exhorted more by his deeds than by what he said.

### Scripture references

- Jas 1:23: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The definitions criticized (prudence as knowledge of goods and evils, of what is to be done and not done; temperance as knowledge of what is to be chosen and avoided) and the claim that the wise man is equal to God are Stoic doctrines.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 9 (PG 10:1077d–1080d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-9).

## Address of Thanksgiving 10

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-10
- Source: PG 10:1080d–1981b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory disclaims flattery and any intent to praise Origen by disparaging other philosophers.

### Greek text

Ἐξαιτοῦμαι δὲ παρά τε φιλοσόφων τῶν νῦν ὄντων, ὅσους αὐτὸς ἔγνων, καὶ ὅσους ἄλλων διηγουμένων ἤκουσα· καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ ἀνθρώπων, ἀνεμεσήτως ἔχειν πρὸς τὰ νῦν ἡμῖν λεγόμενα. Μὴ δέ τις ἢ φιλίᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, ἢ καὶ ἀπεχθανόμενον ἔτι τοῖς λοιποῖς φιλοσόφοις (ὡν εἴπερ τις ἄλλος καὶ αὐτὸς ἐραστής τε διὰ τοὺς λόγους εἶναι θέλω, καὶ εὐφημεῖν αὐτοὺς βούλομαι, αὐτός τε καὶ ἑτέρων τὰ κάλλιστα λεγόντων περὶ αὐτῶν ἀκούειν· ἀλλὰ γὰρ τοιαῦτά ἐστιν, ὡς εἰς ἔσχατον περιυβρίζεσθαι μὲν ὑπὸ πάντων σχεδὸν καὶ τοῦνομα τῆς φιλοσοφίας· ἐμὲ δὲ μικροῦ δεῖν ἰδιωτεύειν ἐλέσθαι πάντη, ἤπερ τι μαθεῖν ὧν οὗτοι ἀπαγγέλλουσιν, οἶς διὰ τὸν λοιπὸν βίον οὐδὲ προσιέναι ἄξιον εἶναι ἐδόκουν, ἴσως οὐκ ὀρθῶς τοῦτο φρονῶν). Πλὴν μή μέ τις φιλοτιμίᾳ τινὶ, τῇ τῶν εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα ἐπαίνων, ἢ τῇ πρὸς τοὺς ἔξω φιλοσόφους ἄλλῃ ταύτῃ φιλοτιμίᾳ ταῦτα λέγειν ὑπονοησάτω· ἀλλὰ καὶ μικρότερα ἡμᾶς τῶν αὐτοῦ ἔργων, μὴ κολακεύειν δοκοίημεν, λέγειν πεπείσθω, οὐχὶ ῥήματα καὶ ὁνόματα, καὶ ἀφορμὰς ἐντέχνους ἐγκωμίων ἐαυτοῖς ἐκποριζομένους, ὅς οὐδʼ ὅτε μειράκιον ὦν, τὴν δημώδη ῥητορικὴν ἐκ ῥήτορος ἐδιδασκόμην, ἐπαινεῖν, καὶ λέγειν περί του ἐγκώμιον, εἴ τι μὴ ἀληθὲς ἦν, ἐκὼν ὑπέμενον. Οὐ τοίνυν οὐδὲ νῦν, ἐπαινεῖν προθέμενος ἀπλῶς, τοῖς ἐτέρων ψόγοις τοῦτον ἐξαίρειν οἶμαι δεῖν· ἢ κακῶς ἂν ἔλεγον τὸν ἄνδρα, τοῖς ἄλλων πταίσμασιν, ἵνα τι περὶ αὐτοῦ μεῖζον δὴ λέγειν ἔχοιμι, παραβαλὼν τὸν μακάριον αὐτοῦ βίον· οὐχ οὕτως ἀφραίνομεν· ἀλλʼ αὐτὸ ὃ πέπονθα, δίχα τινὸς παραβολῆς καὶ πανουργίας τῆς ἐν λόγοις, ὁμολογήσω.

### English translation (Claude)

I ask the philosophers of the present day, as many as I have known myself and as many as I have heard of from others, and other men too, not to be indignant at what we are now saying. And let no one think … either out of friendship for the man, or as still hostile to the other philosophers (of whom, if anyone, I myself wish to be a lover because of their discourses, and I wish to praise them, and to hear others say the finest things about them; but things are such that even the name of philosophy is insulted to the utmost by nearly everyone, so that I all but chose to remain wholly unlearned rather than learn anything of what these men announce, to whom, because of the rest of their life, I thought it not worth even going, perhaps not thinking rightly in this). But let no one suspect that I say these things out of some ambition in praising the man, or out of that other ambition against the philosophers outside; but let him be persuaded that we are saying even less than his deeds, lest we seem to flatter: not providing ourselves with words and names and artful pretexts for encomia, I who even as a youth, when I was being taught popular rhetoric by a rhetorician, would not willingly endure to praise anyone or speak an encomium about him, if anything in it was not true. Neither now, then, having set out simply to praise him, do I think I should exalt him by finding fault with others; or else I would be speaking ill of the man, setting his blessed life alongside the failings of others so as to have something greater to say about him. We are not so foolish. But I will confess just what I have experienced, without any comparison or verbal trickery.

### Translation notes

- A word or two after "let no one think" are lost in the scan ("…").

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 10 (PG 10:1080d–1981b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-10).

## Address of Thanksgiving 11

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-11
- Source: PG 10:1981b–1085a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen led Gregory to live the virtues: justice as attending to one's own soul, prudence as self-knowledge, temperance as preserving it, courage as perseverance.

### Greek text

Οὗτός με πρῶτος καὶ μόνος καὶ τὴν Ἑλλήνων φιλοσοφίαν φιλοσοφεῖν προὐτρέψατο, τοῖς ἤθεσι τοῖς ἰδίοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ τοῦ περὶ ἡθῶν ἀκοῦσαι καὶ ἀνέχεσθαι λόγου πείσας, οὐκ ἂν πεισθέντα ὅσον ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις φιλοσόφοις (πάλιν ὀμολογῶ), οὐκ ὀρθῶς μὲν, δυστυχῶς δὲ, μικροῦ δεῖν, ἡμῖν. Οὐ μὲν οὖν οὐδὲ πλείοσιν ἐνέτυχον τὸ πρῶτον, ὀλίγοις δέ τισι τοῖς διδάσκειν ἐπαγγελλομένοις, … Οὐ παράδειγμα τοίνυν ἀκριβὲς, ἐξομοιοῦν δὲ καὶ ἄγαν ἐθέλοντα, σπουδῇ πάσῃ καὶ προθυμίᾳ βιαζόμενον, εἰ δεῖ λέγειν, καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀνθρώπων δύναμιν· καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐτέρους τοιούτους πλάττειν, οὐ λόγων ἐγκρατεῖς καὶ ἐπιστήμονας τῶν περὶ ὀρμῶν, τῶν δὲ ὁρμῶν αὐτῶν· ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα καὶ τοὺς λόγους, ἄγχων, καὶ οὐ μικρὰν μοῖραν ἑκάστης ἀρετῆς, τάχα δὲ καὶ σύμπασαν, εἴπερ ἐχωρήσαμεν, ἐπιφέρων ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ θεωρίᾳ· δικαιοπραγεῖν μὲν καὶ ἀναγκάζων, εἰ δεῖ λέγειν, διὰ τὴν ἰδιοπραγίαν τῆς ψυχῆς, ἢ προσθέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἔπεισεν· ἀπάγων μὲν τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον πολυπραγμοσύνης, καὶ τοῦ τῆς ἀγορᾶς ὀχληροῦ, ἐαυτοὺς δὲ περισκοπεῖν ἐπάρας καὶ τὰ αὐτῶν ὄντως πράττειν. Τοῦτο δὲ εἶναι τὸ δικαιοπραγεῖν, καὶ ταύτην τὴν δικαιοσύνην τήν γε ἀληθῆ, καὶ τῶν ἀρχαίων φιλοσόφων τινὲς εἰρήκασι (τὴν ἰδιοπραγίαν λέγοντες, ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ) καὶ ἀνυσιμώτερον πρὸς μακαριότητα ἐαυτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς προσιοῦσιν· εἴπερ γε ἐστὶ τῆσδε τῆς ἀρετῆς τὸ κατʼ ἀξίαν ἀπονέμειν, καὶ τὰ ἴδια ἐκάστοις. Τί γὰρ ἂν ἴδιον εἴη ψυχῆς ἔτερον; Τί δὲ οὕτως ἄξιον ἢ τὸ ἐπιμελεῖσθαι ἐαυτῆς, οὐκ ἔξω βλέπουσαν, οὐδʼ ἀλλοτριοπραγοῦσαν, οὐδὲ, συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, ἀδικοῦσαν ἐαυτὴν τὴν χειρίστην ἀδικίαν, ἀλλʼ ἔνδον πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀπεστραμμένην, αὐτὴν ἑαυτῇ ἀποδιδοῦσαν καὶ δικαιοπραγοῦσαν; Οὕτως μὲν δίκαια πράττειν, εἰ δεῖ λέγειν, ἀναγκάζων ἐπαίδευε· φρονεῖν δὲ πάλιν οὐχ ἧττον, τὸ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν εἶναι, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς γινώσκειν ἐθέλειν τε καὶ πειρᾶσθαι· τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἄριστον φιλοσοφίας ἔργον, ὁ δὴ καὶ δαιμόνων τῷ μαντικωτάτῳ ἀνατίθεται ὡς πάνσοφον πρόσταγμα, τὸ, Γνῶθι σαυτόν. Τὸ δὲ εἶναι ὄντως ἔργον φρονήσεως, καὶ ταύτην εἶναι τὴν θείαν φρόνησιν, καλῶς τοῖς παλαιοῖς λέγεται· τὴν αὐτὴν ὄντως οὖσαν Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπου ἀρετήν· αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς ἑαυτὴν ὥσπερ ἐν κατόπτρῳ ὀρᾷν μελετώσης, καὶ τὸν θεῖον νοῦν, εἰ ἀξία γένοιτο τῆς κοινωνίας τῆσδε, ἐν αὐτῇ κατοπτριζομένης, ὁδόν τε ἀπόῤῥητόν τινα ταύτης ἀποθεώσεως ἐξιχνευομένης. Ἀκολούθως δὲ καὶ σωφρονεῖν, καὶ ἀνδρίζεσθαι· σωφρονεῖν μὲν, διασωζομένους τὴν φρόνησιν τήνδε. τῆς ψυχῆς ἐαυτὴν γινωσκούσης, εἴ ποτε αὐτῇ τοῦτο γένοιτο· ταύτην γὰρ εἶναι πάλιν τὴν σωφροσύνην, σώαν τινὰ φρόνησιν οὕσαν· ἀνδρίζεσθαι δʼ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἐμμένοντας ταῖς εἰρημέναις ἐπιτηδεύσεσι, καὶ οὐκ ἀποπίπτοντας οὕθʼ ἐκουσίως οὗθʼ ὑπό τινος ἀνάγκης, φυλάσσοντας δὲ καὶ ἐγκρατεῖς τῶν εἰρημένων· καὶ ταύτην εἶναι σώτειράν τινα καὶ φύλακα δογματίζων οὕσαν τὴν ἀρετὴν ταύτην.

### English translation (Claude)

He first and alone urged me to philosophize also the philosophy of the Greeks, persuading me by his own character both to hear and to take up the discourse on morals, I who would not have been persuaded as far as the other philosophers were concerned (I confess it again), not rightly, but almost to my misfortune. Nor did I meet many at first, but some few who professed to teach … I shall not (speak of him), then, as an exact pattern, but as one wishing very much to make himself like it, striving with all zeal and eagerness, if I must say so, even beyond human power; and moreover to mould us into others like himself, masters not of words and knowledge about the impulses, but of the impulses themselves; leading us both to deeds and to words, and bringing to bear a not small portion of each virtue, perhaps even the whole of it, if we could take it in, in contemplation itself. He compelled us, if I must say so, to act justly, through attending to the soul's own business, to which he persuaded us to apply ourselves; drawing us away from the busybodiness of life and the troublesomeness of the marketplace, and lifting us up to look round at ourselves and truly to do our own business. That this is acting justly, and this the true justice, some of the ancient philosophers too have said (meaning, it seems to me, doing one's own business), and that it is more effective for blessedness both for themselves and for those who come to them; if indeed it belongs to this virtue to assign according to worth and to give each his own. For what else would be the soul's own? And what so fitting as for it to care for itself, not looking outside, nor busying itself with others' affairs, nor, in a word, wronging itself with the worst wrong, but turned inward toward itself, rendering itself to itself and acting justly? Thus he taught us to act justly, compelling us, if I must say so. And to be prudent no less: to be with oneself, and to wish and try to know ourselves. This is the best work of philosophy, which is even ascribed to the most prophetic of demons as an all-wise command: "Know yourself." That this is truly the work of prudence, and that this is the divine prudence, is well said by the ancients, being truly the same virtue of God and of man: the soul itself practising to see itself as in a mirror, and to behold the divine mind in itself as in a mirror, if it should become worthy of this fellowship, tracking out a certain ineffable way of this deification. Accordingly also (he taught us) to be temperate and to be courageous: temperate, preserving this prudence of the soul that knows itself, if ever this should come to it; for this again is temperance, being a kind of sound prudence; and courageous, persevering in all the practices mentioned and not falling away from them either willingly or under any compulsion, but guarding them and holding fast to what was said; and he taught that this virtue is a kind of preserver and guardian.

### Scripture references

- 2 Cor 3:18: echo, medium confidence

### Extrabiblical texts

- Plato, Resp. 433a (Plato (works)): allusion, medium confidence
- Plato, Alc. maj. 133c (Plato (works)): allusion, medium confidence

### Translation notes

- Several lines are lost in the scan after "some few who professed to teach" (in other editions: a passage on Origen as the pattern of the wise man); they are shown as "…", and the words in parentheses give the sense of the broken sentence.
- Justice as "doing one's own business": Plato, Republic 4.433a. "Know yourself": the Delphic maxim, ascribed to Apollo ("the most prophetic of demons"). The soul seeing the divine in itself as in a mirror: Plato, Alcibiades I 133c. "Deification" renders ἀποθέωσις. "Temperance" (σωφροσύνη) is explained by wordplay as "sound prudence" (σώα φρόνησις).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 11 (PG 10:1981b–1085a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-11).

## Address of Thanksgiving 12

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-12
- Source: PG 10:1085a–1085d
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen has not yet made Gregory virtuous, but has made him a lover of the virtues, above all of piety, whose end is to be made like God and abide in him.

### Greek text

Καὶ δῆτα δικαίους μὲν καὶ φρονίμους καὶ σωφρονας, ἢ ἀνδρείους ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ ἡμετέρας βραδυτῆτος καὶ νωχελίας, καὶ ταῦτα πάνυ σπεύδων, ἔτι μέλλει καταστήσεσθαι (οὔτε ἔχοντας, οὕτε ἐγγύς πω γενομένους, οὐδʼ ἡστινοσοῦν ἀρετῆς ἀνθρώπων, ἢ θείας, πολλοῦ γε δεῖ· αὗται γὰρ μέγισται καὶ ὑψηλαί· καὶ οὐδετέρα ληπτέα, οὐδὲ τῷ τυχεῖν, ὅτῳ μὴ Θεός γε ἐμπνέοι δύναμιν. ἡμεῖς τε οὔτε πεφύκαμεν οὕτως ἐπιτηδείως, οὕτε καὶ ἄξιοι εἶναι ἐπιτυχεῖν οὐδέπω ὀμολογοῦμεν· οὐ ποιήσαντες ἀπὸ ῥᾳθυμίας καὶ ἀσθενείας πάντα, ἅπερ τοὺς τῶν ἀρίστων ἐφιεμένους, καὶ τὰ τέλεια μνωμένους χρή). Δίκαιοι μὲν οὖν ἢ σώφρονες, ἢ τινα τῶν ἄλλων ἔχειν ἀρετῶν ἔτι μέλλομεν ἐραστὰς δὲ ἡμᾶς ὅτι δριμύτατον ἐρῶντας ἔρωτα, ὅπερ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ μόνον ἴσως, καὶ πάλαι κατεστήσατο ὁ θαυμαστὸς οὗτος, καὶ φίλος τῶν ἀρετῶν καὶ προήγορος· ἐμποιήσας ἔρωτα τῇ αὐτοῦ ἀρετῇ καὶ τοῦ κάλλους τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἦς τὸ χρύσεον ὄντως ἔδειξεν ἡμῖν πρόσωπον, καὶ φρονήσεως τῆς πᾶσιν ἐφεσίμου, καὶ τῆς ἐρασμιωτάτης σοφίας τῆς ἀληθοῦς, καὶ σωφροσύνης τῆς θεοειδοῦς, ἢ ἐστι ψυχῆς εὐστάθεια, καὶ εἰρήνη πᾶσι τοῖς κτησαμένοις αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀνδρείας τῆς θαυμασιωτάτης· ὑπομονῆς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, εὐσεβείας, ἤν μητέρα φασὶ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὀρθῶς λέγοντες. Αὕτη γάρ ἐστιν ἀρχὴ καὶ τελευτὴ πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν· ἀπὸ ταύτης τε γὰρ ὀρμωμένοις, ῥᾶστα ἂν ἡμῖν ἐπιγένοιντο καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ ἀρεταί· εἰ τοῦθ ὁ δὴ πάντα ἄνθρωπον, τόν γε μὴ ἄθεον ἢ φιλήδονον, τὸ φίλον γενέσθαι καὶ προήγορον Θεῷ, κτήσασθαι ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιθυμοῦντες καὶ σπεύδοντες, τῶν λοιπῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπιμελοίμεθα· ὅπως μὴ ἀνάξιοι καὶ ῥυπῶντες, μετὰ δὲ πάσης ἀρετῆς καὶ σοφίας ὥσπερ τινος ἀγαθοῦ πομποῦ καὶ ἱερέως σοφωτάτου προσίοιμεν τῷ Θεῷ. Τό γε πάντων τέλος οὐχ ἔτερόν τι οἶμαι, ἢ, Καθαρῷ τῷ νῷ ἐξομοιώθητι προσελθεῖν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ μένειν ἐν αὐτῷ. Ὁνομα ταύτης ἴδιον τῆς ὑγείας ἐστὶ σωφροσύνη, σωτηρίαν τῷ φρονοῦντι τῶν (τῷ) ἐν ἡμῖν ἀπεργαζομένη.

### English translation (Claude)

And indeed, though he was very eager about it, he has not yet made us just and prudent and temperate or courageous, because of our slowness and sluggishness (we neither have, nor have yet come near to, any virtue whatever, human or divine, far from it; for these are very great and lofty, and neither is to be grasped by just anyone, unless God breathes power into him; and we are neither so fitted by nature nor do we yet confess ourselves worthy to attain them, not having done, through laziness and weakness, all that those who aim at the best and strive for the perfect must do). Just, then, or temperate, or possessed of any of the other virtues we are not yet; but lovers, loving with the keenest love, this wonderful man, the friend and advocate of the virtues, long ago made us, which perhaps lay in his power alone: implanting by his own virtue love of the beauty of justice, whose truly golden face he showed us; of prudence, desired by all; of the most lovely true wisdom; of godlike temperance, which is the stability of the soul and peace for all who possess it; of most wonderful courage; of patience, our (virtue); and above all of piety, which they rightly call the mother of the virtues. For this is the beginning and end of all the virtues; for, starting from it, the other virtues too would most easily come to us, if, desiring and hastening to acquire for ourselves what every man who is not godless or a lover of pleasure (should desire), to become a friend and advocate of God, we should take care of the other virtues; so that we may approach God not unworthy and filthy, but with all virtue and wisdom as with a good escort and a most wise priest. The end of all things, I think, is nothing else than this: being made like him in pure mind, to draw near to God and to abide in him. The proper name of this health is temperance, producing salvation for the prudent part within us.

### Scripture references

- 1 John 2:28: echo, low confidence
- John 15:4: echo, low confidence
- Matt 5:8: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The last sentence (a wordplay on σωφροσύνη, σωτηρία, and τὸ φρονοῦν) is absent from some editions and may be a gloss. Migne prints "the" (τῷ) in round brackets.
- Piety (εὐσέβεια) as "mother of the virtues" is a philosophical commonplace. "Abide in him": compare 1 John 2:28; John 15:4.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 12 (PG 10:1085a–1085d; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-12).

## Address of Thanksgiving 13

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-13
- Source: PG 10:1088a–1089a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen had his students read all the ancient philosophers and poets except the atheists, so that no single school would capture their minds.

### Greek text

Ἐπὶ τῇ ἄλλῃ πάσῃ φιλοπονίᾳ καὶ σπουδῇ, τὴν περὶ θεολογίας διδασκαλίαν καὶ εὐλάβειαν πῶς ἂν ἐξέλθοιμι τῷ λόγῳ, εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν διάθεσιν εἰσδὺς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, σὺν οἵᾳ γνώμῃ καὶ παρασκευῇ τοὺς περὶ τοῦ Θείου πάντας ἐκμανθάνειν ἡμᾶς ἤθελε λόγους, φυλαττόμενος μή πη κινδυνεύσαιμεν περὶ τὸ ἀναγκαιότατον ἀπάντων, τὴν τοῦ πάντων αἰτίου γνῶσιν; φιλοσοφεῖν μὲν γὰρ ἠξίου, ἀναλεγομένους τῶν ἀρχαίων πάντα ὅσα καὶ φιλοσόφων καὶ ὑμνῳδῶν ἐστι γράμματα πάσῃ δυνάμει μηδὲν ἐκποιουμένους, μηδʼ ἀποδοκιμάζοντας (οὐδέπω γὰρ οὐδὲ τὴν κρίσιν ἔχειν ἐδυνάμεθα), πλὴν ὅσα τῶν ἀθέων εἴη, ὅσοι ἐκκυλισθέντες ὁμοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐννοιῶν, οὐκ εἶναι Θεὸν ἢ Πρόνοιαν λέγουσι (ταῦτα γὰρ οὕτʼ ἀναγινώσκειν ἄξιον, ἵνα μηδʼ ἐν τῷ τυχόντι μολύνοιθʼ ἡμῖν ἡ ψυχὴ, εὐσεβεῖν μέλλουσα, λόγων δὲ ἀκούουσα, ὑπεναντίων τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ θεραπείᾳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοὺς τοῖς ναοῖς προσιόντας εὐσεβείας, ἦς οἴονται, ἐφάπτεσθαί τινος ὅλως τῶν βεβήλων. Τὰ τούτων τοίνυν οὐδʼ ὅλως οὐδὲ ἀριθμεῖσθαι ἄξιον παρʼ ἀνδράσιν εὐσεβεῖν ἐπανελομένοις)· τοῖς δὲ λοιποῖς πᾶσιν ἐντυγχάνειν καὶ προσομιλεῖν, γένος μὲν οὐδὲ ἕν, οὐδὲ λόγον φιλόσοφον προτιμήσαντας, οὕτε αὖ ἀποδοκιμάσαντας, οὕτε Ἐλληνικὸν οὕτε βάρβαρον, πάντων δὲ ἀκούοντας. Σοφῶς τοῦτο καὶ μάλα ἐντέχνως· μήπη εἷς τις καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν τῶνδέ τινων, ἢ τῶνδε λόγος αὐτὸς μόνος ἀκουσθεὶς καὶ τιμηθεὶς, κἂν μὴ ἀληθινὸς ὢν τύχῃ, ὡς μόνος ἀληθὴς ὡν, εἰσδὺς εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἡμῶν, ἐξαπατήσῃ, καὶ καθʼ ἑαυτὸν διαθεὶς, ἰδίους ἡμᾶς ποιήσηται, οὐκέτʼ ἀποστῆναι δυναμένους, οὐδὲ ἀποπλύνασθαι, ὥσπερ τὰ δευσοποιόν τινα βαφὴν βαφέντα τῶν ἐρίων. Δεινόν τε γὰρ χρῆμα καὶ εὕστροφον λόγος ὁ ἀνθρώπων, ποικίλος τε τοῖς σοφίσμασι, καὶ ὀξὺς εἰσδραμὼν εἰς τὰς· ἀκοὰς, τυπῶσαί τε τὸν νοῦν καὶ προθέσθαι καὶ ἀναπείσας τοὺς ἅπαξ ἀρπασθέντας, ὡς ἀληθὴς ἀγαπᾶσθαι· καὶ μένειν ἔνδον κἂν ψευδὴς καὶ ἀπατηλὸς ᾖ, ὥσπερ τις γόης κρατῶν, ὑπέρμαχον ἔχων αὐτὸν τὸν ἡπατημένον. Εὐεξαπάτητόν τε πάλιν ὑπὸ λόγου καὶ εὕκολον πρὸς συγκατάθεσιν ψυχὴ ἀνθρώπου ἑτοίμη τε, πρὶν διακρίνῃ καὶ ἐξετάσῃ πάντα τρόπον, ὑπὸ ἀμβλύτητος καὶ ἀσθενείας τῆς ἰδίας, ἢ ὑπὸ λεπτότητος τῆς τοῦ λόγου, πρὸς τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῆς ἐξετάσεως ἀποκαμοῦσαν ἑαυτὴν ἀπραγμονέστερον παραδιδόναι πολλάκις ψευδέσι λόγοις καὶ δόγμασι, πεπλανημένοις μὲν αὐτοῖς. πλανῶσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐσχηκότας· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον· ἀλλὰ κὰν ἐπανορθοῦν ἔτερος ἐθέλοι λόγος, οὐκ ἔτι προσιεμένη, οὐδὲ μεταπειθομένη, τοῦ δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ περιεχομένη, ὥσπερ τινὸς τυράννου ἀπαραιτήτου αὐτῆς κεκρατηκότος.

### English translation (Claude)

With all his other diligence and zeal, how could I go through in my speech his teaching about theology and his reverence, entering into the very disposition of the man, with what mind and preparation he wished us to learn all the discourses about the Divine, guarding lest we should run any risk concerning the most necessary of all things, the knowledge of the Cause of all? For he thought it right that we should philosophize by reading with all our power all the writings of the ancients, both philosophers and hymn-writers, excluding nothing and rejecting nothing (for we were not yet able to judge), except whatever belonged to the atheists, who, rolling away together from human notions, say that there is no God or Providence (these it is not worth even reading, lest the soul, which is to be pious, be defiled even by chance by hearing words contrary to the worship of God. For not even those who go to the temples of piety, as they think them, touch anything profane at all. The writings of these, then, are not worth counting at all among men who have chosen to be pious); but all the others we should read and converse with, preferring no race and no philosophical school, nor rejecting any, neither Greek nor barbarian, but hearing all. This he did wisely and very skilfully, lest any one argument of these or of those, heard and honoured alone by itself, even if it should happen not to be true, should enter our soul as if alone true and deceive us, and, disposing us in its own favour, make us its own, no longer able to withdraw or wash ourselves clean, like wool dyed with a fast dye. For human speech is a terrible and versatile thing, varied in its sophistries, and quick to run into the ears, to stamp the mind and set its proposition before it, and, having persuaded those it has once seized, to be loved as true; and to remain within, even if it is false and deceitful, like a sorcerer in control, having the deceived man himself as its champion. And again the human soul is easily deceived by speech and quick to assent, ready, before it judges and examines in every way, through its own dullness and weakness, or through the subtlety of the argument, growing weary of exact examination, to hand itself over often too easily to false arguments and doctrines, which are themselves astray and lead astray those who hold them; and not only this, but even if another argument should wish to correct it, it no longer admits it or lets itself be persuaded otherwise, but clings to what holds it, as if an inexorable tyrant had mastered it.

### Translation notes

- "Atheists" means those who deny God and providence (here, chiefly the Epicureans). A stray footnote number is removed.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 13 (PG 10:1088a–1089a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/6/#p-13).

## Address of Thanksgiving 14

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-14
- Source: PG 10:1089a–1093a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Philosophers cling to the first school they meet as to a marsh, forest, or labyrinth; Origen guided his students through all schools, keeping what was true.

### Greek text

γὰρ οὐχὶ ταῦτα δογμάτων τε τὰ μαχόμενα καὶ ἐναντιούμενα ἀλλήλοις, φιλοσόφων τε τὰς στάσεις εἰσήγαγεν, ἄλλων τοῖς ἄλλων ἐνισταμένων δόγμασι, καὶ ἄλλων ἄλλα κρατούντων, ἄλλων τε ἄλλοις προστιθεμένων; Καὶ φιλοσοφεῖν μὲν ἀπάντων βουλομένων, καὶ ἐπαγγελλομένων ἐξ οὗ γε προὐτράπησαν τὸ πρῶτον, καὶ φασκόντων ἐθέλειν οὐχ ἦττον ὅτε γεγόνασιν ἐν τοῖς λόγοις, ἢ ὡς αὐτῶν ἤρχοντο· μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πλείονα τὸν ἔρωτα νῦν ἔχειν τῆς φιλοσοφίας, ὅτε αὐτῆς καὶ γεύσασθαι (ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις) ὑπῆρξε καὶ προσδιατρίψαι τοῖς λόγοις, ἤπερ ὅτε πρῶτον ἀπείρως ἔχοντες εἶθʼ ὑπὸ ὀρμῆς τινος φιλοσοφεῖν ἐπήρθησαν· λεγόντων μὲν ταῦτα, οὐκέτι δʼ ὑπακουσάντων λόγοις οὐδενὸς τῶν ἐτεροδόξων. Οὔτʼ οὖν εἷς τις τῶν παλαιῶν προὐτρέψατό τινα τῶν νεωτέρων ἢ τῶν τοῦ Περιπάτου πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιστρέφειν, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ φιλοσοφίαν φιλοσοφεῖν, οὕτε ἀνάπαλιν, καὶ ὅλως οὐδεὶς οὐδένα. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ῥᾳδίως μεταπεισθείη τις προσθέσθαι, τῶν αὐτοῦ μετατιθέμενος, ἐτέροις· καὶ ταῦτα τούτοις ἴσως, οἶς εἴπερ ἐπείσθη πρὶν φιλοσοφήσει προσελθεῖν, τὸ πρῶτον ἂν καὶ ἡγάπα, καὶ ἐπείσθη ῥᾳδίως· οἶα δὴ μὴ προκατειλημμένης τῆς ψυχῆς μηδέπω λόγοις προσανείχετο ἄν, καὶ ἠγάπα ὀμοίως ἐναντιούμενος διʼ ἐκεῖνα τούτοις, ἃ νῦν ἔχει. Τοιαῦτα ἡμῶν οἱ καλοὶ καὶ λογιώτατοι καὶ ἐξεταστικώτατοι Ἐλληνες πεφιλοσοφήκασιν· οἶς προσέτυχεν ἔκαστος ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἑλκυσθεὶς ὑπό τινος ὀρμῆς, ταῦτα μόνα λέγων εἶναι ἀληθῆ, τὰ δὲ λοιπὰ πάντα τῶν ἄλλων φιλοσόφων ἀπάτην καὶ λῆρον· λόγῳ μὲν οὐδὲν μᾶλλον αὐτὸς τὰ αὐτοῦ κρατύων, ἢ τῶν ἄλλων ἐκαστοι προῖστανται τῶν ίδίων, τοῦ μὴ χρῆναι μετατίθεσθαι καὶ μεταβουλεύεσθαι ἀνάγκῃ ἢ πειθοῖ· οὐκ ἄλλην τινὰ (εἰ δεῖ τἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν) ἔχων ἢ τὴν πρὸς τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἐπὶ τάδε τὰ δόγματα ἄλογον ὀρμήν· καὶ κρίσιν ὧν οἴεται ( μὴ παράδοξον εἰπεῖν ῇ ) οὐκ ἄλλην ἢ τὴν ἄκριτον τύχην· ταῦθʼ ἕκαστος φιλῶν, οἷς προσέτυχε τὸ πρῶτον, ὑφʼ ὧν οἰονεὶ δεδεμένος, οὐκέθʼ οἷός τε προσέχειν ἐτέροις, εἰ μέν τι καὶ λέγειν ἔχοι σὺν ἀποδείξει ἀληθείας τῶν αὐτοῦ περὶ πάντων, καὶ ὡς ψευδῆ εἴη τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων, βεβοηθημένος καὶ τῷ λόγῳ, εἴτε καὶ ἀβοήθητος, ἑαυτὸν χαρισάμενος καὶ ἐκδιδόμενος εἰκῆ ὥσπερ ἔρμαιον, τοῖς προκαταλαβοῦσιν αὐτὸν λόγοις. ? δʼ ἔν τε τοῖς ἄλλοις ἔσφηλαν τοὺς ἔχοντας, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῦ πάντων μεγίστου καὶ ἀναγκαιοτάτου, τῆς περὶ τὸ Θεῖον γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας. Καὶ μένουσιν ὅμως ἐν αὐτοῖς δεδεμένοι τρόπον τινὰ, καὶ οὐκέτʼ ἐν αὐτοὺς οὐδεὶς ῥύεται ῥᾳδίως, ὥσπερ ἐκ τενάγους ἐν πεδίῳ πλατυτάτῳ δυσδιαβάτῳ, οὐκέτι ἐῶντος τοὺς ἐμπεσόντας ἅπαξ, οὔτε παλινδρομήσαντας, οὕτε καὶ περαιωσαμένους διασῶζεσθαι, ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ αὐτοὺς κατέχοντος μέχρι τελευτῆς· ἢ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὕλης βαθείας καὶ δασείας καὶ ὑψηλῆς, εἰς ἤν εἰσῆλθε μέν τις ὀδοιπόρος, ὡς δὴ ἐξορμήσων ἴσως, καὶ ἐν καθαρῷ πάλιν αὐτὸν καταστήσων τῷ ἔρκει, ὑπὸ δὲ μήκους καὶ δασύτητος οὐχ οἴός τε γίνεται· πάμπολλα στρεφόμενος ἐν αὐτῇ, ὁδούς τέ τινας ἔνδον εὐρίσκων συνεχεῖς, ποικίλας διαπορεῖ, ὡς δὴ διά τινος αὐτῶν ἐξορμήσων τάχα· αἱ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔνδον ἄγουσι μόνον, ἔξοδον δὲ οὐδαμῶς, αὐτῆς τε τῆς ὕλης μόνης ὀδοί τινες οὖσαι· τέλος δὲ ὁ ὁδοιπόρος ἀποκαμὼν καὶ ἀπαγορεύσας, ὡς δὴ πάντων ὕλης γενομένων, καὶ οὐκέτι οὐδενὸς ὄντος ἐπὶ γῆς οἰκητηρίου, ἐκεῖ μένειν ἐθέλει τὴν ἐστίαν καταστησάμενος, καὶ εὐρυχωρίαν αὐτῷ, ὡς οἶόν τε, ἐν τῇ ὕλη ἐκποριζόμενος. Καὶ ὥσπερ ἔκ τινος λαβυρίνθου εἰς ὅν εἰσόδου φαινομένης μιᾶς, οὐδὲ ποικίλον ἐκ τῶν ἔξωθεν ὑποτοπήσας τις, εἰσελθὼν διὰ τῆς φαινομένης θύρας μιᾶς· εἶτα προχωρήσας ἄχρι τῶν ἐνδοτάτω, ποικίλον τε ἰδὼν τὸ θέαμα, καὶ κατασκεύασμα πάνσοφον πολύπορόν τε καὶ εἰσόδοις καὶ ἐξόδοις συνεχέσι σεσοφισμένον· ἐθέλων μὲν καὶ ἐξιέναι, μηκέθʼ οἶός τε εἰη, ἐναποληφθεὶς ἔνδον ὑπὸ σοφοῦ δοκοῦντος αὐτῷ κατασκευάσματος. Οὐδεὶς δὲ οὔτε λαβύρινθος οὕτω δυσεξέλικτος καὶ ποικίλος, οὔτε ὕλη δασεῖα καὶ ποικίλη, οὕτε πεδίον οὕτως ἢ τέναγος δεινὸν κρατῆσαι τοὺς ἐμπελάσαντας, ὡς λόγος, εἴ τις εἴη κατʼ αὐτῶν τῶνδέ τινων φιλοσόφων. Ἰνα δὴ οὖν μὴ ταυτὸν τοῖς πολλοῖς πάθοιμεν πρὸς μὲν ἕνα τινὰ οὐκ ἦγε τῶν φιλοσόφων λόγον, οὐδὲ κατʼ αὐτοὺς ἀπιέναι ἠξίου πρὸς δὲ πάντας ἦγεν, οὐδενὸς ἀπειράστους εἶναι θέλων δόγματος Ἐλληνικοῦ. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ συνεισήει προηγούμενος καὶ χειραγωγῶν, ὥσπερ ἐν ὀδοιπορίᾳ, εἴ που καὶ ὑπαντῆσαί τι σκολιὸν καὶ ὕπουλον καὶ σοφισματῶδες, οἶα δὴ τεχνίτης ἐκ τῆς ἐκ πολλοῦ τοῖς λόγοις συνδιατριβῆς, οὐκ ἀήθης οὐδενὸς οὐδὲ ἄπειρος ὡν, μετέωρος αὐτός τε ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ μένοι, καὶ ἄλλοις ὀρέγων χεῖρα διασώζοιτο ὥσπερ βαπτιζομένους ἀνιμώμενος· πᾶν μὲν ὅ τι χρήσιμον φιλοσόφων ἐκάστων καὶ ἀληθὲς ἦν, ἀναλέγων, καὶ παρατιθέμενος ἡμῖν· ὅσα δὲ ψευδῆ, ἐκκρίνων· τά τε ἄλλα, καὶ μαλίστα ὅσα ἰδια πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ἦν ἀνθρώπων.

### English translation (Claude)

For did not these things introduce the conflicting and contradictory doctrines and the factions of the philosophers, some opposing the doctrines of others, some holding fast to these, others to those, and attaching themselves to some? And all wish to philosophize, and profess it from the time they were first turned to it, and say that they wish it no less now that they have long been in the discourses than when they began; rather, that they now have even more love for philosophy, since they have had the chance to taste it (as one might say) and to spend time in its discourses, than when first, without experience, they were stirred by some impulse to philosophize; they say this, but they no longer listen to any discourses of those who think otherwise. So no one of the older (philosophers) ever persuaded any of the younger ones, or of the Peripatetics, to turn to him and philosophize his philosophy, nor the reverse, nor, in a word, anyone anyone. For no one would easily be persuaded to change and attach himself to others, abandoning his own; and that, perhaps, to those by whom, had he been persuaded before coming to philosophy, he would have been loved from the first and easily persuaded; since, his soul not being preoccupied, he would have clung to them and loved them equally, opposing for their sake these doctrines which he now holds. Such is the philosophy of our fine and most learned and most critical Greeks: whatever each met at the beginning, drawn by some impulse, he says that this alone is true, and all the rest of the other philosophers deceit and nonsense; not establishing his own by argument any more than each of the others defends his own, so as not to be obliged to change and alter his purpose under compulsion or persuasion; having no other ground (if the truth must be told) than the irrational impulse toward philosophy that brought him to these doctrines, and no other judgment of what he thinks (if it is not paradoxical to say so) than undiscerning chance; each loving what he first encountered, by which he is as if bound and no longer able to attend to others: whether he can say something, with demonstration of truth, about all his own views and that those of his opponents are false, being helped by argument; or whether, unhelped, he has given himself up and handed himself over at random, as if to a windfall, to the arguments that seized him first. … they have tripped up those who hold them in other matters, and especially in the greatest and most necessary of all, the knowledge of the Divine and piety. And yet they remain bound by them in a way, and no one any longer easily draws them out, as from a marsh in a very wide plain hard to cross, which no longer lets those who have once fallen in either turn back or get safely across, but holds them in it until death; or as from a deep, dense, tall forest, into which a traveller entered, thinking perhaps to go out again and set himself in the clear, in the open; but he cannot, because of its length and density. Turning about a great deal in it, and finding paths within that join one another, he goes many ways, thinking to go out by one of them soon; but they lead only inward, with no way out at all, being paths of the forest alone. At last the traveller, weary and giving up, as if everything had become forest and there were no longer any dwelling on earth, chooses to stay there, setting up his hearth and providing himself what room he can in the forest. Or as with a labyrinth: with one entrance visible, and nothing intricate suspected from outside, someone enters through the one visible door; then, going on to the innermost parts and seeing the intricate spectacle, an all-clever structure of many passages, contrived with continuous entrances and exits, he wishes to go out but can no longer, trapped within by what seemed to him a clever structure. No labyrinth is so hard to unravel and intricate, no forest so dense and varied, no plain or marsh so terrible in holding those who come near, as an argument, if there should be one, against some of these philosophers. So, lest we suffer the same as the many, he did not lead us to any one philosopher's school, nor think it right for us to go off to them; but he led us to all, wishing us not to be untried in any Greek doctrine. And he himself went in with us, leading and guiding us by the hand, as on a journey, so that, if anything crooked and unsound and sophistical should meet us, he, as a craftsman unaccustomed to nothing and inexperienced in nothing from long familiarity with discourses, might himself stay aloft in safety and, stretching out his hand to others, save them, as if drawing up those who were sinking; gathering and setting before us all that was useful and true in each of the philosophers, and separating out what was false, both in other matters and especially in what men say about piety.

### Translation notes

- The chapter begins in mid-sentence in the scan (the question word is lost). A line is lost before "they have tripped up those who hold them" ("…"). Several words are garbled and read by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 14 (PG 10:1089a–1093a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-14).

## Address of Thanksgiving 15

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-15
- Source: PG 10:1093a–1096b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Origen taught them to heed God and the prophets above all men, and by the Spirit interpreted the dark places of Scripture; his school was a paradise.

### Greek text

Περὶ τούτων μὲν μηδὲν προσέχειν συμβουλεύων, μηδὲ εἰ πάνσοφός τις ὑπὸ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μαρτυρηθείη· μόνῳ δὲ προσέχειν Θεῷ καὶ τοῖς τούτου προφήταις· αὐτὸς ὑποφητεύων καὶ σαφηνίζων, ὅ τί ποτε σκοτεινὸν καὶ αἰνιγματῶδες ἦ (οἶα πολλὰ ἐν ταῖς ἱεραῖς ἐστι φωναῖς· ἤτοι οὕτω φίλον ὄν τῷ Θεῷ προσομιλεῖν ἀνθρώποις, ὡς μὴ καὶ ἀναξίαν ψυχὴν, οἶαι αἱ πολλαὶ, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀσκεπὴς ὁ θεῖος εἰσίῃ λόγος· ἢ καὶ τῇ φύσει μὲν σαφέστατον καὶ ἀπλούστατον πᾶν τὸ θεῖον λόγιον ὄν, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀποστᾶσι Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀπομεμαθηκόσιν ἀκροᾶσθαι ὑπὸ χρόνου καὶ παλαιότητος, ἀσαφὲς καὶ σκοτεινὸν καταφαινόμενον, οὐκ ἔχω λέγειν)· πλὴν σαφηνίζων καὶ εἰς φῶς προάγων, εἴτε αἰνίγματα ὄντα τυγχάνοι, δεινὸς ὦν ἀκροατὴς Θεοῦ καὶ συνετώτατος· εἴτε καὶ οὐδὲν σκολιὸν ἔχοντα τῇ φύσει, οὐδʼ ἀσύνετον αὐτῷ, οὕτως ἔχοντι μόνῳ τῶν νῦν ἀνθρώπων, ὦν αὐτός τε ἔγνων, καὶ ἐτέρων ἤκουσα περί τινων λεγόντων, μεμελετηκότι τὰ καθαρὰ τῶν λογίων φωτεινά τε, παραδέχεσθαι αὐτοῦ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ διδάσκεσθαι ἐτέρους· ὅτι αὐτῶν ὁ πάντων ἀρχηγὸς, ὁ τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ φίλοις προφήταις ὑπηχῶν καὶ ὑποβάλλων πᾶσαν προφητείαν καὶ λόγον μυστικὸν καὶ θεῖον, οὕτως αὐτὸν τιμήσας ὡς φίλον, προήγορον κατεστήσατο· ὕν διʼ ἑτέρων ἡνίξατο μόνον, τούτων διὰ τούτου τὴν διδασκαλίαν ποιούμενος· ὅσα τε, ἀξιοπιστότατος ὤν, προσέταξε βασιλικῶς ἢ καὶ ἀπεφήνατο, τούτων τοὺς λόγους διερευνᾶσθαί τε καὶ ἐξευρίσκειν τούτῳ δωρησάμενος· ἵνʼ εἴ τις σκληρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ἄπιστος ἢ καὶ φιλομαθὴς ὦν τύχοι, παρὰ τούτου μαθὼν, καὶ συνεῖναι καὶ πιστεύειν ἐλέσθαι ἀναγκάζοιτο τρόπον τινὰ, καὶ ἕπεσθαι Θεῷ. Λέγει τε ταῦτα οὐκ ἄλλως, οἶμαι, ἢ κοινωνίᾳ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος· τῆς γὰρ αὐτῆς δυνάμεως δεῖ προφητεύουσί τε καὶ ἀκροωμένοις προφητῶν· καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἀκούσαι προφήτου, ᾧ μὴ αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ προφητεῦσαν τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων ἐδωρήσατο. Τοιοῦτον ἔγκειται λόγιον καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Γράμμασι, τὸν κλείσαντα ἀνοιγνύναι μόνον λέγον, ἄλλον δὲ μηδʼ ὀντινοῦν ἀνοίγει δὲ τὰ κεκλεισμένα, σαφηνίζων τὰ αἰνίγματα ὁ θεῖος λόγος. Δῶρον τὸ μέγιστον οὗτος τοῦτο θεόθεν ἔχει λαβὼν, καὶ μοῖραν παγκάλην οὐρανόθεν, ἑρμηνεὺς εἶναι τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγων πρὸς ἀνθρώπους, συνιέναι τὰ Θεοῦ ὡς Θεοῦ λαλοῦντος, καὶ διηγεῖσθαι ἀνθρώποις, ὡς ἀκούσωσιν ἄνθρωποι. Τοιγαροῦν οὐδὲν ἡμῖν ἄῤῥητον, οὐδὲ κεκρυμμένον καὶ ἄβατον ἦν· ἐξῆν δὲ καὶ μανθάνειν πάντα λόγον, καὶ βάρβαρον καὶ Ἐλληνα, καὶ μυστικώτερον καὶ πολιτικώτερον, καὶ θεῖον καὶ ἀνθρώπινον, σὺν πάσῃ παῤῥησίᾳ ἐκπεριιοῦσι πάντα καὶ διερευνωμένοις, καὶ πάντων ἐμφορουμένοις, καὶ ἀπολαύουσι τῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθῶν· εἴτε τι παλαιὸν ἀληθείας μάθημα. εἴτε καὶ ἄλλο τις ὀνομάσαι τοιοῦτον ἔχοι, ἐν αὐτῷ ἦμεν ἔχοντες τὴν θαυμαστὴν καὶ πλήρη τῶν καλλίστων θεαμάτων παρασκευὴν καὶ ἐξουσίαν. Καὶ (συνελόντι εἰπεῖν) παράδεισος ἡμῖν ὄντως οὗτος ἦν, μιμητὴς τοῦ μεγάλου παραδείσου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐν ῷ γῆν μὲν ἐργάζεσθαι οὐκ ἦν τὴν κάτω, οὐδὲ σωματοτροφεῖν παχυνομένους· τὰ δὲ ψυχῆς μόνον αὔξειν κτήματα, ὥσπερ τινὰ φυτὰ ὡραῖα ἑαυτοὺς φυτεύσαντας, ἢ ἐμφυτευθέντας ἡμῖν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάντων αἰτίου, εὐφραινομένους καὶ τρυφῶντας.

### English translation (Claude)

Concerning these he advised us to give heed to no one, not even if someone should be attested by all men as all-wise, but to give heed to God alone and to his prophets; he himself interpreting and making clear whatever was dark and enigmatic (as there are many things in the sacred words; whether because it is pleasing to God to converse with men in this way, so that the divine word may not enter bare and uncovered into an unworthy soul, such as most are; or because every divine oracle is by nature most clear and simple, but to us who have departed from God and have unlearned how to listen, it appears unclear and dark through time and age, I cannot say). But he made it clear and brought it to light, whether they happened to be riddles, being a skilled and most intelligent hearer of God, or had nothing crooked in their nature; nor was anything unintelligible to him, the only one of the men of today, as far as I myself have known or heard from others speaking of some, who had so trained himself to receive in his own soul the pure and luminous meanings of the oracles and to teach them to others. For the Leader of all of them, who speaks within the prophets, the friends of God, and prompts every prophecy and mystical and divine word, so honoured him as a friend that he made him his advocate; and what he had only hinted through others, he gave the teaching of through him; and whatever he, being most trustworthy, commanded royally or declared, he granted to him to search out and find their reasons; so that if anyone should happen to be hard of soul and unbelieving, or even eager to learn, learning from him he might in a way be compelled both to understand and to choose to believe, and to follow God. And he says these things, I think, in no other way than by fellowship with the divine Spirit; for the same power is needed by those who prophesy and by those who hear the prophets; and no one could hear a prophet unless the very Spirit who prophesied gave him the understanding of his words. Such a saying lies in the sacred writings too, saying that the one who shuts alone opens, and no one else; and the divine Word opens what is shut by making the riddles clear. This greatest gift he has received from God, and a most beautiful portion from heaven: to be an interpreter of the words of God to men, to understand the things of God as God speaks them, and to recount them to men so that men may hear. Therefore nothing was unsayable to us, nor hidden, nor inaccessible; but we were free to learn every discourse, barbarian and Greek, more spiritual and more civic, divine and human, going round all things and searching them out with all freedom, filling ourselves with all and enjoying the goods of the soul; whether some ancient learning of truth, or whatever else one might name such, we had in him the wonderful provision and power of the most beautiful sights. And (to put it briefly) this was truly a paradise to us, an imitation of the great paradise of God, in which we were not to till the earth below, nor to grow fat by feeding the body, but only to increase the possessions of the soul, as if we had planted ourselves like fair plants, or had been planted in it by the Cause of all, rejoicing and delighting ourselves.

### Scripture references

- Rev 3:7: allusion, high confidence
- Isa 22:22: allusion, medium confidence
- 1 Cor 2:11: echo, medium confidence
- Gen 2:8: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 2:15: allusion, medium confidence
- Jas 2:23: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- The one who shuts and opens: Rev 3:7; Isa 22:22. Paradise: Gen 2:8–15. A note of Migne giving the reference had leaked into the text and is removed.
- On the understanding of prophecy by the same Spirit who inspired it, compare 1 Cor 2:10–14.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 15 (PG 10:1093a–1096b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-15).

## Address of Thanksgiving 16

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-16
- Source: PG 10:1096b–1100c
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Leaving Origen, Gregory is like Adam expelled from paradise, the prodigal son, the exiles in Babylon, and the man who fell among robbers.

### Greek text

Οὗτος παράδεισος ἀληθῶς τρυφῆς, αὕτη ἀληθὴς εὐφροσύνη καὶ τρυφὴ, ἢν ἐτρυφήσαμεν ἐν τῷ διηνυσμένῳ τῷδε χρόνῳ, καὶ οὐκ ὀλίγῳ ἤδη, καὶ ὀλίγῳ πάντη, εἰ μέχρι τούτου στήσεται, ἀπελκομένοις ἤδη καὶ ἀναχωρήσασιν ἐντεῦθεν. Οὐκ οἶδα γὰρ τί παθὼν, ἢ πάλιν ἀμαρτὼν, ἐκπορεύομαι, ἐξελαύνομαι. Τί χρὴ λέγειν, ἀγνοῶ· ἀλλʼ ὅτι δεύτερος ἐκ παραδείσου Ἀδὰμ ἐγὼ, καὶ λαλεῖν ἠρξάμην. Ὡς καλῶς ἔζων, ἀκούων λέγοντος διδασκάλου, καὶ σιωπῶν· ὡς ὄφελον καὶ νῦν ἡσυχίαν ἄγειν ἐμάνθανον σιωπῶν· ἀλλὰ μὴ, τὸ καινὸν τοῦτο θέαμα, ἀκροατὴν τὸν διδάσκαλον ποιήσασθαι. Τί γάρ μοι ἔδει τῶν λόγων τούτων; τί δὲ καὶ προσφθέγγεσθαι τοιαῦτα, μὴ ἀπεῖναι, προσκαρτερεῖν δὲ, δέον; Ἀλλὰ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἀπάτης ἔοικεν εἶναι ταῦτα πλημμελήματα, τὰ τῶν ἀρχαίων δίκαι αἵδε με μένουσιν ἔτι. Οὐ καὶ αὖθις ἀπειθεῖν μοι δοκῶ, ὑπερβαίνειν τολμῶν τοὺς λόγους τοῦ Θεοῦ, μένειν δέον ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ πρὸς αὐτοῖς; Ὁ δὲ ἄπειμι, φεύγων μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς μακαρίας ταύτης ζωῆς, οὐχ ἧττον ὅδʼ ἐγὼ ἢ ἀπὸ προσώπου Θεοῦ ὁ παλαιὸς ἐκεῖνος ἄνθρωπος, εἰς δὲ τὴν γῆν ἐπιστρέφων ἐξ ἦς ἐλήφθην· γῆν τοιγαροῦν ἔδομαι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ἐκεῖ ζωῆς μου, καὶ γῆν ἐργάσομαι, καὶ ταύτην ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀνατέλλουσάν μοι, τὰς ἐμὰς λύπας καὶ φροντίδας τὰς ἐπονειδίστους, ἀφειμένος τῶν καλῶν καὶ ἀγαθῶν φροντίδων· καὶ ἃ καταλέλοιπα, πρὸς ταῦτα πάλιν ἐπιστρέφων, τὴν γῆν ὅθεν ἐξῆλθον, καὶ τὴν συγγένειαν τὴν ἐμὴν κάτω, καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου· ἀπολιπὼν γῆν τὴν ἀγαθὴν, ἔνθα μοι οὕσα ἡ ἀγαθὴ πατρὶς ἠγνοεῖτο πάλαι· καὶ συγγενεῖς, οὖς ἔχων ψυχῆς ἐμῆς οἰκείους. ὕστερον γινώσκειν ἠρξάμην· καὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀληθῶς πατρὸς ἡμῶν, ἐν ᾧ μένων, ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ἐθελόντων υἱῶν τῶν ἀληθῶν, σεμνῶς τιμᾶται καὶ γεραίρεται ὁ πατήρ. Ἐγὼ δὲ ἄσεμνος καὶ ἀνάξιος ἐξέρχομαι τῶνδε, στραφεὶς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, καὶ παλινδρομῶν. Λέγεταί τις υἰὸς παρὰ πατρὸς ἀπολαβὼν τὸν ἐπιβάλλοντα αὐτῷ πρὸς ἕτερον αὐτοῦ ἀδελφὸν κλῆρον, ἀποδημῆσαι τοῦ πατρὸς εἰς χώραν μακρὰν θελήσας τοῦτο. Ζῶν δὲ ἀσώτως, διασκορπίσαι τὴν πατρῷαν οὐσίαν καὶ καταναλῶσαι· τέλος δὲ κατὰ ἀπορίαν ἑαυτὸν μισθώσας συφορβεῖν. Υπὸ λιμοῦ δὲ ἀναγκαζόμενος καὶ κοινωνεῖν τῶν τροφῶν τοῖς χοίροις ἐπιθυμεῖν μὲν, μὴ τυγχάνειν δὲ μηδὲ τούτου. Δίκην οὖν ἐξέτισε τῆς ἀσώτου, ἀντὶ τραπέζης τῆς πατρικῆς. οὕσης βασιλικῆς, ἀμειψάμενος, ἃς οὐ προείδετο, τὰς χοιρείους καὶ τὰς ἐν θητείᾳ τροφάς. Τοιοῦτόν τι πείσεσθαι ἐοίκαμεν ἀπελθόντες, καὶ οὐδὲ σὺν παντὶ τῷ ἐπιβάλλοντι κλήρῳ. Οὐδὲ γὰρ λαβόντες ἃ ἐχρῆν, ἄπιμεν δὲ ὅμως, τὰ μὲν καλὰ καὶ φίλα καταλιπόντες μετὰ σοῦ καὶ παρὰ σοὶ, ἀμειψάμενοι δὲ τὰ χείρω. Διαδέξεται γὰρ ἡμᾶς σκυθρωπὰ πάντα, θόρυβος καὶ τάραχος ἐξ εἰρήνης, καὶ ἐξ ἡσύχου καὶ εὐτάκτου, βίος ἄτακτος· ἐκ δὲ ἐλευθερίας ταύτης, δουλεία χαλεπὴ, ἀγοραὶ καὶ δίκαι καὶ ὄχλοι· καὶ χλιδή· καὶ σχολὴ μὲν ἡμῖν οὐκέτι πρὸς τὰ κρείττω οὐδʼ ἡτισοῦν. Οὐδὲ λόγια τὰ θεῖα λαλήσομεν· λαλήσομεν δὲ τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων (τοῦτο δὴ καὶ ἀπλοῦς ἀρά τις εἶναι νενόμισται ἀνδρὶ προφήτῃ)· ἡμεῖς δὲ καὶ πονηρῶν ἀνθρώπων. Νὺξ ὄντως ἐξ ἡμέρας· ἐκ δὲ λαμπροῦ φωτὸς σκότος, καὶ ἐκ πανηγύρεως πένθος, καὶ ἐκ πατρίδος πολεμία χώρα διαδέξεται ἡμᾶς, ἐν ἢ ῷδὴν μὲν ἱερὰν οὐκ ἔξεστί μοι ἄδειν (πῶς γὰρ ἐν γῇ ἀλλοτρίᾳ τῆς ψυχῆς μου, ἔνθα μένοντας οὐκ ἔστι προσεῖναι Θεῷ;) κλαίειν δὲ μόνον καὶ στένειν, ὑπομιμνησκόμενον τῶν ἐνταῦθα, εἰ καὶ τοῦτό μοί ποτε συγχωρήσεται. Πολέμιοί ποτε λέγονται ἐπελθόντες πόλει μεγάλῃ καὶ ἱερᾷ ἐν ἦ τὸ θεῖον ἐθεραπεύετο. αἰχμαλώτους κατασῦραι τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας καὶ ὑμνῳδοὺς καὶ θεολόγους εἰς τὴν αὐτῶν χώραν, Βαβυλωνία δὲ ἦν· τοὺς δʼ ἐνεχθέντας εἰς αὐτὴν, μηδʼ ἀξιουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν κρατούντων, ὑμνεῖν ἐθέλειν τὸ θεῖον, μηδὲ ψάλλειν ἐν γῇ βεβήλῳ· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ὄργανα τὰ μουσικὰ κρεμάσαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἰτεῶν ἀρτήσαντας, αὐτοὺς δὲ κλαίειν ἐπὶ τῶν ποταμῶν Βαβυλῶνος. Ἐκείνων τις εἶναι δοκῶ, ἐξελαυνόμενος ἀπὸ πόλεως, καὶ πατρίδος ἐμῆς ταύτης καὶ ἱερᾶς (ἔνθα μεθʼ ἡμέραν τε καὶ νύκτα, οἱ ἱεροὶ ἀπαγγέλλονται νόμοι, ὕμνοι τε καὶ ᾠδαὶ καὶ λόγοι μυστικοί· καὶ φῶς τὸ ἡλιακὸν καὶ τὸ διηνεκὲς, ἡμέρας ὕπερ, ἡμῶν προσομιλούντων τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις, καὶ νυκτὸς ὧν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εἶδέ τε καὶ ἔπραξεν ἡ ψυχὴ, ταῖς φαντασίαις κατεχομένων· καὶ ὅλως, συνελόντι εἰπεῖν, ἔνθα ἡ ἔνθεος διὰ παντὸς κατακωχή)· ταύτης ἐξελαύνομαι, αἰχμάλωτος φερόμενος εἰς τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν γῆν· ἔνθα μοι οὕτε αὐλεῖν ἐξέσται, κρεμασαμένῳ τὸ ὄργανόν μου ὥσπερ κάκείνοις ἀπὸ τῶν ἰτεῶν· ἀλλʼ ἐν μὲν τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἔσομαι, πηλὸν δὲ ἐργάσομαι, καὶ ὕμνους λέγειν οὐκ ἐθελήσω, μεμνημένος· ἀλλʼ ἴσως ὑπὸ μακροεργίας τῆς ἄλλης, καὶ ἐπιλήσομαι, συληθεὶς κατὰ τὰς μνήμας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπῄειν ἄκων μόνον ὥσπερ αἰχμάλωτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑκὼν ἄπειμι, οὐχ ὑπʼ ἄλλου του, ὑπὸ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐκπεπολεμημένος, ἐξὸν μένειν. Τάχα καὶ ἀπιὼν ἐντεῦθεν, οὐκ ἀσφαλῶς πορεύσομαι, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀσφαλοῦς καὶ εἰρηνευομένης τινὸς πόλεως ἐξελθών· εἰκὸς δὲ ὡς ἄρα ὁδοιπορῶν καὶ λῃσταῖς συντεύξομαι, καὶ συλληφθήσομαι, καὶ γυμνωθεὶς τρωθήσομαι τραύμασι πολλοῖς, καὶ κείσομαί που ἡμιθνὴς ἐῤῥιμμένος.

### English translation (Claude)

This is truly the paradise of delight, this the true gladness and delight which we have enjoyed during this time now completed, no short time already, and yet altogether short, if it is to stop here, as we are now drawing away and withdrawing from here. For I do not know what has befallen me, or what sin I have committed again, that I am going out, that I am driven out. What I should say I do not know, except that I am a second Adam going out of paradise; and I have begun to speak. How well I lived, hearing my teacher speak and keeping silent! Would that I had learned even now to keep quiet in silence, and not to make this strange spectacle, the teacher made a hearer! For what need had I of these words? Why should I utter such things, when I ought not to go away but to persevere? But these seem to be the offences of the old deceit, and the ancient penalties still await me. Do I not seem to disobey again, daring to transgress the words of God, when I ought to remain in them and by them? But I depart, fleeing from this blessed life, no less than that old man (fled) from the face of God, returning to the earth from which I was taken. Earth, then, I shall eat all the days of my life there, and earth I shall till, and it will bring up thorns and thistles for me, my griefs and shameful cares, released from the fine and good cares; and I return to what I have left behind, to the land from which I came out, to my kinsfolk below, and to my father's house; leaving the good land, where unknown to me long ago was my good fatherland, and the kinsfolk whom I later began to recognize as the true kin of my soul, and the house of our true Father, in which the Father is reverently honoured and revered by the true sons who wish to remain in it. But I go out from these, dishonoured and unworthy, turning back and running backwards. It is said that a son, receiving from his father the share of the inheritance falling to him over against his brother, wished to travel away from his father to a far country; and living prodigally he scattered and consumed his father's substance; and at last, in want, he hired himself out to feed swine. Compelled by famine, he longed to share the swine's food, but did not obtain even this. So he paid the penalty of his prodigality, exchanging for his father's table, which was royal, what he had not foreseen, the swine's food and the food of servitude. Something like this we seem likely to suffer when we depart, and not even with the whole of the inheritance falling to us. For we depart without having received what we ought, leaving the fine and dear things with you and beside you, and exchanging them for worse. For all gloomy things will succeed us: noise and tumult instead of peace, and instead of a quiet and orderly life a disorderly one; instead of this freedom, harsh slavery, marketplaces and lawsuits and crowds and luxury; and we shall no longer have any leisure at all for the better things. Nor shall we speak the divine oracles, but we shall speak the works of men (this is reckoned simply a curse for a prophet), and we, of wicked men too. Night truly instead of day, darkness instead of bright light, mourning instead of festival, and an enemy land instead of fatherland will succeed us, in which I may not sing a sacred song (for how could I, in a land foreign to my soul, where those who remain cannot be near God?), but only weep and groan, remembering the things here, if even this will be granted me. Enemies are said once to have come upon a great and holy city in which the divine was worshipped, and to have dragged away captive its inhabitants, hymn-singers and theologians, to their own land, which was Babylon; and those carried there, when asked by their masters, would not hymn the divine nor sing psalms in a profane land, but hung their musical instruments on the willows and wept by the rivers of Babylon. I seem to be one of them, driven out from this city and holy fatherland of mine (where day and night the holy laws are proclaimed, and hymns and songs and mystical words; and there is perpetual sunlight, by day, as we converse with the divine mysteries, and by night, as we are held by the images of what the soul saw and did by day; and, in a word, where divine possession prevails continually): from this I am driven out, carried captive to the foreign land, where I shall not be able to play the pipe, having hung up my instrument on the willows as they did; but I shall be in the rivers and shall work clay, and I will not wish to say hymns, remembering them; but perhaps through long labour of other kinds I shall even forget, robbed of my memories. And if only I were departing unwillingly, as a captive! But I depart willingly too, warred out not by anyone else but by myself, when I could remain. Perhaps also, departing from here, I shall not travel safely, as one going out from some safe and peaceful city; it is likely that on the road I shall meet robbers, be seized, be stripped and wounded with many wounds, and lie thrown down somewhere half dead.

### Scripture references

- Gen 3:17: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 3:18: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 3:19: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 3:23: allusion, high confidence
- Gen 12:1: allusion, medium confidence
- Luke 15:12: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 15:13: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 15:15: allusion, high confidence
- Luke 15:16: allusion, high confidence
- Ps 137:1 (136:1 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Ps 137:2 (136:2 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Ps 137:4 (136:4 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Ps 17:4 (16:4 LXX): echo, low confidence
- Luke 10:30: allusion, high confidence

### Translation notes

- Gen 3:17–19, 23–24; Gen 12:1; Luke 15:11–16; Ps 137:1–4 (LXX 136:1–4); Luke 10:30. "To speak the works of men": compare Ps 17:4 (LXX 16:4).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 16 (PG 10:1096b–1100c; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-16).

## Address of Thanksgiving 17

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-17
- Source: PG 10:1101a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory consoles himself: Christ the Word is the physician of the wounded, and he carries seeds from Origen that may bear fruit.

### Greek text

Ἀλλὰ τί ταῦτα θρηνῶ; Ἐστιν ὁ Σωτὴρ πάντων, καὶ τῶν ἡμιθανῶν καὶ τῶν λελῃστευμένων, πάντων κηδεμὼν καὶ ἰατρὸς, Λόγος, ὁ ἄγρυπνος φύλαξ πάντων ἀνθρώπων. Ἐστιν ἡμῖν καὶ σπέρματα ἅ τε ἔχοντας ἡμᾶς ἀνέδειξας, καὶ ὅσα παρὰ σοῦ εἰλήφαμεν, τὰς καλὰς ὑποθήκας, σὺν οἶς ἄπιμεν κλάοντες μὲν, ὡς πορευόμενοι, φέροντες δὲ σὺν αὐτοῖς ὅμως τὰ σπέρματα ταῦτα. Ἰσως μὲν οὖν διασώσεται ἡμᾶς ὁ φύλαξ ἐπιστάς· ἴσως δὲ ὑποστρέψομεν πρὸς σὲ πάλιν, φέροντες ἐκ τῶν σπερμάτων καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τὰς δραγμίδας, τελείας μὲν οὐχὶ (πῶς γάρ;) οἴας δὲ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν πολιτείᾳ πράξεων, διεφθαρμένας μὲν τῇ δυνάμει, ἢ ἀκάρπῳ ἢ κακοκάρπῳ τινὶ, μὴ καὶ προσδιαφθαρησομένῃ δὲ παρʼ ἡμῶν, εἰ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπινεύοι.

### English translation (Claude)

But why do I lament these things? There is the Saviour of all, even of the half-dead and the robbed, the guardian and physician of all, the Word, the sleepless guardian of all men. We have also seeds, both those which you showed us that we had, and all that we have received from you, the fine counsels, with which we depart, weeping indeed as those who go, but carrying these seeds with us nonetheless. Perhaps, then, the guardian who stands over us will keep us safe; perhaps we shall return to you again, bringing from the seeds their fruits and sheaves, not perfect (how could they be?), but such as is possible for us from the deeds of civic life, spoiled by a power that is either unfruitful or bears evil fruit, but that will not be further spoiled by us, if God consents.

### Scripture references

- Ps 126:6 (125:6 LXX): allusion, high confidence
- Luke 10:30: allusion, medium confidence
- Ps 121:4 (120:4 LXX): echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Ps 126:6 (LXX 125:6): those who go out weeping, carrying seed, and return with sheaves; Luke 10:30–34 (the half-dead man).

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 17 (PG 10:1101a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-17).

## Address of Thanksgiving 18

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-18
- Source: PG 10:1101b
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory ends his speech, claiming for it sincerity rather than eloquence.

### Greek text

Ἐμοὶ μὲν οὗν ἐνταῦθα παυέσθω ὁ λόγος, θρασυνόμενος μὲν ἐφʼ οὗ ἤκιστα ἐχρῆν. Εὐγνωμόνως δὲ καὶ εὐχαριστήσας που, οἶμαι, κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, ἄξιον μὲν οὐδὲν λεγόντων, οὐ μὴν σιωπησάντων παντελῶς· καὶ ἔτι καὶ ἀποκλαυσάμενος, οἶον οἱ ἀποδημοῦντες τῶν φίλων εἰώθασι. Μειρακιῶδες μὴ, θωπείας ἐχόμενον οὐδὲν, οὐδὲ ἀρχαιότερον, ἢ περιεργότερον, οὐκ οἶδα· πρόσεστι μέντοι αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸ μὴ πεπλασμένον, τοῦτο σαφῶς γινώσκω, ἀληθὲς δὲ πάντη, γνώμῃ ὑγιεῖ, καὶ προαιρέσει εἰλικρινεῖ καὶ ὀλοκλήρῳ.

### English translation (Claude)

Let my speech, then, end here, having been bold where it least ought to have been. But it has rendered thanks, I think, gratefully, as far as our ability goes, saying nothing worthy but not keeping altogether silent; and it has also wept, as friends who go abroad are accustomed to do. Whether it is youthful I do not know; it has nothing of flattery, nor is it too old-fashioned or too elaborate; but this I know clearly, that it has the quality of not being feigned, but is wholly true, with a sound mind and a sincere and whole intention.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 18 (PG 10:1101b; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-18).

## Address of Thanksgiving 19

- URL: https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-19
- Source: PG 10:1101b–1104a
- Translation: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), 2026-09-27

Summary: Gregory asks Origen to pray for him and commend him to God, that an angel may escort him and bring him back.

### Greek text

δὲ ἀναστὰς, ὦ φίλη κεφαλὴ, καὶ εὐξάμενος, ἤδη πέμπε ἡμᾶς, σώσας μὲν παρόντας τοῖς ἱεροῖς σου μαθήμασι, σώζων δὲ ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ ἀποδημήσαντας· καὶ δὴ παραδίδου καὶ παρατίθεσο, μᾶλλον δὲ παραδίδου τῷ ἀγαγόντι ἡμᾶς πρὸς σὲ Θεῷ, εὐχαριστῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς φθάνουσιν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· παρακαλῶν δὲ χειραγωγεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσι, διὰ παντὸς ἐφεστῶτα, ὑπηχοῦντα τῷ νῷ ἡμῶν τὰ αὐτοῦ προστάγματα, ἐμβάλλοντα ἡμῖν τὸν θεῖον φόβον αὐτοῦ, παιδαγωγὸν ἄριστον ἐσόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῇ μετὰ σοῦ ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ ἀπελθόντες ὑπακούσομεν αὐτῷ. Παρακάλεσον καὶ παραμυθίαν τινὰ ἡμῖν γενέσθαι παρʼ αὐτοῦ, τῆς ἀπολείψεώς σου. πομπὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐξαποστεῖλαι, συνοδοιπόρον ἄγγελον. Αἴτησον δὲ καὶ ἵνα ἐπιστρέψας ἡμᾶς, ἀγάγῃ πρὸς σὲ πάλιν· καὶ τοῦτό γε μάλιστα πάντων μόνον ἡμᾶς παραμυθήσεται.

### English translation (Claude)

But you, dear friend, rise, and having prayed, send us off now; you saved us by your holy teachings while we were present; save us by your prayers when we have gone away. Hand us over and commend us, or rather hand us over to God who brought us to you, giving thanks for what he has done for us so far, and beseeching him to lead us by the hand in what is to come as well, standing by us always, prompting our mind with his commands, putting his divine fear into us, so that he may be our best tutor. For when we have gone away, we shall not obey him in the freedom we had with you. Ask that some consolation for our separation from you may come to us from him: that he send a good escort, a fellow-travelling angel. And ask also that he turn us back and bring us to you again; this, above all, and alone, will console us.

### Scripture references

- Gen 24:7: echo, low confidence

### Translation notes

- Several words of Migne's margin and two repeated lines of ch. 16 ("leaving the fine and dear things … this freedom, slavery") had leaked into the scan of this chapter; they are removed. The first word or two ("But you") are lost and supplied by sense.

### Citation (SBL)

Gregory Thaumaturgus, Pan. Orig. 19 (PG 10:1101b–1104a; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/gregory-thaum-panegyric/14/#p-19).