Religious History 27–30
Greek text: PG 82.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 27
27PG 82
«Καὶ ὁ κοινὸς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀλάστωρ πολλὲς τῆ; κακίας ἐξεῦρεν ὁδοὺς, πανωλεθρέᾳ φιλονεικῶν παράδοῦναι πᾶσαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν" καὶ τῆς εὖσεδείας οἱ τρόφιμοι τῆς εἰς οὐρανὸν ἀνόδου πολλὶς καὶ διαφόρους ἐμηχανήσαντο χλίμαχας. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ συμμορίαν ἀγωνιζόμενοι, μυρία δὲ τοιαῦτα συστήματα, καὶ ἀριθμὸν νικῶντα, τῶν ἀχηράτων στεφάνων ἀκολαύουσε, καὶ τῆς ποθουμένης ἀνόδου τυγχάνουσιν. Οἱ δὲ τὸν μοναδικὸν ἀσπαζόμενοι βίον, καὶ μόνῳ τῷ θεῷ προσλαλεῖν μελετῶντε;, καὶ παρα- ψυχῇς ἀνθρωπίνης οὐδὲ μιᾶ; μεταλαγχάνουτες, οὕτω Α «ἧς ἀναῤῥήσεω: ἀπολαύουσιν. Ἄλλοι δὲ ἐν σκηναῖς, καὶ ἕτεροι ἐν χαλύθαις διάγοντες, τὸν Θεὸν ἀνυμνοῦσιν. Οἱ δὲ τὸν ἐν ἄντροις καὶ σπηλαίοις ἀσπάζονται βίον. Πολλοὶ δὲ, ὧν ἐνίων ἐμνήσθημεν, οὐκ ἄντρον ἔχειν, οὐ σπήλαιον, οὐ σκηνὴν, οὐ χαλύδην ἐπείσθησαν " ἀλλὰ γυμνῷ τῷ ἀέρι τὰ σφέτερα σώματα δεδωκότες, τῶν ἐναντίων ποιοτήτων ἀνέχονται " ποτὲ μὲν τῷ χρυμῷ τῷ ἀκράτῳ κηγνύμενοι" ποτὲ δὲ τῷ πυρὶ «ἧς ἀκτῖνος φλεγόμενοι, Καὶ τούτων ὃὲ αὖ πάλιν ὁ βίας διάφορος. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἑστῶσι διηνεκῶς, οἱ δὲ εἷς καθέδραν καὶ στάσιν τὴν ἡμέραν μερίζουσι καὶ οἱ μὲν ἐν θριγχίοις τισὶ καθειργμένοι, τῶν πολλῶν τὰς συνουσίας ἐχχλένουσιν, οἱ δὲ οὐδενὶ τοιούτῳ χαλύμμάτι χρώμενοι, πρόκεινται πᾶσι τοῖς βουλομένοις εἷς θεωρίαν. Τούτων δὲ ἕχαστον ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος διἐξελθεῖν ἠναγκάσθην, τοῦ θαυμασίου Βαραδάτου τὸν βίον ἐθελήσας συγγράψαι. Καινὰ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ἐπἐνόησς καρτερίας ἐπιτηδεύματα. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἐν μόνης ψυχαγωγίας ἀπήλαυεν. Ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ὑπερχεῖοὐδὲ τῷ σώματι σύμμετρον ἐκ ξύλων κατασκευάσας, ἐν αὐτῇ διῆγε, καταχύπτειν διηνεκῶς ἠναγχασμένος, Οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν ὕψος ἰσόμετρον τῷ μήκει τοῦ σώματος. Οὐ σανίσι δέ γε αὕτη συνήρμοστο, ἀλλὰ ταῖς χιγχλίσι παραπλησίως διήνοιχτο, καὶ ταῖς φωταγωγοῖς ἐῴκει «αἷς εὑρυτέρας ἐχούσαις τοῦ φωτὸς τὰς εἰσόδους. Οὗ χάριν, οὔτε ταῖς τῶν ὑετῶν ἀπηλλάττετο προσδολαῖς, οὔτε τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἐλευθεροῦτο φλογὸς, ἀλλ᾽ ἀμφότερα τοῖς ἄλλοις ὑπαιθρίοις παραπλησίως ἐδέχετο᾽ ἐπλεονέχτει δὲ μόνῳ τῷ τῆς χαθείρξεως πόνῳ. ΤΙολὺν δὲ χρόνον τοῦτον διατελέσα: τὲν τρόπον, ὕστεϑὴν ἐξελήλυθε, ταῖς τοῦ θεσπεσίου Θεοδότο", ὃς τὴν ἀρχιερατιχὴν τῆς ᾿Αντιοχέων ἔλαδε προεδρίαν, παραἰνέσεσιν εἴξας, Ἕστηκε μέντοι διηνεκῶς εἰς οὐρανὸν τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνων, καὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἀννινῶν, ἅπαν τὸ σῶμα τῷ δερματίνῳ χ'τῶνι" περὶ τὴν ῥῖνα δὲ μόνην, καὶ τὸ στόμα, βραχεῖλν τῷ πνεύματι παρείσδυσιν καταλέλοιπεν, ἵνα ἐναπνέῃ τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα δεχόμενος, ἐπειδήπερ ἄλλως ζῇν οὐκ οἵα τε τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις. Καὶ τοῦτόν ἄπιντα ὑπομένει τὸν πόνον, οὐκ εὔρωστον σῶμα λαχὼν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν πολλοῖς βαλλόμενος πάθεσι" ξέουσα δὲ ἢ προθυμία, καὶ τῷ θείῳ ἔρωτι πυρπολουμένη, βιάξεται πονεῖν τὸ πονεῖν οὐ δυνάμενον. Καὶ τὰς φρένας δὲ συνέσει χεχοσμτιμένος, ἄριστα καὶ τὰς πεύσεις καὶ τὰς ἀποκρίσεις ποιεῖται - καὶ συλλογίζεται ἔστιν ὅτε τῶν τοὺς ᾿Αριστοτελιχοὺς λχδυρίνθους ἀνεγνωχότων ἄμεινόν τε καὶ δυνατώπέρον, Ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ ὧν τῷ ὕψει τῆς ἀρετῆς, οὐκ ἐᾷ Ἰτυναναδῆναι τὸ φρόνημα, ἀλλὰ κάτω ἕρπειν κελεύει, περὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ ὄρους: τὰ κράσπεδα. Οἷδε γὰρ ὅσην ἴλχει βχάδην φλεγμαίνουσα τῷ τύφῳ διάνοια, Τοιαὐτὴ ἐν χειφαλαίῳ καὶ ἡ τοῦδε φιλοσοφία " ἦν αὖξομένην γένοιτο τὴν νύσσαν τοῦ δρόμον χαταλαδεῖν. Κοινὴ γὰρ εὐφροσύνη τῶν εὐσεθῶν, τῶν νιχηφόρων «οὕὗτων ἡ εὔχλεια. Ἐμὲ δὲ εἴη ταῖς τούτου ὑπερειοἱ μενον πρητευχαῖς, μὴ πόῤῥω τοῦδε γενέσθαι τοῦ ρους ἀλλὰ γαταρμίγρὴν ἀναῦῖναι, καὶ ταῖς τούτων
«Kai ho koinos tōn anthrōpōn alastōr polles tē? kakias exeuren hodous, panōlethreą philoneikōn paradounai pasan tōn anthrōpōn tēn physin" kai tēs eusedeias hoi trophimoi tēs eis ouranon anodou pollis kai diaphorous emēchanēsanto chlimachas. Hoi men gar kata symmorian agōnizomenoi, myria de toiauta systēmata, kai arithmon nikōnta, tōn achēratōn stephanōn akolauouse, kai tēs pothoumenēs anodou tynchanousin. Hoi de ton monadikon aspazomenoi bion, kai monǭ tǭ theǭ proslalein meletōnte?, kai para- psychę̄s anthrōpinēs oude mia? metalanchanoutes, houtō A «hēs anarrhēseō: apolauousin. Alloi de en skēnais, kai heteroi en chalythais diagontes, ton Theon anymnousin. Hoi de ton en antrois kai spēlaiois aspazontai bion. Polloi de, hōn eniōn emnēsthēmen, ouk antron echein, ou spēlaion, ou skēnēn, ou chalydēn epeisthēsan " alla gymnǭ tǭ aeri ta sphetera sōmata dedōkotes, tōn enantiōn poiotētōn anechontai " pote men tǭ chrymǭ tǭ akratǭ kēgnymenoi" pote de tǭ pyri «hēs aktinos phlegomenoi, Kai toutōn hoe au palin ho bias diaphoros. Hoi men gar hestōsi diēnekōs, hoi de heis kathedran kai stasin tēn hēmeran merizousi kai hoi men en thrinchiois tisi katheirgmenoi, tōn pollōn tas synousias echchlenousin, hoi de oudeni toioutǭ chalymmati chrōmenoi, prokeintai pasi tois boulomenois heis theōrian. Toutōn de hechaston epi tou parontos diexelthein ēnankasthēn, tou thaumasiou Baradatou ton bion ethelēsas syngrapsai. Kaina gar kai houtos epenoēss karterias epitēdeumata. Prōton men gar en monēs psychagōgias apēlauen. Ekeithen tēn hypercheioude tǭ sōmati symmetron ek xylōn kataskeuasas, en autę̄ diēge, katachyptein diēnekōs ēnanchasmenos, Ou gar eichen hypsos isometron tǭ mēkei tou sōmatos. Ou sanisi de ge hautē synērmosto, alla tais chinchlisi paraplēsiōs diēnoichto, kai tais phōtagōgois eǭkei «hais heuryteras echousais tou phōtos tas eisodous. Hou charin, oute tais tōn hyetōn apēllatteto prosdolais, oute tēs hēliakēs eleutherouto phlogos, all᾽ amphotera tois allois hypaithriois paraplēsiōs edecheto᾽ epleonechtei de monǭ tǭ tēs chatheirxeōs ponǭ. TIolyn de chronon touton diatelesa: ten tropon, hysteϑēn exelēlythe, tais tou thespesiou Theodoto", hos tēn archieratichēn tēs ᾿Antiocheōn elade proedrian, parainesesin eixas, Hestēke mentoi diēnekōs eis ouranon tas cheiras ekteinōn, kai ton tōn holōn theon anninōn, hapan to sōma tǭ dermatinǭ ch'tōni" peri tēn rhina de monēn, kai to stoma, bracheiln tǭ pneumati pareisdysin kataleloipen, hina enapneę̄ ton koinon aera dechomenos, epeidēper allōs zę̄n ouk hoia te tōn anthrōpōn hē physis. Kai touton apinta hypomenei ton ponon, ouk eurōston sōma lachōn, alla kai lian pollois ballomenos pathesi" xeousa de ē prothymia, kai tǭ theiǭ erōti pyrpoloumenē, biaxetai ponein to ponein ou dynamenon. Kai tas phrenas de synesei chechosmtimenos, arista kai tas peuseis kai tas apokriseis poieitai - kai syllogizetai estin hote tōn tous ᾿Aristotelichous lchdyrinthous anegnōchotōn ameinon te kai dynatōperon, En autǭ de hōn tǭ hypsei tēs aretēs, ouk eą Itynanadēnai to phronēma, alla katō herpein keleuei, peri auta tou orous: ta kraspeda. Hoide gar hosēn ilchei bchadēn phlegmainousa tǭ typhǭ dianoia, Toiautē en cheiphalaiǭ kai hē toude philosophia " ēn auxomenēn genoito tēn nyssan tou dromon chataladein. Koinē gar euphrosynē tōn eusethōn, tōn nichēphorōn «houytōn hē euchleia. Eme de eiē tais toutou hypereioi menon prēteuchais, mē porrhō toude genesthai tou rous alla gatarmigrēn anauinai, kai tais toutōn
The common destroyer of mankind has found many roads of wickedness, striving to deliver the whole nature of mankind to utter ruin; and the nurslings of piety have devised many different ladders for the ascent to heaven. Some, contending in companies (and there are countless such communities, past all counting), enjoy the incorruptible crowns and attain the ascent they long for. Others, embracing the solitary life and practising speaking to God alone, … sharing in no human [consolation] …, enjoy in this way the proclamation of victory. Others hymn God living in tents, and others in huts. Others embrace life in caves and grottoes. Many, some of whom we have mentioned, have resolved to have no cave, no grotto, no tent, no hut; giving their bodies to the bare air, they endure its opposite qualities, now frozen by unmixed frost, now burnt by the fire of the sun. And among these too the way of life differs: some stand continually; others divide the day between sitting and standing; some, enclosed within walls, decline the company of the many; others, using no such covering, lie open to all who wish to see them. I have been compelled to go through each of these now because I wish to write the life of the admirable Baradatus. For he too devised new practices of endurance. First, … he enjoyed … comfort. Then, … he made of wood [a chest] not even proportioned to his body and lived in it, constantly forced to stoop; for it did not have a height equal to the length of his body. It was not fitted together with boards, but was open like a lattice, and resembled windows that have wide openings for the light. For this reason he was neither spared the assaults of the rains nor freed from the flame of the sun, but received both like the other ascetics in the open air; he exceeded them only in the labour of enclosure. Having continued in this way for a long time, he later came out, yielding to the exhortations of the godly Theodotus, who received the high-priestly presidency of Antioch. He stands continually, stretching out his hands to heaven and hymning the God of all, [covering] his whole body with a leather tunic; only around his nose and mouth has he left a small inlet for breath, so that he may breathe, taking in the common air, since human nature cannot live otherwise. He endures all this labour though he did not receive a robust body, but is assailed by very many ailments; but his zeal, boiling and set on fire by divine love, forces to labour what is unable to labour. Adorned in mind with intelligence, he both asks and answers questions excellently, and sometimes reasons better and more powerfully than those who have read the Aristotelian labyrinths. Though he stands at the very height of virtue, he does not let his mind rise up with it, but bids it creep below, about the very skirts of the mountain; for he knows how much harm a mind inflamed with pride draws on itself. Such, in summary, is his philosophy too; may he, as it grows, reach the turning-post of the course. For the glory of these victors is the common joy of the pious. And may I, supported by his prayers, not be far from this mountain, but climb it little by little, and by their …
Notes and citation
Summary: After surveying the different forms of ascetic life, Theodoret describes Baradatus, who lived in a cramped open lattice box and later stood wrapped in leather with hands raised, and who argued better than readers of Aristotle.
- The scan of this chapter is damaged: Latin debris from Migne's parallel column is removed by logged corrections; lost Greek words (notably the description of Baradatus's first dwelling and the last words of the chapter) are marked '…' and not supplied. The word 'chest' is supplied in brackets from the description that follows.
- Theodotus was bishop of Antioch ca. 420–429.
- 'The Aristotelian labyrinths': the syllogisms of Aristotle's logical works.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin debris and a marginal letter from Migne's page, read as Greek letters by the OCR; Latin debris from Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters by the OCR; Migne's marginal letter inside a hyphenated word): «Οὐ μοβὲ ἐν δυΐθηιν ἀΐα νἱχίβθοι οἱ πὶ} 5. πέγδου 5. εἱ ἰὰδ} ἄρ Ἰοοι05 δϑποίαγαμι ταὶ υ νιν, 50 δεΐδι ἀρὰ οἷς. → ; ἐδέ- Ο χετο → ἐδέχετο; σον (665, Αἰ μα (θη δι πὶ δίας τυ κεἰ ἡ 8011» μαι ομαΐ οι! 56 αὶ αἰ εἰ Δ θῶ εὐ αἱ ἃ εο] 19 488 800 ἀΐο (Ιουδιθ δ᾽ οι 5 π᾿ οὐ υπὶ, οἱ αἱ για} πιδαίι πὶ το! 4}! μὸν ἰπμοι ορἃς ᾿Ππἴβ. Ἰα θυ γί οἱ ΜΔ} οἷς αἰ βοαῖ, εἴ δ "θοῦ οἰ βίοι, 564 ρϑ τ! α{1π| Δϑοδι ον, οἱ ἰβίογαμι δί → ; Β 10 ἃ Πα] δα ἀ τηὶἀὰ- Ἴδη ἴῃ εἰ νης 60-. Ἰιος ἰῖ φοῦ- → .
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. rel. 27 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/27). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/27
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every section was re-read against the Greek (Lives 1-11 in a separate review pass).
Chapter 28
28PG 82
Οὐδὲ Θαλελαίον σιγήσομαι τὸ διήγημα, μεστὸν γὰρ τὸ θέαμα θαύματος. Οὐκ ἄλλων δὲ μόνον διἡγησαμένων ἀκήκοα, ἀλλὰ γαὶ αὐτόπτης ἐγενόμτν τοῦ παραδόξου θαύματος. ᾿Απὸ σταδίων γὰρ εἴκοσι Γαδάλων (πόλις δὲ αὕτη σμικρὰ καὶ χαριεστάττ), λόφον τινὰ καταλαδὼν, ἐν ᾧ τέμενος ἦν δαίμοσιν ἀνακείμενον, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν πάλαι δυσσεδῶν πολλαῖς Ἐθεράπευον δὲ τοὺς ἀλιτηρίους, ὡς ἔφασαν, τὴ» πολλὴν αὑτῶν ὠμότητα θυσίαις πραὔνειν νοι. Πολλοῖς γὰρ ἐλυμαίνοντο, καὶ παριοῦσι, καὶ γειτονεύουσιν, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις μόνοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄνοις, καὶ ἡμιόνοις, καὶ βουσὶ, καὶ προδάτοις" οὐ τοῖς ἀλόγοῖς πολεμοῦντες, ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτων τοῖς ἀνθρώποις Ὦ ἐπιθουλεύοντες. Τότε τοίνυν ἀφικόμενον τοῦτον ἰδόντες, χαταπλήττειν ἐπειρῶντο μὲν, οὐκ ἠδύναντο δὲ, καὶ ἑῆς πίστεως περιφραττούσης, καὶ ὑπερμαχούσης τῆς χάριτος. Τοιγάρτοι λύσσης καὶ μανίας σθέντες, κατὰ τῶν ἐκεῖ πεφυτευμένων ἐχώρητα, δένδρων. Πολλαὶ δὲ περὶ τὸν λόφον ἐκεῖνον συχαῖΐ τε καὶ ἐλαῖαι τεθηλυῖαι ἐτύγχανον οὖσαι. Ἔχ τούτων πλείους ἢ πεντακοσίας ἐξαπιναίως φασι. Καὶ τοῦτο τῶν γειτονενόντων ἀγροίκων διηγουμένων ἀκήκοα" οἵ πάλαι τῷ τῆς ἀσεδείας μένοι ζόφῳ, διὰ τῆς τούτον διδασκαλίας τε καὶ θαυ. ματουργίας, τὸ τῆς θεογνωσίας ὑπεδέξαντο ςῶς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δράσαντες οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες οὐκ ἐδεδίξαντο τῆς φιλοσοφίας τὸν ἀθλητὴν, καὶ ἕτερα αὖθις προσέφερον μηχανήματα. Νύκτωρ γὰρ ὀλολυγῇ χρώμενοι, καὶ λαμπάδας ἐπιδεικνύντες, ἐχδει- Ὡς δὲ πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς ἐφόδους ἐγέλασεν, ὕστερον αὐτὸν καταλιπόντες ἀπέδρασαν. Ὁ δὲ δύο τροχοὺς κατασχευάθδας δύο πήχεων διάμετρον ἔχοντας, σανίσιν οὐ συνηρμοσμέναις ἀλλήλαις, ἀλλὰ διχὰ διεστηχυίαις ἄμφω συνέζευξε τὼ τροχώ, Εἶτα ἔνδον καῦσας, καὶ γόμφοις καὶ ἥλοις τὰς διεστηχυίας τρία ἕτερα ξύλα ὑψηλὰ εἰς τὴν γῆν χαταπήξας, καὶ τὰς ἄνω τούτων ἀρχὰς ξύλοις ἑτέροις συνάψας, καὶ πούτων ἐν μέσῳ προσδήσας τὸν διπλοῦν ἐκεῖνον τρηχὸν, καὶ αἰωρήσα;. Τούτου δὲ τὸ ἐντὸς δύο μὲν πήχεων ἔχει τὸ ὕψος, πήχεος δὲ τὸ εὗρος. Ἐν τούτῳ βοὰ Ὦ καθήμενος, μᾶλλον δὲ κρεμάμενος, δέκα τέως ὃιχα, Αά τὴ πὶ ετέλεσε) ἔτη. Σῶμα δὲ μέγιστον ἔχων, οὐδὲ καθἥμενος ἀνορθοῦν δύναται τὸν αὐχένα“ ἀλλὰ συγχεχυφὼ; ἀεὶ κάθηται, τοῖς γόνασι προσηλωμένον τὸ πρόσωπον ἔχων. Πρὸς τοῦτον ἀφικόμενος, εὗρον αὐτὸν τῶν θείων Εὐαγγελίων τὴν ὠφέλειαν συλλέγοντα. Ἡρόμην δὲ, μαθεῖν τῆς καινῆς ἐκείνης πολιτείας τὴν αἰτίαν ποθῶν ὁ δὲ τῇ Ἑλλάδι χρησάμενος φωνῇ - Κίλιξ γὰρ τὸ γένος ἐτύγχανεν ὧν" «ε Ἐγὼ, ἔφη, πολλοῖς ὑποκείμενος ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ ταῖς ἡπειλημέναις τιμωρίαις πιστεύων, τόδε τοῦ βίου τὸ εἶδος ἐπινενόηχα, κολάσεις μετρίας τῷ σώματι μή" χανώμενος, ἵν᾽ ἐχείνων τῶν προσδοκωμένων ὑποσυλήσω τὸν ὄγκον. Χαλεπώτεραι γὰρ ἐκεῖναι, οὐ τῇ ποσότητι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῇ τῇ ποιότητι ἀχωύσιοι γάρ. Τὸ δὲ παρὰ γνώμην γιγνόμενον, λίαν ἀνια- ρόν᾽ τὸ δὲ ἐθελούσιον, κἂν ἐπίπονον ἧττόν ἐστιν ἀλγεινόν. Αὐθαίρετος γὰρ, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ βίαιος ὁ πόνος. Ἵνα τοίνυν, ἔφη, ταῖς μικραῖς ταύταις ἀνίαις ἐλαττώσω τὰ προσδοκώμενα, μέγα ἐντεῦθεν ἀποίσω τὸ κέρδος. » Τούτων ἀκούσας λίαν αὐτὸν τῆς ἀγχινοίας ὑπερηγάσθην" ὅτι οὐ μόνον ὑπὲρ τὰ κείμενα ἢγωσματα" ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι καὶ τούτων τὰς αἰτίας ἐπεγίνωσχέ τε, καὶ ἄλλους ἐδίδασκε. Καὶ θαύματα δὲ διὰ τῆς πούτου προσευχῆς πολλὰ γίνεσθαι ξφασαν οἱ περίοἴχοι, οὐκ ἀνθρώπων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ καμήλων, καὶ ὄνων, καὶ ἡμιόνων θεραπείας ἀπολαυόντων. θεν ἀσεδείᾳ πάλαι κατεχόμενον ἐκεῖνο ἅπαν τὸ ἔθνος, τὴν μὲν πατρῴαν ἐξαπάτην ἠρνήθη, τοῦ θείου δὲ φωτὸς τὴν αἴγλην ἐδέξατο, Τούτοις χρώμενος ὑπουργοῖς, καὶ τὸ τῶν δαιμόνων κατέλυσε τέμενος, καὶ σηκὸν μέγιστον τοῖς χαλλινίχοις ἀνήγειρε μάρτυσι, τοῖς ψευδωνύμοις θεοῖς τοὺς θείους ἀντιτάξας νεκρούς. Ταῖς δὲ τούτων εἴη πρεσδείαις, καὶ τοῦτον μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς νίκης τῶν ἀγώνων τὸ τέρμα χκατατ λαδεῖν, καὶ ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τούτων κἀκείνου βοηθουμένους, ἐραστὰς γενέσθαι θερμοὺς τῶν τῆς φιλοσοφίας ἀγω-
Oude Thalelaion sigēsomai to diēgēma, meston gar to theama thaumatos. Ouk allōn de monon diēgēsamenōn akēkoa, alla gai autoptēs egenomtn tou paradoxou thaumatos. ᾿Apo stadiōn gar eikosi Gadalōn (polis de hautē smikra kai chariestatt), lophon tina kataladōn, en hǭ temenos ēn daimosin anakeimenon, kai hypo tōn palai dyssedōn pollais Etherapeuon de tous alitērious, hōs ephasan, tē» pollēn hautōn ōmotēta thysiais praunein noi. Pollois gar elymainonto, kai pariousi, kai geitoneuousin, ouk anthrōpois monois, alla kai onois, kai hēmionois, kai bousi, kai prodatois" ou tois alogois polemountes, alla dia toutōn tois anthrōpois Ō epithouleuontes. Tote toinyn aphikomenon touton idontes, chataplēttein epeirōnto men, ouk ēdynanto de, kai heēs pisteōs periphrattousēs, kai hypermachousēs tēs charitos. Toigartoi lyssēs kai manias sthentes, kata tōn ekei pephyteumenōn echōrēta, dendrōn. Pollai de peri ton lophon ekeinon sychaiï te kai elaiai tethēluiai etynchanon ousai. Ech toutōn pleious ē pentakosias exapinaiōs phasi. Kai touto tōn geitonenontōn agroikōn diēgoumenōn akēkoa" hoi palai tǭ tēs asedeias menoi zophǭ, dia tēs touton didaskalias te kai thau. matourgias, to tēs theognōsias hypedexanto sōs. Epeidē de kai touto drasantes hoi alitērioi daimones ouk ededixanto tēs philosophias ton athlētēn, kai hetera authis prosepheron mēchanēmata. Nyktōr gar ololygę̄ chrōmenoi, kai lampadas epideiknyntes, echdei- Hōs de pasas autōn tas ephodous egelasen, hysteron auton katalipontes apedrasan. Ho de dyo trochous katascheuathdas dyo pēcheōn diametron echontas, sanisin ou synērmosmenais allēlais, alla dicha diestēchuiais amphō synezeuxe tō trochō, Eita endon kausas, kai gomphois kai hēlois tas diestēchuias tria hetera xyla hypsēla eis tēn gēn chatapēxas, kai tas anō toutōn archas xylois heterois synapsas, kai poutōn en mesǭ prosdēsas ton diploun ekeinon trēchon, kai aiōrēsa?. Toutou de to entos dyo men pēcheōn echei to hypsos, pēcheos de to heuros. En toutǭ boa Ō kathēmenos, mallon de kremamenos, deka teōs hoicha, Aa tē pi etelese) etē. Sōma de megiston echōn, oude kathēmenos anorthoun dynatai ton auchena“ alla synchechyphō? aei kathētai, tois gonasi prosēlōmenon to prosōpon echōn. Pros touton aphikomenos, heuron auton tōn theiōn Euangeliōn tēn ōpheleian syllegonta. Hēromēn de, mathein tēs kainēs ekeinēs politeias tēn aitian pothōn ho de tę̄ Helladi chrēsamenos phōnę̄ - Kilix gar to genos etynchanen hōn" «e Egō, ephē, pollois hypokeimenos hamartēmasi, kai tais hēpeilēmenais timōriais pisteuōn, tode tou biou to eidos epinenoēcha, kolaseis metrias tǭ sōmati mē" chanōmenos, hin᾽ echeinōn tōn prosdokōmenōn hyposylēsō ton onkon. Chalepōterai gar ekeinai, ou tę̄ posotēti monon, alla kai autę̄ tę̄ poiotēti achōysioi gar. To de para gnōmēn gignomenon, lian ania- ron᾽ to de ethelousion, kan epiponon hētton estin algeinon. Authairetos gar, all᾽ ou biaios ho ponos. Hina toinyn, ephē, tais mikrais tautais aniais elattōsō ta prosdokōmena, mega enteuthen apoisō to kerdos. » Toutōn akousas lian auton tēs anchinoias hyperēgasthēn" hoti ou monon hyper ta keimena ēgōsmata" all᾽ hoti kai toutōn tas aitias epeginōsche te, kai allous edidaske. Kai thaumata de dia tēs poutou proseuchēs polla ginesthai xphasan hoi perioichoi, ouk anthrōpōn monon, alla kai kamēlōn, kai onōn, kai hēmionōn therapeias apolauontōn. then asedeią palai katechomenon ekeino hapan to ethnos, tēn men patrǭan exapatēn ērnēthē, tou theiou de phōtos tēn aiglēn edexato, Toutois chrōmenos hypourgois, kai to tōn daimonōn katelyse temenos, kai sēkon megiston tois challinichois anēgeire martysi, tois pseudōnymois theois tous theious antitaxas nekrous. Tais de toutōn eiē presdeiais, kai touton meta tēs autēs nikēs tōn agōnōn to terma chkatat ladein, kai hēmas hypo toutōn kakeinou boēthoumenous, erastas genesthai thermous tōn tēs philosophias agō-
Nor shall I pass over in silence the story of Thalelaeus, for the sight is full of wonder. I have not only heard others tell of it; I was myself an eyewitness of the extraordinary wonder. Twenty stades from Gabala (a small and very charming town) he took possession of a hill on which there was a precinct dedicated to demons, and [honoured] by the impious of old with many … They served the accursed ones, as they said, [thinking] to soften their great savagery with sacrifices. For they did harm to many, both passers-by and neighbours, not only to men but also to donkeys, mules, oxen and sheep; not that they were at war with the irrational creatures, but through them they plotted against men. When they saw this man arrive, they tried to terrify him, but could not, since faith fenced him round and grace fought for him. So, [inflamed] with rage and madness, they went against the trees planted there. Many fig trees and olives were flourishing around that hill, and they say that more than five hundred of them [were uprooted] suddenly. I heard this from the neighbouring peasants, who, long held in the darkness of impiety, received the light of the knowledge of God through his teaching and wonder-working. Since even by doing this the accursed demons did not frighten the athlete of philosophy, they brought other devices against him again. By night, wailing and showing torches, they [tried to] frighten … When he laughed at all their assaults, at last they abandoned him and ran away. He made two wheels with a diameter of two cubits, and joined the two wheels with boards not fitted to one another but standing apart. Then, … inside, and [fastening] the gaps with pegs and nails, he fixed three other tall timbers in the ground, joined their tops with other timbers, tied that double wheel in the middle of them, and hung it up. Its inside is two cubits high and one cubit wide. Sitting in it, or rather hanging, he has continued so far for ten years. Having a very large body, he cannot straighten his neck even when sitting, but always sits bent double, with his face pressed against his knees. When I came to him, I found him gathering the benefit of the divine Gospels. I asked him, longing to learn the reason for that new way of life; he answered in the Greek tongue (for he was a Cilician by race): ‘Being subject to many sins and believing in the punishments threatened, I devised this form of life, contriving moderate punishments for the body, so that I may steal away some of the weight of those expected. For those are harsher, not only in quantity but in their very quality, for they are involuntary. What happens against one’s will is very painful; but what is voluntary, even if laborious, is less painful, for the labour is self-chosen, not forced. If, then,’ he said, ‘by these small afflictions I lessen those expected, I shall carry off a great gain from it.’ Hearing this, I greatly admired his shrewdness, because he not only contended beyond the prescribed contests, but also understood their reasons and taught others. The neighbours said that many wonders happen through his prayer, not only men but also camels, donkeys and mules receiving healing. … that whole people, long held by impiety, renounced its ancestral deception and received the radiance of the divine light. Using them as helpers, he both destroyed the precinct of the demons and raised a very large shrine to the triumphant martyrs, setting the divine dead against the falsely named gods. By their intercessions may he too reach the end of his contests with the same victory, and may we, helped by them and by him, become ardent lovers of the contests of philosophy …
Notes and citation
Summary: Thalelaeus drives demons from a pagan shrine near Gabala, lives suspended in a cramped cage made of two wheels as a voluntary penance for his sins, converts the local people, and builds a martyrs' shrine on the site.
- The scan of this chapter is damaged: Latin debris from Migne's parallel column is removed by logged corrections; lost Greek words are marked '…' and not supplied. The last words of the chapter are lost.
- Thalelaeus explains his penance as lessening the punishment due for sin; Theodoret reports his reasoning without comment.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin debris from Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters by the OCR): κα πιοίδδία ον. → ; {πὰ μα θυ 5 το 0, πα π οὐ ἐπ μι) εἰ 90 → .
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. rel. 28 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/28). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/28
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every section was re-read against the Greek (Lives 1-11 in a separate review pass).
Chapter 29
29PG 82
Τῶν ἀρίστων ἀνδρῶν τὴν πολιτείαν συγγράψας, προῦργον νομίζω καὶ γυναικῶν οὐδὲν ἧττον εἰ μὴ καὶ μᾶλλον ἠγωνισμένων ἐπιμνησθῆναι. Αὗται γὰρ εὐφημίας μείζονός εἶσιν ἀξιώτεραι, φύσιν μὲν ἀσθενεστέραν λαχοῦσαι, τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ τοῖς ἀνδράσι προθυμίαν ἐπιδεικνύμεναι, καὶ τῆς προγονιχῆς αἰσχύνης τὸ γένος ἐλευθεροῦσαι, Μαράνας δὲ καὶ Κύρας ἐπὶ τοῦ ς παρόντος μνησθήσομαι, αἵ τὰς ἄλλας ἁπάσας τοῖς τῆς καρτερίας νενιχήχασιν ἄθλοις. Ταύταις πατρὶς μὲν ἡ Βέῤῥοια, γένος δὲ τὸ τῆς πατρίδος ἐπίσημον, τροφὴ δὲ τῷ γένει συμδαίνουσα " ἀλλὰ τούτων ἀπάντῶν ὑπεριδοῦσαι, καὶ βραχύ τι πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεως χωρίον περιθαλοῦσαι, καὶ εἴσω τούτον γενόμεναι, πηλῷ καὶ λίθοις τὴν θύραν ἀνῳχοδόμησαν. Καινωνῇσαι δὲ αὐταῖς τοῦδε τοῦ βίου τὰς θεραπαίνας καταγώγιον, ἐν ἐκείνῳ διάγειν ἐκέλευσαν. Ἐφορῶσι δὲ αὗται διὰ σμικρᾶς τινος θυρίδος τὰ ὑπ’ ἐχείνων. γινόμενα" καὶ εἴς τε προσευχὴν θαμὰ διανιστᾶσι, καὶ εἰς τὸν θεῖον ἔρωτα πυρπολοῦσιν. Αὗται δὲ οὔτε οἷχον, οὔτε χαλύδην ἔχουσαι, τὸν ὕπαεθρον ἀσπάζονται βίον. ᾿Αντὶ δὲ θύρας, βραχεῖά τις αὐταῖς θυρὶς κατεσκεύασται, δι’ ἧς τὴν τε ἀναγκαίαν τροφὴν εἰσδέλέγονται γυναιξίν. Εἰς ὃς ταύτην ὥρισται τὴν συνουσίαν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς ὁ καιρός " κατὰ γὰρ τὸν ἄλλον χρόναν τὸν ἡσύχιον ἀσπάζονται βίον. Ἡ Μαράνα δὲ μόνη ταῖς ἀφικνουμέναις διαλέγεται " τῆς γὰρ ἑτέρας. δὲ, καὶ τοσοῦτον φέρουσι φορτίον, ὡς τὴν Κύραν, ἀσθενέστερον σῶμα λαχοῦσαν, μέχρι τἧς γῆς χαταχάμπτεσθαι, καὶ ἀνορθοῦν τὸ σῶμα ἥκιστα δύνασθαι. Ἰὰ δὲ περιδόλαια μέγιστα ἔχουσιν, ὡς ὄπισθεν μὲν ἔμπροτθεν δὲ μέχρις αὐτῆς τῆς ζώνης χαθίεσθαι, τὸ πρόσωπον ὁμοῦ καὶ τὸν αὐχένα, καὶ τὰ στήθη, καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἀχριθῶς χαταχρύπτοντα. Ταύτας δὲ πολγάκις ἐθεασάμην εἴσω τῆς θύρας ἐκείνης γενόμενος. Διορύξα!: γάρ μοι παρεχελεύσαντο, τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὴν προεδρίαν τιμῶσαι. Εἶδον τοίνυν οὐδὲ ἀνδρὶ γενναίῳ φορητὸν τὸν ἐχείνου τοῦ σιδήρου σταθμὸν, καὶ μετὰ ὃὲ τὴν ἡμετέραν ἀναχώρησιν, πάλιν αὐτὸν τοῖς οἰκείοις περιέθεσαν μέλεσιν αὐχένι μὲν τὸν περιαυχένιον, [ξ1 ὃὲ τὴν ζώνην, χερσὶ ὃ καὶ ποσὶ τὰ τούτοῖς ἀπονενεμη μένα, Καὶ τοῦτον βιοτεύουσι τὸν τρόπον, οὐ πέντε, ἢ δέκα, ἣ πεντεκαίδεκα μόνα ἐξανύσασαι ἕττ,, ἀλλὰ δύο καὶ τεσσαράχοντα. Καὶ τοσοῦτον ἀγωνισάμεναι χρόνον, ὡς ἄρτι τῶν ἀγώνων ἁψάμειναι τῶν ἱδρώτων ἐρῶσι. Τὸ γὰρ τοῦ νυμφίου φανταζόμεγαι κάλλος, εὐπετῶς μάλα καὶ ῥᾳδίως φέρουσι τοῦ δρόμου τὸν πόνον, καὶ χαταλαδεῖν ἐπείγονται τῶν ἀγώνων τὸ τέλος, ἐν ἐκείνῳ τὸν ἐρώμενον ἑστῶτα βλέπουσαι, καὶ τῇς νίκης ὑποδειχνύντα τὸν στέφανον. Τούτου εἴνεχκα, καὶ ὑετοῦ, καὶ νιφετοῦ, καὶ ἡλίου δεἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν δοκούντων ἀνιαρῶν θυμηδίαν καρποῦνται. Καὶ τοῦ μὲν θεσπετίον Μωϊσέως τὴν νηστείαν ζηλώσασαι, τρὶς ἄσιτοι τοσοῦτον διετέλεσαν χρόνον. Διὰ τεσσαράχοντα γὰρ ἡμερῶν τροφῆς βραχείας μεῖἐλαδον. Τρὶς δὲ καὶ τοῦ θείου Δανιὴλ τὴν ἀπαστίαν ἐζήλωσαν, τρεῖς ἑδδομάδας ἡμερῶν ἐξανύουσαι, καὶ πότε τροφὴν χορηγοῦσαι τῷ σώματι. Ποθήσασαι δὲ ποτε τῶν σωτηρίων τοῦ Χριστοῦ παθημάτων τοὺς ἱεροὺ: θεάσασθαι τόπους, ἔδραμον εἰς τὴν Αἰλίαν, οὐδεμιᾶς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐδωδῆς ἀπολαύσασαι, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς ἐκείνην ἀφ'χόμεναι τὴν πόλιν, καὶ τὴν προσχύἐπανῆλθον ἄσιτοι τὴν πορείαν ἀνύσασαι " σταθμοὶ δέ εἰσιν οὐκ ἐλάττους τῶν εἴκοσι. Καὶ τῆς κχαλλινίχου σηκὸν, ἵνα τῆς περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπης πανταχόθεν ἐξάψωσι τὸν πυρσὸν, ὡς ἀπῆλθον οὕτως ἐπανῆλθον ἄσιτοι. Τοσοῦτον αὐτὰς τὸ θεῖον ἐξεδάχχευσε φῇνπρον" οὕτως αὐτὰς ὁ θεῖος ἔρως περὶ τὸν γυμφίον ἐξέμῃνεν. Αὗται μὲν τοιαύτῃ πολιτείᾳ τὸ θῆλυ χαταχοσμέσασα: γένος, ὡς ἀρχέτυπα καὶ ταῖς ἄλλαις γενόμεναι, τοῖς ἐπινικίοις στεφάνοις ὑπὸ τοῦ Δεσπότου ταινιωθέσονται. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὠφέλειαν , καὶ τὴν εὐλογίαν δρεψάμενος, ἐφ᾽ ἕτερον βαδιοῦμαι διήγημα. υ
Tōn aristōn andrōn tēn politeian syngrapsas, prourgon nomizō kai gynaikōn ouden hētton ei mē kai mallon ēgōnismenōn epimnēsthēnai. Hautai gar euphēmias meizonos eisin axiōterai, physin men asthenesteran lachousai, tēn autēn de tois andrasi prothymian epideiknymenai, kai tēs progonichēs aischynēs to genos eleutherousai, Maranas de kai Kyras epi tou s parontos mnēsthēsomai, hai tas allas hapasas tois tēs karterias nenichēchasin athlois. Tautais patris men hē Berrhoia, genos de to tēs patridos episēmon, trophē de tǭ genei symdainousa " alla toutōn apantōn hyperidousai, kai brachy ti pro tou asteōs chōrion perithalousai, kai eisō touton genomenai, pēlǭ kai lithois tēn thyran anǭchodomēsan. Kainōnę̄sai de autais toude tou biou tas therapainas katagōgion, en ekeinǭ diagein ekeleusan. Ephorōsi de hautai dia smikras tinos thyridos ta hyp’ echeinōn. ginomena" kai eis te proseuchēn thama dianistasi, kai eis ton theion erōta pyrpolousin. Hautai de oute hoichon, oute chalydēn echousai, ton hypaethron aspazontai bion. ᾿Anti de thyras, bracheia tis autais thyris kateskeuastai, di’ hēs tēn te anankaian trophēn eisdelegontai gynaixin. Eis hos tautēn hōristai tēn synousian tēs Pentēkostēs ho kairos " kata gar ton allon chronan ton hēsychion aspazontai bion. Hē Marana de monē tais aphiknoumenais dialegetai " tēs gar heteras. de, kai tosouton pherousi phortion, hōs tēn Kyran, asthenesteron sōma lachousan, mechri tēs gēs chatachamptesthai, kai anorthoun to sōma hēkista dynasthai. Ia de peridolaia megista echousin, hōs opisthen men emprotthen de mechris autēs tēs zōnēs chathiesthai, to prosōpon homou kai ton auchena, kai ta stēthē, kai tas cheiras achrithōs chatachryptonta. Tautas de polgakis etheasamēn eisō tēs thyras ekeinēs genomenos. Dioryxa!: gar moi parecheleusanto, tēs hierōsynēs tēn proedrian timōsai. Eidon toinyn oude andri gennaiǭ phorēton ton echeinou tou sidērou stathmon, kai meta hoe tēn hēmeteran anachōrēsin, palin auton tois oikeiois periethesan melesin aucheni men ton periauchenion, [x1 hoe tēn zōnēn, chersi ho kai posi ta toutois aponenemē mena, Kai touton bioteuousi ton tropon, ou pente, ē deka, hē pentekaideka mona exanysasai hett,, alla dyo kai tessarachonta. Kai tosouton agōnisamenai chronon, hōs arti tōn agōnōn hapsameinai tōn hidrōtōn erōsi. To gar tou nymphiou phantazomegai kallos, eupetōs mala kai rhądiōs pherousi tou dromou ton ponon, kai chataladein epeigontai tōn agōnōn to telos, en ekeinǭ ton erōmenon hestōta blepousai, kai tę̄s nikēs hypodeichnynta ton stephanon. Toutou einechka, kai hyetou, kai niphetou, kai hēliou deall᾽ ek tōn dokountōn aniarōn thymēdian karpountai. Kai tou men thespetion Mōïseōs tēn nēsteian zēlōsasai, tris asitoi tosouton dietelesan chronon. Dia tessarachonta gar hēmerōn trophēs bracheias meieladon. Tris de kai tou theiou Daniēl tēn apastian ezēlōsan, treis heddomadas hēmerōn exanyousai, kai pote trophēn chorēgousai tǭ sōmati. Pothēsasai de pote tōn sōtēriōn tou Christou pathēmatōn tous hierou: theasasthai topous, edramon eis tēn Ailian, oudemias kata tēn hodon edōdēs apolausasai, all᾽ eis ekeinēn aph'chomenai tēn polin, kai tēn proschyepanēlthon asitoi tēn poreian anysasai " stathmoi de eisin ouk elattous tōn eikosi. Kai tēs kchallinichou sēkon, hina tēs peri ton Theon agapēs pantachothen exapsōsi ton pyrson, hōs apēlthon houtōs epanēlthon asitoi. Tosouton autas to theion exedachcheuse phę̄npron" houtōs autas ho theios erōs peri ton gymphion exemę̄nen. Hautai men toiautę̄ politeią to thēly chatachosmesasa: genos, hōs archetypa kai tais allais genomenai, tois epinikiois stephanois hypo tou Despotou tainiōthesontai. Egō de kai tēn enteuthen ōpheleian , kai tēn eulogian drepsamenos, eph᾽ heteron badioumai diēgēma. y
Having written the life of the best of men, I think it useful to mention women too, who have contended no less, if not more. For they are worthy of greater praise, since, though they received a weaker nature, they display the same zeal as the men and free their sex from the ancestral shame. I shall now mention Marana and Cyra, who have surpassed all the others in the contests of endurance. Their homeland is Beroea, their family distinguished in their homeland, and their upbringing in keeping with their family. But disdaining all these things, they enclosed a small place in front of the city, went inside it, and blocked up the door with mud and stones. Their maidservants, [wishing] to share this life with them, … a dwelling, and they bade them live in it. Through a small window they watch what the maids are doing, frequently rouse them to prayer, and set them on fire with divine love. They themselves, having neither house nor hut, embrace life in the open air. Instead of a door, a small window has been made for them, through which they take in their necessary food and [talk with the] women [who come]. The time appointed for this converse is Pentecost; for the rest of the time they embrace the life of stillness. Marana alone talks with the women who come; the other … and they carry so great a load that Cyra, who has the weaker body, is bent down to the ground and cannot straighten her body at all. They have very large cloaks, so that behind they [reach] … and in front come down as far as the belt, completely covering face, neck, chest and hands. I have often seen them, going inside that door; for they bade me break through it, honouring the dignity of the priesthood. I saw that the weight of that iron could not be borne even by a strong man …; and after our departure they put it on their limbs again: the neck-ring on the neck, the belt on the waist, and on hands and feet what is assigned to them. They live in this way, having completed not five, or ten, or fifteen years only, but forty-two. And though they have contended for so long, they love the sweat as though they had only just begun the contests. For, picturing the beauty of the Bridegroom, they bear the labour of the course very easily and lightly, and hasten to reach the end of the contests, seeing the Beloved standing there and showing them the crown of victory. For this reason [they bear the assaults] of rain and snow and sun …, and reap delight from what seems painful. Emulating the fast of the godly Moses, they three times continued without food for the same length of time; for they took a little food only after forty days. Three times too they emulated the abstinence of the divine Daniel, completing three weeks of days and only then supplying food to the body. Once, longing to see the sacred places of Christ’s saving sufferings, they ran to Aelia, enjoying no food on the way; arriving at that city and [completing] the worship, … they returned having made the journey without food; and the stages are not fewer than twenty. And to the shrine of the triumphant …, so as to kindle from every side the torch of love for God, they went and returned in the same way, without food. So greatly did divine longing drive them to ecstasy; so did divine love madden them for the Bridegroom. Having adorned the female sex by such a way of life, and become archetypes for the other women too, they will be crowned by the Master with the crowns of victory. And I, having [reaped] the benefit from here too and gathered the blessing, shall go on to another story.
Exod 34:28 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 10:3 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Marana and Cyra, noblewomen of Beroea, live for forty-two years in a roofless enclosure under heavy iron chains and long fasts, speaking to visitors only at Pentecost, and make pilgrimages to Jerusalem without eating.
- The scan of this chapter is damaged: Latin debris from Migne's parallel column is removed by logged corrections; lost Greek words are marked '…' and not supplied (notably what is said of Cyra's silence and of the women's iron).
- 'Free their sex from the ancestral shame' refers to Eve.
- The fasts of Moses (forty days, Exod 34:28) and Daniel (three weeks, Dan 10:2–3) are imitated. Aelia is Jerusalem; the second shrine, of a 'triumphant' (female) martyr, is probably that of Thecla at Seleucia in Isauria (the name is lost; uncertain).
- 'The dignity of the priesthood': Theodoret as bishop.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin debris and a marginal letter from Migne's page, read as Greek letters by the OCR; Latin debris from Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters by the OCR): οὐ αϑά οι ἰος βαρέα» ει δά δεοὶρου 115 Ομ 8416 δ Α → ; ἀϊδ τᾶ 8 οἱ ἴῃ ποίη ν᾽ ἴᾶπὶ ἀποι πη, πο 41" 716 ΔῈ} ἀοσονν, νοὶ εἰ ἀπ 6. [δγιϑι, οἱ διὰ σα γί}}Π11Π| ποία πὶ ρογυοηΐγο δι τ. Ηδς ἀδ σι δ᾽ ρ] αν τ, οὐ πἰνὶϑ, οἱ 5018 Υἱπὶ δι] Ποὺ πολ (γἰοίϑηιαν, τι ϊτη οι λία πη φὐογαιίοπο σοι ρ δῖ, οἰ θυ} βυρβογο, ἐγ] 16 γὰγ- 815 ἴῃ Εἰ 8 Οὔ δι 65, υοϊυϊ Θχεπιρί ρα οἵδ τὶ. ἰδοία', νἱοἱ αὐ λῖ 6 → ; θὲο 0656, εἰ [γιπροθεὶς → .
Topics: Fasting
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. rel. 29 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/29). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/29
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every section was re-read against the Greek (Lives 1-11 in a separate review pass).
Chapter 30
30PG 82
Τοῦ θεσπεσίον Μάρωνος, οὗ καὶ πρώην ἐμνήσθης μεν, ἡ θαυμασία Δομνίνα τὸν βίον ζηλώσασα, ἐν τῷ κήπῳ τῆς μητρῴας οἰκίας σμιχράν τινα χαλύθην ἐπήξατο. Ποιεῖ δὲ αὐτῇ χαλύδην τῶν μελίνων ἡ χαοὐ μόνας χαταδρέχει τὰς παρειὰς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐκ πτει τὸ σῶμα. Περὶ δὲ ἀλεκτρυόνων ῳδὰς, εἰς τὸν θεῖον ναὺν οὗ πόῤῥω ὄντα ἰοῦσα, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ γυναικῶν καὶ ἀνδρῶν, τῷ Δεσπότῃ τῶν ὅλων προσφέρει τὴν ὑμνῳδίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ οὐκ ἀρχομένης μόνου ἡμέρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τελευτώσης ποιεῖ, παντὸς τέρου χωρίου τὸν ἀφιερωμένον τῷ Θεῷ χῶρον σεθασμιώτεραν εἶναι, καὶ ὑπολαμδάνουσα, καὶ τοὺς ἄλ- «οἱ λοὺς ἐχδιδάσχουσα. Τούτου εἴνεκα καὶ πολλῆς αὐτὸν ἐπιμελείας ἠξίωσε, τὴν μητέρα πείσασα, καὶ τοὺς ἀξελφοὺς, εἰς τοῦτον δαπανῆται τὰ ὄντα. Τροφὴν δ᾽ ἔχει τὸν φακὸν ἀποδρεχόμενον ὕδατι. Καὶ τοῦτον ἅπαντα ὑπομένει τὸν πόνον, σώματι χατεσχηλιτευμένῳ καὶ ἡμιθνεῖ χρωμένη. Λεπτότατον γὰρ τὸ δέρμα, καὶ ὑμενοειδὲς, λεπτοῖς τοῖς ὀστέοις περίκειται, καὶ πιμελῆς καὶ σαρκῶν ὑπὸ τῶν πόνων δαπανηθέντων. Πρόχειται δὲ πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρᾷν αὑτὴν βουλομένοις, γαὶ ἀνδράσι, καὶ γυνα!ξὶν, οὔτε ὁρῶσα πρότωπον, οὔτε ἑτέρῳ προτιθεῖσα πρόσωπον " ἀλλ᾽ ἀχριδῶς μὲν τῷ περιθολαίῳ χαλυπτομένη, μέχρι τε τῶν γονάτων κατακαμπτομένη. Λεπτὰ δὲ λίαν καὶ ἄσημα φθεγγομένη, μετὰ δακρύων δὲ ἀεὶ τὰ λεγόμενα προφέρουσα. Πολλάκις γάρ μου λαδοῦσα τὴν δεξιὰν, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐπιθεῖσα, οὕτω διάδροχον γενομένην ἀφῆκεν, ὡς αὐτὴν ἀποστάξαι τὴν χεῖρα τὸ δάχρνον. Τὴν οὖν ἐν τοσούτῳ πλούτῳ φιλοσοφίας τοῖς ἐν ἐσχάτῃ ζῶσι πενίᾳ παραπλησίως δαχρύουσαν, καὶ ὀλοφυρομένην, καὶ στένουσαν, ποῖος ἂν ἀξίως ἐπαινέσειε λόγος; Ὁ γὰρ θερμὸς περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἔρως ἐκεῖνο τίκτει τὸ δάχρνον, εἰς τὴν θείαν θεωρίαν πυρσεύων τὸν νοῦν, καὶ ταῖς ἀκτῖσι νύττων, καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ουσά τε καὶ διανυχτερεύουσα, οὐδὲ τῶν ἄλλων τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰδῶν ἀμελεῖ - ἀλλὰ θεραπεύει μὲν εἰς δύναμιν τοὺς ἀρίστους ἀγωνιστὰς, ὧν ἐμνήσθημεν, καὶ οὖς παρελίπομεν. Θεραπεύει δὲ καὶ τοὺς πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀφικνουμένους, κατάγεσθαι μὲν παρὰ τῷ τῆς κώμης ποιμένι κελεύουσα, αὐτὴ δὲ τὰς χρείας ἁπάσας ἐχπέμπουσα. Πρόχειται γὰρ αὐτῇ τὰ τῆς μητρὸς καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν εἰς δαπά.ην, τὴν δι᾽ αὐτῆς εὐλογίαν χκαρπούμενα. Κἁμοῦ δὲ εἰς ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος ἀφιχνουμένου, τὸ νότιον δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας χώρας ἐστὶ, καὶ ἄρτους, καὶ ὁπώρας, καὶ τὸν διάδροχον πέμπει φακόν. "Αλλὰ μέχρι πότε μηχύνων ταύτης τὴν ἀρετὴν ἅπασαν διηγεῖσθαι φιλονειχῶ, δέον καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰς μέσον προτιθέναι τὸν βίον, αἱ καὶ ταύτην, κἀκείνας ὧν πρόσθεν ἐμνήσθην, ἐμιμήσαντο; Πολλαὶ γὰρ καὶ ἄλλαι, αἵ μὲν τὸν μοναδικὸν ἡσπάσαντο βίον, αἱ δὲ τὴν μετὰ πλειόνων ἡγάπησαν πολιτείαν, ὡς καὶ πὲνκήχοντα καὶ διακοσίας, καὶ πλείους, καὶ ἐλάττους κατὰ ταυτὸν βιοτεύειν, μιᾶς ἀνεχομένας τροφῆς, ἐπὶ Ψψιάθων μόνον καθεύδειν αἱρουμένας, καὶ τὰς μὲν χεῖρας ἀπονεμούσας ἐρίῳ, ὕμνοις δὲ τὴν γλῶτταν ἢ Μυρία δὲ τοιαῦτα καὶ ἀριθμὸν νικῶντα φιλοσοφίας ἐστὶ φροντιστήρια, οὐκ ἐν τῇ ἡμετέρᾳ δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἔω. Πλήρης δὲ τούτων καὶ Παλαιστίνη, καὶ Αἴγνπτος, καὶ ᾿Ασία, καὶ Πόντος, καὶ Εὐρώπη πᾶσα. Ἐξ οὗ γὰρ ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς τὴν Παρθενίαν ἐτίμησεν ὑπὸ παρθένου τεχθεὶς, τοὺς τῆς παρθενία; λειμῶνας ἡ φύσι; ἐδλάστησε, καὶ τὰ εὐώδη ταῦτα καὶ ἁμάραντα ἄνθη προσφέρει τῷ ποιητῇ, οὐκ εἰς ἄλῥεν καὶ θτιλυ τὴν ἀρετὴν διακρίνουσα, οὐδὲ εἰς δὺο διαφορὰς τὴν φιλοσοτίαν μερίζουσα " σωμάτων Ὑλ2, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ ψυχῶν τὸ διάφορον. « Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἡτσοῦ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ᾿Απόστολον, οὐκ ἕνι ἄρσεν καὶ 07λ. » μία δὲ καὶ ἀνδράσ' καὶ γυνχῖῶ ρήγττα! πίστις, ε« Εἷς γὰρ Κύριο;, μία πίστις, ἕν βάπτισμα' εἷς Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων, καὶ διὰ πάντων, καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν ἡμῖν“ καὶ ἑν! ἐκάστῳ ἡμῶν ἐδόθη ἡ χάρις κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῇ: δωρεᾶς τοῦ Χριστοῦ. » Μίαν δὲ καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν ἀγωνοθέτης τοῖς νιχηφόροις προτέθηχεν, ἄθλον τοῦτο κοινὸν τοῖς ἀγῶσιν ὁρίσας. Πολλαὶ τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ ἀνδρῶν εἰσι καὶ γυναικῶν εὐσεθείας οὐ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν Συρίᾳ πάσῃ, καὶ ἐν Παλαιστίνῃ. καὶ ἐν Κιλικίᾳ, καὶ ἐν τῇ μέσῃ τῶν ποταμῶν᾽ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ δέ φασι καὶ ἀνὰ πέντε χιλιάδας ἀνδρῶν ἔχειν ἕνια φροντιστήρια ἐργαξομένων, καὶ μεταξὺ τὸν Δεσπότην ἀνυμνούντων " καὶ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀναγκαίαν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ποριζομένων τροφὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξένοις ἀφικνουμένοις καὶ πενομένοις των. ᾿Αλλὰ πάντα διηγεῖσθαι, οὐκ ἐμοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι συγγραφεῦσιν ἀδύνατον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν ἦν, παρέλχον εἶναι νομίξω, καὶ φιλοτιμίαν οὐδὲν ἔχουσαν κέρδος. Τοῖς γὰρ ὄνησίν τινα δρέπεσθαι βουλομένοις ἀπόχρη καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα παραπχεῖν τὸ ποθούμενον. Τούτου γὰρ ἕνεκα, καὶ διαφόρων ἐμνημογεύσαμεν βίων, καὶ γυναικῶν διηγήματα τοῖς τῶν ἀνδρῶν προστεθείχαμεν, ἵν᾿ ἔχωσι καὶ πρεσδύται, καὶ νέοι, καὶ γυναῖκες, φιλοσοφίας ἀρχέτυπα " καὶ τὸν καταθύμιον ἔκαστος ἐχματτόμενος βίον, ἔχῃ κανόνα τινὰ καὶ γνώμονα τοῦ οἰκείου, τὸν ἐν τῷ διηγήματι κείμενον. Καὶ καθάπερ οἱ ζωγράφοι εἰς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον ἀφορῶντες, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς ἀπομιμοῦνται, καὶ ῥῖνα, καὶ στόμα, καὶ παρειὰς, καὶ ὦτα, καὶ μέτωπα, καὶ αὐτὰς τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ τοῦ γενείου τὰς τρίχας" π τούτοις δὲ καὶ καθέδραν, καὶ στάσιν, καὶ αὑτὰ μέντοι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ ἤθη, εἴτε χαροπὰ, εἴτε βλοτυρὰ εἴη " οὕτω προσήκει καὶ τῶν ἐντυγχανόντων ἕκαστὴν τδε τῇ συγγραφῇ, βίον τινὰ μιμεῖσθαι προαιρούμενον, πρὸς ἐκεῖνον ὃν προαιρεῖται τὸν οἰκεῖον ῥυῦμίζειν. Καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ τέχτονες τῇ σπαρτῇ τὰς σανίδα; ἀπευθύνοντες, μέχρι τοσούτον τὸ περιττὴν ἀφαιροῦσιν, ἕως ἂν τὸν κανόνα παραθέντες, ἴσην γενομένην τὴν σανίδα θεάσωνται " οὕτω δὲ τὸν ζηλοῦν τινα βίων βουλόμενον, ἑαυτῷ τοῦτον ἀντὶ κανόνο; παρατιθέναι, καὶ τῆς τε κακίας ἀποχόπτειν τὸ περιττὸν, καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναπληροῦν ἅττα ἐλλείποντα. Τούτου γὰρ εἴνεκα καὶ τὸν τῆ: συγγραφῆς ἀνεδεξάμεθα ὠφελείας ἀφορμὴν προτιθέντες τοῖς βουλομένοις" Ὦ ἀξιῶ δὲ τοὺς ἐντευξομένους, τοῖς ἑτέρων πόνοις ἀπὸ- νως ἐντρυφῶντας, προξευχῇ τοὺς πόνους ἀμείψασθαι. Ἱχετεύω δὲ καὶ τούτους, ὧν τὸν βίον συνεγραψάμην, μὴ περιιδεῖν με πόῤῥω τῆς πνευματικῆς αὐτῶν χορείας διάγοντα, ἀλλ᾽ ἀνελκῦσαι κάτω κείμενον, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῆς ἀρετῆς ἀναγαγεῖν, καὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ χορῷ συνάψαι" ὡς ἂν μὴ μόνον εὐφημοίην τὸν τριον πλοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς σχοίην τινὰς ἀφορμὰς εὐφημίας, ἔργῳ, καὶ λόγῳ, καὶ διανοίᾳ δοξάζων τὸν Σωτῆρα τῶν ὅλων Χριστὸν, τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, μεθ᾽ οὐ τῷ Πατρὶ ἡ δόξα, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. ᾿Αμῆὴν.
Tou thespesion Marōnos, hou kai prōēn emnēsthēs men, hē thaumasia Domnina ton bion zēlōsasa, en tǭ kēpǭ tēs mētrǭas oikias smichran tina chalythēn epēxato. Poiei de autę̄ chalydēn tōn melinōn hē chaou monas chatadrechei tas pareias, alla kai ta ek ptei to sōma. Peri de alektryonōn ǭdas, eis ton theion naun hou porrhō onta iousa, meta tōn allōn kai gynaikōn kai andrōn, tǭ Despotę̄ tōn holōn prospherei tēn hymnǭdian. Touto de ouk archomenēs monou hēmeras, alla kai teleutōsēs poiei, pantos terou chōriou ton aphierōmenon tǭ Theǭ chōron sethasmiōteran einai, kai hypolamdanousa, kai tous al- «hoi lous echdidaschousa. Toutou eineka kai pollēs auton epimeleias ēxiōse, tēn mētera peisasa, kai tous axelphous, eis touton dapanētai ta onta. Trophēn d᾽ echei ton phakon apodrechomenon hydati. Kai touton hapanta hypomenei ton ponon, sōmati chateschēliteumenǭ kai hēmithnei chrōmenē. Leptotaton gar to derma, kai hymenoeides, leptois tois osteois perikeitai, kai pimelēs kai sarkōn hypo tōn ponōn dapanēthentōn. Procheitai de pasi tois horąn hautēn boulomenois, gai andrasi, kai gyna!xin, oute horōsa protōpon, oute heterǭ protitheisa prosōpon " all᾽ achridōs men tǭ peritholaiǭ chalyptomenē, mechri te tōn gonatōn katakamptomenē. Lepta de lian kai asēma phthengomenē, meta dakryōn de aei ta legomena propherousa. Pollakis gar mou ladousa tēn dexian, kai tois ophthalmois epitheisa, houtō diadrochon genomenēn aphēken, hōs autēn apostaxai tēn cheira to dachrnon. Tēn oun en tosoutǭ ploutǭ philosophias tois en eschatę̄ zōsi penią paraplēsiōs dachryousan, kai olophyromenēn, kai stenousan, poios an axiōs epaineseie logos? Ho gar thermos peri ton Theon erōs ekeino tiktei to dachrnon, eis tēn theian theōrian pyrseuōn ton noun, kai tais aktisi nyttōn, kai eis tēn enteuthen ousa te kai dianychtereuousa, oude tōn allōn tēs aretēs eidōn amelei - alla therapeuei men eis dynamin tous aristous agōnistas, hōn emnēsthēmen, kai ous parelipomen. Therapeuei de kai tous pros autēn aphiknoumenous, katagesthai men para tǭ tēs kōmēs poimeni keleuousa, autē de tas chreias hapasas echpempousa. Procheitai gar autę̄ ta tēs mētros kai tōn adelphōn eis dapa.ēn, tēn di᾽ autēs eulogian chkarpoumena. Kamou de eis ekeino to meros aphichnoumenou, to notion de tēs hēmeteras chōras esti, kai artous, kai hopōras, kai ton diadrochon pempei phakon. "Alla mechri pote mēchynōn tautēs tēn aretēn hapasan diēgeisthai philoneichō, deon kai tōn allōn eis meson protithenai ton bion, hai kai tautēn, kakeinas hōn prosthen emnēsthēn, emimēsanto? Pollai gar kai allai, hai men ton monadikon hēspasanto bion, hai de tēn meta pleionōn hēgapēsan politeian, hōs kai penkēchonta kai diakosias, kai pleious, kai elattous kata tauton bioteuein, mias anechomenas trophēs, epi Pspsiathōn monon katheudein hairoumenas, kai tas men cheiras aponemousas eriǭ, hymnois de tēn glōttan ē Myria de toiauta kai arithmon nikōnta philosophias esti phrontistēria, ouk en tę̄ hēmeterą de monon, alla kai kata pasan tēn Eō. Plērēs de toutōn kai Palaistinē, kai Aignptos, kai ᾿Asia, kai Pontos, kai Eurōpē pasa. Ex hou gar ho Despotēs Christos tēn Parthenian etimēsen hypo parthenou techtheis, tous tēs parthenia? leimōnas hē physi? edlastēse, kai ta euōdē tauta kai hamaranta anthē prospherei tǭ poiētę̄, ouk eis alrhen kai thtily tēn aretēn diakrinousa, oude eis dyo diaphoras tēn philosotian merizousa " sōmatōn Hyl2, all᾽ ou psychōn to diaphoron. « En gar Christǭ Hētsou, kata ton theion ᾿Apostolon, ouk heni arsen kai 07l. » mia de kai andras' kai gynchiō rēgtta! pistis, e« Heis gar Kyrio?, mia pistis, hen baptisma' heis Theos kai Patēr pantōn, ho epi pantōn, kai dia pantōn, kai en pasin hēmin“ kai hen! ekastǭ hēmōn edothē hē charis kata to metron tę̄: dōreas tou Christou. » Mian de kai basileian ouranōn agōnothetēs tois nichēphorois protethēchen, athlon touto koinon tois agōsin horisas. Pollai toinyn, hōs ephēn, kai andrōn eisi kai gynaikōn eusetheias ou par᾽ hēmin monon, alla kai en Syrią pasę̄, kai en Palaistinę̄. kai en Kilikią, kai en tę̄ mesę̄ tōn potamōn᾽ en Aigyptǭ de phasi kai ana pente chiliadas andrōn echein henia phrontistēria ergaxomenōn, kai metaxy ton Despotēn anymnountōn " kai ou monon tēn anankaian ek tōn ergōn porizomenōn trophēn, alla kai xenois aphiknoumenois kai penomenois tōn. ᾿Alla panta diēgeisthai, ouk emoi monon, alla kai pasi syngrapheusin adynaton. Ei de kai dynaton ēn, parelchon einai nomixō, kai philotimian ouden echousan kerdos. Tois gar onēsin tina drepesthai boulomenois apochrē kai ta eirēmena parapchein to pothoumenon. Toutou gar heneka, kai diaphorōn emnēmogeusamen biōn, kai gynaikōn diēgēmata tois tōn andrōn prostetheichamen, hin᾿ echōsi kai presdytai, kai neoi, kai gynaikes, philosophias archetypa " kai ton katathymion ekastos echmattomenos bion, echę̄ kanona tina kai gnōmona tou oikeiou, ton en tǭ diēgēmati keimenon. Kai kathaper hoi zōgraphoi eis to archetypon aphorōntes, kai ophthalmous apomimountai, kai rhina, kai stoma, kai pareias, kai ōta, kai metōpa, kai autas tēs kephalēs kai tou geneiou tas trichas" p toutois de kai kathedran, kai stasin, kai hauta mentoi tōn ophthalmōn ta ēthē, eite charopa, eite blotyra eiē " houtō prosēkei kai tōn entynchanontōn hekastēn tde tę̄ syngraphę̄, bion tina mimeisthai proairoumenon, pros ekeinon hon proaireitai ton oikeion rhyymizein. Kai hōsper hoi techtones tę̄ spartę̄ tas sanida? apeuthynontes, mechri tosouton to perittēn aphairousin, heōs an ton kanona parathentes, isēn genomenēn tēn sanida theasōntai " houtō de ton zēloun tina biōn boulomenon, heautǭ touton anti kanono? paratithenai, kai tēs te kakias apochoptein to peritton, kai tēs aretēs anaplēroun hatta elleiponta. Toutou gar eineka kai ton tē: syngraphēs anedexametha ōpheleias aphormēn protithentes tois boulomenois" Ō axiō de tous enteuxomenous, tois heterōn ponois apo- nōs entryphōntas, proxeuchę̄ tous ponous ameipsasthai. Hicheteuō de kai toutous, hōn ton bion synegrapsamēn, mē periidein me porrhō tēs pneumatikēs autōn choreias diagonta, all᾽ anelkysai katō keimenon, kai pros to hypsos tēs aretēs anagagein, kai tǭ idiǭ chorǭ synapsai" hōs an mē monon euphēmoiēn ton trion plouton, alla kai autos schoiēn tinas aphormas euphēmias, ergǭ, kai logǭ, kai dianoią doxazōn ton Sōtēra tōn holōn Christon, ton Theon hēmōn, meth᾽ ou tǭ Patri hē doxa, syn tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati, nyn kai aei, kai eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. ᾿Amēēn.
Emulating the life of the godly Maron, whom we mentioned before, the admirable Domnina set up a small hut in the garden of her mother’s house. The hut is made for her of millet stalks … [her tears] wet not only her cheeks but also … the body. At cockcrow she goes to the divine church, which is not far off, and with the others, women and men, offers hymn-singing to the Master of the universe. She does this not only at the beginning of the day but also at its end, supposing the place dedicated to God to be more venerable than any other place, and teaching others to think so too. For this reason she has thought it worth much care, and persuaded her mother and brothers to spend their possessions on it. Her food is lentils soaked in water. She endures all this labour with a body worn out and half dead; a very thin skin, like a membrane, covers her thin bones, since her fat and flesh have been consumed by her labours. She lies open to all who wish to see her, men and women, neither seeing anyone’s face nor showing her face to another, but covered completely by her cloak and bent down to her knees. She speaks very softly and indistinctly, and always says what she says with tears. Often she took my right hand and laid it on her eyes, and let it go so wet that the hand itself dripped with tears. What words could worthily praise a woman who, in such wealth of philosophy, weeps, laments and groans like those who live in extreme poverty? It is warm love for God that gives birth to those tears, kindling the mind toward divine contemplation, pricking it with its rays, and [urging it] toward departure from here … [spending day] and night [in this], she does not neglect the other forms of virtue either, but serves, as far as she can, the excellent contestants whom we have mentioned and those we have passed over. She also serves those who come to her, bidding them lodge with the shepherd of the village, while she herself sends everything they need. For the property of her mother and brothers lies at her disposal for spending, and reaps the blessing through her. When I come to that part (it is the south of our territory), she sends loaves, fruit and soaked lentils.
But how long shall I prolong my eagerness to tell all her virtue, when I ought to set forth the life of the others too, who have imitated both her and those I mentioned before? For there are many others, some of whom have embraced the solitary life, while others have loved life in community, so that two hundred and fifty, more or fewer, live together, content with one food, choosing to sleep only on rush mats, assigning their hands to wool and [consecrating] their tongues to hymns. Countless such schools of philosophy, past all counting, exist, not only in our region but throughout the East. Palestine is full of them, and Egypt, Asia, Pontus and all Europe. For ever since Christ the Master honoured virginity by being born of a virgin, nature has put forth the meadows of virginity and offers these fragrant and unfading flowers to the Maker, not dividing virtue into male and female nor splitting philosophy into two kinds. The difference is of bodies, not of souls; ‘for in Christ Jesus’, according to the divine Apostle, ‘there is not male and female’. One faith has been given to men and to women: ‘For there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all; and to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.’ One kingdom of heaven, too, has the President of the games set before the victors, appointing it as a common prize for the contests. Many, then, as I said, are the [schools] of piety of both men and women, not only among us but in all Syria, in Palestine, in Cilicia, and in Mesopotamia; and in Egypt, they say, some schools have as many as five thousand men, who work and meanwhile hymn the Master, and not only provide their necessary food by their work but [also supply] strangers who arrive and the poor. But to tell everything is impossible, not for me only but for all writers. Even if it were possible, I think it would be superfluous, an ambition with no gain. For those who wish to reap some benefit, what has been said suffices to supply what they long for. For this reason we have recorded different lives and added the stories of women to those of men, so that old and young, and women too, may have archetypes of philosophy, and each, taking the impression of the life he desires, may have as rule and measure of his own the life set out in the story. As painters, looking at the original, imitate eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, ears and forehead, and the very hair of head and beard, and besides these the way of sitting and standing, and even the character of the eyes, whether bright or fierce, so each of the readers of this work who chooses to imitate some life ought to shape his own by the one he chooses. And as carpenters, straightening boards with the line, cut away the excess until, applying the rule, they see the board made even, so the one who wishes to emulate some life ought to set it beside himself as a rule, cutting away the excess of vice and filling up what is lacking of virtue. For this reason we undertook the labour of this writing, setting before those who wish it an occasion of benefit. I ask those who will read it, as they luxuriate without labour in the labours of others, to repay those labours with prayer. And I beg those whose lives I have written not to overlook me as I live far from their spiritual choir, but to draw me up as I lie below, to lead me up to the height of virtue, and to join me to their own choir, so that I may not only praise the wealth of others but myself have some occasions for praise, glorifying in deed and word and thought Christ the Saviour of all, our God, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Gal 3:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:5–7 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 1:23 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Domnina, a disciple of Maron's way of life, lives in a hut in her mother's garden in constant tears and serves ascetics and visitors; Theodoret ends the Lives with a survey of monasteries of men and women everywhere and an explanation of why he wrote.
- Some words are lost in the scan at the description of Domnina's hut and tears and later in the chapter; they are marked '…'. Latin debris and a footnote from Migne's page are removed by logged corrections.
- Gal 3:28 and Eph 4:5–7 are quoted. 'Christ the Master honoured virginity by being born of a virgin' refers to the virgin birth (Matt 1:23, echo).
- The closing doxology names Christ 'our God, with whom be glory to the Father with the Holy Spirit'; it is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Latin debris and a marginal letter from Migne's page, read as Greek letters by the OCR; Latin debris from Migne's parallel column, read as Greek letters by the OCR; Migne's marginal letter inside a hyphenated word; footnote (Scripture references) and Latin debris from Migne's page, read as Greek letters by the OCR): ᾿ {τ ι18 ρογουδάοης, υἱ → ; [δὴν δι → ; ἀφῆ- Β κεν → ἀφῆκεν; δι} }}6- ᾿ [δου εἱ οἱ}. δἰ δπο εκ τιηῖ, ἰἰὰ ὧν ἠυοσεπίς εἰ ακἱησυδρίνιδ, δῖ ἐὁ πάρα ὁδὶ αἰ εγαπιία. ε [ὼ πδαι8 ἦν τ. ν 78 διίοον οἱ νἱγίϑ. οἵ πα] γι 0.5. Α → ; ἤι 65, αὶ ἤ, οὐ, εἱ ἰπ οἰηπὶ- "εξ. οὐδ ταβηυ πὴ σα [μνΐ μα Γἢ) ρΔ δῖ γα 501} οἱ ἴῃ Ἰλα!ββιΐη, εἰ ἴθ (Οὐ εἶα, οἱ ἴῃ Μεβοροιδιηΐδ. ἴῃ “Ἔξ βο αυὶ αϊ- Ῥ να, φΓϑΙδη 46 δἰ δὶ Υἱτ85 5155 Γοφυ πὶ ἃς Ποῦπιᾶπὶ ἤϑυ δαὶ πὶ αἰ ἴῃ 50π|, αἱ 06, οἱ 56η88, δὲ Δ1:1Γ65, αἱ νυ} 119, οἱ ᾽ρ8058 οἃἃ. δἰδ- Δη ἀ 8 πὶ δἰ υἱ ργοροβιιῦῖ!, δὰ {1 φοπίογηδγθ. Εἰ φυδιηϑάπηοάαπι [Δ τὶ αι] Δ λιη ἢ 961 γα θυ πλὴν ν᾽ ἀδδπι: εἷς γα → ; "6 116 ΡΓΟΟΝ] ἃ δρ τ 14}} οἱ δὰ δυο διε ιπκ᾿ ὐα!αι. πὶ, 28. 6 Ερίιοσ, τν; 5, δ. → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Hist. rel. 30 (PG 82; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/30). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-historia-religiosa/30
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 82 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain English exists, so every section was re-read against the Greek (Lives 1-11 in a separate review pass).