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E00323: Four poems in Greek, ascribed to Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390), rebuke those who bury 'impure men' near martyrs, and those who build shrines for martyrs, using stone stolen from other tombs. Probably written in Cappadocia (central Asia Minor) or in Constantinople; recorded in the 10th c. Greek Anthology.
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posted on 2015-03-02, 00:00 authored by CSLA AdminGreek Anthology, Book 8 (Gregory of Nazianzus, Epigrams ), 170, 172-174
170.
Τρισθανέες, πρῶτον μὲν ἐμίξατε σώματ᾿ ἀνάγνων
ἀθλοφόροις, τύμβοι δὲ θυηπόλον ἀμφὶς ἔχουσι·
δεύτερον αὖτε τάφους τοὺς μὲν διεπέρσατ᾿ ἀθέσμως,
αὐτοὶ σήματ᾿ ἔχοντες ὁμοίια· τοὺς δ᾿ ἀπέδοσθε,
πολλάκι καὶ τρὶς ἕκαστον· ὃ δὲ τρίτον, ἱεροσυλεῖς
μάρτυρας οὓς φιλέεις· Σοδομίτιδες ἥξατε πηγαί.
'Thrice worthy of death, first you laid beside the martyrs the bodies of impure men, and common tombs now have their own priest. Secondly, you wickedly destroyed some tombs, although you had similar ones yourselves; and others you sold, often each tomb thrice. In the third place, you commit sacrilege towards the martyrs you presumably love! Drop down, fiery founts of Sodom!'
172.
Τυμβολέται, γάστρωνες, ἐρευγόβιοι, πλατύνωτοι,
μέχρι τίνος τύμβοις Μάρτυρας ἀλλοτρίοις
τιμᾶτ᾿, εὐσεβέοντες ἃ μὴ θέμις; ἴσχετε λαιμούς,
καὶ τότε πιστεύσω Μάρτυσιν ἦρα φέρειν.
'Tomb looters, gluttons who live but for belching, broad-backed, how long will you continue to honour the martyrs by the spoils of the tombs of others, presenting your lawless deeds as piety? Contain your greed, and then I will believe that you honour the martyrs.'
173.
Τιμὴ Μάρτυσίν ἐστιν ἀεὶ θνήσκειν βιότητι,
αἵματος οὐρανίου μνωομένους μεγάλου,
τύμβοι δὲ φθιμένοις· ὃς βήματα δ᾿ ἧμιν ἐγείρει
ἀλλοτρίοισι λίθοις, μηδὲ τάφοιο τύχοι.
'To honour the martyrs means to be constantly dying in this life, winning a greater life in heaven. Tombs belong to the dead. Let him who erects shrines to us out of stones belonging to others himself lack a tomb.'
174.
Μάρτυρες, αἷμα θεῷ μεγάλην ἐσπείσατε λοιβήν,
καὶ μέντοι θεόθεν ἄξια δῶρ᾿ ἔχετε,
βήμαθ᾿, ὕμνους, λαούς, εὐχῶν σέβας. ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τύμβων
φεύγετε, νεκροκόμοι, Μάρτυσι πειθόμενοι.
'Martyrs, you poured out your blood, a great libation to God, and from God you have fitting reward, shrines, hymns, congregations, the devotion of prayers. But you worshippers of the dead, do as the martyrs bid you, and keep away from tombs.'
Text and translation: Paton 1916-1918; translation modified.
170.
Τρισθανέες, πρῶτον μὲν ἐμίξατε σώματ᾿ ἀνάγνων
ἀθλοφόροις, τύμβοι δὲ θυηπόλον ἀμφὶς ἔχουσι·
δεύτερον αὖτε τάφους τοὺς μὲν διεπέρσατ᾿ ἀθέσμως,
αὐτοὶ σήματ᾿ ἔχοντες ὁμοίια· τοὺς δ᾿ ἀπέδοσθε,
πολλάκι καὶ τρὶς ἕκαστον· ὃ δὲ τρίτον, ἱεροσυλεῖς
μάρτυρας οὓς φιλέεις· Σοδομίτιδες ἥξατε πηγαί.
'Thrice worthy of death, first you laid beside the martyrs the bodies of impure men, and common tombs now have their own priest. Secondly, you wickedly destroyed some tombs, although you had similar ones yourselves; and others you sold, often each tomb thrice. In the third place, you commit sacrilege towards the martyrs you presumably love! Drop down, fiery founts of Sodom!'
172.
Τυμβολέται, γάστρωνες, ἐρευγόβιοι, πλατύνωτοι,
μέχρι τίνος τύμβοις Μάρτυρας ἀλλοτρίοις
τιμᾶτ᾿, εὐσεβέοντες ἃ μὴ θέμις; ἴσχετε λαιμούς,
καὶ τότε πιστεύσω Μάρτυσιν ἦρα φέρειν.
'Tomb looters, gluttons who live but for belching, broad-backed, how long will you continue to honour the martyrs by the spoils of the tombs of others, presenting your lawless deeds as piety? Contain your greed, and then I will believe that you honour the martyrs.'
173.
Τιμὴ Μάρτυσίν ἐστιν ἀεὶ θνήσκειν βιότητι,
αἵματος οὐρανίου μνωομένους μεγάλου,
τύμβοι δὲ φθιμένοις· ὃς βήματα δ᾿ ἧμιν ἐγείρει
ἀλλοτρίοισι λίθοις, μηδὲ τάφοιο τύχοι.
'To honour the martyrs means to be constantly dying in this life, winning a greater life in heaven. Tombs belong to the dead. Let him who erects shrines to us out of stones belonging to others himself lack a tomb.'
174.
Μάρτυρες, αἷμα θεῷ μεγάλην ἐσπείσατε λοιβήν,
καὶ μέντοι θεόθεν ἄξια δῶρ᾿ ἔχετε,
βήμαθ᾿, ὕμνους, λαούς, εὐχῶν σέβας. ἀλλ᾿ ἀπὸ τύμβων
φεύγετε, νεκροκόμοι, Μάρτυσι πειθόμενοι.
'Martyrs, you poured out your blood, a great libation to God, and from God you have fitting reward, shrines, hymns, congregations, the devotion of prayers. But you worshippers of the dead, do as the martyrs bid you, and keep away from tombs.'
Text and translation: Paton 1916-1918; translation modified.
History
Evidence ID
E00323Type of Evidence
Literary - PoemsLanguage
- Greek