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E01904: Gregory of Nazianzus in his Oration 4 (Against Julian I), of 362/363, refers to the deaths of martyrs, naming the Apostles *John (S00042), *Peter (S00036), *Paul (S00008), and *James (S00108), *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), *Luke (the Evangelist, S00442), *Andrew (the Apostle, S00288), and *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092). He refers to the festivals held in their honour and the miracles performed by their bodily remains. Written in Greek at Nazianzus (central Asia Minor).
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posted on 2016-10-10, 00:00 authored by BryanGregory of Nazianzus, Oration 4, Against Julian I (CPG 3010.04), 69.
ΞΘ’. Οὐκ ᾐδέσθης τὰ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ σφάγια; οὐδὲ ἐφοβήθης τοὺς μεγάλους ἀγωνιστὰς, τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐκεῖνον, τὸν Πέτρον, τὸν Παῦλον, τὸν Ἰάκωβον, τὸν Στέφανον, τὸν Λουκᾶν, τὸν Ἀνδρέαν, τὴν Θέκλαν, τοὺς ἐπ’ ἐκείνοις τε καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνων τῆς ἀληθείας προκινδυνεύσαντας; οἳ πυρὶ, καὶ σιδήρῳ, καὶ θηρσὶ, καὶ τυράννοις προθύμως ἀντηγωνίσαντο, καὶ παροῦσι κακοῖς καὶ ἀπειλουμένοις, ὥσπερ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις σώμασιν ἢ ἀσώματοι; τίνος ἕνεκεν; ἵνα μὴ προδῶσι μηδὲ μέχρι ῥήματος τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ὧν αἱ μεγάλαι τιμαὶ καὶ πανηγύρεις· παρ’ ὧν δαίμονες ἑλαύνονται, καὶ νόσοι θεραπεύονται· ὧν αἱ ἐπιφάνειαι, καὶ ὧν αἱ προῤῥήσεις· ὧν καὶ τὰ σώματα μόνον ἴσα δύνανται ταῖς ἁγίαις ψυχαῖς, ἢ ἐπαφώμενα, ἢ τιμώμενα· ὧν καὶ ῥανίδες αἵματος μόνον, καὶ μικρὰ σύμβολα πάθους ἴσα δρῶσι τοῖς σώμασι.
‘69. Did you have no respect for the victims slain for Christ's sake? Did you not fear those mighty champions, that John, Peter, Paul, James, Stephen, Luke, Andrew, and Thekla? And those who after them and before them faced danger in the cause of Truth, and who joyfully faced fire, sword, wild beasts, tyrants, and evils both real and threatening to come, as though they were in the bodies of others, or rather bodiless! And what for? In order that they might not betray the true faith, even by word. Theirs are the great honours and festivals. By them demons are cast out and diseases healed. Theirs are manifestations, and theirs are prophecies. Their mere bodies can do the same things as their holy souls, when touched or venerated. Even drops of their blood and little signs of their passion, produce equal effect with their bodies!’
Text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca 35 (1857), 589. Translation: Efthymios Rizos.
ΞΘ’. Οὐκ ᾐδέσθης τὰ ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ σφάγια; οὐδὲ ἐφοβήθης τοὺς μεγάλους ἀγωνιστὰς, τὸν Ἰωάννην ἐκεῖνον, τὸν Πέτρον, τὸν Παῦλον, τὸν Ἰάκωβον, τὸν Στέφανον, τὸν Λουκᾶν, τὸν Ἀνδρέαν, τὴν Θέκλαν, τοὺς ἐπ’ ἐκείνοις τε καὶ πρὸ ἐκείνων τῆς ἀληθείας προκινδυνεύσαντας; οἳ πυρὶ, καὶ σιδήρῳ, καὶ θηρσὶ, καὶ τυράννοις προθύμως ἀντηγωνίσαντο, καὶ παροῦσι κακοῖς καὶ ἀπειλουμένοις, ὥσπερ ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις σώμασιν ἢ ἀσώματοι; τίνος ἕνεκεν; ἵνα μὴ προδῶσι μηδὲ μέχρι ῥήματος τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ὧν αἱ μεγάλαι τιμαὶ καὶ πανηγύρεις· παρ’ ὧν δαίμονες ἑλαύνονται, καὶ νόσοι θεραπεύονται· ὧν αἱ ἐπιφάνειαι, καὶ ὧν αἱ προῤῥήσεις· ὧν καὶ τὰ σώματα μόνον ἴσα δύνανται ταῖς ἁγίαις ψυχαῖς, ἢ ἐπαφώμενα, ἢ τιμώμενα· ὧν καὶ ῥανίδες αἵματος μόνον, καὶ μικρὰ σύμβολα πάθους ἴσα δρῶσι τοῖς σώμασι.
‘69. Did you have no respect for the victims slain for Christ's sake? Did you not fear those mighty champions, that John, Peter, Paul, James, Stephen, Luke, Andrew, and Thekla? And those who after them and before them faced danger in the cause of Truth, and who joyfully faced fire, sword, wild beasts, tyrants, and evils both real and threatening to come, as though they were in the bodies of others, or rather bodiless! And what for? In order that they might not betray the true faith, even by word. Theirs are the great honours and festivals. By them demons are cast out and diseases healed. Theirs are manifestations, and theirs are prophecies. Their mere bodies can do the same things as their holy souls, when touched or venerated. Even drops of their blood and little signs of their passion, produce equal effect with their bodies!’
Text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca 35 (1857), 589. Translation: Efthymios Rizos.
History
Evidence ID
E01904Saint Name
John, Apostle and Evangelist : S00042 Paul, the Apostle : S00008 James the Apostle, son of Zebedee, ob. 1st c. : S00108 Andrew, the Apostle : S00288 Luke, the Apostle : S00442 Stephen, the First Martyr : S00030 Thekla, follower of Apostle PaulSaint Name in Source
Ἰωάννης Παῦλος Ἰάκωβος Ἀνδρέας Λουκᾶς Στέφανος Θέκλα ΠέτροςRelated Saint Records
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Peter_the_Apostle/13729195
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Paul_the_Apostle/13729135
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/James_brother_of_the_Lord_/13729261
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/James_the_Apostle_son_of_Zebedee/13729405
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Stephen_the_First_Martyr/13729177
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Thekla_follower_of_the_Apostle_Paul/13729357
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Luke_the_Evangelist/13730332
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/Andrew_the_Apostle/13729909
- https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/John_the_Apostle_and_Evangelist/13729210
Type of Evidence
Literary - Other narrative texts (including Histories)Language
- Greek
Evidence not before
362Evidence not after
363Activity not before
362Activity not after
363Place of Evidence - Region
Asia MinorPlace of Evidence - City, village, etc
NazianzosPlace of evidence - City name in other Language(s)
Nazianzos Nicomedia Νικομήδεια Nikomēdeia Izmit Πραίνετος Prainetos NicomediaMajor author/Major anonymous work
Gregory of NazianzusCult activities - Festivals
- Saint’s feast
