E01956: The emperor Julian in his Letter 79 of 362, recounts his meeting in 354 with Pegasios, bishop of Illion, who regarded the veneration of pagan heroes as equivalent to that of the Christian martyrs. Written in Greek in Constantinople.
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posted on 2016-10-23, 00:00 authored by BryanJulian the Apostate (Flavius Claudius Iulianus Augustus), Letter 79
Letter 79, To Aristoxenos the Philosopher
(…)
The author knew that Pegasios, bishop of Ilion (Troy) revered the gods, even though he was a Christian bishop. Summoned to the court of the late emperor Constantius II, Julian visits the Troad, and is welcomed by Pegasios who offers Julian a tour of the sites and shrines of the city.
[……] Ἡρῷόν ἐστιν Ἕκτορος, ὅπου χαλκοῦς ἕστηκεν ἀνδριὰς ἐν ναΐσκῳ βραχεῖ. Τούτῳ τὸν μέγαν ἀντέστησαν Ἀχιλλέα κατὰ τὸ ὕπαιθρον· εἰ τὸν τόπον ἐθεάσω, γνωρίζεις δήπουθεν ὃ λέγω. Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἱστορίαν, δι’ ἣν ὁ μέγας Ἀχιλλεὺς ἀντιτεταγμένος αὐτῷ πᾶν τὸ ὕπαιθρον κατείληφεν, ἔξεστί σοι τῶν περιηγητῶν ἀκούειν. Ἐγὼ δὲ καταλαβὼν ἐμπύρους ἔτι, μικροῦ δέω φάναι λαμπροὺς ἔτι τοὺς βωμοὺς καὶ λιπαρῶς ἀληλιμμένην τὴν τοῦ Ἕκτορος εἰκόνα, πρὸς Πηγάσιον ἀπιδών· «τί ταῦτα;» εἶπον, «Ἰλιεῖς θύουσιν;» ἀποπειρώμενος ἠρέμα ὡς ἔχει γνώμης. Ὁ δέ· «καὶ τί τοῦτο ἄτοπον, ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν ἑαυτῶν πολίτην, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς», ἔφη, «τοὺς μάρτυρας, εἰ θεραπεύουσιν;» Ἡ μὲν οὖν εἰκὼν οὐχ ὑγιής, ἡ δὲ προαίρεσις ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐξεταζομένη τοῖς καιροῖς ἀστεία.
‘There is a sanctuary of Hector, where a bronze statue stands in a little shrine. Opposite this, they have set up the great Achilles in the open space. If you have seen the site, you should know what I am talking about. The reasons why the great Achilles has occupied the whole open space opposite him you can learn from the guides. Now, I found the altars still alight – I should almost say, ablaze – and the image of Hector richly anointed, and I looked at Pegasios and said: ‘What are these things? Do the people of Ilium offer sacrifices?’, thus discreetly exploring his views. And he replied: “And what is wrong about this, if they do service to a noble man and fellow citizen of theirs, just as we do to the martyrs?” The comparison, of course, was not valid, but his attitude was well-meaning by the standards of those times.’
Pegasios takes Julian to the temple of Ilias Athena, which preserves all its statues intact. In the temple, the bishop makes none of the apotropaic gestures Christians normally do when entering a pagan shrine.
Text: Bidez 1960, vol. 1.2.
Translation: E. Rizos
Letter 79, To Aristoxenos the Philosopher
(…)
The author knew that Pegasios, bishop of Ilion (Troy) revered the gods, even though he was a Christian bishop. Summoned to the court of the late emperor Constantius II, Julian visits the Troad, and is welcomed by Pegasios who offers Julian a tour of the sites and shrines of the city.
[……] Ἡρῷόν ἐστιν Ἕκτορος, ὅπου χαλκοῦς ἕστηκεν ἀνδριὰς ἐν ναΐσκῳ βραχεῖ. Τούτῳ τὸν μέγαν ἀντέστησαν Ἀχιλλέα κατὰ τὸ ὕπαιθρον· εἰ τὸν τόπον ἐθεάσω, γνωρίζεις δήπουθεν ὃ λέγω. Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἱστορίαν, δι’ ἣν ὁ μέγας Ἀχιλλεὺς ἀντιτεταγμένος αὐτῷ πᾶν τὸ ὕπαιθρον κατείληφεν, ἔξεστί σοι τῶν περιηγητῶν ἀκούειν. Ἐγὼ δὲ καταλαβὼν ἐμπύρους ἔτι, μικροῦ δέω φάναι λαμπροὺς ἔτι τοὺς βωμοὺς καὶ λιπαρῶς ἀληλιμμένην τὴν τοῦ Ἕκτορος εἰκόνα, πρὸς Πηγάσιον ἀπιδών· «τί ταῦτα;» εἶπον, «Ἰλιεῖς θύουσιν;» ἀποπειρώμενος ἠρέμα ὡς ἔχει γνώμης. Ὁ δέ· «καὶ τί τοῦτο ἄτοπον, ἄνδρα ἀγαθὸν ἑαυτῶν πολίτην, ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς», ἔφη, «τοὺς μάρτυρας, εἰ θεραπεύουσιν;» Ἡ μὲν οὖν εἰκὼν οὐχ ὑγιής, ἡ δὲ προαίρεσις ἐν ἐκείνοις ἐξεταζομένη τοῖς καιροῖς ἀστεία.
‘There is a sanctuary of Hector, where a bronze statue stands in a little shrine. Opposite this, they have set up the great Achilles in the open space. If you have seen the site, you should know what I am talking about. The reasons why the great Achilles has occupied the whole open space opposite him you can learn from the guides. Now, I found the altars still alight – I should almost say, ablaze – and the image of Hector richly anointed, and I looked at Pegasios and said: ‘What are these things? Do the people of Ilium offer sacrifices?’, thus discreetly exploring his views. And he replied: “And what is wrong about this, if they do service to a noble man and fellow citizen of theirs, just as we do to the martyrs?” The comparison, of course, was not valid, but his attitude was well-meaning by the standards of those times.’
Pegasios takes Julian to the temple of Ilias Athena, which preserves all its statues intact. In the temple, the bishop makes none of the apotropaic gestures Christians normally do when entering a pagan shrine.
Text: Bidez 1960, vol. 1.2.
Translation: E. Rizos
History
Evidence ID
E01956Saint Name
Martyrs, unnamed or name lost : S00060Related Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - LettersLanguage
- Greek
