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E02293: Socrates, in his Ecclesiastical History, recounts that, in 362/3, the emperor Julian, failing to obtain an oracle from Apollo at his shrine in Daphne, near Antioch, ordered that the remains of *Babylas (bishop and martyr of Antioch, S00061) be removed from the site. Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/446.
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posted on 2017-01-29, 00:00 authored by erizosSocrates, Ecclesiastical History, 3.18
1. Τὰ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἱερὰ {τῶν Ἑλλήνων} ἀνοιγῆναι κελεύσας χρησμὸν λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ ἐν Δάφνῃ Ἀπόλλωνος ἔσπευδεν. 2. Ὡς δὲ ὁ ἐνοικῶν τῷ ἱερῷ δαίμων τὸν γείτονα δεδοικώς (λέγω δὴ Βαβυλᾶν τὸν μάρτυρα) οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο (πλησίον γὰρ ἦν ἡ σορὸς ἡ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μάρτυρος κρύπτουσα), γνοὺς τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν σορὸν τάχος κελεύει μετοικίζεσθαι. 3. Τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν Χριστιανοὶ ἅμα γυναιξὶν καὶ νέᾳ ἡλικίᾳ χαίροντες καὶ ψαλμῳδοῦντες ἀπὸ τῆς Δάφνης ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν μετέφερον τὴν σορόν. 4. Αἱ δὲ ψαλμῳδίαι ἥπτοντο τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν θεῶν καὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων αὐτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν.
'Having ordered that the pagan temples at Antioch should be opened, he [Julian] was very eager to obtain an oracle from Apollo of Daphne. But the demon dwelling the shrine gave no answer, out of fear for his neighbour – I mean Babylas the martyr, for the sarcophagus which contained the body of the martyr was close by. When the emperor was informed of the reason, he commanded that the sarcophagus be immediately removed. Having heard that, the Christians of Antioch, including women and youths, transported the sarcophagus from Daphne to the city, rejoicing and chanting psalms. The psalmody referred to the pagan gods, and those who put confidence in them and their images.'
Text: Hansen 1995. Translation: E. Rizos.
1. Τὰ γὰρ κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν ἱερὰ {τῶν Ἑλλήνων} ἀνοιγῆναι κελεύσας χρησμὸν λαβεῖν παρὰ τοῦ ἐν Δάφνῃ Ἀπόλλωνος ἔσπευδεν. 2. Ὡς δὲ ὁ ἐνοικῶν τῷ ἱερῷ δαίμων τὸν γείτονα δεδοικώς (λέγω δὴ Βαβυλᾶν τὸν μάρτυρα) οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο (πλησίον γὰρ ἦν ἡ σορὸς ἡ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ μάρτυρος κρύπτουσα), γνοὺς τὴν αἰτίαν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν σορὸν τάχος κελεύει μετοικίζεσθαι. 3. Τοῦτο μαθόντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν Χριστιανοὶ ἅμα γυναιξὶν καὶ νέᾳ ἡλικίᾳ χαίροντες καὶ ψαλμῳδοῦντες ἀπὸ τῆς Δάφνης ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν μετέφερον τὴν σορόν. 4. Αἱ δὲ ψαλμῳδίαι ἥπτοντο τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν θεῶν καὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων αὐτοῖς τε καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν.
'Having ordered that the pagan temples at Antioch should be opened, he [Julian] was very eager to obtain an oracle from Apollo of Daphne. But the demon dwelling the shrine gave no answer, out of fear for his neighbour – I mean Babylas the martyr, for the sarcophagus which contained the body of the martyr was close by. When the emperor was informed of the reason, he commanded that the sarcophagus be immediately removed. Having heard that, the Christians of Antioch, including women and youths, transported the sarcophagus from Daphne to the city, rejoicing and chanting psalms. The psalmody referred to the pagan gods, and those who put confidence in them and their images.'
Text: Hansen 1995. Translation: E. Rizos.