E02400: Palladius of Helenopolis in his Historical Dialogue on the Life of *John Chrysostom (bishop of Constantinople, ob. 407, S00779), written in 408 or shortly after, recounts the death and burial of John at the shrine of the martyr *Basiliskos (S00388) at Komana/Comana in Pontus (northern Asia Minor). Chrysostom is forewarned of his death by Basiliskos, and is buried with the honours of a martyr. Written in Greek at Syene (Aswan, Upper Egypt).

Palladius of Helenopolis, Historical Dialogue on the Life of John Chrysostom (BHG 870, 870e, 870f; CPG 6037)

XI, 116-156

καὶ ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν ἐπὶ τρίμηνον τὴν ἀργαλεωτάτην ἐκείνην βαδίζων ὁδόν, ἔμενεν ὁ ἅγιος ὡς ἀστὴρ διαστίλβων, ἔχων τὸ σωμάτιον καθάπερ μῆλον ἐπ’ ἄκρων κλάδων ἡλιοφοινισσόμενον. πλησιάσαντες δὲ τῇ Κομάνῃ, καθάπερ γέφυραν, αὐτὴν παρῆλθον, ἔξω τοῦ τείχους ἐν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ μείναντες ἀπὸ πέντε ἢ ἓξ σημείων. κατ’ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν νύκτα παρέστη αὐτῷ ὁ τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου μάρτυς, Βασιλίσκος ὄνομα αὐτῷ, ὃς μαρτυρεῖ, ἐπίσκοπος ὢν Κομανῶν, ἐν Νικομηδείᾳ ἐπὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ, ἅμα Λουκιανῷ τῷ ἐν Βιθυνίᾳ πρεσβυτέρῳ ὄντι Ἀντιοχείας, φήσας· “Θάρσει, ἀδελφὲ Ἰωάννη· αὔριον γὰρ ἅμα ἐσόμεθα.” φασὶ δέ, προειρήκει καὶ τῷ παραμένοντι πρεσβυτέρῳ· “Ἑτοίμασον τόπον τῷ ἀδελφῷ Ἰωάννῃ· ἔρχεται γάρ.” ἔχων δὲ πιστῶς τὸν χρησμὸν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον παρεκάλει αὐτοὺς ἕως πέμπτης ὥρας ἐκεῖ παραμεῖναι. οἱ δὲ μὴ πεισθέντες ἐξήλαυνον· ἐλθόντες δὲ ὡς σταδίους τριάκοντα πάλιν ὑποστρέφουσιν εἰς τὸν τόπον τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ἀφ’ οὗ ἀπῆραν, ἔχοντος αὐτοῦ ὀξέως. οὕτως οὖν ἐλθὼν ἐπιζητεῖ τὰ ἄξια τοῦ βίου λαμπρὰ ἱμάτια, καὶ ἀποδυσάμενος τὰ πρότερα ἐνεδύσατο νήφων, ἀλλάξας ἕως ὑποδημάτων· τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ διένειμεν τοῖς παροῦσιν. καὶ κοινωνήσας τῶν Δεσποτικῶν συμβόλων ποιεῖ τὴν τελευταίαν ἐπὶ τῶν παρόντων προσευχήν, εἰπὼν τὸ ἐξ ἔθους ῥῆμα· “Δόξα τῷ Θεῷ πάντων ἕνεκεν,” ἐπισφραγισάμενός τε τὸ ὕστερον ἀμήν, “ἐξῆρεν τοὺς πόδας,” τοὺς ὡραίως δραμόντας ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν τὴν μετάνοιαν ἑλαμένων καὶ ἐλέγχῳ τῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πλουσίως γεωργησάντων (εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν ὤνησαν οἱ ἔλεγχοι τοὺς φαύλους, τοῦτο οὐκ ἀτονία τοῦ παῤῥησιασαμένου, ἀλλ’ ἰταμότης τῶν μὴ ἀνασχομένων), “προστεθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτοῦ,” τὴν κόνιν ἀπομαξάμενος, καὶ πρὸς Χριστὸν διαπεράσας, ὡς γέγραπται· “Ἥξεις δὲ εἰς τὸν τάφον σου ὥσπερ σῖτος ὥριμος κατὰ καιρὸν θεριζόμενος· παρανόμων δὲ ψυχαὶ ἄωροι ἀποθανοῦνται.” τοσοῦτος δὲ ἑσμὸς παρθένων καὶ ἀσκητῶν καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ σεμνότητι μαρτυρουμένων παρῆν ἀπό τε Συρίας καὶ Κιλικίας καὶ Πόντου καὶ Ἀρμενίας, ὡς τοὺς πολλοὺς νομίσαι ἀπὸ συνθήματος αὐτοὺς παραγενέσθαι. ἐνταφιασθεὶς δὲ καὶ ἑορτασθείς, καθάπερ ἀθλητὴς νικηφόρος τὸ σωμάτιον, θάπτεται μετὰ τοῦ Βασιλίσκου ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ μαρτυρίῳ.

‘Enduring that most arduous journey through all these hardships for three months, the saint remained like a shining star, his poor body reddening in the sun like an apple at the tip of a branch. When they approached Komana, they passed through it as if crossing a bridge, and lodged outside the city walls at the shrine of a martyr, five or six miles from the town. That same night, the martyr of the place (Basiliskos by name, who, having been bishop of Komana, was martyred under Maximian at Nicomedia, together with Loukianos, priest of Antioch in Bithynia) appeared to him and said: "Have courage, brother, for tomorrow we shall be together." They say that he had first told the priest accompanying him, "Prepare a place for brother John, for he is coming." John took this as a sure warning, and begged them to stay there till the fifth hour of next day. They, however, did not obey, but pushed on. Having travelled some thirty stades, they returned back to the shrine they had just left, as his condition suddenly became severe. On his arrival, then, he asked for bright clothes befitting his way of life and, taking off the other ones, he joyfully put these on, changing everything down to his shoes. He distributed the rest among those present. He then partook of the Symbols of the Lord [=Eucharist], and offered up his last prayer in the presence of those who stood by, using his customary phrase: "Glory be to God for all things." He sealed himself at his last Amen, and raised his feet – which had so beautifully raced for the salvation of those who had chosen repentance, and to the reproof of those who had bountifully cultivated sin. If his reproof had had no effect on the wicked, it was not due to the weakness of the fearless herald, but to the recklessness of those who could not bear him. He was gathered to his fathers, shook off the dust from his feet, and passed over to Christ, as it is written: "Thou shalt come to thy grave, as ripe corn gathered in its season; but the souls of the transgressors shall die before their time." Such a multitude of virgins and ascetics and men renowned for their devout lives came over from Syria, Cilicia, Pontus, and Armenia, that many thought that they had been summoned by a signal. And, once his burial and funeral were celebrated, as if for a victorious champion, his poor body was buried together with Basiliskos, in the same shrine (martyrion).’

Text: Malingrey and Leclerq 1988.
Translation: E. Rizos.