E02528: John Chrysostom delivers a homily On *Pelagia (martyr of Antioch, S01093) during her feast at her shrine in the necropolis of Antioch; the festival is also attended by heretics. He refers to her martyrdom by suicide, and reproaches the immoderate behaviour of Christians during the festival. Written in Greek at Antioch (Syria), 386/397.
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posted on 2017-03-08, 00:00authored byerizos
John Chrysostom, On Pelagia (CPG 4350, BHG 1477)
Summary:
1. Even women of all ages now defy death for the sake of Christ. Pelagia hastened to her death, escaping the hands of her executioners, because she wished to preserve her virginity. One should consider how this girl, who had never experienced anything but her chamber, confronted the soldiers when they came to arrest her, while she was alone at home. She did not hesitate, but demonstrated the greatest eagerness and bravery.
2. She requests from the soldiers leave to go to her room and change her clothes, and she commits suicide. It is surprising that they were cheated by her so easily, although such incidents were frequent in that period.
3. The fact that all this happened with the help of God is suggested by the quick death of the martyr. Many people have survived from falling from heights, but Pelagia died immediately after throwing herself from the house. Her body lay dignified on the street, receiving the honours of the angels. The Christians now ignore the tombs of the rich and hasten to her grave. The author invites everyone to imitate the martyr, and to avoid gluttony and luxury. After the service, many go to the taverns, but this gives reasons for bad comments about the Christian community.
4. Chrysostom encourages his audience to return home in love and good order, just as when they came to the shrine. If some lapse into indecent behaviour, the others should reproach them or report to the priests. The way to the city is long, and the crowd must be kept decent. The gathering is also attended by some heretics, and it is therefore important that the orthodox should not scandalise them, lest they disdain orthodoxy forever.
3. […………………] But if a person is dressed in virtue, even after death they will be many to praise them. Indeed, wherever there lies a body that lived a life of virtue and piety, that tomb will be more famed among everyone than the imperial palace itself. Witnesses to this fact are you who go past the coffins of the rich as though they were caverns, even though they contain clothes of gold, and hasten with great enthusiasm towards this holy virgin. Indeed, the martyr departed having dressed herself in martyrdom and confession and virginity rather than golden clothes. Therefore, let us imitate her in so far as we can. She despised life; let us despise pleasure, let us ridicule luxury, let us abstain from drunkenness, let us flee gluttony. I am not saying these things without a point now, but because I see many running off to drinking and pub-crawling and the tables in inns and other shameless behaviour, after this spiritual assembly is dissolved. For that reason, I ask and request that you keep this holy virgin in your memory and mind all the time, and neither disgrace the festival nor strip us of the respect we acquire from this feast. Indeed, when we converse with the Hellenes [= pagans], we take no mean pride in the size of this celebration, as we put them to shame and say that just a girl that died attracts to herself an entire city and such a crowd every year and, after so many years, and no passage of time has interrupted the sequence of this honour. But if they hear what happens in the festival, we shall have lost the greatest part of our praise. For, if the crowd attending now, presents itself in an orderly fashion, it will be a very great distinction for us. If, however, they do so with laziness and great indifference, it will be to our shame and blame.
4. So, in order that we may take pride in the magnitude of your affection, let us return home in the same orderly manner in which companions of such a great martyr ought to depart. For if someone does not return home like this, not only has gained no benefit, but they also attract very great danger to themselves. I know that you are free of these diseases, but this is not a sufficient excuse for you. Rather, you should also lead your brethren, if they are disorderly, into the utmost good order and get them settled in the appropriate deportment. [……………] The length of the road is considerable. Let us therefore take advantage of that length, in order to contemplate what has been said. Let us fill the highway with incense: for the road would not appear as dignified, even if one was to perfume the air with sweet smell, by placing censers all along its length, as it will appear now, if everyone walking along it today were to relate to themselves the martyr’s struggles and so walk home, each person turning their tongue into a censer. [……………] But now, consider that there are many heretics mingled with us. If they see us dancing, laughing, shouting, or drunk, they will leave criticising us in the strongest possible way. And, if a person who causes offence to a single person awaits inexorable punishment, what sort of penalty shall we pay, if we cause offence to so many? [……………]
Condemnation of other activity associated with cult
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Women
Ecclesiastics - lesser clergy
Pagans
Heretics
Cult Activities - Relics
Unspecified relic
Source
John of Antioch, bishop of Constantinople, who came to be known as Chrysostom (the Golden Mouth), was born in 344/354 in Antioch on the Orontes where he studied under Libanius. He joined the Nicene Christian community of Antioch, led by bishop Meletios of Antioch, and was ordained priest by Meletios’ successor, Flavianos in 386. Acquiring a great reputation as a preacher, John was appointed as bishop of Constantinople in 397. Clashing with the bishop of Alexandria Theophilos and the empress Eudoxia in 403/404, Chrysostom was deposed and banished to Cucusus in Cappadocia and died in Comana of Pontus in 407.
This homily is known from 18 Manuscripts:
http://pinakes.irht.cnrs.fr/notices/oeuvre/3813/
Discussion
This homily was probably given during John’s presbyterate at Antioch (386-397), but provides no evidence for a closer dating. The occasion was the festival of the martyr, which was both old and popular and was attended by Christians of all denominations, including ‘heretics’. The feast of Pelagia of Antioch is placed on 8 October by the Syriac Martyrology (E01565) and the 10th century Synaxarium of Constantinople. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum places it on 9 October.
The venue is the martyr’s shrine in the Christian cemetery at some distance from the city. Some people combine their visit with a stop at the local taverns, dismaying John who fears that a scandal may be caused by their immoderate behaviour. In the last section of the text, Chrysostom’s metaphorical language may be alluding to the use of censers during the procession from the city to the shrine.
The hero of this homily is a virgin who commits suicide in order to escape the soldiers coming to arrest her, and to preserve her virginity. The story was known to Ambrose (De virginibus 3.7.33–7) who reports that the saint was fifteen years old, a virgin and sister of virgins. She was alone when soldiers came to arrest her, and, having shut herself in the house, she asked for permission to change her clothes, and committed suicide dressed like a bride. Ambrose reports that the soldiers went on seeking her mother and sisters. These also chose voluntary martyrdom by drowning in a river, probably referring to the story of the martyrs *Domnina, Bernike, and Prosdoke, which is known from another homily of Chrysostom (E02568). Yet the link between Pelagia and the other three martyrs is mentioned by Chrysostom. These stories are apparently based on events of the tetrarchic persecutions, mentioned by Eusebius of Caesarea (Ecclesiastical History 8.12; see E00317). A central element in these legends is the acceptance of suicide as a valid form of martyrdom for women, which, given the alleged weakness of their nature, is, under certain circumstances, a demonstration of bravery. By contrast, there is no attestation of suicide being accepted as martyrdom for men.
The legend of the martyr Pelagia of Antioch should be distinguished from that of the Antiochene ascetic *Pelagia, whose life is described by another legend (E02571). The latter's memory was celebrated on the same day as the martyr (8 October).
Bibliography
Text:
Migne, J.-P., Patrologia Graeca, 50 (Paris: Imprimerie Catholique, 1862), 579-584.
Translation:
Leemans, J. (ed.), 'Let Us Die That We May Live': Greek Homilies on Christian Martyrs from Asia Minor, Palestine and Syria, (c. AD 350-AD 450) (London: Routledge, 2003), 148-161 (W. Mayer).
Further reading:
Downey, G., Ancient Antioch (Princeton, 1961).
Drobner, H.R., The Fathers of the Church: A Comprehensive Introduction (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), 327-337, esp. 334-335.
Kelly, J.N.D., Golden Mouth: The Story of John Chrysostom. Ascetic, Preacher, Bishop (Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press, 1995).