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.

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.

The last sections of the text read as follows:

3. […………………] ἀρετὴν δὲ περιθέμενος, πολλοὺς ἕξει καὶ μετὰ τὴν τελευτὴν ἐπαινέτας. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτῶν τῶν βασιλικῶν αὐλῶν λαμπρότερος παρὰ πᾶσιν ὁ τάφος ἔσται ἐκεῖνος, ἔνθα ἂν ᾖ σῶμα κείμενον ἀρετῇ καὶ εὐσεβείᾳ συζῆσαν. Καὶ τούτου μάρτυρες ὑμεῖς οἱ τὰς μὲν θήκας τῶν πλουσίων, καίτοι χρυσᾶ ἐχούσας ἱμάτια καθάπερ σπήλαια παρατρέχοντες, πρὸς δὲ τὴν ἁγίαν ταύτην μετὰ πολλῆς δραμόντες τῆς προθυμίας, ἐπειδὴ μαρτυρίῳ, καὶ ὁμολογίᾳ, καὶ παρθενίᾳ ἀντὶ ἱματίων χρυσῶν ἑαυτὴν ἀμφιάσασα, ἀπῆλθεν ἡ μάρτυς. Μιμησώμεθα τοίνυν αὐτὴν κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν· κατεφρόνησεν ἐκείνη ζωῆς, καταφρονήσωμεν ἡμεῖς τρυφῆς, καταγελάσωμεν πολυτελείας, ἀποστῶμεν μέθης, ἀδηφαγίαν φύγωμεν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς ταῦτα λέγω νῦν, ἀλλ’ ἐπειδὴ πολλοὺς ὁρῶ, μετὰ τὸ λυθῆναι τὸ πνευματικὸν τοῦτο θέατρον ἐπὶ μέθην καὶ καπηλείαν, καὶ τὰς ἐν πανδοχείοις τραπέζας, καὶ τὴν ἄλλην ἀσχημοσύνην τρέχοντας. Διὰ τοῦτο δέομαι καὶ παρακαλῶ διὰ παντὸς ἐν μνήμῃ καὶ διανοίᾳ τὴν ἁγίαν ταύτην ἔχειν, καὶ μὴ καταισχῦναι τὴν πανήγυριν, μηδὲ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἑορτῆς ταύτης ἐγγινομένην ἡμῖν παῤῥησίαν ἀφελέσθαι. Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε πρὸς Ἕλληνας διαλεγόμενοι καλλωπιζόμεθα τῷ πλήθει τῆς ἑορτῆς, καταισχύνοντες αὐτοὺς καὶ λέγοντες, ὅτι πόλιν ὁλόκληρον καὶ δῆμον τοσοῦτον κόρη μία τελευτήσασα πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐπισπᾶται καθ’ ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν, καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα ἔτη, καὶ χρόνος οὐδεὶς τὴν ἀκολουθίαν τῆς τιμῆς διέκοψε ταύτης· ἀλλ’ ἐὰν αἴσθωνται τῶν ἐν τῇ πανηγύρει γινομένων, τὸ πλέον ἀφῃρήμεθα τῶν ἐγκωμίων. Τὸ γὰρ πλῆθος τοῦτο τὸ παραγενόμενον νῦν, ἂν μὲν μετ’ εὐταξίας παραγίνηται, κόσμος ἡμῖν μέγιστος· ἂν δὲ μετὰ ῥᾳθυμίας, καὶ ὀλιγωρίας πολλῆς, ὄνειδος καὶ κατηγορία.

4. Ἵνα οὖν ἐναβρυνώμεθα τῷ πλήθει τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης, μετὰ τῆς αὐτῆς οἴκαδε εὐταξίας ἀναχωρῶμεν, μεθ’ ὅσης εἰκὸς μάρτυρι τοιαύτῃ συγγινομένους ἀπιέναι. Εἰ γάρ τις μὴ οὕτως οἴκαδε ἀπέλθοι, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ὤνησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κίνδυνον καθ’ ἑαυτοῦ μέγιστον ἐπεσπάσατο. Οἶδα ὅτι καθαροὶ τῶν νοσημάτων τούτων ὑμεῖς, ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἀρκεῖ τοῦτο εἰς ἀπολογίαν ὑμῖν· ἀλλὰ δεῖ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ἀκοσμοῦντας εἰς εὐταξίαν μεγίστην ἄγειν καὶ καθιστᾷν ἐν τῷ πρέποντι σχήματι. […………] Πολὺ τῆς ὁδοῦ τὸ μῆκος· τῷ μήκει τοίνυν τούτῳ πρὸς συλλογὴν τῶν εἰρημένων ἀποχρησώμεθα· θυμιαμάτων ἐμπλήσωμεν τὴν λεωφόρον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτω σεμνὴ φανεῖται ἡ ὁδὸς, εἰ διὰ πάσης αὐτῆς θυμιατήριά τις τιθεὶς τῆς εὐωδίας ἀναχρώσειε τὸν ἀέρα, ὡς σεμνὴ φανεῖται νῦν, εἰ πάντες οἱ τήμερον αὐτὴν ὁδεύοντες τοὺς ἄθλους τῆς μάρτυρος πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς διηγούμενοι, βαδίζοιεν οἴκαδε, θυμιατήριον τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γλῶτταν ἕκαστος ποιῶν. [………………] νῦν δὲ ἐννοήσατε ὅτι πολλοὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν εἰσιν ἡμῖν ἀναμεμιγμένοι· κἂν ἴδωσιν ἡμᾶς οὕτω χορεύοντας, γελῶντας, βοῶντας, μεθύοντας, τὰ ἔσχατα καταγνόντες ἡμῶν ἀπελεύσονται. Εἰ δὲ ἕνα τις σκανδαλί ζων ἀπαραίτητον ὑπομένει κόλασιν, οἱ τοσούτους σκανδαλίζοντες, ποίαν δώσομεν δίκην; [……………]

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? [……………]

Text: Migne 1862, 579-584. Translation: Mayer 2003, modified.