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E04008: Socrates in his Ecclesiastical History, reports that, in 405/408, the emperor Arcadius visited the shrine and walnut tree in Constantinople where *Akakios (soldier and martyr of Byzantion, S00468) was hanged. The site is described as standing in the courtyard of a large residential building; the emperor's prayers are believed to have saved the inhabitants from a violent death. Written in Greek at Constantinople, 439/446.
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posted on 2017-09-11, 00:00 authored by erizosSocrates, Ecclesiastical History, 6.23
1. (...) Τελευτᾷ δὲ οὐ πολὺ μετὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου τελευτὴν <καὶ> ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρκάδιος, ἀνὴρ πρᾷος καὶ ἡσύχιος καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς ζωῆς θεοφιλοῦς δόξαν κτησάμενος ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. 2. Ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει οἶκός ἐστιν μέγιστος, Καρύαν ἔχων ἐπώνυμον. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ οἴκου δένδρον καρύα, ἀφ’ ἧς κρεμασθῆναι λόγος τὸν μάρτυρα Ἀκάκιον καὶ τελειωθῆναι· δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ οἰκίσκος τῷ δένδρῳ παρῳκοδομήθη εὐκτήριος. 3. Τοῦτον ἱστορῆσαι {ὁ βασιλεὺς} Ἀρκάδιος βουληθεὶς εἰς αὐτὸν παρεγένετο, εὐξάμενός τε αὖθις ἀπεχώρει. 4. Πάντες δὲ οἱ περιοικοῦντες τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον ἐπὶ τῷ θεάσασθαι τὸν βασιλέα συνέτρεχον. 5. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας γενόμενοι προκαταλαβεῖν τὰς παρόδους ἐσπούδαζον, ἀφ’ ὧν φανερώτερον τότε τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν δορυφορίαν ἡγοῦντο θεάσασθαι, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐπηκολούθουν, ἕως ἅπαντες σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ παιδίοις ἐκτὸς τοῦ οἴκου ἐγένοντο. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο εὐθὺς ὁ περικείμενος τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ μέγιστος οἶκος ἅπας κατέπεσεν. 6. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου βοὴ σὺν θαύματι ἐπηκολούθει, ὡς ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως εὐχὴ τοσούτους τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐρρύσατο.
‘Not long after the death of John [Chrysostom], the Emperor Arcadius died also. He was a meek and quiet man, and toward the close of his life he acquired a reputation of being a person dear to God, for the following reason. There is in Constantinople an immense house known as the Walnut Tree, because in its court there is a walnut tree on which the martyr Akakios is said to have been hanged and died. For this reason, a small oratory was built next to it. One day, the emperor Arcadius, wishing to visit it, arrived there and, after praying, he left. All those who lived around this oratory vied to see the emperor. Some came out of the house and rushed to take the side streets whence they thought that they would get a better view of the face of the emperor and his entourage, while others followed in his train, until everyone, including women and children, left the building. Immediately afterwards, the entire vast building surrounding the oratory collapsed. This was followed by commotion and astonishment at the fact that the emperor's prayer had rescued so many people from death.’
Text: Hansen 1995.
Translation: E. Rizos.
1. (...) Τελευτᾷ δὲ οὐ πολὺ μετὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου τελευτὴν <καὶ> ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀρκάδιος, ἀνὴρ πρᾷος καὶ ἡσύχιος καὶ πρὸς τῷ τέλει τῆς ζωῆς θεοφιλοῦς δόξαν κτησάμενος ἐξ αἰτίας τοιᾶσδε. 2. Ἐν τῇ Κωνσταντινουπόλει οἶκός ἐστιν μέγιστος, Καρύαν ἔχων ἐπώνυμον. Ἔστι γὰρ ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ οἴκου δένδρον καρύα, ἀφ’ ἧς κρεμασθῆναι λόγος τὸν μάρτυρα Ἀκάκιον καὶ τελειωθῆναι· δι’ ἣν αἰτίαν καὶ οἰκίσκος τῷ δένδρῳ παρῳκοδομήθη εὐκτήριος. 3. Τοῦτον ἱστορῆσαι {ὁ βασιλεὺς} Ἀρκάδιος βουληθεὶς εἰς αὐτὸν παρεγένετο, εὐξάμενός τε αὖθις ἀπεχώρει. 4. Πάντες δὲ οἱ περιοικοῦντες τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον ἐπὶ τῷ θεάσασθαι τὸν βασιλέα συνέτρεχον. 5. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἔξω τῆς οἰκίας γενόμενοι προκαταλαβεῖν τὰς παρόδους ἐσπούδαζον, ἀφ’ ὧν φανερώτερον τότε τοῦ βασιλέως τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν δορυφορίαν ἡγοῦντο θεάσασθαι, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐπηκολούθουν, ἕως ἅπαντες σὺν γυναιξὶν καὶ παιδίοις ἐκτὸς τοῦ οἴκου ἐγένοντο. Καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο εὐθὺς ὁ περικείμενος τῷ εὐκτηρίῳ μέγιστος οἶκος ἅπας κατέπεσεν. 6. Ἐκ δὴ τούτου βοὴ σὺν θαύματι ἐπηκολούθει, ὡς ἡ τοῦ βασιλέως εὐχὴ τοσούτους τῆς ἀπωλείας ἐρρύσατο.
‘Not long after the death of John [Chrysostom], the Emperor Arcadius died also. He was a meek and quiet man, and toward the close of his life he acquired a reputation of being a person dear to God, for the following reason. There is in Constantinople an immense house known as the Walnut Tree, because in its court there is a walnut tree on which the martyr Akakios is said to have been hanged and died. For this reason, a small oratory was built next to it. One day, the emperor Arcadius, wishing to visit it, arrived there and, after praying, he left. All those who lived around this oratory vied to see the emperor. Some came out of the house and rushed to take the side streets whence they thought that they would get a better view of the face of the emperor and his entourage, while others followed in his train, until everyone, including women and children, left the building. Immediately afterwards, the entire vast building surrounding the oratory collapsed. This was followed by commotion and astonishment at the fact that the emperor's prayer had rescued so many people from death.’
Text: Hansen 1995.
Translation: E. Rizos.