File(s) not publicly available
E05572: The Life of Hypatios by Kallinikos mentions the destruction of the shrine of *Alexandros (martyr of Dryzipera, S00070) in Thrace (east Balkans) by the invading Huns in 447. Written in Greek at Rufinianae (near Constantinople), 447/450.
online resource
posted on 2018-05-28, 00:00 authored by erizosKallinikos of Rufinianae, Life of Hypatios (CPG 6042 = BHG 760), 52. 5-9
52. (5) Τοσοῦτοι δὲ φόνοι καὶ αἱματεκχυσίαι γεγόνασιν, ὡς μέτρῳ μὴ ὑποβάλλεσθαι τοὺς θανόντας· (6) καὶ γὰρ τὰς ἐκκλησίας καὶ μοναστήρια ᾐχμαλώτευσαν, καὶ μονάζοντας καὶ παρθένους πλείστους ἀπέκτειναν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Ἀλέξανδρον πορθηθῆναι καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ χρήματα καὶ κειμήλια παραλαβεῖν, ὅπερ οὐδέποτε συνέβη· (7) ἐρχομένων γὰρ τῶν Οὕννων πλειστάκις πρὸ τοῦ τειχισθῆναι τὸν ἅγιον Ἀλέξανδρον, οὐδείς ποτε ἐξ αὐτῶν πλησιάσαι ἐτόλμησεν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ. (8) Τοσοῦτον δὲ ἠρήμωσαν τὴν Θρᾴκην, ὡς μηκέτι ἀνακεφαλίσαι καὶ γενέσθαι ὡς ἦν καθὼς ἦν τὸ πρώην. (9) Ἡμεῖς δὲ μνημονεύοντες θαυμάζομεν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν, ἃ προέλεγεν ὁ ἅγιος Ὑπάτιος ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν τελειοῦσθαι· πόθεν γὰρ ᾔδει, εἰ μὴ ὁ Κύριος αὐτῷ ἐδήλου;
‘So many murders and bloodshed took place that the victims cannot be counted. They indeed captured the churches and monasteries and killed several monks and virgins, and even Saint Alexandros was plundered and they took the valuables and offerings that were in it, which had never happened before. For although the Huns had come several times, before Saint Alexandros was fortified, none of them had ever dared come close to the shrine. They devastated Thrace so much that it has not recovered yet, nor has it been restored to its previous state. As we remember these things, we are amazed, because these were what the holy Hypatios was predicting as he was dying. For how else could he have known, had the Lord not revealed them to him?’
Text: Bartelink 1971. Translation: E. Rizos.
52. (5) Τοσοῦτοι δὲ φόνοι καὶ αἱματεκχυσίαι γεγόνασιν, ὡς μέτρῳ μὴ ὑποβάλλεσθαι τοὺς θανόντας· (6) καὶ γὰρ τὰς ἐκκλησίας καὶ μοναστήρια ᾐχμαλώτευσαν, καὶ μονάζοντας καὶ παρθένους πλείστους ἀπέκτειναν, ὡς καὶ τὸν ἅγιον Ἀλέξανδρον πορθηθῆναι καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ χρήματα καὶ κειμήλια παραλαβεῖν, ὅπερ οὐδέποτε συνέβη· (7) ἐρχομένων γὰρ τῶν Οὕννων πλειστάκις πρὸ τοῦ τειχισθῆναι τὸν ἅγιον Ἀλέξανδρον, οὐδείς ποτε ἐξ αὐτῶν πλησιάσαι ἐτόλμησεν τῷ μαρτυρίῳ. (8) Τοσοῦτον δὲ ἠρήμωσαν τὴν Θρᾴκην, ὡς μηκέτι ἀνακεφαλίσαι καὶ γενέσθαι ὡς ἦν καθὼς ἦν τὸ πρώην. (9) Ἡμεῖς δὲ μνημονεύοντες θαυμάζομεν, ὅτι ταῦτα ἦν, ἃ προέλεγεν ὁ ἅγιος Ὑπάτιος ἐν τῷ αὐτὸν τελειοῦσθαι· πόθεν γὰρ ᾔδει, εἰ μὴ ὁ Κύριος αὐτῷ ἐδήλου;
‘So many murders and bloodshed took place that the victims cannot be counted. They indeed captured the churches and monasteries and killed several monks and virgins, and even Saint Alexandros was plundered and they took the valuables and offerings that were in it, which had never happened before. For although the Huns had come several times, before Saint Alexandros was fortified, none of them had ever dared come close to the shrine. They devastated Thrace so much that it has not recovered yet, nor has it been restored to its previous state. As we remember these things, we are amazed, because these were what the holy Hypatios was predicting as he was dying. For how else could he have known, had the Lord not revealed them to him?’
Text: Bartelink 1971. Translation: E. Rizos.
CC0