E05643: The Miracles of Saint Thekla recounts how *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092) travels from Seleucia to attend her festival at Dalisandos (also in Isauria). In a similar way, *Paul (the Apostle, S00008) is said to travel from Rome to the festival in Tarsos, his hometown. Thekla has also rescued Dalisandos when besieged, having appeared on the nearby peak, dazzling the eyes of the enemies. Written in Greek at Seleucia ad Calycadnum (southern Asia Minor) in the 470s.

Miracles of Saint Thekla, 26

There is a city of Dalisandos in Asia Minor which fell into oblivion, but still retains some fame because of the martyr Thekla who honoured it and performed miracles for the sake of it.

Καθ’ ἣν γὰρ τιμᾶται πανήγυριν ἡ παρθένος—λαμπρὰ δὲ αὕτη καὶ περίσημος καὶ πολυάνθρωπός ἐστιν, ὡς ἂν καὶ πολλῶν πανταχόθεν εἰς αὐτὴν συρρεόντων—, εἴ τις φυλάξει κατὰ τὴν ἱερὰν νυκτεγερσίαν αὐτῆς τῆς ἑορτῆς ὑπὲρ τὴν ἀκρώρειαν τοῦ κατ’ αὐτὴν ὄρους ἀνεστηκώς, ὃ πρὸς ἕω μὲν τὰ νῶτα, πρὸς δὲ δύσιν τὴν ὄψιν κέκτηται, γενόμενος δὲ αὐτόθι καὶ ἀγρυπνήσας ὁρᾷ πυρίνῳ ἅρματι ὑψοῦ τοῦ ἀέρος βεβῶσάν τε τὴν παρθένον καὶ διφρηλατοῦσαν, καὶ οἴκοθεν οἴκαδε ἐπειγομένην ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ Σελεύκειαν ἐπ’ ἐκεῖνο τὸ νυμφευτήριον, ὃ ἀγαπᾷ τε μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων μεθ’ ἡμᾶς καὶ περιέπει καὶ τέθηπεν, ὡς ἐν καθαρᾷ τε καὶ ἀμφιδεξίῳ καταγωγῇ κείμενον.

Τά τε γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ δένδρα πολλά τε καὶ ὑψηλὰ καὶ ἀμφιλαφῆ καὶ ἀμφιθαλῆ καὶ καλλίκαρπα, αἵ τε αὖ πηγαὶ πολλαί τε καὶ χαριέσταται, καὶ μάλα ψυχροῦ ὕδατος, ἐξ ἑκάστου φυτοῦ τε καὶ πέτρας, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἑκάστης ἐκθέουσαί τε καὶ διαρρέουσαι καὶ αὐτὸν περιθέουσαι τὸν νεών, τό τε εὔπνουν τοῦ τόπου ὡς πολύ τε καὶ λιγυρὸν καὶ ἀγαπητόν, ἥ τε ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς ᾠδὴ τῶν ὀρνίθων ὡς μάλα θαυμασία τε καὶ καταθέλξαι ἱκανὴ οὐκ ἀνειμένον μόνον ἤδη καὶ τρυφηλόν, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ κατηφῆ καὶ κατεστεναγμένον ἄνθρωπον, ἥ τε πόα πολλή τε καὶ δαψιλὴς καὶ πολύχρους ἐπικεχυμένη τῇ γῇ, καὶ ἐναναπαύεσθαι παντὶ παρέχουσα, καὶ ἀνδρὶ καὶ γυναικὶ καὶ παιδίοις ἀθύρουσι καὶ βοσκήμασι νεμομένοις, ἔτι μὴν καὶ ἐπιχορεῦσαι βουλομένοις καὶ ἐνσκιρτῆσαι φαιδρότατα, θοινήσασθαί τε προθυμουμένοις καὶ ἐμφαγεῖν θυμηρέστατα, ἤδη δὲ καὶ νοσοῦσι πρὸς ὑγίειαν μόνον ἀπέχρησεν.

Ὡς οὖν καὶ τὴν πανήγυριν ἐποψομένη, καὶ πρὸς οὕτως εὔδαιμον καὶ αὐτῇ μόνῃ πρέπον ἐπειγομένη χωρίον, ἑκάστου ἔτους καὶ κατὰ ταὐτὸ τῶν ὡρῶν τὸ χαριέστατον ἀπαίρει μὲν ἐκ τῆς κορυφῆς ταύτης ἵππους ἐντυναμένη—εἶπεν ἄν τις ποιητικῶς—, καταίρει δὲ εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν κορυφήν, καὶ εἰσδύνει τὸν νεών· καὶ τήν τε πανήγυριν ἐπιτελέσασα, καὶ δωρησαμένη τοῖς συνεληλυθόσιν ἃ δωρεῖσθαι νόμος αὐτῇ, καὶ μικρὰ ἄττα ἐφησθεῖσα τῷ χώρῳ, ταύτην ἵεται πάλιν. Οὐδ’ ὡς τοῦτον καταλείψασα τὸν νεών· ἁγίων γὰρ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἴργεται, οὐ κωλύεται μὴ οὐκ ἐπὶ πάντα φοιτᾶν ἀεί τε καὶ εἰς ὁπόσα καὶ ὁπότε βούλονται χωρία καὶ ἔθνη καὶ ἄστη καὶ πόλεις.

Τούτου φασὶ καὶ Ταρσοὺς τὴν μεγάλην πόλιν τυγχάνειν τοῦ θαύματος, τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλου κατὰ τὸν ἴσον τρόπον ἐκ τῆς μεγίστης καὶ βασιλιζούσης πόλεως Ῥώμης ἐπιφοιτῶντος αὐτῇ, καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα τὴν αὐτοῦ
τιμῶντος καὶ πόλιν καὶ ἑστίαν καὶ πανήγυριν, καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς τιμῶσι δεικνύντος ὡς ἄρα ἠρέσθη τῇ πανηγύρει, καὶ δέδεκται τὰς ἱερὰς τιμάς, καὶ ἀντιδέδωκεν αὐταῖς καλλίστας ἀμοιβάς.

Τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ ταύτην Δαλισανδὸν πολλάκις καὶ πολιορκίας ἡ αὐτὴ δήπου μάρτυς ἐξήρπασε, τῆς τε ἀκρωρείας ἐκείνης ὑπερφανεῖσα, καὶ πυρὸς οὐρανίου δίκην τὰς τῶν πολεμίων ὄψεις καταστράψασά τε καὶ καταπλήξασα, καὶ τοῦ πολιορκεῖν ἀποστήσασα. Καὶ εἰσί γε οἱ μεμνημένοι ἔτι τοῦ θαύματος τούτου καὶ ἐπιγαυρούμενοι τῷ διηγήματι.


'The festival in honor of the virgin martyr [in Dalisandos] is magnificent, famous and well attended, so that people flock to the festival from all over. If, during the holy night vigil of her festival, one keeps watch while standing on the highest peak of the mountain next to the city (which turns its back to the East and faces the West) and remains on the spot without falling asleep, one will see the virgin, high in the air and mounted on a chariot of fire, hastening from one of her homes to another, from the region of Seleucia to that virginal dwelling [at Dalisandos], which she loves more than any other besides us [i.e., the shrine at Hagia Thekla] and which she treats with respect and admires, as it is situated in a pristine and suitable setting.

For [the shrine at Dalisandos] has numerous trees, lofty, thick, abounding in blossoms and fruit, and there are many very lovely springs, with very cold water, gushing out from under every plant and every rock, so to her church. And there is a nice breeze in this place, clear and delightful. The birdsong overhead is absolutely marvelous and able to charm not just the visitor who is already relaxed and at ease but also one who is downcast and distraught. Thick and abundant grass is spread out over the earth in many colors, providing a place to rest for everyone – men, women, children at play, and grazing animals – even for those who want to dance and leap for joy, or who are eager to lay out a picnic and dine in the most delightful setting. There are even some sick people who have been restored to health only by a visit [to this grassy meadow].

Therefore, annually during the most delightful part of the year, in order to look in on her festival and to make haste to a place so pleasant and fitting for her alone, she rises from this peak [in Seleucia] after harnessing her horses – as one might say in the words of a poet – and sets down again on that peak [at Dalisandos] and enters her church. When she has celebrated the festival, and distributed to those who have assembled the gifts which she customarily offers [i.e., dreams and healing], and taken some small pleasure in the place, she leaves there once more. Not that she abandoned her church here, for the eyes of the saints are unhindered; they can visit everywhere, as often and whenever they wish.

They say that the great city of Tarsus also benefitted from this miracle. The divine Paul made an appearance there in the same way, coming from the grand imperial city of Rome, and thereby he showed special honor to his own city, his hometown, and his festival, demonstrating to those who honored him that he was pleased by the festival, and he received their holy honors and gave them in return the most beautiful gifts.

The same martyr [Thekla] often rescued this same city of Dalisandos from sieges. She would appear on that lofty summit, dazzling the eyes of her enemies like fire form heaven, stunning them, and causing them to lift the siege. There are some who still remember this miracle and take pleasure in telling it.'

Text: Dagron 1978. Translation: Johnson 2012. Summary: J. Doroszewska.