E05791: The Miracles of Saint Thekla recounts how *Thekla (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092) exposed a virgin who lived by her church at Seleucia and who stole golden trinkets from another woman. Written in Greek at Seleucia ad Calycadnum (southern Asia Minor) in the 470s.

Miracles of Saint Thekla, 43

Μήτε δὲ τοῦ ἑτέρου γυναίου ἀμνημονήσωμεν, εἰ καὶ πενιχρὸν καὶ εὐτελὲς τὸ γύναιον. Βασσιανὴ γάρ τις πρὸς τοὺς οἰκείους αὐτῆς διενεχθεῖσά ποτε, καὶ μικρά τινα τῶν οἰκείων αὐτῆς χρυσιδίων ὑφελομένη, καὶ οἷα ἂν χερνήτιδι γένοιτο γυναικί—ταῦτα δὲ ἦν δακτύλιοι καὶ περιδέραια μικρά—, καταλαμβάνει τὸν νεὼν καὶ αὐτόθι διέτριβεν, ὡς δι’ ὀργῆς ἔχουσα τοὺς οἰκείους. Συνήθης δέ τις αὐτῇ καὶ τῶν περὶ τὸν χρόνον ἐκεῖνον παρθένος, οὐ πολύν τινα ποιουμένη λόγον τῆς παρθένοις πρεπούσης ἀκριβείας ἢ εὐλαβείας, εὑροῦσα καθεύδουσαν ἢ ἀποῦσαν τὴν Βασσιανήν, ὑφελομένη τὰ χρυσίδια ἄπεισι.

Διαναστᾶσα δὲ ἡ γυνή, καὶ μηκέτι ἅπερ ἄρτι εἶχεν εὑροῦσα, καταβοᾶν ἄρχεται καὶ κατοδύρεσθαι τῆς μάρτυρος, ὡς ἂν αὐτῆς πιστευθείσης μὲν ταῦτα φυλάττειν, ἀπολωλεκυίας δὲ ἢ ἀρνουμένης. Ἡ δὲ μάρτυς καὶ ταύτην ἐλεήσασα, καὶ τὴν παρθένον τῆς ἀταξίας μισήσασα, ποιεῖ δήλην αὐτῆς τὴν κλοπήν, τούτῳ μάλιστα κολάζουσα, τῷ ποιῆσαι κατάδηλον τῇ τε ἀπολωλεκυίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὸν νεὼν πᾶσιν, ὡς ἐκείνην σαφῶς διελεγχθεῖσαν ἀποδοῦναί τε τῇ Βασσιανῇ τὰ χρυσίδια, καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ σωφρονισθεῖσαν οὕτω βιῶναι, ὡς καὶ τὸ πταῖσμα συσκιασθῆναι καὶ τὴν τῆς μάρτυρος εὔνοιαν αὖθις ἀνακτήσασθαι.


'I should not fail to mention another woman, even if she is poor and of low status. Once, a certain Bassiane got into a quarrel with some of her relatives, and, taking a few of her own gold trinkets, such as might belong to a wool spinner (just a few small rings and necklaces), she went to the church and stayed there, harbouring her anger toward her relatives. While there she became friendly with one of the virgins who lived there at the time and did not give much importance to the scruples and pious behaviour befitting virgins. This woman, finding Bassiane either asleep or away, stole her gold trinkets and disappeared.

Upon waking up, Bassiane could no longer find these items which had previously been in her possession. She began to cry aloud and complain to the martyr: namely, that she had entrusted the martyr with guarding the items, but she had either lost them or shirked her duty. The martyr, out of pity for Bassiane and out of hatred for the virgin's wicked conduct, brought the latter's theft to light, punishing her in this way: she revealed the theft to its victim as well as to everyone in and around the church. Thus the thief was publicly exposed and returned the golden trinkets to Bassiane, and thereafter she lived in a restrained manner. The result was that the virgin's offense was glossed over and she regained the goodwill of the martyr.'

Text: Dagron 1978. Translation: Johnson 2012.