ON ST. HYACINTHUS, MARTYR,
AT AMASTRIS IN PAPHLAGONIA.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
The cult, elogia, and Acts of the holy Martyr.
Hyacinthus, Martyr, at Amastris in Paphlagonia (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. C.
Amastris, once an illustrious city of Paphlagonia, of whose origin, situation, and episcopate we treated at length on the XXI of February in the Preliminary Commentary to the Life of St. George, bishop of Amastris, gave to the holy Hyacinthus his first use of the light and the glorious palm of martyrdom, The ancient cult of St. Hyacinthus among the Greeks, and afterward religiously venerated the sacred ashes of her citizen, as we read in the Acts themselves, to be subjoined to this Commentary. From the sacred monuments of the Greeks it is plain how celebrated once was the cult of this Martyr: for the Menology edited by Genebrard, the Horologium, the Epitome of the Menology, the Typicon of St. Sabas, the Chifflet Menæum, and other Synaxaria of the Greeks celebrate his annual memory on the XVIII of July. Whence it is a wonder that a Martyr so illustrious is passed over by the printed Menæa and by Maximus, bishop of Cythera. Yet his commemoration passed into the Slavo-Russian Menology, which, translated into Latin by the most noble Baron Sparwenfeld, on the same day announces him thus: "Of the holy Martyr Hyacinthus of Amastris, who after many tortures and the breaking of his teeth dies in prison." But another Synaxarion of the Ruthenians, translated into Latin by George David, missionary of our Society, at Moscow in the year 1688, on this same day has thus: "Of the holy martyr Hyacinthus in Volmastria." I think one should read "in Amastris"; unless perhaps this city is so called in Russian, which I do not know.
[2] The Synaxarion, collected by order of the Emperor Basil, adorns St. Hyacinthus with a more prolix elogium, from the Synaxarion of the Emperor Basil, which, edited in Greek after our tome I of July, I thus render into Latin: "Hyacinthus, martyr of Christ, sprung from pious parents, was the son of Theoclitus and Neonilla, under Heraclius, bishop of Amastris. He indeed received his name from an angel, and at three years old raised a dead boy by the invocation of Christ. But as his virtue grew with age, he came to old age, having meanwhile done many wondrous works; seeing idolaters superstitiously worshiping a tree (it was an empty and as it were exhausted elm), he cut it down. Being therefore seized, he was led to the prince and magistrate of the city of Amastris, and, being violently beaten, his teeth were plucked out: bound also with ropes he was dragged outside the city, and pricked with sharp reeds. Afterward, cast into prison, he gave up his spirit to God. His relics are placed in the very city, ever gushing with remedies." In this brief elogium certain things are contained which are not read in the more prolix Acts. For in them the names of the parents are not expressed. No mention also is made of Heraclius, bishop of Amastris, nor of the miracle which St. Hyacinthus at three years old is here said to have wrought. Moreover the tree, which in this elogium is called an empty and as it were exhausted elm, in our Acts, no. 4, is named a lotus, fair to look upon and luxuriant with a pleasing composition of foliage.
[3] and in other manuscript Menologies of the Greeks, To this elogium our manuscript Excerpts from the Menæa of the Ambrosian Library almost accord, which call the mother of the holy Martyr Theonila, and the bishop of Amastris Heraclitus; and the prince of Amastris Canstricius. But at the end the following are added: Λέγεται παράδοξον καθ᾽ ἕκαστον χρόνον ἐν τῇ μνήμῃ αὐτοῦ συμβαίνειν αὐτῷ· Ὑπὸ γὴν γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ τάφου, ἐν ᾧ τὸ τίμιον αὐτοῦ ἀπόκειται λείψανον, ὑμνοδίας παρὰ τῶν συνελθόντων
καὶ δεήσεως γινομένης, ἁναδίδοται χοῦς, ὅνπερ ὁ ἐπίσκοπος ἔν τινι σκεύει δεχόμενος ἰερῷ τοῖς συνελθοῦσιν διανέμει εἰς ψυχῶν καὶ σωμάτων θεραπείαν καὶ ἴασιν. That is: "It is said that every year in his commemoration a wondrous thing happens through him: for while the tomb, in which his venerable relics lie, is beneath the earth, when hymns and prayers are sung by those who have assembled, dust is cast up, which the bishop, receiving in a certain sacred vessel, distributes to those who come, for the healing and cure of souls and bodies." Of the same miracle our Acts make mention, no. 20. To this latter elogium or compendium of the Life very similar is the manuscript supplement to the printed Menæa, collected from the Synaxarion of Sirmond and the manuscript of Chifflet, in which the bishop of Amastris is called Heraclides, and the prefect of the same city Canstridius. Besides certain other discrepancies of lighter moment, these two little verses are prefixed to that elogium:
Ὡς ὀσφράδιον ὑακίνθινον, Λόγε, δέξαι τὸν Ὑάκινθον αὐτῷ καλάμῳ. As the pleasing odor of the hyacinth flower, so, O Christ, receive thy Hyacinthus on the very reed.
Sufficiently manifest here is the allusion to the name of the Saint and the hyacinth flower. But while mention is made of the reed or cane, I judge that the scape or stem of the hyacinthine flower is signified, and that the Greek poet wished to allude to the punishment of the sharp reeds, with which the idolaters pricked the holy Martyr.
[4] Although in the preceding Greek Fasti this holy Martyr is recorded on the XVIII of July, and is shown by the Roman Martyrology, yet in the Menology which Canisius published from the Library and interpretation of Cardinal Sirleto, tome 2 of the Ancient Reading, it is thus read on the XVII of July: "On the same day, of the holy Martyr Hyacinthus at Amastris. He, when he had been led to Castrisius the governor and the magistrates of the city of Amastris, having professed the Christian faith, is violently beaten, and, his teeth plucked out, is dragged through the midst of the city by ropes, and wounded with sharp reeds; afterward cast into prison, he commended his Spirit to God himself." From this Menology it doubtless passed into the Roman Martyrology, which on this day has thus: "At Amastris in Paphlagonia, of St. Hyacinthus the martyr, who under the governor Bastritius, having suffered many things, rested in prison." On these words of the Roman Martyrology Baronius notes that the Greeks also treat of him on this day in the Menology, where his passion is also described. But this seems to be understood of the Sirletian Menology, since the monuments of the Greeks cited above, and the Usuardine Additions edited a second and third time by Molanus, mark him on the XVIII of July. Nevertheless we, following the Roman Martyrology, have placed him on this day. Now let us premise a few things about his Acts.
[5] Of the writer of the Acts, and the time of the martyrdom, it is discussed. Nicetas surnamed Paphlago, who lived after the middle of the ninth century, composed a panegyric oration in praise of St. Hyacinthus, martyr of Amastris, in which indeed he adorns the deeds of the most valiant athlete with rhetorical eloquence, but indicates no epoch of the life or Passion. It could somehow be gathered from the elogia related above, if the age of the bishop or prefect of Amastris, there mentioned, were established. But since I have hitherto sought it in vain, I can determine nothing certain, unless someone more fortunate than I shall unearth it from somewhere. Castellani indeed in his Universal Martyrology, announcing our Martyr on this day, notes in the margin the fourth century. But since he brings no argument for his assertion, and in fixing epochs of this kind not rarely errs, I dare not trust him pronouncing without witnesses. Wherefore I am compelled to leave the time of the martyrdom undetermined, until someone, as I said, shall show it proved from ancient monuments. I now see nothing remaining, except that we again subject to the press the panegyric oration, composed in Greek by Nicetas Paphlago, and edited with a Latin interpretation at Paris in the year 1666 by F. François Combefis the Dominican, from a manuscript codex of Cardinal Mazarin.
PANEGYRIC
BY THE AUTHOR NICETAS PAPHLAGO.
From the edition of Combefis.
Hyacinthus, Martyr, at Amastris in Paphlagonia (S.)
BY NICETAS PAPHLAGO.
CHAPTER I.
Prologue; the Saint's homeland; exhortation to his fellow-citizens to abandon idolatry.
Ἔπρεπεν ἄρα, πολλῶν καὶ τιμίων λίθων εἰς κατοικητήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ πνεύματι συνοικοδομουμένων, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δοξαζομένων· καὶ γὰρ τοῖς τοιούτοις ἡ νοερὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πόλις καὶ ζῶσα καταρτίζεται καὶ συγκροτεῖται, καὶ τὸν ἱερόν τε καὶ θεῖον Ὑάκινθον συμπαρειλῆφται· τοσοῦτον ταῖς νοηταῖς τῆς ἁγιότητος χάρισι καὶ ἀγλαΐαις τῶν ὅλων σχεδὸν ἁγίων σαφῶς ὑπεραστράπτοντα, ὅσῳ καὶ χαριεστέρας ἁπάντων τετύχηκε προσηγορίας· παντοίαις γὰρ νηπιόθεν ὁ θαυμασιώτατος ἀναγόμενος ἀρεταῖς· πᾶσι δὲ θείοις τοῦ Πνεύματος συγκροτούμενος χαρίσμασιν· ἐν πολιᾷ δὲ βαθείᾳ λαμπρὸν καὶ περιφανὲς τὸ μαρτύριον ἀποδοὺς τῷ Θεῷ, λαμπρᾶς ὅτι μάλιστα καὶ τῆς ἀναῤῥήσεως καταξιοῦται.
[2] Τοιγαροῦν ἐπαινέσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὸν ἀξιεπαίνετον τοῦ Θεοῦ παῖδα τὸν ἀξιόθεον, τὸν ἀξιομακάριστον Ὑάκινθον; τὸν νοητὸν, καὶ τίμιον τοῦ Θεοῦ λίθον, τὸν ἔμψυχον, τὸν ζῶντα, τὸν νοερὸν, τὸν οὐρανίῳ τοῦ Πνεύματος φρονήματι οἷα λαμπρῷ καὶ οὐρανοβαφεῖ χρώματι κατακόρως οὕτω χρωννύμενον καὶ κλεἳζόμενον, ὡς μέρος καὶ αὐτὸν τοῦ στεφάνου τῆς δόξης τοῦ τῷ Παμβασιλεῖ πλακέντος ἀναδείκνυσθαι. Τοῦτον σήμερον κατὰ τὴν ἐτήσιον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἱερὰν μνημοσύνην, εἰς ὕμνησιν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις προτιθέμενον τοῖς λόγων ἄνθεσι, κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀναδησώμεθα· καὶ τῶν μαρτυρικῶν ἀγώνων γνησίως αὐτὸν μακαρίσαντες, καὶ τῶν τῆς μαρτυρίας ἐπάθλων διὰ ταῦτα κοινονήσαντες, αὐτῷ τε χρέως χαριέστατον ἀποδώσομεν, καὶ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ τὴν ὀφειλομένην προσοίσομεν οἰκοδομήν.
[3] Ἐκείνῳ πατρὶς μὲν, ἡ ἄνω Σιὼν, ἡ λαμπρὰ πάντων ἁγίων νοερά τε μητρόπολις καὶ πιστή· πατὴρ δὲ ἀληθὴς, ὁ Θεός· μήτηρ δὲ, ἡ χάρις τοῦ Πνεύματος· ἡ τοσοῦτον δι᾽ ὕδατος ἀναγενώμενον ἄνωθεν ἐνδῦσα, καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτῷ φυσικὴν εἰς ὑπερφυῆ μορφὴν μεταποιοῦσα καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας Θεοῦ, καὶ εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος προάγουσα Χριστοῦ, δοκιμώτατον ἐπὶ τέλει Μάρτυρα τοῦτον, καὶ ἀξιολογώτατον Κυρίῳ περίστησιν ἀθλητήν. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἡ κάτω πατρὶς ἄσημος· οὐδ᾽ ἀνώνυμοι καὶ ἀγεννεῖς τῷ Ὑακίνθῳ τοκεῖς. Ἀμάστρα δὲ τοῦτον ἐνφύσασα καὶ τιθηνήσασα, καὶ ὑπὸ γονεῦσιν ἐπισήμοις τε τοῦτον ἀναθρεψαμένη καὶ πιστοῖς, ἔλαθε τὸν αὐτῆς προβαλλομένη πολιοῦχον καὶ πολιστήν.
[4] Ἀμάστρα, ὁ τῆς Παφλαγονίας μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς οἰκουμένης ὀλίγου δεῖν, ὀφθαλμὸς, εἰς ἣν οἵτε τὸ βόρειον τοῦ Εὐξείνου μέρος περιοικοῦντες Σκύθαι, καὶ οἱ πρὸς νότον δὲ κείμενοι, ὥσπερ εἴς τι κοινὸν συντρέχοντες ἐμπόριον, τὰ παρ᾽ ἐαυτῶν τε συνεισφέρουσι, καὶ τῶν παρ᾽ αὐτῆς ἀντιλαμβάνουσι· πόλις, ἑώας τε πάσης λήξεως καὶ ἑσπερίου μεταξὺ κειμένη· οὐδενὶ μὲν τῶν ἀπὸ γῆς ἢ θαλάσσης ἀγωγίμων σπανίζεται· πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς ἐπιτηδείοις δαψιλῶς εὐθηνουμένη, οἰκοδομήμασί τε λαμπροῖς καὶ τείχεσι καρτεροῖς· ναὶ δὴ καὶ λιμέσι καλοῖς, καὶ οἰκήτορσιν ἄνωθεν περιφανεστάτοις κεχρημένη, ἑνὶ τούτῳ, τῇ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν εὐσεβείᾳ, μικρῷ πάντων ἀνθρώπων ἠλαττοῦτο. Καὶ σκοπεῖτε τὸ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀγνωσίας ἢ δεισιδαιμονίας βάθος· οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀνθρώπων, ἢ ζώων τινῶν ὁμοιώματι τὴν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ δόξαν ἐναλλάξαντες, ὥσπερ Ἑλλήνων καὶ Αἰγυπτίων οἱ πλείους, τὸ σέβας τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἀφοσιοῦντο, δένδρῳ δέ τινι τῶν παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς, λωτῷ μὲν καλουμένῳ, ὡραίῳ δὲ τὴν θέαν, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ εὐθαλῆ τὴν κατασκευὴν προσχόντες, καὶ τὸν ἀνόητον νοῦν ἀμέτρως καταθελχθέντες, καὶ ἡττηθέντες τῆς αὐτοῦ καλλονῆς, τοῦτο Θεὸν νενομήκασιν· ἱερεῦσί τε καὶ θυσίαις ἐξιλάσκεσθαι ᾤοντο δεῖν.
[5] οὕτως αὐτῶν ἡ ἀναισθησία κατευμεγεθοῦσα, τῷ ἀναισθήτῳ κατεδουλοῦτο ξύλῳ· ἔργον καὶ τοῦτο τῆς ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἀνθρωποκτόνου χειρός· ὃς ἐπειδὴ τῆς μιᾶς ἀληθείας καὶ μόνης συμπαρακινηθῆναι παρεσκεύαζεν, μυρίαις λοιπὸν ἀπάταις, καὶ δεισιδαιμονίαις πολυτρόπωτάταις ἐλυμαίνετο. Ἡ μὲν οὖν εἰρημένη πόλις ἔκ τινος θεοβλαβείας πατροπαραδότου, καὶ ἀτόπου προλήψεως ξυλολατροῦσα, τῆς ἀληθινῆς οὕτω διημάρτανε θεογνωσίας· οὐκ ἔμελλε δὲ ἄρα ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ προνοίας παραμελητήσεσθαι, οὐδ᾽ εἰς τέλος αὐτῷ παροραθήσεσθαι· τὸ τίμιον δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ θεόφυτον εὐκαίρως ἐξανίσχει φυτόν· φυτὸν ζωῆς ἁγίας, καὶ ψυχῆς τελείας καὶ ἀληθείας Θεοῦ πλῆρες, κατὰ τοῦ τῆς πλάνης ἀνίστησι φυτοῦ.
[6] Τὴν μὲν οὖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς Ὑακίνθου τοῦ ἁγίου βλάστην, ἤτοι τὴν νηπιόθεν αὐτῷ παρεπομένην τοῦ πανσθενοῦς Πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν, καὶ τῶν θαυμασίων τὴν ἐπίδειξιν· οἶδεν γὰρ ἡ Σοφία ἀπὸ μήτρας αὐτῆς ἁγιάζειν τοὺς οἰκείους καὶ οὓς πρόεγνω δεξιοὺς αὐτῇ χρηματίζοντας, καὶ γνώμης ἑκουσιότητι τὸ βέλτιον αἱρετίσοντας, τούτοις ἅμα τῇ πρώτῃ συνεισιέναι πλάσει, καὶ τεκμηρίοις τισίν ἐστιν ὅτε τὴν μέλλουσαν παρασημαίνειν δόξαν· ταῦτα μὲν, ὡς οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης προαιρέσεως, Θεοῦ δὲ καθαρῶς ἔργα καθεστῶτα, τοῖς ἱστορεῖν ἐθέλουσι παρήσομεν· ὃ δὲ, οὐκέτι μόνης τῆς χάριτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς ἀθλοφορικῆς ὁμολογουμένως προθέσεως καρπὸς, καὶ ἔργον τῇς ἐκείνου πίστεως ἄξιον, τοῦτό μοι δοκοῦν, ἐπαινετέον εἶναι, καὶ ταῖς θαυμασίαις τοῦ ἱεροῦ Μάρτυρος ἀνδραγαθίαις, τὰς φιλομάρτυρας διανοίας καὶ ψυχὰς ἑστιᾷν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὴν πρώτην τε καὶ δευτέραν ἡλικίαν, καὶ καθεξῆς ὁ Μακάριος ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ τε πάσῃ καὶ ἔργοις τετελεκὼς δικαιοσύνης, εἰς πρεσβυτικὴν ἤδη μεθηλικίωσιν κατήντησεν, ὅσῳ μὲν αὐτὸς τῷ μακρῷ χρόνῳ πρὸς πᾶσαν Θεοῦ πίστιν κατωρθοῦτο καὶ ἀρετὴν, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον οἱ παρανομώτατοι τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τοὺς πάλαι ἀπειθεῖς, τῷ εἰρημένῳ ἐμοιχῶντο ξύλῳ· καὶ αὐτοὶ μὲν ὡς Θεῷ, τούτῳ τὰς λατρείας ἐκτόπως θυσιάζοντες ἀνέφερον· αὐτὸς δὲ, τῷ ζήλῳ τῆς εὐσεβείας πυρπολούμενος, καὶ καθ᾽ ἑκάστην, ὡς εἰπεῖν, αὐτοῖς προσιὼν, παρηγγύα καὶ παρήγγελλεν.
[7] Ἄνδρες πολίται, λέγων, ὅσοις ἔμφρων ἐνέστακται λογισμός· δέομαι ὑμῶν ὀρθῇ κρίσει καὶ διακονίᾳ λελογισμένῃ κεχρημένοι, τοῖς ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν πραττομένοις ἐπιστήσατε τὸν νοῦν· γνῶτε δὴ καὶ σύνετε τίνι λατρεύετε· καὶ τίνι τὸ σέβας, ὡς Θεῷ, προσαναφέρετε· τὸ ξύλον γὰρ τοῦτο, καθὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δένδρα πάντα, τῶν μὲν ἀψύχων σωμάτων καλλίονός ἐστι φύσεως, καθ᾽ ὃ θρεπτικῆς ὅλως καὶ αὐξητικῆς δυνάμεως εὐμοιρεῖ· χεῖρον δὲ ζώων πάντων, ὅτι πάσης αἰσθήσεως καὶ πάσης μεταβατικῆς κινήσεως ἀμοιρεῖ ὥσπερ δὴ καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων ἕκαστα ζώων, τῷ μὲν αἰσθήσεως, ἢ κινήσεως μετέχειν, τῶν φυτῶν τελειότερα δεικνύμενα· τῷ ἄμοιρα δὲ λόγου καθεστάναι, τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ φύσιν χρηματίζει χείρω· καὶ γὰρ οὐχ᾽ ὁμοιειδὴς ἡ κτίσις, οὐδ᾽ ὁμοταγῶς τὰ πάντα τῇ δημιουργῷ σοφίᾳ διατέτακται· ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παναρμονίῳ τὰ πάντα συστοιχίᾳ καὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ, ἀπὸ τοῦ βελτίονος ἐπὶ τὸ ἧσσον, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοίου καὶ θεοειδοῦς, ἐπὶ τὸ πόῤῥω Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνόμοιον προάγει τὴν δημιουργίαν· ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀμέσως τοῖς τῶν ἔργων ἐσχάτοις, διὰ πολλῶν δὲ τῶν ἐν μέσῳ θεωρηθῇ, τὰς πρεπούσας προνοίας ἐπιβάλλουσα· τοῖς κάτωθεν δὲ πρὸς αὐτοῦ ἀνιέναι τὴν σοφίαν διὰ θεωρίας βουλομένοις, διά τινας ἀναβαθμοὺς προϋποβάλλουσα, καὶ τούτοις τὰς πρὸς Θεὸν ἀναβάσεις κατευθύνουσα.
[8] Διὰ τοῦτο πρῶτοι μὲν ἁπάσης τῆς ὁρατῆς κτίσεως ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκτίστου τῶν ὅλων αἰτίας, οἱ θεῖοι νόες εἰς τὸ εἶναι καταβέβληνται· νόες ἀσώματοι, θεοειδεῖς, φωτοειδεῖς, ἐν ἀρετῇ πρὸς τὸν ἀχρόνως αὐτοὺς ὑφιστῶντα τὴν ὁμοιότητα κεκτημένοι καὶ οἰκείωσιν· μετὰ τὸν νοῦν δημιουργεῖται λόγος, τῇ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου συγκατασκευαζόμενος οὐσίᾳ· σώζων μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς εἰκόνα τινὰ καὶ ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ πλάσαντος, ἧττον δὴ, ἢ κατὰ τὴν τῶν νόων ἰδέαν, διὰ τὴν τοῦ χείρονος μετοχήν· μετὰ τὸν λόγον δὲ, αἴσθησις, ἢ τῶν ἀλόγων ζώων τὸ ἰδιαίτατον, ὥσπερ ἐστὶ τῶν λογικῶν ὁ λόγος· μετὰ τὴν αἴσθησιν δὲ, ἡ ἁπλῆ ἡ φυτικὴ τέτακται ζωὴ, πάσης ὑφειμένη τῆς κτίσεως· μόνης δὲ τῆς ἀψύχου πάντῃ καὶ ὑλικῆς, ὃν εἰπόντες προέφθημεν τρόπον, καθυπερτεροῦσα.
[9] Εἰ οὖν οὔτ᾽ αἴσθησιν, οὔτε λόγον, οὔτε δὲ νοῦν, τὰ τῶν ποιημάτων κάλλιστα, τιμητέον ὡς θεούς· ποιήματα γὰρ, καὶ πάντα πρὸς δόξαν ἰδίαν ὁ τῶν πάντων παραγωγεὺς κατεσκευάσατο, πῶς τὰ μακρῷ τὴν φύσιν ἐκείνων ἀτιμότερα νομισθείησαν θεοί; πῶς δὲ τὸν λωτὸν τουτονὶ, γῆς ὄντα καρπὸν, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑνὸς μὲν ἐῤῥιζομένον τόπου, ἀνέμοις δὲ πᾶσι δονούμενον, πυρί τε καὶ σιδήρῳ κατὰ φύσιν ὑποκείμενον· πῶς τοῦτον Θεὸν, ὦ ἄνδρες, οὐ φρίσσετε καλεῖν, θυσίαις τε καὶ σπονδαῖς τὴν ἀναίσθητον φύσιν οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε τιμᾷν; εἰ γὰρ Θεὸς τοῦτο, καὶ πᾶν ἄρα ἄλσος Θεὸς ἂν εἴη· πάντα γάρ ἐστι φύσεως μιᾶς· ξύλα γάρ· εἰ δὲ τὰ ξύλα θεοὶ, πῶς ταῦτα ταῖς ἀξίναις ἐκκόπτοντες, καὶ τῷ πυρὶ τροφὴν ὑποβάλλοντες, οὐ κινδυνεύετε θεομαχεῖν; πολλῆς τοῦτο γέμει ἀλογίας, ὑπερβαλλούσης ἀναισθησίας βραχεῖ καὶ ὑποσάθρῳ ξύλῳ, καὶ ἀνονήτῳ πάντα προσανέχειν τε καὶ λατρεύειν ὡς Θεῷ· εἰ γὰρ οἱ τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸν ἥλιον, σελήνην τε καὶ ἀστέρων τινὰς θεοποιήσαντες, τά τε λοιπὰ στοιχεῖα, καὶ αὐτὸ σεβαζόμενοι τὸ πῦρ, ἔνδικον ἀπειλήφασι τὴν ὀργὴν, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς Θεὸν ἐδόξασαν ἢ ηὐχαρίστησαν τὸν τῶν ἁπάντων παραγωγέα τε καὶ συνοχέα, ἀλλὰ τοῖς αὐτῶν λογισμοῖς ματαιωθέντες, ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμεῖς, οἱ τὸν τῆς κτίσεως ὅλης φυτουργὸν ἀφέντες, καὶ τῷ χαμαιζήλῳ τούτῳ φυτῷ τὸ φοβερὸν ὄνομα τῶν Θεοῦ καταψευδόμενοι, δικαίαν ἐφ᾽ ἑαυτοὺς ἕλκετε τοῦ καταφρονουμένου τὴν ἀπειλήν.
[10] Εἴ τι οὖν ἐμοὶ πείθεσθε, ὦ ἄνδρες πολῖται, εἴ τι μέλει τῆς οἰκείας σωτηρίας ὑμῖν, τὸ μὲν δένδρον τοῦτο ἐκκόψατε, καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλετε, ὅτι μηδ᾽ εἰς ἄλλό τι μὲν χρησιμεύει ὑμῖν· αὐτοὶ δὲ πᾶσαν τῶν ὁρωμένων τὴν κτίσιν ταῖς διανοίαις ὑπερβαίνοντες, πᾶσαν ἡμῶν ἕνεκεν γεγενημένην εἰδότες, καὶ χείρω τοῦ ἀνθρώπου κατὰ φύσιν οὖσαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ποίησιν τῶν νοερῶν καὶ ἁγίων ἀφέντες οὐσιῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ δι᾽ αὐτῶν χειραγωγούμενοι πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος κατευθυνώμεθα Θεοῦ· ὃς μόνος ὢν ἀεὶ, καὶ ἀεὶ τὸν μονογενῆ Λόγον ἐκ τῆς ἰδίας οὐσίας ἀπαυγάζων, ὥσπερ ὁ ἥλιος τὸ φῶς, καὶ ἀεὶ Πνεῦμα ἅγιον σύμφυτον, τοῦ οἰκείου στόματος ἀμερίστως προϊέμενος. Οὗτος τῷ Λόγῳ μὲν αὐτοῦ ἐστερέωσεν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, τῷ Πνεύματι δὲ, πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τῶν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ κτιζομένων καταρτίζεται. Οὗτος τὸν ἄνθρωπον πρῶτον κατ᾽ εἰκόνα ἰδίαν ποιήσας καὶ ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τεθεικὼς, καὶ ἐντολὴν δεδωκὼς, ἐπειδὴ τῇ παραβάσει τῆς ἐντολῆς φθορὰν κατακέκριται καὶ θάνατον, οὐκ εἰς τέλος αὐτὸν ὑπερεῖδεν ἀπολλύμενον, ἀλλὰ λόγῳ καὶ νόμῳ καὶ προφήταις προπαιδαγωγήσας, ὕστερον καὶ αὐτὸν ἔδωκεν τὸν Υἱὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἐξ ἀπειρογάμου κόρης γεννώμενον, ἀνθρωπιζόμενον, βαπτιζόμενον, πειραζόμενον, σταυρούμενον, θαπτόμενον, τριήμερον ἀνιστάμενον, πρὸς οὐρανοὺς ἀναλαμβανόμενον· καὶ αὖθις ἐκεῖθεν ἥξειν προσδεχόμενον, καὶ σύμπαν τὸ πλάσμα παραστήσειν ἑαυτῷ, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτον ὑμᾶς, ὦ φίλοι, Θεὸν εἰδέναι παρεγγυῶ· τοῦτον σέβεσθαι, τοῦτον θυσίαις πνευματικαῖς ἱλεοῦσθαι παραινῶ, τὸν ἐν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ, καὶ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι θεωρούμενον καὶ προσκυνούμενον· τὸν μόνον δίκαιον καὶ ζῶντα Θεόν· ὃς, ἀέναον κόλασιν καὶ πῦρ ἡτοίμασεν ἄσβεστον, τοῖς αὐτὸν μὲν ἀθετοῦσι τὴν κτίσιν δὲ θεοποιοῦσιν· ὃς οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν, ζωήν τε καὶ δόξαν αἰώνιον τοῖς πιστεύουσιν ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν, δι᾽ ὕδατός τε καὶ πνεύματος ἀναγεννωμένοις, ἐπηγγείλατο.
[11] Τοιαύταις ὁ θεῖος Ὑάκινθος παραγγελίαις, τοιαύταις ἀεὶ παραινέσεσιν, οὐκ ἀνιεῖ τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας αὐτῷ νουθετῶν, ἐλέγχων, παρακαλῶν, πᾶσι λόγοις καὶ τρόποις τῆς ἐκ τόπου δεισιδαιμονίας αὐτοὺς ταύτης ἀπαλλάττειν προθυμούμενος· ἤνυεν δὴ πλέον οὐδέν· δῆμος γὰρ ἀλόγιστος καὶ θρασὺς, συνηθείαις κακαῖς καὶ πονηροτάταις· προλήψεσι δεδουλωμένος· δυσαγώνιστός τε ἔτι, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον ἀνεπαίσθητος ἐπιστροφῆς· ὅθεν οἱ μὲν ἀναισθησίᾳ τὰ ὦτα βαρύνοντες, καὶ νῶτον διδόντες παραφρονοῦντα, κατὰ τὴν Γραφὴν, ὡς εἰκῆ ληροῦντος οὐκ ἠνείχοντο· οἱ δὲ καὶ μανίαις καὶ ζήλοις πικροῖς οἰστρηλατούμενοι, ὕβρεσί τε τοῦτον μυρίαις ἡμείβοντο καὶ ἀτιμίαις· καί ποτε μὲν χλευάζοντες, ποτὲ δὲ ὀνειδίζοντες· ἔστι δ᾽ ὅτε καὶ ἀπειλοῦντες αὐτῷ καὶ συνεπιτιθέμενοι, ἔβρυχον τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐπ᾽ αὐτόν. Τί οὖν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Θεοῦ; οὐκ αὔταρκες οἴεται τὸ καθ᾽ ἑαυτὸν μόνον διορᾷν, ὅπως ἃν ἔχοι καλῶς, τῶν ἄλλων δὲ κακῶς ἐχόντων ὑπερορᾷν· οὐδὲ θρηνεῖν μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἡσυχῇ, καὶ ποτνιᾶσθαι πρὸς τὸν Κύριον, παῤῥησιάζεσθαι δὲ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας ὑποστέλλεσθαι. Οὐδὲ λόγῳ μὲν καὶ διδασκαλίαις μόνον, ἔργῳ δὲ μὴ ἀνακόπτειν τῶν ἀφρονευομένων πειρᾶσθαι τὴν δυσσέβειαν, ἀρίστης εἶναι καὶ τελείας ἔργον ἡγεῖται διανοίας.
It was indeed fitting, since many, and those precious, stones are built together into the dwelling of God in the Spirit, and are held in it in celebrated glory (for by such the intelligent and living city of God itself is perfectly constructed and welded together), that the sacred and divine Hyacinthus should likewise be taken up together with them; The orator alluding to the hyacinth stone, surpassing, namely, by the spiritual graces of holiness and joyful splendors, the manifest brilliance of nearly all the Saints, and outshining them, by as much as he obtained a name more pleasing than all. For a man supremely to be admired, advanced from infancy in every kind of virtue, and filled with all the divine graces of the Spirit, in deep old age, his martyrdom rendered to God bright and illustrious, is endowed with a most splendid proclamation.
[2] Therefore let us too pursue with praises the servant of God worthy of praise: namely the man worthy of God, he prefaces concerning the Saint's name and feast, Hyacinthus, altogether worthily to be beatified; the spiritual and precious stone of God; ensouled, living, intelligent, so saturated and illumined with the heavenly sense of the Spirit, as with a bright and heavenly color, that he too shines as a part of the crown of glory woven for the head of the supreme King of all. Him today—his annual and sacred memory set before the churches as a theme of praise—let us too crown, so far as our ability shall allow, with the flowers of discourse; and, proclaiming him blessed for having sincerely sweated out the contests of martyrdom, and thereby sharing in the rewards of martyrdom, we shall both render to him a most graceful debt, and nonetheless offer to the Church of God the due edification, as a welcome gift.
[3] The homeland of St. Hyacinthus was Amastris, To him the homeland is indeed the heavenly Sion, the bright and faithful metropolis of all Saints and minds; but his true father, God: and his mother, the grace of the Spirit; which so entered into and poured itself upon him, regenerated anew through water (or, if you prefer, from above), transforming the natural form in him into an extraordinary one, and, changing it into a nobler one than the reckonings of nature allow, advancing him to the acknowledgment of the truth of God and to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that it rendered him at last a most approved Martyr, and a most notable Athlete for the Lord. But not even his earthly homeland was ignoble; nor were Hyacinthus' parents obscure and of the dregs of the common people: nay, Amastris bore and reared him, and, nourishing him with illustrious, noble, and faithful parents, unknowingly brought forth almost her own patron, author, and founder.
[4] an opulent city of Paphlagonia, Amastris, namely, the little eye of Paphlagonia (nay rather of almost the whole world); to which the neighboring Scythians, both those who inhabit the northern region of the Euxine sea, and those set toward the south, as if running together to a common emporium, both bring in their own wares, and receive from her: a city, namely, set almost in the middle of all the dominion of the East and of the West; laboring under no scarcity of provision by land or sea, and affluently abounding in all things convenient; and once possessed of splendid buildings and most illustrious citizens, in this one thing alone (namely, piety toward God and religion) was inferior to almost all mortals. For, I pray, attend how great was the depth of their ignorance or superstition: for they had not changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of men or of any animals, in which manner most of the Greeks and Egyptians rendered worship to demons: but attending their mind to a certain tree, among them called the lotus a, fair to look upon, as is fitting, and luxuriant with a pleasing composition of foliage, and enticed in mind beyond measure foolishly, and overcome by its beauty, calling it God itself, they had decreed that it must be appeased by priestly ministers and by the religion of victims.
[5] So indeed, and so monstrously did their stupor grow, and the absence of all sense, which by an insane error worshiped a tree for God. that it addicted them to a tree lacking the light of all sense. But this too was the work of the hand of him who from the beginning is a murderer. For, since he had brought it about that they should alike secede and be moved away from the truth, which is one and only, he thereafter inflicted harm by innumerable errors and superstitions of the most various kind. So the city of which I spoke, by a certain dire folly against the Godhead, received by the tradition of the elders, and by an absurd opinion of the ingrained error of the common folk, rendering worship to a tree, wandered in this manner from the true knowledge and faith of God. Yet it was not to be that the providence of Christ should neglect it, or despise it to the end. Nay, it opportunely brings forth this noble stock, sown by God. Namely, it raises up a stock of holy life, and full of a perfect soul and of the truth of God, against the stock of error.
[6] Other things which St. Hyacinthus did before old age being passed over, Therefore the very first, as it were, budding forth of holy Hyacinthus—namely the inspiration and working of the omnipotent Spirit accompanying him from infancy, and the display of wondrous works b (for Wisdom knows how to sanctify her own from the very womb; and those whom she foreknew would be agile and industrious in their duties, and would choose virtue by the free nod and will of the soul, as soon as by the first formation they enter into the nature of things, to designate at times by certain marks their future glory and brightness)—these things, as being plainly the works not of human will but of God, we shall leave to be related by those c who have resolved in their mind to weave the history of his affairs: but what is the fruit not only of divine grace, but also openly of the will of the victorious Athlete's soul, and a work worthy of his faith, this it has seemed good to me to celebrate with praises, and richly to entertain the Martyr-loving souls and minds with the admirable deeds and doings of the strong soul of the sacred Martyr. For what the blessed Man, his first and second age, and thereafter having been passed in all piety and works of justice, advanced to the aged
had already passed his years; by how much he, in his long age, excelled in all faith and virtue of God, by so much the more the most wicked citizens, after the manner of those who of old had been unbelieving, committed adultery in the worship of that tree of which I spoke. And these indeed offered victims to it, as sacrificing to God; but he, kindled with zeal of piety, and daily, so to speak, meeting the men, admonished and exhorted them of their duty.
[7] "Men, citizens," he said, "as many of you as have anything of sound reason: his oration is related, I ask you, with right judgment and deliberate mind, to attend to these things which are done by you. Know, I pray, and understand whom you worship, and to whom, as to God, you render veneration. For this tree, as also the rest of the kinds of plants and trees, is indeed of a more excellent nature than inanimate bodies, in this respect, that it is endowed with the faculty of nourishing and growing: but worse than all living creatures, because it is devoid of all sense and of all locomotive movement. As indeed also all brute animals, in that they are endowed with sense and movement, are proved nobler than shrubs and plants, are themselves, because they lack reason, by nature inferior to man. For not everything that is created among things is of the same kind, nor are all things constituted in the same and equal order by the creating Wisdom, but all in a most harmonious series, cohering one with another, produced from that which is more excellent to that which is worse; and from that which is like and God-formed, to that which is far from God and unlike; that creation was produced by him, that he might be understood to apply his fitting providence and care not immediately to the extreme works, but through many intermediate ones interposed; and, to those who wish to rise from the lower things to himself through contemplation, to lay down as it were certain steps, and to direct their ascents to God.
[8] Wherefore before all creation falling under sight, the author of the universe being uncreated, in which he strove, by various arguments, the divine minds d were produced into the nature of things: minds, namely, incorporeal, God-formed, light-formed, so to speak, having obtained, by their parts of virtue, likeness and kinship with him who produces them out of time. From the mind, as a second origin, reason is founded and procreated, fabricated as the companion of the essence of man: which indeed retains a certain image and likeness of him who formed it; yet far inferior than according to the reckoning of the minds, on account of its commerce with that which is worse. But after reason, sense, the most peculiar office and dowry of brute animals, as reason is of those which are endowed with it. From sense follows simple life, namely the vegetative, in the lowest grade of all creation; so, namely, that it excels only the utterly inanimate and earthly, in the manner which we said above.
[9] [to call back the citizens of Amastris from the superstitious veneration of the tree,] Since therefore neither sense nor reason, nor mind, the most beautiful of created things may be worshiped as gods: inasmuch as they are creatures, and all things which the producer of the universe fabricated for his own glory, how does it come about that things which are far more ignoble by nature than these are esteemed gods? But how do you not shudder, O men, to call this lotus—namely a germ of the earth, and rooted in one place, but exposed to every blast of the winds, and by nature subject to fire and iron—how, I say, to call it God; nor are you ashamed to venerate with victims and libations a nature destitute of all sense? For if this is God, then surely every grove will also be God: for all are of one nature, namely trees and wood. But if trees are gods, how, cutting them down with axes and subjecting them as fuel to fire, do you not undergo the risk of impiety, and of being heard as adversaries of God? A thing full of folly; of profuse stupor, to attend the mind to a small and fragile tree, and utterly useless, and to render worship to it as to God. For if those who endowed the very heaven, and the sun and moon and certain of the stars or constellations with deity, and venerating the other elements and fire itself, received just wrath, because they did not glorify or give thanks as to God, devoted to the worship of him who produced and preserves all things; but becoming vain in their thoughts, worshiped the creature rather than the Creator; by a far more forcible reason do you, while, leaving aside him who is the sower of all creation, you falsely ascribe the tremendous name of God to this lowly stock, draw upon yourselves the just indignation of him who is despised by you.
[10] and to lead them to the worship of the true God, If therefore you believe me at all, men, citizens, if you have any care for your salvation, cut down this tree and cast it into the fire, since it is of no other use to you e; and, yourselves surpassing by the thought of your minds the whole creation of things subject to the eyes—knowing that it was all brought forth for our sake, and is by nature inferior than befits the excellence of man; but also leaving aside the making of the minds above us, and of the holy substances; or rather, led as it were by the hand through them, let us be directed to the knowledge of him who is truly He that is, God: who, namely, is always himself, and always radiates the only-begotten Word out of his own substance and splendor, as the sun the light; and always brings forth the co-natural (so to speak) and kindred Holy Spirit indivisibly from his own mouth. He by his Word established the heavens, and by the Spirit perfects and completes all the power of the things founded by him. He, when the first man, created to his image and likeness, and placed in paradise, had by the transgression of the command been condemned to corruption and death, did not utterly despise him, lost; but first instructing him by reason and law and the Prophets, at last gave even his own Son for us, born of an unwedded maiden, made man, dipped in the waters, tempted, affixed to the cross, buried, raised on the third day, and taken up into the heavens: and who is expected to come again thence, and to bring whatever has been formed (namely the whole human race) to his tribunal: at last to render to each according to what he has done. Him, friends, I admonish you to acknowledge as God. Him I exhort you to worship, and to strive to appease with spiritual victims, who is understood and adored in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit; the only just and living God: who, namely, has prepared eternal punishments and fire for those who, despising him, deify the creature: who, finally, has promised the kingdom of heaven, and eternal life and glory, to those who believe in him, who are reborn of water and the Spirit."
[11] With such exhortations Hyacinthus; with such admonitions frequently and continually, if any came to him, rebuking, arguing, beseeching he strove in vain. (busying himself, namely, by all reasons and means, to free them from that senseless and most mad superstition), yet he profited nothing further. For the inconsiderate and bold and rash people, given over to a depraved custom, and enslaved to a most wicked, preoccupied opinion, could scarcely be overcome, and lacked all sense of seizing the better fruit. And hence, some, by the stupor with which they were stricken, weighing down their ears, and giving a mad back f, as is expressed in the words of Scripture, did not endure him, as one rashly raving: but others, made savage by furies and bitter jealousies, requited him with an innumerable force of injuries and reproaches; and now indeed they turned up the nose g at him, now reproached him; and sometimes even threateningly and rushing with violence, gnashed their teeth at him. What then does the man of God? He does not think it enough to look only to his own affairs, how they may be rightly disposed, and to despise the affairs of others being ill: nor to mourn for them in silence, and to draw groans to the Lord, but to fear to act and speak freely for the truth: nor does he reckon it the work of a best and perfect mind to strive to break and check the impiety of the foolish by word and teachings only, but not also by deed.
ANNOTATIONS.
CHAPTER II.
The zeal of the holy Martyr in cutting down the tree, his free confession of the deed, his tortures, death, tomb, and the author's epilogue.
Ἀλλὰ τοῖς λόγοις, ὡς εἴρηται, πρότερον ἐγκείμενος, ἐπεὶ μὴ οἷός τ᾽ ἦν ἐν τούτοις τῆς πλάνης ἐκείνης ἐπισχεῖν, ἑπομένως λοιπὸν τὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων δύναμιν ἐκδείκνυται, καὶ τὰς τῆς διανοίας ὀσφῦς ἀναζωσάμενος, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τῇ προσευχῇ δύναμιν ἐπισπασάμενος, εἶτα πέλεκυν ὀξὺν λαβὼν τῇ χειρὶ, καὶ θερινῆς μεσημβρίας πάντας διαλαθὼν, πρόῤῥιζον ἐκκόπτει τὸ τῆς πλάνης φυτόν· Ὦ ψυχῆς ἀνδρείας ἀνδρείῳ χρωμένης σώματι. Ὦ θερμότητος πίστεως, τὸ μὲν τῆς ἀσεβείας ξύλον κεραυνοῦ τρόπον ἐμπιμπρώσης, ὥσπερ δὲ καιούσης καὶ κατεσθιούσης τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς. Ὦ τόλμης ψυχῆς καρτερᾶς καὶ σταθερᾶς, καὶ διανοίας συνετῆς πλέον ἢ κατὰ ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν, περὶ τὴν αὐτὴν πρᾶξιν καὶ μίαν πλείω κατορθούσης καὶ ὁμοῦ τότε τῆς ἀπάτης ὄργανον ἐξαναιρούσης, καὶ τοὺς ἀνιάτως τούτῳ προσπάσχοντας καταισχυνούσης· πολλοὺς δὲ διορθούσης, οἷς μὴ κατὰ βάθος τὰ τῆς πλανήσεως ἐντέτηκε· πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν δὲ ποδηγούσης, καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον δοξαζούσης Θεόν· ναὶ μὴν διὰ ταῦτα, καὶ λαμπροτάτῳ καταγλαΐζομένης μαρτυρίῳ.
[13] Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἧκον οἱ ἱερεῖς τὴν νενομισμένην τῷ δένδρῳ θυσίαν ἀποδώσοντες, ἐκκοπὲν δὲ τοῦτο, καὶ κατὰ γῆς ἀτίμως εἶδον καταῤῥαγὲν, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπηνεοῦντο, θάμβει πολλῷ, κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς, περιεχόμενοι· οἶδεν γὰρ τὸ παρὰ προσδοκίαν συμπίπτον ἐκπλήσσειν τὴν ψυχήν, καὶ ἀγαθὸν μὲν ὀφθὲν, ἱλαρότητος καὶ εὐθυμίας ἀναπιμπλᾶν· κακὸν δὲ, σκυθρωπότητος, καὶ δυσθυμίας· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐξ ἀνευθύνου τοῦτο συμβέβηκεν αἰτίας, δεινὴν κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς ἐνσκήπτειν
τῇ ψυχῇ τὴν ὀδύνην, ἄχρις ἂν ἐπινοίαις τισὶ παρηγορηθῇ· περιφανοῦς δὲ τοῦ αἰτίου, καὶ ὑπευθύνου καθεστῶτος, εἰς ὀργὴν ἐξαπίνης τὰ τῆς λύπης μετεσκεύασται, οὐ πρότερον ἀνιεῖσαν τοὺς ὀργιζομένους, πρὶν ἢ τῷ λελυπηκότι τὴν τῆς ἀντιλυπήσεως ἀξίαν ἀντεπάγωσι ποινήν.
[14] Τοῦτο κᾀκεῖνοι παθόντες, πρῶτον μὲν τὸν αἴτιον αὐτοῖς ταύτης ἀνεσκοποῦντο τῆς συμφορᾶς· ἔπειτα τῶν Ὑακίνθου κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἥκοντες νουθεσιῶν· καὶ κατανενοηκότες ὡς οὐδενὸς ἂν εἴη ἄλλου τὸ ἔργον, ἢ τοῦ καὶ τῶν θυσιῶν τὴν μετάληψιν ὡς ἐναγῆ μυσαττομένου, καὶ τοῖς θυσιάζουσιν ἐπιτιμῶντος ἢ προσωχθηκότος, ὁρμῶσι μὲν ὁμόσε κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ πάντες· συῶν δὲ τρόπον τοὺς ὀδόντας θήγοντες, καὶ πᾶν μέλος τοῦ σώματος αὐτῶν, καὶ πᾶν τὸ παρατυχὸν ἑκάστῳ ὅπλον κατὰ τοῦ Ἁγίου ποιούμενοι. Ὦ πῶς ἂν καιρίως τὴν φονικὴν ἐκείνην ἐπίθεσιν ἐξηγησαίμην· τῇ γλώττῃ μὲν τοῦτον ἱερόσυλον, μιαιφόνον, ἄθεον, μᾶλλον δὲ, θεοκτόνον ἐλοιδοροῦντο· τῷ στόματι δὲ κατέπτυον· καὶ τοῖς ποσὶ μὲν λὰξ· ταῖς χερσὶ δὲ πὺξ ἐναλλόμενοι, εἷλκον τῶν τριχῶν· ἐσπάρασσον κατὰ γῆς, τοῖς ξύλοις παίοντες, τοῖς λίθοις βάλλοντες, καὶ οὕτω παντοδαπῶς αὐτὸν αἰκισάμενοι, τῷ τῆς πόλεως ἡγεμόνι παρεστήσαντο.
[15] Εἱστήκει δὲ ὁ Μάρτυς, ὅλον νοερῶς ἐνδεδυμένος Χριστὸν, ὅλην πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀνατείνων τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ῥοπήν· ἐξ ἐναντίας δὲ τούτου ἄνδρες αἱμάτων καὶ δολιότητος ἱστάμενοι, εὐτόνως κατηγόρουν· Ἡμῖν, λέγοντες, ὦ ἡγεμὸν, μία μὲν χάρις ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς, μία δὲ προσδοκία ἀγαθὴ ὁ περίβλεπτος ὑπῆρχε Θεός· ὁ ὑψίκομος, ὁ εὔκομος, ὁ πανώραιος καὶ εὐθαλής· ὁ τοῖς φύλλοις περισκέπων, καὶ ἀγλαΐαις ποικίλαις τὴν ἡμετέραν πόλιν ψυχαγωγῶν καὶ ἀνακτώμενος· ὃς εἰ καὶ δένδρῳ παρεμφερὴς νενόμισται, ἀλλὰ πάντων ταῖς θαυμασταῖς ὡραιότησιν ὑπεξῄρηται φυτῶν· ἀλλὰ καὶ δύναμις ἐνεργὸς καὶ ζῶσα τούτῳ παρεδρεύουσα, οὐκ ἔστιν ὅν τινα τῶν αὐτῷ προσιόντων, οὐ λαμπραῖς ἐφιλοτιμεῖτο εὐεργεσίαις· ἄφνω δὲ τοῦτον οὗτος ὁ ἀπονενοημένος ἐξέτιλε γέρων· τῆς πόλεως ἀπέκειρε τὴν χαρμονὴν, τῆς χώρας ἡμῶν ἐξέτεμε τῇ ἀξίνῃ τὸ γαυρίαμα· διὸ καὶ τῷ σῷ βήματι τοῦτον παρεστήσαμεν, τῆς θεομαχίας ἀξίας ἐκτιννύντα δίκας.
[16] Ἐνδοθέντος δὲ τῷ Ὑακίνθῳ τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἀπολογεῖσθαι, Ἐγὼ μὲν, εἶπεν, ὑπολαβὼν, ὦ κράτιστε ἡγεμὸν, τὸ δένδρον ἐκκεκοφέναι τοῦτο συνομολογῶ· καὶ οὔ πως ἂν δυναίμην τὸ ἀληθὲς ἀρνεῖσθαι· οὐ κακονοίᾳ δὲ τοῦτο πεπραχέναι· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ τὸ ὑπερβάλλον τῆς πλάνης οὐκ ἔστεγον ὁρᾷν, ὅτι ἄνθρωποι τετιμημένοι λόγῳ, τὸν ἴδιον πλάστην, καὶ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἀφέντες τὸν ποιητὴν, τὸ τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων ἐλαχιστότερον θεοποιοῦντες λελατρεύκασι. Τί γὰρ τοῦ ἀπὸ γῆς ἀναδιδομένου σήμερον ξύλου, καὶ πολλῶν ξύλων ἀτιμοτέρου καὶ φαυλοτέρου, ὡς ἀκάρπου, ἢ κακοκάρπου, καὶ μετ᾽ ὀλίγον εἰς πῦρ βαλλομένου, ταπεινότερον; Τοῦτο γοῦν ὁρῶν προσκυνούμενον, καὶ πλεῖστα τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης ἀγνοίας κατεγνωκὼς, καὶ φιλανθρώπως ἐζηλωκὼς, ἐπεὶ μὴ οἷός τε γέγονα λόγοις τῆς σαθρᾶς ἐλπίδος ἀποστῆσαι, ἔργῳ τούτους πείθω λοιπὸν, ὡς οὐδεμία τῷ ἀναισθήτῳ δύναμις, οὔτε πρὸς κακοποιΐαν, οὔτε πρὸς εὐεργεσίαν οὐδενός, καὶ τῆς ὀλεθρίας πλάνης τὴν πρόφασιν περιελόμενος, ὁδοποιεῖν μοι πάντας δοκῶ πρὸς θεοσέβειαν, ὥστε τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἐπιγνόντας Θεὸν, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ αὐτοῦ Υἱὸν, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, αὐτῷ προσκυνεῖν, αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύειν ἐν Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ.
[17] Ἐπεὶ τούτων ἀκοῦσαι τὸν ἡγεμόνα τῶν ῥημάτων, πρῶτον μὲν κατὰ γῆς αὐτὸν ἐκταθέντα, ξύλοις ἀγρίοις μαστιγοῦσθαι διετάξατο. Ἐπὶ πολὺ δὲ τὰς σάρκας ξαινομένου, καὶ τὰ ὀστᾶ θλωμένου, καὶ τῷ αἵματι βάπτοντος τὴν γῆν· οὐδεμίαν δὲ φωνὴν ἀφιέντος· ἡσυχῆ δὲ πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ἐξεστῶτος Ἰησοῦν, καὶ ἀνεκλαλήτοις αὐτῷ προσευχαῖς ἐντυγχάνοντος· καὶ εὐμαρῶς τὰς αἰκίας ὑποφέροντος, ὁ δῆμος ἐπεφώνει· Κάλει τὸν δήμιον, ὦ ἡγεμὸν, κάλει τὸν τοὺς ὀδόντας ἐκριζώσοντα· ὥσπερ οὗτος ἐξέκοψε τὸν ἡμέτερον Θεὸν, οὕτως αὐτοῦ οἱ ὀδόντες ἐκκοπτέσθωσαν, σιδηρᾷ λαβίδι ῥιζόθεν ὀρυττέσθωσαν· καὶ ταύτης ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ πέρας τῆς ἀποφάσεως λαβούσης, οὐδ᾽ οὕτως οἱ ἐμβρόντητοι δῆμοι τῆς μανίας καθυφίεσαν· αὖθις δὲ τοῦτον δεσμούμενον, τρόπον δένδρου κοπέντος, σπαράσσεσθαί τε καὶ σύρεσθαι κατὰ τῆς γῆς ἐβόων· ἐξελκόμενόν τε τῆς πόλεως, ἐκκεντᾶσθαι καλάμοις ὀξέσι, καὶ λίθοις καταλεύεσθαι. Ἐπεὶ δὲ πᾶσα τέλος ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἡ μιαιφόνος εἴληφεν ὁρμὴ καὶ βουλὴ, τὸν μὲν οὕτως ἀνηλεῶς καταικίσαντες, καὶ ἄχρις ὀφρύος τοῦ ὄρους ἐξελκύσαντες, ἀπὸ κεφαλῆς δὲ μέχρι ποδῶν ἓν τραῦμα τοῦτον ἀποδείξαντες καὶ θανατώσαντες, ἑσπέρας ἤδη φθασάσης, θηρσὶ τὸ σῶμα κατέλιπον βοράν.
[18] Τί οὖν ὁ Κύριος; ἆράγε τοῦ οἰκείου θεράποντος ἠμέλησεν; ἢ βιαθανατοῦντος τρόπον ἀφῆκεν ἀποθανεῖν; ἢ κρυφαίας καὶ νοερᾶς μόνον ἐπιφανείας ἀξιοῖ; οὐδαμῶς· νὺξ δὲ ἤδη, καὶ ἥλιος ὑπὸ γῆν, καὶ ὁ ἀληθινὸς ἥλιος, τῷ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐπανέτελλεν υἱῷ· καὶ πλῆθος στρατιᾶς οὐρανίου περὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ δόξα Κυρίου, εὐαγγελικῶς εἰπεῖν, περιέλαμψεν αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ, καθάπερ ἐξ ὕπνου βαθέος ἀνενεγκὼν, καὶ τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν αἰσθηθεὶς θεοφανείας, καὶ πάσης μὲν ἀλγηδόνος σώματος εὐθὺς ἀνεθεὶς, πάσης δὲ κατανύξεως, καὶ ἀνεκλαλήτου χαρᾶς πληρωθεὶς, ἵσταται μὲν ἐπὶ πόδας, οὕτω κούφως καὶ εὐσθενῶς, ὡς μηδ᾽ ἥν τινα πεῖραν ἀνιαρῶν εἰληφώς.
[19] Εὐθὺς δὲ κάμψας ὁ Μακάριος τὸ γόνυ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὰς ὁσίας χεῖρας ἐπάρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καρδίας καὶ γλυκεροῖς δάκρυσιν, ἐξωμολογεῖτο τῷ Κυρίῳ· εὐχαριστῶν μὲν ἰσχυρῶς ὑπὲρ τῆς σταθερότητος, ἧς ἄχρι τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης ἐνεδείξατο· δεόμενος δὲ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τελειωθῆναι τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ· καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μὲν, τῆς ἀποκειμένης τοῖς μάρτυσιν ἀναπαύσεως μετασχεῖν· τὸ πολυπαθὲς δὲ σωμάτιον, σεμνὸν τόπον εἰς κατάπαυσιν λαχεῖν· φυλακτήριον δὲ τοῦτο τῇ αὐτοῦ πόλει προσηύξατο δι᾽ αἰῶνος χρηματίσαι· νόσων τε παντοδαπῶν ἰατήριον, καὶ πάντων ἀλεξητήριον κακῶν. Προσηύξατο τοῖς εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἀσεβοῦσιν, τὴν διὰ πίστεως σωτηρίαν, καὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι, τὴν διὰ μετανοίας ἐπιστροφήν, τοῖς ἄρχουσι δικαιοσύνην· εὐπείθειαν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις, τοῖς πλουσίοις τρόπον ἐλεήμονα, τοῖς πένησιν ὑπομονὴν καὶ καρτερίαν, χαίρουσιν εὐχαριστίαν, λυπουμένοις παραμυθίαν, πλέουσιν εὔπλοΐαν, ὁδοιποροῦσιν εὐοδίαν, τοῖς ἐν πολέμῳ τρόπαια νίκης, τοῖς εἰρηνεύουσι συντονίαν πρὸς πᾶσαν εὐσέβειαν καὶ δικαιοπραγίαν. Πᾶσιν ἐπεύχεται χριστομιμήτῳ χρηστότητι τὰ χρηστὰ καὶ λυσιτελῆ, ὡς τέλειος Χριστοῦ μαθητής· ὡς φιλόπατρις, τῇ πατρίδι τὴν ἀπὸ κινδύνου παντὸς, καὶ πάσης πολεμίων ἐπαναστάσεως ἀπολύτρωσιν· μάλιστα δὲ τοῖς γνησίως αὐτοῦ μνημονεύειν μέλλουσι, καὶ τῇ τῶν λειψάνων θήκῃ πελάζουσιν οἰκοδομαῖς τε χαρίζεσθαι· ὕμνοις τε καὶ θυσίαις δεξιοῦσθαι· τούτῳ προσιοῦσι, πᾶσαν δεξιὰν χάριν καὶ σωτήριον ἐπεύχεται δωρεάν.
[20] Οὕτω προσευξάμενος ὁ θεῖος Ἀνὴρ, καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ τοῖς παρεστῶσι τῶν ἱερῶν ἀγγέλων ἱερῶς συνηδόμενος, καὶ νοερῶς κατατερπόμενος εἶτα τριττῇ σφραγίδι τὸ θεοειδὲς πρόσωπον σημειωσάμενος (ὦ τῆς τότε τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον πληρωσάσης μυστικῆς θυμηδίας καὶ δοξολογίας) τὴν ἁγίαν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἅγιος παρατίθεται ψυχήν. Ταύτην μὲν οὖν εὐθὺς ὁ παράδεισος εἶχε τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῷ Βασιλεῖ τῆς δόξης ἀναφθέγκτῳ χαρᾷ προσιοῦσαν, καὶ πανευαγῶς αὐτῷ προσκυνοῦσαν, καὶ τῷ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας στεφάνῳ τῇ δεσποτικῇ καταστεφομένην δεξιᾷ· ταύτην αἱ νοεραὶ πᾶσαι τῶν οὐρανῶν Δυνάμεις ἐπῄνεσαν· καὶ ὡς νικηφόρον, ἢ Χριστοφόρον ἑαυταῖς προσῳκειώσαντο· ταύτην Ἀπόστολοι μὲν, ὡς ἀποστολικώτατα βιώσασαν, ἀσμεναίτατα δεξιούμενοι περιεπτύξαντο· Μαρτύρων δὲ χοροὶ ἱεροὶ, ὡς οἰκεῖον αὐτῶν μέλος, καὶ τὸ τιμιώτατον ἀποδεχόμενοι τῶν μελῶν· καὶ τῷ πνεύματι συναρμολογοῦντες ἑαυτοῖς καὶ συμβιβάζοντες, τῆς αὐτῆς αὐτοῖς δόξης καὶ μακαριότητος μέτοχον δι᾽ αἰῶνος ἐκληρώσαντο· οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ Προφητῶν καὶ ἁγίων θίασοι πάντων, ὡς τῆς ἴσης αὐτοῖς ἁγιότητος ὑπερβαλλόντως μετέχουσαν ὁρῶντες, τὴν αὐτῆς ἀνάλυσιν καὶ ἐνδημίαν πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν, λαμπρὰν ὅτι μάλιστα καὶ θεοπρεπεστάτην συνεκρότησαν ἑορτήν.
[21] Τοῦτον μὲν οὖν τὸν τρόπον ἡ τρισολβία ψυχὴ, τὰς τοῦ οὐρανίου Πατρὸς κατακληροῦται μονάς· ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνο καὶ ἀθλοφορικὸν σκῆνος, ἢ οὕτως εἰς γῆν πεσὸν παρεώραται, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς Μάρτυρας τετίμηται· ὥσπερ δὲ τέρασι μείζοσι, καὶ ἀφθονωτέροις ἰάμασιν ὑπὸ τοῦ Χριστοῦ πεφιλοτίμηται, οὕτω καὶ ταῖς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων τιμαῖς, ἁπάντων ὀλίγου δεῖν τῶν ἀθλοφορικῶν σωμάτων τὸ ἐπιδοξότατον ἠνέγκατο. Τότε μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ που πλησίον τῆς πόλεως γῆς βάθεσιν ὑπὸ τῶν εὐσεβούντων ὁ πολύτιμος ἐντίμως καταχωσθεὶς θησαυρὸς, οὔμενουν ἀφικτὸς ἤ τινι γέγονεν ἐξ ἐκείνου θεωρητὸς, οὐ μὴν ταῖς ἀγαθουργίαις τῶν αὐτοῦ θαυματοποιῶν οἷός τε γίνεται λαθεῖν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐκτενεστάταις μὲν ἱκεσίαις τὸν Κύριον ἔνδον ὁ ἀθλοφόρος ἱλεούμενος, ἔξω δὲ τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῦ τάφου τελουμένοις ἰάσεσι δυσωπῶν, καὶ τοιούτοις πάλαι τὴν αὐτοῦ πόλιν ἐξ ἀπιστίας εἰς ὀρθότομον πίστιν καὶ ἀνυπόκριτον μετάγων, οὐδὲ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ὁ θαυμάσιος διαλείπει. Λέγεται γὰρ, ὃ καὶ ὁρώμενον πιστεύεται, ὅτι ἑκάστης τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ περιτροπῆς τὴν τοῦ Ἁγίου μνήμην ἐπαγούσης, δέησις μὲν περὶ τὸν ἱερὸν τάφον, ὑπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ παντὸς ἀναπέμπεται λαοῦ· ἄφνω δὲ χοῦς ἐν ἤχῳ τινὶ ξένῳ, καὶ ῥοιζήματι πνεύματος ἐκ τοῦ βάθους κάτωθεν ἀναδίδοται ἢ ἀναῤῥιπίζεται, οὕτως σφοδρῶς ἐκφυσώμενος, ὡς καὶ τοὺς περὶ τὸν τάφον καιομένους λαμπτῆρας, τῇ ἐπιπνοίᾳ κατασβέννυσθαι· αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ τοῦ τάφου στόμα, καὶ τὴν καλύπτουσαν λαρνακοειδῶς οἰκοδομίαν, ἀνάμεστα τοῦ ἱεροῦ χοὸς, καὶ τῆς τιμίας ταύτης κονίας εὐθέως ἀποδείκνυσθαι.
[22] Ἄξιον καὶ τοῦτο τῇ ἱστορίᾳ παραδοῦναι, ὡς οὐ πρὸ πολλῶν τούτων ἐτῶν, τῆς ἐτησίου κονίας ἀναβραττομένης, καὶ τὸν μέγαν τῆς χειρὸς δάκτυλον τοῦ θαυμαστοῦ Μάρτυρος κάτωθεν συναναβῆναι, οὕτως ἄρτιον καὶ ὁλόκληρον, ὡς ἄρτι τῆς αὐτοῦ ζώσης ἀφαιρεθέντα δεξιᾶς· ἀνέβη δὲ, πίστιν τε οἶμαι τελειοτέραν παρεχόμενος, τῆς ἐνταυθοὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου καταθέσεως, καὶ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ναοῦ διεγείρων τοὺς πιστοὺς κατασκευήν. Ὦ χοῦς ἅγιος, ἐν τῷ τοῦ Ἁγίου ἁγιαζόμενος χοῒ, καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ διαδιδόμενος, καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ ἴσα σώματι δυναμούμενος. ὦ χοῦς, τὴν φύσιν μέν χοϊκὸς, οὐράνιος δὲ τὴν δύναμιν· χοῦς, τοῦ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πρώην ὑομένου μάννα, τὴν χάριν αἰδεσιμώτερος, τὸν ἁγιασμὸν σεβασμιώτερος, τὴν δύναμιν δραστικώτερος· τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰς σωμάτων ὕετο θρέψιν τε καὶ συντήρησιν· ὁ δὲ, οὐκ εἰς σωμάτων θεραπείαν μόνον, ψύχους τε μάλιστα καὶ καύσωνος μαρασμοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς διαρκῆ ψυχῶν στηριγμὸν καὶ φωτισμόν.
[23] Ἀλλ᾽ ὦ πάντων Μαρτύρων ὡράϊσμα, πιστῶν δὲ ἀγαλλίαμα, ἀπίστων δὲ σύντριμμα· ὦ πατρίδος σεμνῆς ἀγαθὸν φυτόν· μᾶλλον δὲ φυτὸν ἅγιον, τὴν πονηρὰν ἀγαθύναν δι᾽ ἑαυτοῦ πατρίδα, καὶ τὴν ἄναγνον ἀγνίσαν, καὶ τὴν ἄτιμον τιμῆσαν· φυτὸν τίμιον, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Πατρός σου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς φυτείας ἀληθῶς ἄξιον, ὡς φοῖνιξ ταῖς ἀειθαλέσιν ἀνθῶν ἀρεταῖς, καὶ ὡσεὶ κέδρος παρ᾽ ὕδατα τοῖς ἀπείροις τῶν ἰαμάτων
πληθυνόμενος καρπῶν· Ὦ λίθε τίμιε, καὶ τοῦ ἀκρογωνιαίου τῷ ὄντι ἐπάξιε· λίθε, τῷ Ὑακίνθῳ ὁμώνυμε· ἐκείνῳ, τῷ τοῖς ἕνδεκα συστοίχοις τιμίοις συνηρτημένῳ λίθοις, καὶ τὸ λογεῖον τῆς κρίσεως τοῦ Ἀρχιερέως συγκατασκευαζομένῳ τοῦ μεγάλου· λίθε ἅγιε κυλιόμενε ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κατὰ τὸν Ἠσαΐαν, τῆς Ἀμάστρας τὸ περιτείχισμα καὶ περίφραγμα· μᾶλλον δὲ, πύργωμα καὶ στεφάνωμα, πάσας ἐλεπόλεις καὶ μηχανὰς ἀποκρουόμενον ἐχθρῶν· τῶν Παφλαγόνων τὸ ὕψωμα καὶ καλλώπισμα, τῆς βασιλείας ὁ στέφανος, τῆς ἱερωσύνης ὁ ἔπαινος καὶ τὸ καύχημα, δέχοιο καὶ τὴν τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀπαρχὴν λόγων· καὶ εἰ μηδὲν τῆς σῆς ἄξιον μεγαλοπρεπείας ἐπιφαίνουσαν, ἀλλὰ φίλην γέ σοι πάντως οὖσαν, τῷ ἐκ γειτόνων εἶναι καρπὸν, καὶ τοῖς μὲν ἄλλοις πᾶσιν, ἃ πρὸς τοῦ Παμβασιλέως πρότερον ἐπηύξω, μὴ διαλίπῃς αὐτὸς ἐνεργῶν· δυνάσαι γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν λαβών· τοῖς γείτοσι δὲ καὶ πολίταις, ὡς μὲν ἀνηρτημένοις τῆς πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς σῆς, πλείω τῶν ἀγαθοδώρων Θεοῦ ἀγαθῶν τὸν περιουσιασμὸν ἐπιχορήγησον, εἰς δόξαν Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
St. Hyacinthus secretly cuts down the tree, But since he had first, as I said, insisted with words, and could not by their force and use restrain them from that error; consequently now he shows the virtue which is placed in works: and, having girded the loins of his mind, and by the instance of prayer having drawn to himself power from Jesus Christ, then, a sharp axe seized in his hand, secretly from all, in the summer sun and at midday, he cuts out the stock of error by the roots. O strong soul, using a robust body! O fervor of faith, like a thunderbolt setting fire to the tree of impiety, and, as it were, burning up and absorbing the impious with fire! O daring of a firm and steadfast soul, and a mind more skillful than accords with human reason, accomplishing so much by one and the same action; and then at once taking away the instrument of deceit, and confounding those who were incurably affected by it, and moreover amending many, in whom the error had not so deeply grown, leading them to the truth, and rendering glory to his God: nay, and at last, by the reward of these, decorating him also with the laurel of a most illustrious martyrdom.
[13] which done, the people, moved, When therefore the priests had come to render the sacrifice appointed to the tree, and had beheld it cut down and shamefully dashed to the ground; first indeed they stood astonished, stricken with the very greatest stupor, as is fitting. For so it is ordered, that what happens beyond all expectation affects and strikes the mind with stupor: and if indeed it be good, it fills with cheerfulness and holds most pleasantly; but if evil, it fills with sadness and grief of soul. And if indeed it has happened by an author who is himself liable to no blame, it deservedly brings dire torment to the soul, until it happens to be soothed by certain reasonings. But the author being detected, and he liable to blame, whatever of grief and torment of soul there was passes suddenly into anger and fury, not sooner leaving free those whom it has assailed, than they have repaid to him who did the injury as much vengeance and punishment as may seem to accord with the merit of the deed.
[14] rushes furiously upon him as the author of the deed, When this had so happened to them also, first indeed they inquired in their minds who had been the author of so great a calamity to them. Then, gradually recalling in mind how much Hyacinthus had exhorted and rebuked; and considering with themselves that it was plainly the work of no other than of him who both abominated the partaking of victims as wicked, and again and again inveighed against those who offered, and deterred them with words; with one impetus all rush upon him; and sharpen their teeth after the manner of swine, and whatever member of the body, whatever at last came to each one's hand, they snatch up as weapons against the Saint. O how may I fittingly narrate that bloody assault! With the tongue they cast reproaches at him as sacrilegious, bloody, impious (nay rather, a God-slayer): with the mouth they spat: leaping upon him with heels and fists, they dragged him by the hair: they tore him along the ground, striking him with wood and stones: and thus, sated with every kind of injuries and blows, they set him before the governor a of the city.
[15] and sets him, captured, before the governor and accuses him, The Saint therefore stood, wholly clothed with Christ in mind, all the edge of his mind intent upon him. But standing opposite him, men of blood and deceit accused him strongly. "To us," they said, "governor, there was one grace before our eyes, one good and happy expectation, God himself, conspicuous and worthy to be seen: a lofty, fair, comely, and widely-spread crown of foliage: namely, affording a shade with its leaves, and refreshing and delighting our city with its various charms. He, although he was esteemed in all things like a tree, yet excelled all the shrubs with admirable beauty and graces; but also a certain efficacious and living power sitting by him, magnificently endowed with distinguished benefits and gifts whoever came to him. Him in a moment this maddened old man tore up: he cut off the joy of the city, he lopped off with the axe the glory of our province. Therefore we have set him at your very tribunal, that he may be subjected to punishments by the condign vengeance of his impiety and of the injured deity."
[16] But license being given to Hyacinthus to make satisfaction for himself, before whom the Saint, having freely confessed the deed, "I indeed," he answered, "most excellent governor, confess that I cut down the tree, nor could I ever deny the truth. Yet with no evil mind, I say, did I perform this deed, but because I could not endure to see the exuberance of the error; namely, that men adorned with reason, leaving aside him who formed them, and is the founder of heaven and earth, had endowed with deity and augmented with divine honors, and served, the lowest of the things existing in nature, the very author of things. For what, I pray, is more lowly than that tree, which today rising from the earth, is far more ignoble and worse than many trees, as being unfruitful, or bearing evil fruits, and a little later is cast into the fire? Seeing this therefore worshiped and adored, and bearing with what grief that human madness, and with a more humane affection zealous, since it was not permitted me by words to call them away from a vain hope, now by deed I give proof and persuade that there is no power in the thing, either to inflict any harm or to bestow any benefit, which is itself utterly destitute of all force of sense; and, the pretext of the destructive error being taken away, I seem to lead all before them to piety, that, the God of the universe being acknowledged, and his only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, they may adore him, and serve him alone in the Holy Spirit b."
[17] When the governor heard these words, first he orders him, stretched on the ground, to be beaten with wild rods. he is dreadfully beaten, and dragged outside the city. And when for a long time his flesh was torn, and his bones bruised, and the earth grew wet with gore, and he sent forth no voice, but in silence went out to the Lord Jesus, and, supplicating him with silent prayers and vows, calmly bore the indignities of the blows; the people cried out: "Call, governor, the executioner; call him who shall pluck out his teeth. As he cut down our God, so let his teeth be cut out, let them be dug out by the roots with an iron forceps." And that deadly sentence being at last executed and fulfilled upon him, not even so did they remit anything of the fury of the roused people. But again, bound, and after the manner of a tree cut down, they cried out that he should be torn and dragged along the ground: at last, dragged out of the city, that he should be pierced with sharp reeds, and overwhelmed with stones. Finally, when all that bloody impetus and counsel had received its end in him; thus dreadfully afflicted with blows and dishonored, and dragged even to the brow of the mountain, and worn down and disfigured with one wound from head to the soles of his feet, and made dead, evening now coming on, they left his body to be devoured by beasts.
[18] What then does the Lord? Did he neglect the care of his servant? Then, refreshed by Divine consolation, Or did he let him die after the manner of one who takes away his own life? Or did he grant only a hidden apparition, existing only in the mind? By no means. Now it was already night, and the sun had gone under the earth, when behold the true sun rises for the son of light; and around him a multitude of the heavenly host, and the brightness of the Lord, to use Gospel words, shone round about him. Then he, as if emerging from a deep sleep, and perceiving the divine apparition around him, and soon loosed from all pain, and filled with all compunction and unspeakable joy, stood upright on his feet, with so great relief, with so great strength, as if he had made no trial at all of the torments.
[19] he gives thanks, and prayed for all. But at once the blessed Man, his knee bent to God, and lifting pure hands to heaven, with exultation of soul and sweet tears, confessed to the Lord; again and again giving thanks, for the sake of that constancy of which he had exhibited a proof even to that hour; asking that in that confession he might consummate his combat; and that his soul might obtain the rest laid up for the Martyrs, nor that his little body, consumed with many hardships and labors and torments, might be destitute of an honorable place for resting: and indeed he prayed that he might be a guard and protection to the city forever, a present medicine for every kind of diseases, and an averting of all evils afar. For those laboring in impiety against God, he deprecates with vows the salvation which is through faith: for sinners, that they may be converted by penitence: for magistrates, that they may hold justice; for subjects, obedience; for the rich, that they may have dispositions inclined to almsgiving; for the poor, that they may keep patience and endurance; for the rejoicing, that they may give thanks; for those who are in hardship, that they may obtain relief and consolation; for sailors, that they may use a happy voyage; for those on a journey, that they may finish their journey prosperously: for those engaged in war, the trophies of victory: for those who at last live in peace, that they may strenuously cultivate all piety and works of justice. With a goodness emulating Christ, he prays for all things good and useful to all, as a perfect disciple of Christ. As a lover of his homeland, for his homeland, that it may be safe from all danger, and freed from all ravaging of enemies; especially for those who shall be sincerely mindful of him, and shall approach the coffer of his relics; who provide buildings; who honor him with canticles and offerings. For those who come to him, he prays every happy grace and saving gift c.
[20] The holy Martyr, dying peacefully, is received into heaven, In this manner the divine Man having prayed, and long delighted in holy wise, the holy choir of angels standing by, and refreshed in mind, and then signing his God-formed face for the third time (O what mystical joy and canticles of divine praises then filled the place!), the Saint delivers to them his holy soul. And this the paradise of God at once received, approaching the King of glory with a joy explicable by no force of words, and rendering worship to him in a most religious manner, and receiving the crown of incorruption from the Lord's right hand. This all the minds of the heavenly powers praised, and, as trophies of victory, or as bearing Christ, adopted into their own assemblies as a familiar. Him the Apostles also, for having led a life most excellently by apostolic offices, receiving most placidly, embraced. The sacred choirs of Martyrs, receiving him as their own member, and the noblest of members, and joining and committing him to themselves in spirit, obtained him for a companion of the same glory and beatitude forever. Nor this only, but the choirs of all the prophets and Saints also, seeing him eminently augmented with the graces of a sanctity equal to their own, celebrated his loosing and emigration to Christ with a most bright and most divine festivity and dancing.
[21] and his tomb, by many miracles, In this manner therefore the thrice-blessed soul obtains the mansions and seats of the heavenly Father:
but neither is that sacred and triumphal tabernacle, though thus fallen to earth, despised, or honored with an honor equal to the rest of the Martyrs: but as it was honored by the gift of Christ with greater prodigies and richer graces of healings, so also with human honors and observances it was held more illustrious with greater glory than almost all the bodies of the renowned victorious Martyrs. And then indeed there, in that place near the city, the precious treasure was honorably laid by the hands of the faithful in a raised tomb: and although inaccessible, and seen by none from that time: yet by the beneficent gifts of his wondrous works it could not come to pass that he should lie hidden. Nay, the triumphal Martyr, appeasing the Lord within by continual and earnest supplications, and moving him without by the gift of healings at the memorial of his sepulcher, and by such things of old leading his city from unbelief to the right and sincere faith, even until now the admirable Man does not cease. For they say (to which thing the very sight gives credit) that, the season of the year turning round in which his celebrated memory is kept, while the sacred people are in supplication around the holy tomb, suddenly, with a certain unusual sound, and with the whistling of a blast, dust bursts up d from the depths below, or is fanned up with so great vehemence, that it even extinguishes by its breathing the lit torches placed around the tomb; and forthwith fills the very mouth of the tomb, and the fabric covering it in the manner of an urn, with the sacred dust and with this precious ash.
[22] But this too is worthy to consign to the commentary; namely that not many years ago e, and grows famous by prodigies. the annual dust bursting up and boiling up, the greater finger of the right hand of the admirable Martyr also ascended together with it, so whole and sound as if it had recently been amputated from his living right hand. And thus I judge it ascended, that it might make more certain the faith of the deposition of the holy little body in that place, and might animate the faithful to the building of a temple. O holy dust, imbued with sanctity in the dust of the Saint; which art distributed to the whole people, and art strong with a power equal to the holy body! O dust, earthly indeed in nature, but heavenly in virtue and power! Dust, namely, more venerable in grace than the manna which of old rained from heaven, more religious in sanctity, more powerful and efficacious in virtue. For that indeed rained from heaven to nourish and preserve bodies; but this, not only to cure bodies (especially from the wasting of cold and heat), but also to bestow abundant firmness and enlightenment upon souls.
[23] But, O illustrious glory of all the Martyrs, glorying of the faithful, The orator's epilogue. and crushing of the unfaithful! O good stock of a venerable homeland: nay rather holy stock, by thy gift turning a depraved homeland into goodness, and rendering the impure chaste and holy; and honoring the dishonored. Precious stock, and truly worthy of the plantation of thy Father who is in the heavens, like a palm, blooming with the perpetual flower of virtues, and like a cedar beside the waters, abounding with infinite fruits of healings! O precious stone, and truly worthy of the supreme cornerstone. Stone, whose name is common with the Hyacinth f; with that Hyacinth, I say, which, annexed to eleven precious stones, arranged in order on either side, together composes the rational of the judgment of the great High Priest. Holy stone, which according to Isaiah art rolled upon the earth, the wall and enclosure of Amastris; or rather the tower and crown, repelling all the engines of enemies for taking cities, the battering-rams, catapults, ballistas, and the rest! The lofty height and distinguished ornament of the Paphlagonians, the crown of the kingdom, the praise and boast of the priesthood, deign, I pray, to receive also the first-fruits of our discourse; and even if they exhibit nothing worthy of thy magnificence, yet altogether most dear to thee, because they are a fruit from thy neighbors. And cease not thyself to bestow on all others those things which thou didst before pray for them from the supreme King of all; for the faculty is not wanting to thee, which thou hast received thence: but to thy neighbors and fellow-citizens, as more closely joined to thee by faith and charity, minister a greater abundance of the good gifts of God, to the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
* ἀσμενέστατα.