Thomais of Lesbos

ON ST. THOMAIS OF LESBOS, MATRON, AT CONSTANTINOPLE,

10TH CENTURY

PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY

Thomaïs, matron at Constantinople. (S.)

BY H. D.

[1] Summary It is fitting to join Thomaïs of Lesbos with Theoctiste of Lesbos; since no notice of her had reached our predecessors, she was omitted in her proper place. For she departed from the living on the first day of January, although on that day her commemoration is not inscribed in the synaxaria. On the third day, however, the name alone of a certain Θωμαΐδος is read in a few codices Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 367., which, though it is not certain, nevertheless seems probably to be that of Thomaïs of Lesbos. She was born of parents long barren, Michael and Cale, who soon, leaving their native island, came with their daughter to Constantinople. At twenty-four years of age Thomaïs is joined in marriage to a certain Stephen, and suffers much from a harsh and savage husband. Meanwhile Michael dies, and her mother bids farewell to the world, and, after she had devoted herself in a narrow cell to prayers, vigils and fasts, she is placed at the head of the monastery of the Mother of God situated near the church of St. Mocius, whose name was Μικρὰ Ῥωμαίου. Thomaïs, for her part, leads a most holy life, bearing most patiently the injuries and vexations inflicted by her husband, assiduously visiting the churches of the city, especially the church of the Mother of God at Blachernae, freeing very many from various ailments. She dies in the thirty-eighth year of her age, and is laid in the vestibule of the church of the monastery of the Mother of God Μικρὰ Ῥωμαίου, at her own demand, until divine Providence, so she said, works wonders in me. And when forty days had elapsed, after very many miracles had already been performed, her sacred body was translated into the church, where thereafter not a few sick people recovered health.

[2] Of the Life of St. Thomaïs; We have found the Life of St. Thomaïs in a codex of the National Library of Florence, Conventi soppressi B 1, Camaldoli 1214 (=A), of parchment, written in the fourteenth century Anal. Boll., vol. XV, p. 406. November volume IV., which among various Lives of holy women contains, on fol. 49 – 59v, the Life of St. Thomaïs, to be read on the 1st day of January. It has been handed down in such a way that it needs emendation in a few places. He who wrote the Life of Thomaïs nowhere reveals that he had seen the saint, and certainly has few things ascertained besides the miracles which she worked in life and after death. But he narrates everything in many words, nor does he arrange matters so aptly as not to repeat the same things here and there. He committed the Life of Thomaïs to writing in the reign of Romanus II, that is, in the years 959 – 963. For he praises (c. 25) τὸν τῆς πορφύρας κλάδον, τὸν εὐθαλέστατον Ῥωμανόν.τῆς He did not take up the pen immediately after the saint's death, as is gathered even from the fact that he relates that a certain woman erected over the tomb of the saint an ἁψίδα adorned with icons (c. 23), ἥτις καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν περισῳζεται εἰς τὸ μέγιστον ἐκείνης μνημόσυνον, a formula by which things not very recent are expressed. Would that he had said clearly what he notes about the miracles in another place (c. 25): μέχρι γὰρ καὶ δύο καὶ δέκα χρόνων οὐκ ἐπαύσατο τὰς ἰάσεις ἐπιτελεῖν … ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι καὶ σήμερον τοῖς θερμῶς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτὴν οὐ παύεται τὰς ἰάσεις ἀφθόνοις δωρεαῖς ἐπιχορηγεῖν. These words seem to be interpreted thus: that the miracles which the hagiographer related were performed within the space of twelve years after the death of the saint; yet that the one which he narrated in the last place was not the last, nor did the saint cease to help all who implored her fervently. These things are not sufficiently definite for us to become more certain of the year in which Thomaïs died. Yet there is no sure indication in the Life that a long space of time had elapsed since her death, and we think that he will not stray far from the truth who contends that Thomaïs lived in the first decades of the tenth century. The Life of Thomaïs was written at Constantinople, as both the words ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως (cc. 19, 22) and the careful survey of places testify.

[3] Her eulogy. Besides the Life of Thomaïs we bring forward also the eulogy which exists among the works of Constantine Acropolites Above, p. 20/, and which was copied by us from the Ambrosian codex H. 81 sup. (= B), fol. 66 – 77v Above, p. 20, cod. 1.. The very things which the biographer narrates, and in almost the same order, but with the superfluities for the most part cut away, Acropolites expressed not inelegantly; from him, accordingly, we learn nothing about Thomaïs that we do not know well. New, however, is what he asserts almost in the last words of his oration, that the church in which the relics of St. Thomaïs lay was restored in his own times, namely at the beginning of the fourteenth century, by an empress whom he calls, without naming her: τὴν δ᾽ εὐσεβῆ τε καὶ φιλόχριστον ἄνασσαν τὴν ἐκ φιλοθείας τόνδε τὸν νεὼν … ἀνακαινίσασαν Eulogy, c. 20.

I. LIFE OF ST. THOMAIS

Greek text only in the Acta; the English here is translated from the Greek.

Thomaïs matrona Constantinopoli (S.)

From the codex of the National Library of Florence Conv. sopp. B 1 (= A). Compare Preliminary Commentary, no. 2.

Βίος καὶ πολιτεία τῆς ὸσίας καὶ θαυματουργοῦ Θωμαΐδος.

The Life and conduct of the holy and wonder-working Thomaïs.

[1] Εἰ δὲ καὶ δικαίων μνήμην μετ᾽ ἐγκωμίων τὰ ἱερά φησι γίνεσφαι λόγια, πῶς οὐκ ἐγκωμιαστέον τὴν τὸ θῆλυ γένος κοσμήσασανProv. 10, 7. ἐξαίρω τοῦ λόγου τὴν θεομήτορα τὴν τῶν Χερουβὶμ ὑπερηρμένην ὡς κτισμάτων πάντων ἐπέκεινα· τοίνυν ὑμνητέον ὡς ἔφην τὴν πασῶν δικαίων δικαιοτέραν, ἧς ἡ παροῦσα πανήγυρις, τὴν θαυμαστὴν Θωμαΐδα, τὴν γένει καὶ βίῳ πᾶσι περίπυστον, τὴν πάσαις ἀρετῶν ἰδέαις κεκοσμημένην καὶ φωτοειδὲς ἀπαστράπτουσαν, κεκοσμημένην καὶ φωτοειδὲς ἀπαστράπτουσαν, σεμνὴν τὸ ἦθος, κοσμίαν τὸν τρόπον, κοσμιωτέραν τὸν βίον, τὴν ἄσκησιν, Θωμαΐδα τὴν τὸ γένος τοῖς τρόποις μᾶλλν κοσμήσασαν ἢ κοσμηθεῖσαν τῷ τοῦ γένους κύδει καὶ τῇ περιφανείᾳ καὶ τῇ λαμπρότητι.

And if the sacred oracles say that the memory of the just is with praises, how should she not be praised who adorned the female sex? I except from the discourse the Mother of God, who is exalted above the Cherubim as being beyond all creatures; therefore, as I said, she must be hymned who is more just than all just women, whose present festival this is, the wonderful Thomaïs, renowned to all for family and life, adorned with all the forms of the virtues and flashing forth like light, venerable in character, decorous in manner, more decorous in life and in asceticism; Thomaïs, who adorned her family by her ways rather than being adorned by the glory of her family and by its distinction and splendour.

[2] The saint's homeland; Ταύτην ἤνεγκε Λέσβος, νῆσος, ἄλλη μακάρων [Pseudo-Zenobius, Cent. III, 86, Leutsch-Schneidewin, Corpus paroem. graec., vol. I, p. 78.] σχεδόν, τὴν μακαρίαν ἐκφύσασα καὶ ταύτην ἐνεγκαμένη τῷ παρόντι βίῳ μέγα τι καλὸν ἐπαινετὸν καὶ ἐράσμιον, ξυμπάσας Λεσβίδας κάλλει καὶ μεγέθει διαφερόντως ὑπερελάσασαν · ἣν σωματικαὶ καθωράἳσαν χάριτες, ἣν ἀρεταὶ περιεστοίχισαν ξύμπασαι, τὴν καὶ φύσιν τοῦ σώματος καὶ ταῖς ἀσωμάτοις ἐξισωθεῖσαν δυνάμεσι καὶ ἀγγελικῶς βιώσασαν καὶ τάς ἀρχὰς τοῦ σκότους κόστους A. πατήσασαν ναὶ μὴν καὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς ὡς ἄλλον συρφετὸν ἐκδιώξασαν καὶ σταυρὸν ἀραμένην κατωμαδὸν καὶ τῶν δεσποτικῶν καὶ θείων ἰχνῶν κατόπιν βαδίσασαν καὶ ὅλην ὅλου γεγονυῖαν, ὡς ἐκεῖνον διὰ παντὸς ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι κἀκείνου τῷ κάλλει καθάπαξ ἁλίσκεσθαι, ὡς ἑαυτὴν τῷ κόσμῳ σταυρώσασαν ἢ μᾶλλον ἐκτὸς αὐτοῦ γενομένην καὶ ὅλῳ νοῒ σχολάζουσαν τῷ πρώτῳ καὶ φανοτάτῳ φωτὶ καὶ φῶς γίνεσθαι δεύτερον, τοῦ τοιούτου φωτὸς δεχόμενον ἀπομόργματα, ῥίζης εὐγενοῦς εὐγενέστερον βλάστημα · οἷον γάρ φησι τὸ δενδρον, τοιοῦτος καὶ ὁ καρπός. Col. 1, 13, Matt. 16, 24, Gal. 6, 14, Matt. 7, 17, 18.

Lesbos bore her, an island almost another Isle of the Blessed, having brought forth the blessed woman and borne her for this present life as something great, fine, praiseworthy and lovely, who outstripped all the women of Lesbos exceedingly in beauty and stature; whom bodily graces made beautiful, whom all the virtues ranged about; who in the nature of the body was made equal even to the bodiless powers and lived angelically and trod down the principalities of darkness, yes, and drove out pleasures like so much sweepings, and took up the cross upon her shoulders and walked after the Lord's divine footsteps, and became wholly his, so as to mirror him continually and to be captured once for all by his beauty; as one who had crucified herself to the world, or rather had got outside it and with her whole mind was at leisure for the first and most luminous light, and became a second light, receiving the impressions of such a light; a more noble shoot of a noble root; for such as the tree is, it says, such also is the fruit.

[3] most pious parents Ταύτην ὁ φύσας πατήρ, ἀνὴρ θεαρέστως ζὡν καὶ βίον ἔχων ἀγγελικόν, Μιχαὴλ ὠνομάζετο, τὸν τρόπον χρηστός, τὸν βίον σεμνός, τὸ φρόνημα σταφηρὸς καὶ πρὸ καιροῦ πολιός, τέλεια καὶ βεβηκότα φρονῶν ἐντελεῖ τῆς ἡλικίας τῷ καταστήματι · ὡς ἀληφῶς γὰρ οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν ἁπάντων λόγου καὶ εὐφημίας ἐπάξιον, οὐ φυσικόν, οὐκ ἀσκητόν, ὃ μὴ ἐκείνῳ προσῆν · τὰς ἱερὰς πυξίδας ἀναπτύσσων πυκνῶς, ἐν αἷς ἀναγεγράφαται τὰ θεῖα θεσπίσματα, τὰς ἐν τοῖς θείοις συνάξεις ναοῖς ἀνερευνῶν, ὁπηνίκα τὸ θεῖον δοξολογεῖται θερμῶς, τῇ λέξει προσέχων, τὸν νοῦν ἀνιχνεύων, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς ταπεινῶν, τὸ ἦθος κοσμῶν, τὸν βίοv σεμνύνων, καλύπτων τὴν κεφαλὴν τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀκραιφνεστάτην πίστιν, καὶ τοῦτο πάντως ὡς συνετός, τεθρίππῳ χρώμενος ἀγαθῷ, τῇ τετρακτύἳ λέγω τῶν ἀρετῶν, δι᾽ ἧς θαμινώτερν ὡμίλει Θεῷ. Τούτῳ συνέζευκτο καὶ συνεργὸς τοῦ βίου Καλή, τὸ ἦθος καλλίστη, καλλίων δὲ τὴν ψυχήν, σωφρονοῦσα μᾶλλον, τὸ δ᾽ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν ὁμοφρονοῦσα τἀνδρί, τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπαινετή, τὴν γνώμην συνετή, καλὴ τὴν προαίρεσιν · τοῦτο δὴ καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ προσυπῆρξε κύριον ὄνομα καὶ τοιαύτην προσηγορίαν ἐκ καλλίστης εὕρατο προαιρέσεως, ὅτι καὶ κατάλληλος ὁ τρόπος ἀπεφάνθη τῇ κλήσει · κἀντεῦθεν καὶ συνεργὸς ἐδόθη κατ᾽ αὐτὸν ἡ Καλὴ τῷ εἰρημένῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ ζεῦγος ἀπεφάνθη χρυσοῦν, ζεῦγος τρισεύδαιμον καὶ μακάριον, τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν εὐτόνως ἕλκον ζυγὸν καὶ φυλάττον τὰ θεῖα θεσπίσματα. Matt. 11, 29, 30.

The father who begot her, a man living in a way pleasing to God and having an angelic life, was named Michael; good in manner, venerable in life, steady in mind and grey before his time, thinking perfect and settled thoughts in a state of perfect maturity; for in truth there is nothing of all things worthy of speech and praise, whether natural or acquired by practice, that did not belong to him: unfolding often the sacred tablets in which the divine oracles are written, seeking out the assemblies in the divine churches whenever the Godhead is fervently glorified, attending to the wording, tracking out the sense, humbling the mind of the flesh, adorning his character, dignifying his life, covering his head with the most pure faith in Christ, and this surely as a prudent man, using a good four-horse chariot, I mean the tetrad of the virtues, through which he very frequently conversed with God. To him was yoked as partner of his life Cale, most beautiful in character, more beautiful in soul, rather temperate, or, to tell the truth, of one mind with her husband, praiseworthy in conduct, prudent in judgement, fair in her choice; this was indeed the proper name belonging to the woman, and she found such an appellation from a most beautiful choice, since her manner was shown to be suited to the name; and hence Cale was given as a partner like him to the said man, and they were shown to be a golden pair, a thrice-happy and blessed pair, drawing the evangelical yoke vigorously and keeping the divine commandments.

Μακάριοι τοίνυν ἄμφω κατὰ τὸν προφήτην ἐκεῖνον, οὗ τὰ χείλη Σεραφικὸς ἄνθραξ ἐξέφανεν ὑπερκάθαρα, ὅτι ἐν Σιὼν ἐσχήκασι σπέρμα καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκείους Isa. 6, 6.Ἀλλ᾽ ὅπερ ἐλέγομεν οὕτω μὲν ἡ Καλὴ τὸν βίον ὁμοῦ καὶ θεάρεστος ἀνδρὶ νομίμως ὁμοτρόπῳ ὁμοτρόπως A. συνέζευκτο · καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν ἄμφω φρονοῦντας θαμὰ τὰ τοῦ βίου περιφρονοῦντας καλά, ὁμονοοῦντας, συμπνέοντας· πλούτου δὲ καὶ χρημάτων ἦσαν ἔχοντες ἱκανῶς, οὔτε πενίᾳ συνδουλούμενοι οὔτ᾽ αὖ χρημάτων βάρεσιν ἐξοιδούμενοι ἀλλὰ τῇ μέσῃ τύχῃ προσελαυνόμενοι καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς αὐτῶν τρανὲς ὡς οἶμαι τεκμήριον.

Blessed, then, are both, according to that prophet whose lips the seraphic coal made most pure, for they had seed in Zion and kinsfolk in Jerusalem. But, as we were saying, thus Cale, both in her life and as one pleasing to God, was lawfully yoked to a husband of like ways; and one could see both of them often of one mind, disdaining the goods of life, harmonious, breathing as one; and they had wealth and money sufficiently, neither enslaved to poverty nor again swollen by the burdens of money, but driven along by the middle fortune, which is also, I think, a clear proof of their virtue.

[4] but long barren, Τούτους ἐφ᾽ ἱκανὸν ὁ τῆς ἀπαιδίας ἐλύπει δεσμός, ὡς τοὺς τοῦ Κυρίου πάλαι προπάτορας ἡ τῆς ἀτεκνίας πέδη συνέσφιγγεν · ἐκλόνει τούτους πυκνῶς, κατέσειε θαμινῶς, τὴν ψυχὴν διεσπάραττε, διηνεκῶς τοῖς θείοις ναοῖς προσεδρεύοντας, παννύχοις ὑμνῳδίαις προσμένοντας, νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν ὑμνοῦντας τὸν Κύριον· οὐδὲ γὰρ σωματικῆς ἡδονῆς ἕνεκα πρὸς ὁμοζυγίαν ἐτράπησαν· οὔμενουν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐφέσει παιδὸς ἀγαθοῦ, τῆς θαυμαστῆς φημὶ Θωμαΐδος, πρὸς ἣν ὁ λόγος μᾶλλον ἐπείγεται· ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ἀναμεινάτω, ὡς ἂν τὰ τῆς ἀπαγγελίας ὅπως ἔχοι σαφῶς ἀπαγγείλειεν ἀπαγγείλοιεν A. . Ἔπασχον οἱ γεννάδαι τῷ πόθῳ κάμνοντες τοῦ παιδός, ὡς πρώην οἱ πρόγονοι τοῦ ἐμοῦ δεσπότου Χριστοῦ· οἴδατε πάντως, ὁ λόγος τίνας ᾐνίξατο ἠνοίξατο A. · ἀθυμίᾳ συνείχοντο, θρηνώδη συνέπλεκον ῥήματα, οὐκ ἔληγον ἐκλιπαροῦντες Θεόν· γονυπετοῦντες, καθικετεύοντες, ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν πενθοῦντες ἦσαν καὶ σκυθρωπάζοντες· οὐκ εἶχον ὅ, τι καὶ δράσειαν· ἐπείπερ οὐκ εἶχον τὸ σφῶν αὐτῶν παρηγόρημα, τὰ τῆς Δαυἳτικῆς ᾤδῆς συχνάκις ἦσαν ἐπᾴδοντες· “Πολλαὶ αἱ μάστιγες τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, τὸν δὲ ἐλπίζοντα ἐπὶ Κύριον ἔλεος κυκλώσει.” Psalm 31, 10.

These the bond of childlessness grieved for a long time, as the fetter of barrenness once bound fast the forefathers of the Lord; it shook them often, it rocked them frequently, it rent their soul, while they continually attended the divine churches, persisted in all-night hymnody, and hymned the Lord night and day; for it was not for the sake of bodily pleasure that they had turned to marriage — not at all — but in desire of a good child, I mean the wonderful Thomaïs, toward whom the discourse rather hastens; but let it wait a little, so that it may clearly report how the matters of the annunciation stood. The noble pair suffered, labouring with longing for a child, as formerly the forebears of my Master Christ; you surely know whom the discourse has hinted at; they were held fast by despondency, they wove together mournful words, they did not cease entreating God; kneeling, supplicating, they were mourning and downcast all the day; they did not know what to do; since they did not have their own consolation, they were often singing the words of the Davidic ode: "Many are the scourges of the sinner, but mercy shall encompass him who hopes in the Lord."

Ναὶ μέντοι καὶ περιεκύκλωσεν ἔλεος καὶ δεομένους οὐδ᾽ ὅλως παρώσατο· “Ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, ὁ Θεὸς ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ μακράν.” Psalm 64, 6. Ἐπέβλεψε τοίνυν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὁ Κύριος καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πεπηδημένων ἐπήκουσε· καὶ τῆς ἀπαιδίας δεσμοὺς ὡς ἄλλους τινὰς κλοιοὺς σιδηροῦς ἐπικειμένους σφίσι καὶ περισφίγγοντας ἔλυσε καὶ ἦρε τὸ ὄνειδος ἐξ αὐτῶν, τὸν τῆς ἀπαιδίας φημὶ κλοιὸν τὸν βαρὺν αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενον· καὶ γίνεται τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας καρπὸς ὡραῖος τὴν ὄψιν καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἤθους κατάστασιν· ὡραῖος ἦν εἰς ὅρασιν ὁ καρπός, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν ὡραιότερος. Ἀλλ᾽ ὅσα

Yes indeed, mercy encompassed them, and he in no way thrust them away as they prayed: "Hear us, O God our Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off upon the sea." The Lord, then, looked down from heaven and heard the groaning of those in fetters; and he loosed the bonds of childlessness, which lay upon them and bound them tight like other iron collars, and took away the reproach from them, I mean the heavy collar of childlessness that lay upon them; and to the said pair there came, from the promise, a fruit lovely in appearance and in the settled disposition of its character; the fruit was lovely to behold, and lovelier in soul. But as much as

μὲν καὶ οἷα τῆς ὁσίας ἔπασχον οἱ γονεῖς στερούμενοι, φθάσας ὁ λόγος ἤδη προδιεσάφησεν.

and what sort of things the parents of the holy woman suffered while they were deprived, the discourse, going ahead, has already explained.

[5] by prayers and groans Ὡς γοῦν τῶν παρακαλούντων Θεὸς πολλὰ πολλάκις ἐκδυσωπούμενος ἤκουσε καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν πάλιν ἰάσατο, τοῦτο μὲν δοκιμάζων τὴν καρτερίαν, εἰ μὴ ἐκκακοῖεν τοῖς πειρασμοῖς, εἰ μὴ ἀπαγορεύοιεν, εἰ ἀνατιθέασι τὸ πᾶν τῷ Θεῷ· καθάπερ δῆτα καὶ πεποιήκασιν, ἀμέλει καὶ τοῖς θείοις ναοῖς συχνάκις τῆς ἡμέρας σχολάζοντες ἑπτάκις ᾔνουν τὸν Κύριον· καὶ ταῖς τῶν θείων γραφῶν ἀναγνώσεσι προσεμμένοντες προσευχῇ τε παννύχῳ καὶ νηστείᾳ προσκείμενοι τέκνον δοθῆναι τούτοις ἐξελιπάρουν τὸν Κύριον· τὰς τῶν δικαίων ἐζήλουν λιτὰς Ἰωακεὶμ καὶ Ἄννης, τῶν προγόνων τῆς θεομήτορος· ἔπαιον συχνάκις τὰ στέρνα, τὰ δέμνια τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔλουον· ἀλλὰ “τί βοᾶτε πρός με;” παρὰ Κυρίου ἐπήκουον· ἀλαλήτοις καὶ γὰρ οτεναγμοῖς ἐβόων πρὸς Κύριον· “Ἐπάκουσον ἡμῶν, ὁ Θεὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν, ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν ἐν θαλάσσῃ μακράν· γενοῦ τοῖς δεομένοις αὐτὸς ἀρωγός· φάνηθι ξυνέριθος τῷ βουλήματι· δὸς καρπὸν κοιλίας τοῖς σοῖς οἰκέταις ἐξαιτουμένοις σε· μὴ ἀπώσῃ κενοὺς οἰκτρούς σοι λάτρας προσπίπτοντας.” Psalm 118, 164, Psalm 6, 7, Psalm 64, 6.

As, then, God, often much entreated by those who beseech him, heard and in due time healed again, partly testing their endurance, whether they would not lose heart in their trials, whether they would not give up, whether they would refer everything to God — just as indeed they did; for, devoting themselves frequently in the day to the divine churches, they praised the Lord seven times; and, persevering in the readings of the divine Scriptures and applying themselves to all-night prayer and fasting, they entreated the Lord that a child be given them; they emulated the supplications of the just Joachim and Anna, the forebears of the Mother of God; they often beat their breasts, they washed their beds with tears; but "why do you cry to me?" they heard from the Lord; for with unutterable groanings they cried to the Lord: "Hear us, O God our Saviour, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of those far off upon the sea; be yourself a helper to those who beseech you; show yourself a fellow-worker with our desire; give the fruit of the womb to your servants who ask it of you; do not thrust away empty your pitiable worshippers who fall down before you."

Ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα πρὸς Κύριον φάσκοντες οὐκ ἐνέλιπον· “Μὴ ἐπιχαρείησαν ἡμῖν οῖ ἀντίπαλοι· μὴ εἴπωσιν ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν· ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ πάντα ὅσα ἠθέλησεν ἐποίησεν.” Psalm 37, 17; 78, 10; 113, 11. Τί γοῦν πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ τῶν θαυμάτων Θεὸς διαπράττεται; τὴν τούτων δέησιν οὐ παρέβλεψε, τοὺς στεναγμοὺς οὐ παρεῖδεν· ἀλλ᾽ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν νυκτῶν τῇ θαυμασίᾳ Καλῇ γυναικί, τῇ τὸ ἦθος καὶ τὸν τρόπον ὄντως καλῇ, κατ᾽ ὄναρ ὀπτάνεται ἡ πανάμωμος παρθένος ἡ ἀειπάρθενος καὶ αὐτολεξεὶ “πρὸς ταῦτα,” φησί, “μὴ στύγναζε, γύναι, μηδὲ δυσχέραινε τῆς ἀτεκνίας χάριν τῆς σῆς· οὐ πολὺ τὸ ἐν μέσῳ, καὶ τέκνον θῆλυ τέξεις, πᾶσαν ἐθυμίαν ἀποδιώκειν μέλλον ἐκ σοῦ πορρωτάτω, γύναι Καλή.” Ταῦτα σχεδὸν ὕπαρ ἠκηκόει παρὰ τῆς θεομήτορος· καὶ διυπνισθεῖσα τῷ ταύτης ἀνδρὶ τοιαῦτά που διαλέγεται· “Θεῖος ἐνύπνιον ἦλθεν ὄνειρος καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐξηγέρθην καὶ εἶδον· καὶ ὁ ὕπνος μου ἡδὺς ἐγένετο.” they obtain offspring. Καὶ τὰ ὁραθέντα διηγήσατο ξύμπαντα. Ἀμέλει καὶ οὐ μετὰ πολὺ συλλαβοῦσα τέκνον γεννᾷ κατὰ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν τῆς ἀειπαρθένου κόρης καὶ θεομήτορος· τούτῳ τὸ ὄνομα Θωμαΐς· τέκνον ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας ἀποτεχθέν, τὴν μὲν φύσιν θῆλυ, τὴν δ᾽ ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν ἄσκησιν πολλῷ τῶν ἀρρένων ἀρρενικώτερον.

Saying these and such things to the Lord, they did not cease: "Let not our adversaries rejoice over us; let them not say, Where is their God? But our God is in heaven and on earth; he has done all things whatsoever he willed." What, then, does the God of wonders do in answer to these things? He did not overlook their petition, he did not disregard their groans; but on one of the nights the all-blameless Virgin, the ever-virgin, appears in a dream to the wonderful woman Cale, truly fair in character and manner, and says in so many words: "At this, do not be gloomy, woman, nor be vexed on account of your childlessness; the interval is not long, and you will bear a female child, who is to drive away all despondency far from you, woman Cale." These things she had heard from the Mother of God almost as in a waking vision; and on waking she speaks to her husband something like this: "A divine dream came in my sleep, and because of it I awoke and saw; and my sleep became sweet." And she related all that she had seen. And indeed not long after she conceived and bore a child according to the promise of the ever-virgin maiden and Mother of God; its name was Thomaïs; a child born from a promise, female in nature, but in virtue and asceticism far more manly than males.

[6] Thomaïs in age Μετὰ ταῦτα τοίνυν οἱ τῆς ὁσίας γεννήτορες Λεσβόθεν ἀπάραντες τοῖς Βοσπορείοις ἐνῴκησαν μέρεσι κἀκεῖσε διῆγον ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν, νηστείᾳ καὶ παννύχῳ δεήσει προσκείμενοι, τῷ Κυρίῳ χαίροντες κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, ἐν παντὶ εὐχαριστοῦντες, θεαρέστως διάγοντες. Phil. 4, 4. Ηὔξανε ηὔξηνε A. γοῦν ἐκεῖνο ἐκείνη A. καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς ἐκρατύνετο, θεοσεβείᾳ προσκείμενον καὶ πάσαις ἀγαθῶν ἰδέαις κοσμούμενον· καὶ τὸ κρυπτόμενον κάλλος τῷ φαινομένῳ καὶ ἔξωθεν ὑπεδείκνυε καὶ ταῖς σωματικαῖς ἰδιότησι τὰς ψυχικὰς ἐνέφαινε χάριτας, ταῖς γνωρίμοις τὰς ἀφανεῖς, ταῖς ἐκτὸς τὰς ἐντός· καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν ἁρμονίαν ἀρίστην σωματικήν, τὴν πνευματικὴν καλλονὴν ὑπεμφαίνουσαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀγεννῶς παρὰ τῶν γεννητόρων ἐτρέφετο, and grows in virtues; ἀλλ᾽ ἐν παιδείᾳ καὶ συνέσει καὶ νουθεσίᾳ πολλῇ· τραφεῖσα δ᾽ οὕτω καὶ παιδευθεῖσα καλῶς καὶ πρὸς ἡλικίαν πεφθακυῖα τὴν περὶ τὰ εἴκοσι καὶ τέσσαρα ἔτη παρὰ τῶν αὐτῆς γεννητόρων ἀνδρὶ συζευχθῆναι κατηναγκάζετο, κἂν παρθενεύειν ἤθελε μᾶλλον καὶ σωματικὰς ἡδονὰς ἀγνοεῖν καὶ σαρκικὰς ὀρέξεις καταπατεῖν, ὡς τὸν ἑαυτῆς ναὸν καθαρὸν καὶ ἀρρύπαρον ἀρύπαρον A. τῷ καθαρῷ Θεῷ παραστήσειεν· ἀλλ᾽ ἔδει ταύτην καὶ παρθενίαν τηρῆσαι καὶ γάμον τιμῆσαι, τὰ πᾶσιν ἐπαινετὰ καὶ σεβάσμια. 1 Cor. 6, 19.

After these things, then, the parents of the holy woman, setting out from Lesbos, settled in the parts about the Bosporus, and there they lived for a long time, applying themselves to fasting and all-night supplication, rejoicing in the Lord according to the apostle, giving thanks in everything, living in a way pleasing to God. The child, then, grew and was strengthened in the virtues, applying herself to piety and adorned with all forms of good things; and she showed the hidden beauty by what appeared outwardly, and displayed the graces of the soul by the properties of the body, the invisible by the known, the inward by the outward; and one could see a most excellent bodily harmony, revealing the spiritual beauty beneath; for she was not reared ignobly by her parents, but in much training and understanding and admonition; and having been thus reared and well trained, and having reached the age of about twenty-four years, she was compelled by her parents to be joined to a husband, though she wished rather to remain a virgin and to know nothing of bodily pleasures and to trample on carnal appetites, so that she might present her own temple pure and undefiled to the pure God; but she had both to keep virginity and to honour marriage, things praiseworthy and venerable to all.

Πειθαρχεῖ τοῖς τοκεῦσι, πρὸς γάμον ἐκκλίνει, στεφάνῳ κλίνει τὴν κεφαλήν, ἀνδρὶ νομίμῳ συζεύγνυται· ὁ δέ, is joined in marriage with Stephen. Στέφανος τὴν κλῆσιν, οὐ τὴν προαίρεσιν, οὐ δίδοται συνεργὸς κατ᾽ αὐτὴν ἀλλὰ μαχητής, οὐ συνέριθος ἀλλὰ μάλα πολέμιος· ἔδει γὰρ παραπεπηγέναι τῇ ἀρετῇ τὴν κακίαν καὶ ἀγχιθυρεῖν που ταύτην κατὰ τὸν φάμενον [Gregory Nazianzen: ταῖς ἀρεταῖς παραπεπήγασιν αἱ κακίαι (compare Stephanus, Thesaurus, under the word παραπήγνυμι); Eustathius Macrembolites, II, 8: ἀγχίθυροι ταῖς ἀρεταῖς αἱ κακίαι καὶ ταύταις παραπεπήγασι.] . Ἀλλ᾽ ὦ γενναίου νοός ναός A. , ὦ φρενὸς σταθηρᾶς, ὦ γνώμης ἐπαινετῆς τῆς αὐτῆς καὶ πάλιν εἴχετο βιοτῆς· οὐκ ἔληγε διὰ παντὸς εὐχαριστοῦσα Θεῷ, σχολάζουσα τοῖς θείοις ναοῖς, τοὺς πένητας περιέπουσα, τὸν πλοῦτον κενοῦσα, τὰ ἑαυτῆς ἀποδιδοῦσα Θεῷ· “Ἐσκόρπισεν, ἔδωκε τοῖς πένησι, ἡ δικαιοσύνη αὐτῆς μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος·” καὶ αὖθις· “Χρηστὸς ἀνὴρ ὁ οἰκτείρων καὶ κιχρῶν” ταῦτα τῆς Δαυἳτικῆς ᾠδῆς ὑπέψαλλε συνεχέστερον· τὸν νοῦν γὰρ ὅλον ταῖς τῶν θείων γραφῶν προσήρειδεν προήρειδεν A. ἀναγνώσεσι· καὶ ταῦτα φάλλειν οὐκ ἔληγεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ πράττειν οὐκ ἔκαμνεν· ὅλον τὸν πῆχυν ἀτράκτῳ προσήρειδεν· ὅσα τε περὶ τὸν ἱστὸν καὶ ὅσα ποικίλην ἔχει τὴν ὕφανσιν, καλῶς ἐτεχνούργει καὶ τεχνηέντως ἐξύφαινεν· αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῆς ἐποίησαν ὕφασμα, καὶ γαστέρες πενήτων εἰς κόρον κατέφαγον· χεῖρες ἀπόρων χάριν μογοῦσαι, χεῖρες χιτωνίσκους τοῖς γυμνητεύουσιν ἐξυφαίνουσαι· πόδες πρὸς τοὺς θείους ναοὺς προθύμως βαδίζοντες καὶ τῇ παννύχῳ στάσει προσμένοντες· πόδες ἑστῶτες ἀεὶ ἐν εὐθύτητι· ὢ πόδες θαμινὰ πρὸς δόσιν κινούμενοι, πόδες ἐν παραδείσῳ βαδίζειν ἀεὶ προαιρούμενοι· πόδες τῷ ὄντι μακάριοι. 2 Cor. 9, 9, Psalm 111, 5, Psalm 25, 12.

She obeys her parents, inclines to marriage, bows her head to the crown, is joined to a lawful husband; but he, Stephen (that is, crown) by name, not by choice, is given her not as a fellow-worker like her but as a fighter, not as a helpmate but as a very enemy; for vice had to be fixed close beside virtue and to dwell somewhere next door to it, as he who said it puts it. But O noble mind, O steadfast heart, O praiseworthy resolve! She held once more to the same way of life; she did not cease giving thanks to God continually, devoting herself to the divine churches, caring for the poor, emptying out her wealth, rendering her own to God: "She has scattered, she has given to the poor, her righteousness endures for ever and ever"; and again: "Good is the man who pities and lends": these words of the Davidic ode she chanted very constantly; for she fixed her whole mind on the readings of the divine Scriptures; and she did not cease to chant these things, but neither did she grow weary of doing them; she set her whole forearm to the spindle; whatever belongs to the loom and whatever has varied weaving she worked well and wove skilfully; her hands made woven stuff, and the bellies of the poor ate their fill; hands toiling for the sake of the needy, hands weaving little tunics for those who go naked; feet walking eagerly to the divine churches and persevering in the all-night standing; feet standing always in uprightness; O feet moved often toward giving, feet always choosing to walk in paradise; feet truly blessed.

[7] Her husband having died, Ἐπεὶ δὲ Λεσβόθεν ἀπάραντες οἱ τῆς ὁσίας γεννήτορες κἀκεῖθεν μετανάσται γεγονότες τοῖς Βοσπορείοις ᾤκησαν μέρεσιν [That they lived at Chalcedon is related by Constantine Acropolites in the Eulogy, c. 3.] ἔδει δὲ ἄρα τὸν ἀρχῆθεν τούτους συζεύξαντα θανάτῳ διαιρῆσαι πάλιν τρόποις οἷς οἶδεν αὐτὸς ὁ πάντα τὸ συμφέρον οἰκονομῶν, πρὸς τὴν μακαρίαν λῆξιν ὁ τῆς μακαρίας γεννήτωρ ἀποδημεῖ· καὶ ἡ μήτηρ ἀποκείρεται μὲν τὴν τρίχα, συναποκείρεται δὲ καὶ τύρβην βιωτικήν· τὸν μοναχικὸν ἀσπάζεται βίον, her mother bids farewell to the world; φοιτᾷ πρὸς σεμνεῖον, πνιγηρᾷ τινι κέλλῃ ἐναποκλείεται· ταῖς ἀρεταῖς προστίθησιν ἀρετάς, προσομιλεῖν ἀπάρχεται τῷ Θεῷ, τὴν κλίνην καθ᾽ ἑκάστην λούει λούειν A. τοῖς δάκρυσιν, ἀγρύπνῳ πρόσκειται προσευχῇ, νηστείᾳ διηνεκεῖ προσεμμένει, τὸν Κύριον ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας αἰνεῖ· οὕτως ἐπὶ θεμελίῳ στερρῷ καλὸν ἐπιτίθησιν ὄροφον· ἀσκητικῆς πολιτείας ἀντείχετο θέλουσα βιώσκειν ἀγγελικῶς ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα δρῶσα νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν οὐκ ἔληγεν. Psalm 6, 7, Psalm 118, 164.

Since the parents of the holy woman, setting out from Lesbos and having become emigrants from there, had settled in the parts about the Bosporus — but it was necessary, it seems, that he who from the beginning had yoked them together should part them again by death, in the ways known to himself who orders all things for their good — the father of the blessed woman departs to the blessed lot; and the mother shaves off her hair, and with it shaves away the turmoil of life; she embraces the monastic life, goes to a convent, shuts herself up in a stifling cell; she adds virtues to virtues, begins to converse with God, washes her bed every night with tears, applies herself to sleepless prayer, perseveres in continual fasting, praises the Lord seven times a day; thus upon a firm foundation she sets a fair roof; she held fast to the ascetic way of life, wishing to live angelically, and doing these and such things she did not cease night and day.

Ἀλλὰ τὸ θυγάτριον ἁπαλωτέρας ὃν ἡλικίας τῆς ὡς ἔθος μᾶλλον ἐσχολακυίας πρὸς ἀθύρματα παιδικὰ καὶ τὸν τυρβώδη βίον διεγνωκὸς καὶ συνεζευγμένον ἀνδρὶ πότερον ἠμέλει τῆς ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ σπουδαίου καὶ θεαρέστου κατερρᾳθύμει βίου καὶ κατεβλακευμένως κατευλακευμένος A. διέκειτο; οὔμενουν· προθυμότερον δὲ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀντείχετο· καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν ἐν ταὐτῷ τὸ καινότερον συνεζευγμένους· γυνή τις ἀνδρεία καὶ ἡρρενωμένη πρὸς ἀρετὴν σπεύδει καὶ τὴν φύσιν αὐτὴν ὑπερελάσαι τοῖς ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς σπουδάσμασιν· οὕτω τὸ νικᾶν γονεῖς ὑπὲρ ἀρετῆς σπουδάσμασιν ἠγωνισμένους οὐκ ἀγεννές·

But the little daughter, being of a tenderer age, which is usually given rather to children's playthings, and having come to know the turbulent life and being yoked to a husband — did she neglect virtue, and grow slack in the earnest and God-pleasing life, and lie in sloth? Not at all; but she held to the things mentioned more eagerly; and one could see in the same pair something newer: a woman brave and manly hastens to virtue and to surpass nature itself by her zeal for virtue; thus it is not ignoble to conquer parents who have contended with zeal for virtue;

πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀεὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκτείνουσα, Thomaïs emulates her holiness. γονυπετοῦσα, δακρύουσα, προσομιλοῦσα Θεῷ καὶ τὸν θεῖον διηνεκῶς ἀνάπτουσα ἔρωτα καὶ τὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀρέσκοντα δρῶσα, γυμνητεύοντας ἐνδιδύσκουσα, πεπτωκότας ἀνιστῶσα καὶ διεγείρουσα, οὕτω πάντα κάλων ἐκίνει [Pseudo-Zenobius, Cent. V, 62, Leutsch-Schneidewin, Corpus paroem., vol. I, p. 145.] , πάντα τρόπον ἐζήτει, πᾶσαν ἐπενόει ἐπίνοιαν, δι᾽ ὧν τὰ δεσποτικὰ πρὸς τὸ τέλος ἀγάγοι θεσπίσματα, κἂν καὶ κωλύμην εἶχε τὸν Στέφανον, ὃν ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἄνωθεν ταύτῃ ταύτην A. συνέζευξεν· ἀντέκειτο γὰρ καθάπαξ τοῖς θαυμαστοῖς τῆς Θωμαΐδος θελήμασιν· ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔσπευδε κενῶσαι τὸν πλοῦτον τοῖς πένησιν, ὁ δὲ ἀντικειμένως ἐφρόνει καθά τις Σατᾶν· ποσάκις ἤκουε παρ᾽ αὐτῆς “ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ· οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ αλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων”, τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο ὃ καὶ τῷ Πέτρῳ τῷ κορυφαίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τοῦ σωτηρίου πάθους ἠγνοηκότι μυστήριον, προσεπεφώνησεν ὁ Σωτήρ, ὀπίσω τούτου βαδίζειν αὐτὸν διδάσκων σαφέστατα· ἔπαιε συχνῶς τὴν γενναίαν, διεχλεύαζεν, ἐμυκτήριζεν· ἀλλ᾽ ἦν ἀμετάτρεπτος ὥσπερ τις πύργος σιδήρεος μηδ᾽ ὅλως κατασειόμενος μήτε μὴν σπαραττόμενος, τὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κατὰ νοῦν λογιζομένη συχνότερον ῥήματα· “Μακάριοι ἐστέ, ὅταν ὑμᾶς ὀνειδίσωσι καὶ διώξωσι καὶ εἴπωσι πᾶν πονηρὸν ῥῆμα καθ᾽ ὑμῶν ψευδόμενοι”. Mark 8, 33, Matt. 5, 11. Τίς ἄρα χωρίσειε ταύτην τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; οὐ πῦρ, οὐ ξίφος, οὐ κίνδυνος, οὐ ῥήματα φλήναφα Στεφάνου φρονοῦντος τὰ φλήναφα. Rom. 8, 35.

always stretching out her hands toward heaven, kneeling, weeping, conversing with God, and continually kindling the divine love and doing the things pleasing to God, clothing those who go naked, raising up and rousing the fallen, she thus moved every rope, sought every way, devised every device by which she might bring the Lord's commandments to their fulfilment, even though she had a hindrance in Stephen, whom the discourse has already above yoked to her; for he opposed once for all the wonderful wishes of Thomaïs; for she hastened to empty out her wealth to the poor, while he thought the contrary like some Satan; how often did he hear from her, "Get behind me, Satan; you do not think the things of God but those of men" — that very thing which the Saviour addressed to Peter also, the chief of the apostles, when he was ignorant of the mystery of the saving passion, teaching him most clearly to walk behind him; he struck the noble woman often, mocked, sneered; but she was unswerving like some iron tower, not shaken at all nor torn, reckoning very often in her mind the words of the Gospel: "Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say every evil word against you falsely." Who, then, could separate her from the love of Christ? Not fire, not sword, not danger, not the nonsense words of Stephen, whose thoughts were nonsense.

[8] to be ranked with the martyrs, Ἀλλά μοι τὰς ἀκοὰς ἀνατείνατε καὶ τῷ τῆς ὁσιομάρτυρος θείῳ βίῳ προσέχετε· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν μαρτύρων χωρίσαι ταύτην ὁ λόγος θέλει, τὴν πληγὰς οὐκ ὀλίγας λαβοῦσαν, τὴν μαστιχθεῖσαν ἀφόρητα διὰ τὰ δεσποτικὰ καὶ θεῖα θεσπίσματα, οὐ παρὰ τυράννου καθυβρισθεῖσαν, οὐ καταπέλταις κολασθεῖσαν δεινῶς, οὐκ ἐξ ἀλλοφύλων μαστιχθεῖσαν δεινῶς (ἦ γὰρ ἂν ἦν οὑτωσὶ φορητόν), ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ ῥηθέντος συζύγου τυραννικῶς ἐγκειμένου καὶ θεαρέστως ζῆν ὅλαις χερσὶ ταύτην ἀπείργοντος· ὡς γὰρ τῷ θείῳ προσήδρευε ναῷ καὶ σπουδὴν οὐ μικρὰν εἰ μὴ καὶ τὴν μεγίστην εἶχε καθ᾽ ἑκάστην τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀπιούσῃ ταύτῃ πρὸς θεῖον τέμενος γυμνήτης πένης συνέκυρσε μεγίστῃ πενίᾳ περιπειρόμενος· ἀλλ᾽ ὅρα μοι, τί διαπράττεται· τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀπαμφιέννυται ἄμφιον, γυμνητεύει διὰ Χριστὸν, ἀμέλει καὶ πάσχει διὰ Χριστόν· καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Στεφάνου δέχεται τὰς πληγάς, ἵνα τοῦ δεσποτικοῦ στεφάνου τύχῃ παρὰ Χριστοῦ.

But stretch out your ears to me and attend to the divine life of the holy martyr; for the discourse does not wish to separate her from the choir of the martyrs, she who received not a few blows, who was scourged unbearably for the sake of the Lord's divine commandments, not outraged by a tyrant, not terribly punished with catapults, not terribly scourged by foreigners (for so it would have been bearable), but by the said spouse, who pressed upon her tyrannically and with both hands kept her from living in a way pleasing to God; for as she attended the divine church and had no small zeal, if not indeed the greatest, to do this every day, as she was going off to a divine precinct a naked poor man met her, pierced through with the greatest poverty; but see, I pray, what she does; she strips off her own garment, goes naked for Christ, and indeed suffers for Christ; and she receives the blows from Stephen, that she may obtain the Lord's crown from Christ.

she suffers much from her husband, Ἔγνωστο τοῦτο τἀνδρὶ καὶ πληγὰς οὐκ ὀλίγας ἡ θαυμαστὴ Θωμαῒς ὑπομένει· μαστίζει ταύτην ἀνὴρ ἐκείνης ὁ τάλας, ἀνὴρ φρονῶν οὐ καλῶς, ἀνὴρ μὴ ποθῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ἀλλὰ τὸν κόσμον φιλῶν καὶ τοῖς ἐν κόσμῳ στοιχῶν, παντάπασιν ἀνέραστος ἀγέραστος A. ὢν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ συνόλως εἰπεῖν μὴ δεχόμενος τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὡς ψυχικός τις ἄνθρωπος, ἢ μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν κοσμικὸς ἀνὴρ ἀλόγοις παρόμοιος κτήνεσι· βδελύττεται ταύτην ὁ βδελυρὸς καὶ μὴ δρῶσαν κακίαν κακίστην λογίζεται· ἀποστρέφεται ταύτην ἀποστροφῆς ἄξιος ὤν· ἡ ὁ A. δὲ καὶ πάσχουσα ὅμως πολλὴν εἶχεν ἔννοιαν μὴ ἀναπεπτωκέναι μήτε μὴν ἐνδοῦναι καὶ καταρρᾳθυμῆσαι τῆς ἐπαινετῆς ἐργασίας, τῆς χρηστῆς προαιρέσεως, ἀλλ᾽ εὐχαρίστως ἔφερε τὰς πληγὰς ὡς μάρτυς χαίρουσα τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ τῶν αὐτῶν μειζόνως ἀντείχετο· ἔπληττε τὸν ἄνδρα παιομένη διὰ Χριστόν· ἔβαλλε βαλλομένη διὰ τοὺς πένητας· ἤγαλλεν, ἔχαιρεν· “Ἀγαλλιάσεται ἡ

This became known to the husband, and the wonderful Thomaïs endures not a few blows; her wretched husband scourges her, a man not thinking well, a man not longing for Christ but loving the world and walking in step with the things in the world, altogether without love for the good, and, to say it in a word, not receiving the things of the Spirit, as a natural man, or rather, to say it more truly, a worldly man like the irrational beasts; the loathsome man loathes her, and reckons her who does no evil most evil; he turns away from her, being himself worthy to be turned away from; but she, though suffering, nevertheless took great thought not to fall back, nor indeed to give in and grow slack in her praiseworthy work and her good purpose, but bore the blows thankfully, rejoicing like a martyr in Christ, and held still more fast to the same things; she struck her husband while being beaten for Christ; she smote while being smitten for the poor; she exulted, she rejoiced: "Shall exult

ψυχή μου χαίρουσα ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἐνέδυσε γάρ με ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης·” τὰς γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ ῥηθέντος Στεφάνου πληγὰς ὡς ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου περιημπίσχετο.1 Cor. 2, 14, Psalm 34, 9.

my soul, rejoicing in the Lord, for he has clothed me with the garment of salvation and the tunic of gladness"; for she wrapped herself in the blows from the said Stephen as in a garment of salvation.

[9] Ὁρμᾷ τι πάντως ὁ λόγος νεανιεύσασθαι, τὸν μὲν σύνευνον ταύτης τῷ βδελυρῷ χαλκεῖ, τὴν μακαρίαν δὲ τῷ μακαρίῳ Παύλῳ τῷ θεοκήρυκι παραβάλλων· ἔστιν ἄρα καὶ ἰσαπόστολος· καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν τὴν πάλην κἀνταῦθα τοῖς προρρηθεῖσιν ἰσοπαλῆ· οὐκ ἔσχεν ὅλως ἀνάπαυλαν τοῦ τὸν Παῦλον παίειν ὁ τηλικοῦτος τὴν κακίαν χαλκεύς, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽ ἐκεῖνος ἔληγε κηρύττων πάλιν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· ὑπὲρ τούτου πολλάκις καὶ τὸν Κύριον καθικέτευσε, κἂν καὶ τὸ κατὰ σκοπὸν αὐτῷ οὐ τετέλεσται· ναὶ μὴν καὶ ὁ Στέφανος οὐκ ἐπαύσατο τὴν καλὴν συνεργόν, τὴν ἀγαθὴν ἐργάτιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ταῖς ἀφορήτοις παίειν πληγαῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἔσπευδεν ἀνάρρουν φέρεσθαι ταύτην, σφοδροτέραις ταῖς ῥύμαις φερομένην πρὸς τἀγαθόν· ἤσχαλλεν ἀναχαιτιζομένη θαμινῶς τοῦ καλοῦ (καὶ πῶς γὰρ οὔ;) τῆς γνώμης οὕτως εὖ ἔχουσα, which she bears most patiently. ἑαυτὴν ἀνατιθεῖσα Θεῷ, κόσμου ῥηγνύουσα καὶ ὅλην ὅλῳ προσκολλῶσα Θεῷ· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐξελιπάρει κατὰ Παῦλον τὸν Κύριον ῥυσθῆναι τοῦ πειραστοῦ, ἀλλὰ προθυμότερον τοῦ θεαρέστου βίου καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς εἴχετο, καθά τις ξυρὸς εἰς ἀκόνην [Pseudo-Diogenianus, Century VI, 91, 9, Leutsch-Schneidewin, Corpus paroem., vol. I, p. 284.] τὸν εἰρημένον ἄνδρα διακειμένη, πληγὰς οὐ λόγῳ ῥητὰς οὐκ ἔργῳ φορητὰς δεχομένη· ἀλλ᾽ ἔστεργε ταύτας διὰ Χριστὸν ἡ τὸν Χριστὸν πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἔχουσα· ὡς μαργάροις ἐκοσμεῖτο ταῖς ὠτειλαῖς, ὡς λίθοις πολυτιμήτοις τοῖς τραύμασιν, ὡς χρυσίοις τοῖς ῥαβδισμοῖς ἐποικίλλετο· κἀντεῦθεν καὶ παρέστη βασίλισσά τις ὥσπερ περιβεβλημένη πεποικιλμένη κατέναντι τοῦ παντάνακτος· ὡς ἐνωτίοις πολυτελέσι ταῖς ὕβρεσιν ἐκεκόσμητο· ἐνωραΐζετο τοῖς κολαφισμοῖς, τοῖς ἐμπαιγμοῖς ἐνηδύνετο. 2 Tim. 4, 14; 1 Tim. 1, 20, Psalm 44, 10.

The discourse is surely eager for some bold sally, comparing her bedfellow to the loathsome coppersmith, and the blessed woman to the blessed Paul, the herald of God; she is, then, even equal to the apostles; and one could see the wrestling here too evenly matched with that just mentioned: that so great a coppersmith of wickedness had no rest at all from striking Paul, but neither did Paul cease preaching the Gospel again; for this he often besought the Lord, even though what he aimed at was not accomplished for him; yes indeed, Stephen too did not cease striking with unbearable blows the fair fellow-worker, the good worker of virtue, but hastened to make her flow backward, though she was borne with more vehement impulses toward the good; she was vexed at being frequently reined back from the good (and how not?), being so well disposed in mind, devoting herself to God, breaking from the world and gluing herself wholly to God wholly; but she did not entreat the Lord, like Paul, to be delivered from the tempter, but held more eagerly to the God-pleasing life and to virtue, being to the said husband as a razor to a whetstone, receiving blows neither speakable in word nor bearable in deed; but she loved them for Christ's sake, she who had Christ before her eyes; she was adorned with the weals as with pearls, with the wounds as with precious stones, and she was embroidered with the beatings as with gold; and hence she also stood like a queen, as it were clothed about and many-coloured, before the King of all; she was adorned with the insults as with costly earrings; she was beautified by the buffetings, she delighted in the mockeries.

Ἀλλ᾽ εἶχε μὲν οὕτω ταῦτα περὶ τὴν θαυμαστὴν Θωμαΐδα καὶ οὕτω παρὰ τοῦ συνεύνου ταύτης ἀπείργετο τῆς τῶν θείων σηκῶν προσεδρείας καὶ φιλοπτωχείας ἀνεχαιτίζετο· παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τρόπου κωλύμην εἶχε τὸν ὃν ὁ λόγος φθάσας παρείκασε τῷ χαλκεῖ· καὶ τοῦ Δαβὶδ ὑπέψαλλε τὴν ᾠδὴν λέγουσα “ἐξελεξάμην παραρριπτεῖσθαι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ μου μᾶλλον ἢ οἰκεῖν με ἐν σκηνώμασιν ἁμαρτωλῶν,” ὅτι ἔλεος καὶ ἀλήθεια ταύτης προεπορεύετο καὶ τῶν πενήτων ἐπιστροφὴν ἐποιεῖτο καὶ τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ὑμνῳδίας ἀντείχετο· ναὶ μέντοι καὶ πάσχουσα τῆς προθυμίας οὐκ ἐνεδίδου, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπηύξανε τὴν προαίρεσιν· καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν πάλην ἐνταῦθα καινήν· ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἔληγεν ἀνασειράζων τὴν μακαρίαν τῆς μακαριστῆς καὶ συνήθους αὐτῇ προαιρέσεώς τε καὶ πράξεως· αὕτη μᾶλλον ἐπηύξανε τὴν φιλόπτωχον αὐτῆς γνώμην τε καὶ διάθεσιν ἀνδριζομένη πρὸς τὰ κρείττω καὶ βελτιώτερα. Psalm 83, 11, Psalm 88, 15. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν κατὰ μέρος τῆς μακαριστῆς Θωμαΐδος θαυμάτων διήγησιν τὸν λόγον μεταβιβάσωμεν καὶ τὰ ταύτης θαυμάσια διηγητέον ὡς δύναμις.

But so these things stood with the wonderful Thomaïs, and thus she was kept by her bedfellow from attendance at the divine precincts and reined back from her love of the poor; she had as a hindrance to every good way him whom the discourse has already likened to the coppersmith; and she chanted the ode of David, saying, "I have chosen to be cast aside in the house of my God rather than to dwell in the tents of sinners," because mercy and truth went before her, and she turned her attention to the poor and held fast to hymnody to God; yes indeed, even while suffering she did not give up her zeal, but increased her resolve; and one could see a new wrestling here: he did not cease reining back the blessed woman from her most blessed and customary purpose and practice; she rather increased her poor-loving mind and disposition, acting manfully toward the better and more excellent things. But let us move the discourse on to the narrative of the miracles of the most blessed Thomaïs one by one, and her wonders must be related as far as we are able.

[10] Miracles Ἀρχὴ τῶν θαυμάτων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ προσεδρεύειν τοῖς θείοις σηκοῖς ὁ λόγος ἡμᾶς ἀνεδίδαξε κἀκεῖσε πάντως τὰς προσεδρείας θαμινὰς ἐποιεῖτο, ἔνθα καὶ πάννυχος ὑμνῳδία πρὸς Θεὸν ἐτελεῖτο, τῷ ἐν Βλαχέρναις [About the church at Blachernae many things are read here and there in the writers and in the liturgical books. Compare Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 1067; Preger, Scriptores originum CP., p. 361, under the word Βλαχέρναι.] θειοτάτῳ προσεφοίτα ναῷ· διηνεκῶς περιῄει νύκτωρ τὴν ὅλην ὁδὸν ᾠδὰς ἱκετηρίους πρὸς Θεὸν ἀναπέμπουσα καὶ τὴν πάναγνον τούτου μητέρα καθικετεύουσα, worked by Thomaïs while she lived. πρὸς τὴν πάντιμον καὶ τὴν παναγίαν σορὸν παραπίπτουσα παραπέμπουσα A. , καὶ ταύτην μετὰ δακρύων ἐκλιπαροῦσα καὶ χάριν αἰτοῦσα παγκόσμιον παρασκευάσαι τὸν ταύτης υἱόν, ὀψιαίτερον διατιθέναι καὶ βραδῦναι πρὸς κάκωσιν καὶ σαββατισμὸν ἐπιθεῖναι τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τῷ κόσμῳ κακώσεως· οὐ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῆς ἠντιβόλει οὔτε μὴν ἐξελιπάρει τὸν Κύριον, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ τοῦ κοινοῦ καὶ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου σωτηρίας τε καὶ ἀπολυτρώσεως· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ἑαυτῆς ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον ἔσπευδε· ναὶ μέντοι καὶ ἔργοις αὐτοῖς τὸ ῥηθὲν ἀπεδείκνυεν· ὡς γὰρ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἐπέστησαν τὰ πάνσεπτα τῆς πανάγνου καὶ θεομήτορος εἰκονίσματα, τόπον ἐκεῖνον ὃς οὕτως ἐγχωρίως εἰώθει Ζεῦγμα καλεῖσθαι [Synax. Eccl. CP., pp. 291, 861; Preger, Scriptores originum CP., pp. 141, 185, 239. Compare Anal. Boll., vol. XXXI, p. 229.] , αἴφνης τις ἀνέθορεν ἄνθρωπος ὀχλούμενος ὑπὸ δαίμονος· ὃς πρὸ τῶν ποδῶν τῆς μακαρίας προκυλινδούμενος οὕτω τρανῶς ἀνεβόα, τῆς ἀρετῆς δεικνύων τὴν δύναμιν, ἣν κεκρυμμένην εἶχεν ἐπὶ πολύ· “Ἕως πότε κρύπτεις σεαυτήν, ὦ δούλη Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ τὰ ἔργα ταῦτα σαφῶς ἀνακηρύττειν ἐθέλεις; μεγαλυνθήτω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ σοῦ· θαυμάστωσον ἐπ᾽ ἐμέ, A possessed man Θωμαΐς, τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ· κηρυχθήτω μετάνοια διὰ σοῦ καὶ ἄφεσις τῶν ἐμῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἐξ ὑπογύου, δι᾽ ἃ καὶ παραχωρήσει Θεοῦ κολάζομαι τήμερον· καὶ δέομαι τῶν σῶν προκυλινδούμενος ἁγίων ποδῶν, φανέρωσον σεαυτήν· δεῖξον ὅτι θαυμάσια μεγάλα τερατουργεῖ διὰ σοῦ ὁ τῶν θαυμασίων Θεός· ὁ ἰσχυρὸς ἐπ᾽ ἐμοὶ διὰ τῆς σῆς θραυσθήτω χειρός· ὁ ὑπεναντίος συντριβήτω τῷ πλήθει τῆς δυνάμεως· περιέσχον με ὠδῖνες θανάτου, κίνδυνοι ᾅδου εὕροσάν με· ἕως πότε τὴν Βριάρεω χεῖρα κατ᾽ ἐμοῦ κινήσειε τὸ δαιμόνιον;” 1 Cor. 10, 24, Psalm 114, 3.

Beginning of the miracles. For since the discourse has taught us that she attended the divine precincts, and there surely she made her frequent attendances where an all-night hymnody to God was performed, she used to go to the most divine church at Blachernae; she continually went round the whole road at night, sending up supplicatory odes to God and beseeching his all-pure mother, falling down before the all-honoured and all-holy reliquary, and entreating her with tears, and asking her to dispose her son to a universal grace, to make him later and slower to afflict, and to impose a sabbath rest on the affliction that comes upon the world from its sins; for she did not entreat or beseech the Lord for herself, but for the common good and for the salvation and redemption of the world; for she sought not her own but another's, according to the apostle; yes indeed, she showed what has been said by the deeds themselves; for as they stood at the place where the all-venerable icons of the all-pure Mother of God are, that place which used to be called in the local usage the Zeugma, suddenly a man leapt up troubled by a demon; who, rolling before the feet of the blessed woman, cried out thus clearly, showing the power of her virtue, which she had long kept hidden: "How long do you hide yourself, O handmaid of God, and do not wish to proclaim these works clearly? Let the name of God be magnified through you; show forth upon me, Thomaïs, the mercy of God; let repentance be proclaimed through you, and the remission of my sins forthwith, for which by God's permission I am punished today; and I beseech you, rolling at your holy feet, make yourself manifest; show that the God of wonders works great wonders through you; let the strong one that is upon me be crushed by your hand; let the adversary be shattered by the abundance of your power; the pangs of death encompassed me, the perils of Hades found me; how long shall the demon move the hand of Briareus against me?"

Ταῦτα διὰ τῆς Θωμαΐδος ἐπεβοᾶτο πρὸς Κύριον· τῆς γοῦν ἁγίας ἐπικαμφθείσης πρὸς ἔλεον καὶ τὰς χεῖρας ἐκπετασάσης πρὸς Θεόν, ἀφ᾽ οὗ πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον καταπέμπεται, εἶθ᾽ οὕτως ἐλαίου τῆς ὑπεράγνου τοῦ Λόγου μητρὸς τὰς χεῖρας ἀναλειφάσης καὶ τὸν ῥηθέντα χρισάσης, ἦν ὁρᾶν εὐθὺς τὸν δαιμονῶντα τελείως ἰαθέντα καὶ τὸν Θεὸν μεγαλύνοντα τὸν θαυμάσια μεγάλα τερατουργοῦντα, is healed by Thomaïs; τὸν νεκροὺς ζωοῦντα, τὸν δαίμονας ἐξελαύνοντα, ὡς καὶ τοὺς παρατυχόντας ἰδόντας τὴν ταχίστην θεραπείαν τοῦ δαιμονῶντος ἐκείνου ἀνδρὸς τῷ Θεῷ τὸν ὕμνον, τρανῶς ἀναπέμπειν, ὅτι καὶ τεθαυμάστωται πάντως ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τούτου κηρύττεταί τε καὶ μεγαλύνεται διὰ τῶν ὁσίων δούλων αὐτοῦ, τὰ αὐτὰ τερατουργούντων, θαύματα, δαίμονας ἐκδιωκόντων, πᾶσαν μαλακίαν ἰωμένων καὶ κυδαζόντων τὸν Κύριον. Jas. 1, 17..

These things were cried out to the Lord through Thomaïs; and when the saint, then, had been bent toward mercy and had spread out her hands to God, from whom every perfect gift is sent down, and then had anointed her hands with oil of the most pure mother of the Word and anointed the said man, one could see the demoniac at once perfectly healed and magnifying God, who works great wonders, who gives life to the dead, who drives out demons, so that those who happened to be present too, seeing the swiftest cure of that demoniac man, sent up the hymn clearly to God, that he has surely been made wonderful in his saints, and that his name is proclaimed and magnified through his holy servants, who work the same wonders, drive out demons, heal every infirmity and glorify the Lord.

[11] likewise one with paralysis Θαῦμα β᾽. Προσθετέον τῷ λόγῳ καὶ ἕτερον τῆς μακαρίας θαυμασιώτερον θαυματούργημα. Ἔνδον τις τὴν οἴκησιν εἶχε τοῦ οὕτως ἐπιλεγομένου τοῦ Ἄγκουρίου σεμνείου [Ἄγγουρίου καλεῖται τὸ φροντιστήριον· Ἀγγουρίου γὰρ κλῆσιν οὕτω γε τυχὸν ὁ δειμάμενος εἴληχε. So Constantine Acropolites, in the Eulogy, c. 7. The word ἀγγουρίον signifies a cucumber.] · τομίας δὲ ἦν· Κωνσταντῖνος τούτῳ ὄνομα· τοῦτον χρόνοις ἱκανοῖς τὰ τῆς παραλύσεως δεσμὰ συνέσφιγγεν, ἵν᾽ οὕτως εἴπω, καὶ ἔθλιβεν ὡς τὸν τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ παραλύοντα ἔτεσιν· John 5, 5. ἐσύστερον δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς κυνάγχης ἐπισυνέβη δεινότατον νόσημα καὶ ἦγχε τοῦτον ἐφ᾽ ἱκανόν· and suffering from quinsy; καὶ πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν ἐθεᾶτο τὸν κινδυνον· μιᾷ γοῦν τῶν νυκτῶν ὑπνώττοντος τούτου, πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐπιστάς τις τοιαῦτα δημηγορῶν ἦν καὶ ὑποθήκας, αἷς χρὴ τῶν νοσημάτων ἀπαλλαγὴν εὑρέσθαι ταχεῖαν, συνετίθει τε καὶ συνέπλεκεν, οὑτωσὶ φάσκων· “Εἰ θέλεις τάχιον ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ παρόντος σοι κινδύνου, μηδέν τι μελλήσας μελήσας A. εἰς τὴν μακαρίαν Θωμαΐδα (προσθεὶς οὕτω καὶ τοὔνομα) στεῖλον ταχὺ καὶ τὸ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτῆς χειρῶν ἀπόλουμα λαβὼν χρῖσον ἐκεῖνο τὸ μέρος τοῦ σώματος, ὃ τὸν κίνδυνον ἀπειλεῖ σοι, καὶ ταχεῖαν ἐκεῖθεν εὑρήσεις τὴν ἴασιν.” Ταῦτα ὁ θαυμαστὸς ἐκεῖνος καὶ θεῖος διηγήσατο ὄνειρος· πείθεται τοῦτο ὁ ἀσθενῶν καὶ ἀνανήψας τοῦ ὕπνου τὰ τοῦ ὀνείρου σύμπαντα· διαπράττεται· καὶ στέλλει πρὸς τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ χρίεται τῷ τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς ἀπολούματι τὴν ξύμπασαν τοῦ σώματος ὁλομέλειαν· καὶ παραχρῆμα τοῦ πάθους ἰᾶται καὶ πανταχοῦ τοῦ θαύματος τούτου κῆρυξ γίνεται διαπρύσιος· δοξάζει τὸν πάντων Θεόν, μεγαλύνει τὸν τοὺς ἁγίους αὐτοῦ μεγαλύναντα.

Miracle 2. We must add to the discourse another wonder-working of the blessed woman, more wonderful still. A certain man had his dwelling within the convent so called, of Ankourios; he was a eunuch; Constantine was his name; for many years the bonds of paralysis bound him fast, so to speak, and afflicted him like the man paralysed for thirty-eight years; and later the most terrible disease of quinsy befell him as well and choked him for a long time; and he beheld the danger before his eyes; on one of the nights, then, as he was sleeping, someone stood by him and was haranguing him with such words, and put together and wove counsels by which he must find swift release from his diseases, saying thus: "If you wish to be freed more quickly from the danger that is upon you, without any delay send quickly to the blessed Thomaïs (thus adding the name also), and, taking the water in which her holy hands have been washed, anoint that part of the body which threatens you with danger, and you will find swift healing from it." These things that wonderful and divine dream related; the sick man believes it, and having woken from sleep he carries out all the things of the dream; and he sends to the saint and anoints the whole entirety of his body with the washing of her hands; and at once he is healed of the affliction and becomes everywhere a loud herald of this miracle; he glorifies the God of all, he magnifies him who magnified his saints.

[12] a woman vexed by a demon Θαῦμα γ᾽. Ἔτι καὶ τοῦτο τοῖς εἰρημένοις προσαφηγήσομαι καινοπρεπέστερον καὶ θειότερον, διεγεῖρον πρὸς ὕμνον Θεοῦ ξύμπασαν ἀκοὴν καὶ διάνοιαν. Ἐγένετό ποτε κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ταύτῃ σχολαζούσῃ τοῖς θείοις σηκοῖς καὶ ταῖς παννύχοις ὑμνῳδίαις χαιρούσῃ προσιέναι καὶ τῷ θείῳ τῶν Ὁδηγῶν (τῇ νῦν καλουμένῃ Ὁδηγητρίᾳ) σηκῷ [On the church τῶν Ὁδηγῶν, τῆς Ὁδηγητρίας, Preger, Scriptores originum CP., pp. 223, 293.] · ἔνθα καὶ περί που μίαν τῶν πανσέπτων εἰκόνων τῆς θεομήτορος ἵστατο καὶ τὰς συνήθεις εὐχὰς ἐποιεῖτο· καὶ δὴ κατὰ τὸ ἔθος προσεδρευούσῃ τῷ εἰρημένῳ θείῳ σηκῷ, ἀφ᾽ οὗ πρωἳαίτερον πρόεισιν ἡ πάνσεπτος τῆς παναμώμου κόρης εἰκὼν κατὰ τὴν τρίτην τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἡμέραν παρὰ πάντων κυδαζομένη καὶ προσκυνουμένη κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες, γύναιόν τι παρά τινος δαιμονίου καιρὸν ἱκανὸν ἐπηρεαζόμενον ἐκπηδῆσαν καταπίπτει τοῖς ποσὶ τῆς ἁγίας ἱσταμένης καὶ σχολαζούσης τῇ προσευχῇ καἱ τοιαῦτα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀναφέγγεται· “Ἐλέησόν με τὴν δούλην τὴν σήν, ὦ τοῦ Θεοῦ δούλη, καὶ μὴ ἐάσῃς ἐς τοσοῦτόν με τὸ δαιμόνιον σινιάζειν καὶ περιάγειν με τῇδε κἀκεῖσε καθάπερ ἀνδράποδον· ἱκανὸς ὁ καιρὸς τῆς θλίψεως· οὐδέποθ᾽ ἡμέρα γενήσεται σώτειρα, ἀλλ᾽ ἡ νὺξ τῆς δυσθυμίας πιέσει με; καὶ κλονήσειν ἐθέλει μοι καὶ εἰς τὸ μετέπειτα τὸ δαιμόνιον, καὶ ὁ βοηθήσων οὐδείς;”

Miracle 3. I will further relate, in addition to what has been said, this one too, more novel and more divine, rousing every ear and mind to the hymn of God. It happened once that she, according to her custom of devoting herself to the divine precincts and rejoicing in the all-night hymnodies, went also to the divine precinct of the Hodegoi (the one now called the Hodegetria); where she was standing near one of the all-venerable icons of the Mother of God and making her customary prayers; and indeed, as she was attending, according to custom, the said divine precinct, from which, early on the third day of the week, the all-venerable icon of the all-blameless maiden goes forth, glorified and venerated by all according to custom, a little woman who had for a long time been vexed by some demon leapt out and falls at the feet of the saint, as she stood devoting herself to prayer, and cries out such things to her: "Have mercy on me, your handmaid, O handmaid of God, and do not let the demon sift me to such a degree and drive me here and there like a captive slave; long enough is the time of affliction; will a saving day never come, but will the night of despondency press upon me? And will the demon wish to shake me hereafter too, and there is no one to help?"

Ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα οὐκ ἔληγε τὸ ῥηθὲν γύναιον κλαυθμυρίζον ἀφόρητα, δακρύον ὑπέρμετρα· λίαν γὰρ φίλοικτον χρῆμα γυνή· καὶ τῆς γυναικὸς κλαυθμοῖς καὶ ὀδυρμοῖς ἐπικαμφθεῖσα ταχὺ πρὸς ἔλεον διανίσταται καὶ ἐλαίῳ ἁγίῳ χρίει τὸ γύναιον· is freed. καὶ παρευθὺς τὸ δαιμόνιον δραπετεύει καὶ ἄφαντον γίνεται· καὶ θάμβους μεστὸν ὁρᾶται σύμπαν τὸ παρατυχὸν πλῆθος ἐπὶ τῇ ἀθρόᾳ θεραπείᾳ τοῦ εἰρημένου γυναίου· τῆς γὰρ ἁγίας ἐφήψατο καὶ ταύτην ἐξελιπάρει, ὥστε τοῦ ταύτην ἐπηρεάζοντος ῥυσθῆναι δαίμονος, ὃ δῆτα καὶ γέγονεν.

These and such things the said little woman did not cease saying, wailing unbearably, weeping beyond measure; for a woman is a thing very ready to pity; and she, bent quickly to mercy by the woman's wailings and lamentations, rises up and anoints the little woman with holy oil; and at once the demon runs away and vanishes; and the whole crowd that happened to be present is seen full of amazement at the sudden cure of the said little woman; for she had touched the saint and entreated her that she might be delivered from the demon that vexed her, which indeed came to pass.

[13] The healing of an unchaste woman; Θαῦμα δ᾽. Ἐπειγέσθω τοίνυν ὁ λόγος σφοδροτέρᾳ τῇ ῥύμῃ καὶ ἐπὶ θάτερα τῆς θαυμαστῆς Θωμαΐδος τερατουργήματα. Γύναιόν τι ἀσέμνως βιοῦν καὶ ἀκολασταῖνον καθ᾽ ἕκαστα, τοῦτο δῆτα καὶ αἱμορραγοῦν ἦν ἓξ ἔτη καὶ πλεῖον καὶ ταύτῃ τῃ νόσῳ δεινῶς ἐμαστίζετο· ἀλλ᾽ ἡ ἁγία γνοῦσα θεόθεν ταύτης τὸ νόσημα τοιάδε πρὸς αὐτὴν ἀφηγεῖτο· “Εἰ θέλεις, γύναι, τῆς κατεχούσης σε ταύτης νόσου ἀπαλλαγῆναι, ἔκκοψον τὸ ἐν ταῖς θείαις καὶ μεγάλαις ἑορταῖς συνουσιάζειν ἀνδράσι καὶ ἄθεσμα πράττειν κατὰ τὸ σύνηθες· τὸ τῷ βορβόρῳ τῶν παθῶν ἐγκαλινδεῖσθαι δίωξον πορρωτάτω.” Τούτων γοῦν ἀποσχέσθαι τοῦ γυναίου ὑποσχεθέντος καὶ τὴν αἰσχροπραγίαν βδελυξαμένου, τῷ συνήθει ἐλαίῳ ἡ ἁγία τὴν γυναῖκα χρίσασα

Miracle 4. Let the discourse, then, hasten with more vehement impulse to the other wonder-workings of the wonderful Thomaïs too. A certain little woman who lived indecently and was licentious in every respect, this woman was indeed also suffering from a flow of blood for six years and more, and was terribly scourged by this disease; but the saint, knowing her disease from God, related to her such things: "If you wish, woman, to be freed from this disease that holds you, cut off your consorting with men on the divine and great feasts and your doing of lawless things according to your custom; drive very far away your wallowing in the mire of the passions." When, then, the little woman had promised to abstain from these things and had come to abhor her shameful conduct, the saint, having anointed the woman with the customary oil,

τεθεράπευκε· καὶ τὴν τληπαθῆ τοῦ χαλεποῦ πάθους ἀπήλλαξεν ὁ τῆς ἁγίας λόγος καὶ ἡ παραίνεσις· καὶ ὑγιὴς γέγονεν ἡ πολλὰ ἔτη νοσοῦσα καὶ μηκέτι ἁμαρτάνειν ὑπέσχετο· ἠκηκόει καὶ γὰρ παρὰ τῆς ἁγίας τὸ ἀληθῶς “ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε. John 5, 14.” Τὸ γὰρ τοῖς ἀφροδισίοις χρᾶσθαι καὶ μίγνυσθαι πάθεσιν ἄτοπον ἐλογίζετο.

healed her; and the word and the exhortation of the saint freed the much-suffering woman from her grievous affliction; and she who had been sick for many years became healthy and promised to sin no more; for she had heard from the saint that true saying, "Behold, you have been made whole, sin no more." For she now reckoned it unseemly to indulge in venery and to mingle with the passions.

[14] likewise of another. Θαῦμα έ. Συνέπραττε ταὐτὰ καί τις ἑτέρα γυνὴ τῆς αὐτῆς ἐχομένη πολιτείας ὁμοῦ καὶ διαγωγῆς, ταῖς ἑταιρίσι φρονοῦσα σύντροχα καὶ αὐτή, ναὶ μέντοι καὶ διαπράττουσα τὰ χείρω τε καὶ ψυχοβλαβῆ καὶ τὸν βίον ὡς πλεῖστα κατασωτεύουσα καὶ τὰ τὰς A. πλείω παρὰ καιρὸν ἀναλοῦσα καὶ πᾶν εἴ τι βδελυρὸν καὶ ἄκοσμον διαπράττουσα καὶ τῷ βορβόρῳ τῶν παθῶν ἐγκαλινδουμένη καὶ πορνικῶς βακχεύουσά τε καὶ κασσωρεύουσα·

Miracle 5. The same things were done by a certain other woman too, who held to the same conduct and way of life, she too of one mind with the courtesans, yes, and doing the worse and soul-harming things and squandering her substance to the utmost, and spending most things out of season, and doing whatever is loathsome and indecorous, and wallowing in the mire of the passions, and revelling like a harlot and playing the whore;

αὕτη τὴν θεραπείαν τοῦ προτέρου γυναίου τοῖς ὠσὶν ἔχουσα ἔναυλον τοῖς ποσὶ τῆς ἁγίας προσπίπτει καὶ θερμοτέροις χρᾶται τοῖς δάκρυσι· προστρέχει τῇ εἰρημένῃ δούλῃ Χριστοῦ, τὸ πάθος ὑποδεικνύει· τὸ δὲ καρκῖνος ἦν περὶ τὸν μαστόν, καὶ δεινῶς ἠνωχλεῖτο καὶ ἤσχαλλε· ναὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διαθέσεως ἐποίει τὸ ἐποιεῖτο A. τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως καὶ θερμοῖς ᾐτεῖτο δακρύοις τὸν ἔλεον· καὶ τοιαῦτα παρὰ τῆς Θωμαΐδος ἀκούει· “Εἰ θέλεις ὑγιὴς γενέσθαι, τῆς παραλόγου καὶ βορβορώδους ἀπόστηθι μίξεως, τὸ ταύτης ἔκκοψον πάθος καὶ συζεύθηχτι νομίμῳ ἀνδρί, καὶ τεύξῃ ταχείας τῆς θεραπείας.” Ταῦτα πεποιηκέναι πρὸς τὴν ἁγίαν ὑπέσχετο· καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ τοῦ δέους ἐπαγγειλαμένη ποιῆσαι, τοῦ κατὰ σκοπὸν ταύτης ἐπέτυχε. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα τερατουργήματα ζῶσα καὶ βίῳ τούτῳ διάγουσα ἡ θεία τῷ ὄντι διήνυσε Θωμαΐς, τὰ δὲ μετὰ τὴν ταύτης ἀποδημίαν πρὸς Κύριον οἷα, ὡς θαυμαστὰ καὶ ἐξαίσια.

she, having the healing of the former little woman ringing in her ears, falls at the feet of the saint and weeps hotter tears; she runs to the said handmaid of Christ, shows her affliction; and it was a cancer about the breast, and she was terribly troubled and distressed; yes indeed, and with her whole disposition she made her confession and asked for mercy with hot tears; and she hears such things from Thomaïs: "If you wish to become well, stand away from unlawful and filthy intercourse, cut off its passion, and be joined to a lawful husband, and you will obtain a swift cure." She promised the saint to do these things; and having undertaken with much fear to do them, she obtained what she aimed at. These and such wonders the truly divine Thomaïs accomplished while living and passing this life; but those after her departure to the Lord, of what kind they were, how wonderful and extraordinary!

[15] Harshly treated by her husband Ἀλλὰ μικρὸν ὁ λόγος ἀναμεινάτω καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ συζύγου ταύτης διηγείσθω διηγείτω A. κατὰ λεπτόν. Ἐκάθητο τοίνυν ὁ ταύτης ἀνὴρ ὥσπερ τις βιαστικὸς τύραννος ἐπισυνάγων τὸ μεσόφρυον, δηλονότι τὸ ἐπισκύνιον, ὑπόδρα τε βλέπων τὴν μακαρίαν καὶ καθειμένας ἔχων αὐτοῦ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀγριωπὸν ἐνεδείκνυε βλέμμα καὶ βλοσυρὰν τὴν τοῦ προσώπου κατάστασιν· ἤσχαλλε παιομένη δεινῶς, ἔφερεν αἰκιζομένη ἀνηλεῶς· τὰς κολάσεις ὑπέμενε γενναίῳ φρονήματι, τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτείας ἐχομένη διηνεκῶς· ἀνεχαιτίζετο παρὰ τοῦ εἰρημένου ἀνδρός· ταῖς προσευχαῖς ἐσχόλαζε θαμινῶς, τῷ θεαρέστῳ βίῳ προσέμενεν· ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ ποιήμασι κατὰ τὸ εἰωθὸς ἐμελέτα διηνεκῶς, εἰ καὶ τὸ ἄλγημα τῆς μακαρίας ἀνεκαινίζετο, πονηρῶς ἐγκειμένου καὶ ὅλως τὴν εἰρημένην τοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτα πράττειν ἀπείργοντος· εἰ γὰρ καὶ χωλῷ παροικοῦσα τάχα ὑποσκάζειν παρ᾽ ἐκείνου τὸν βίον ἀνεδιδάσκετο, ἀλλ᾽ ὀρθῷ ποδὶ βηματίζειν οὐκ ἔληγε· καὶ γὰρ ἐναντία τῷ ταύτης ἀνδρὶ τὰ δρώμενα ἐνομίζετο καὶ δαπανηρὰ ἐλογίζετο· καὶ ὡς ἀσώτως βιοῦσα κατεγινώσκετο καὶ ὡς τὸν βίον ἀναλοῦσα διελοιδορεῖτο καὶ ἀνυβρίζετο· τὸ δὲ μᾶλλον, ἔλεος ἦν κατὰ τὰ θεῖα καὶ ἱερὰ θεσπίσματα ἐκπληρούμενον ἔλεον, περὶ οὗ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸς εἴρηκεν· Hos. 6, 6. “Ἔλεον θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν· ἐὰν θυμίαμά μοι προσφέρητε, βδέλυγμά μοί ἐστι.”

But let the discourse wait a little and relate in detail the matters concerning her spouse. Her husband, then, sat like some violent tyrant, drawing together the space between his brows, that is, his scowl, looking askance at the blessed woman, and, with his brows lowered, displaying a fierce look and a grim set of countenance; she was distressed, being terribly beaten; she bore it, being pitilessly maltreated; she endured the punishments with a noble mind, holding continually to the God-pleasing conduct; she was reined back by the said man; she devoted herself frequently to prayers, she persevered in the God-pleasing life; in all the works of God she meditated continually according to her custom, even though the pain of the blessed woman was renewed, as he pressed upon her wickedly and altogether kept the said woman from doing such things; for even if, dwelling beside a lame man, she was perhaps taught by him to limp in her life, yet she did not cease to step with an upright foot; for the things she did were thought contrary to her husband and were reckoned costly; and she was condemned as living prodigally and was abused and insulted as squandering their substance; but it was rather mercy, mercy fulfilled according to the divine and sacred commandments, concerning which God himself also said: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice; if you bring me incense, it is an abomination to me."

Μάταιον τὸ τοιοῦτον λελόγισται ἀλλὰ καὶ κακὸς ὁ μὴ δρῶν τὴν κακίαν παρὰ κακοῖς νομίζεται καὶ λογίζεται καὶ ὁ σώφρων ἠλίθιος παρ᾽ ἀκολάστοις ἐστὶ καὶ ὁ ἀνδρεῖος παρὰ τοῖς δειλοῖς ὡς θρασύς τις κακίζεται καὶ ἀσωτία ὑποτοπάζεται ἡ πρὸς τοὺς πένητας δόσις· καὶ γὰρ παραπεπήγασιν ταῖς ἀρεταῖς αἱ κακίαι καί εἰσί πως ταύταις ἀγχίθυροι· τοῦ γὰρ εἰρημένου ἀνδρὸς ἀγροικίᾳ συζῶντος καὶ τῇ ναυτιλίᾳ προστετηκότος κἀκεῖθεν τὰ πρὸς τροφὴν ποριζομένου καὶ τῆς μέσης τύχης ἐπαπολαύοντος, τοιοῦτόν τι συνέβαινεν· ἡνίκα παλινοστῶν ἦν πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κατοικίαν, τὴν τῶν προσόντων αὐτῷ πραγμάτων ἀνάλωσιν ἐρεύνα καὶ ἐλογίζετο λογοπραγῶν καθ᾽ ἑκάστην, ὁπόσα τοῦ σφετέρου βίου ἀναλοῦσα 〈ἦν·〉 κωλύειν οὐκ ἔληγε ταύτην τῆς πολλάκις ἐκφρασθείσης μοι πράξεως· ἦν γὰρ ὁρᾶν ὁσημέραι ταύτην ἀφθόνως ἐπιχορηγοῦσαν τοῖς πένησι δωρεάς, she does not leave off the works of mercy; γυμνητεύοντας ἐνδιδύσκουσαν, ῥακενδυτοῦντας λαμπρειμονοῦντας δεικνύουσαν, ὀρφανοῖς τὰ σῖτα προσνέμουσαν, τοῖς ἀπόροις πρὸς τὸ ζῆν ἀναγκαίων πόρους παρέχουσαν, ἁβροτέρας τὰς δόσεις ποιοῦσαν, γυμνητεύειν διὰ Χριστὸν ἐθέλουσαν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸ γεῶδες τοῦτο καὶ πήλινον ἐνδιδύσκειν ἐφόλκιον, πάντα ποιοῦσαν καὶ πράττουσαν πρὸς θεραπείαν Χριστοῦ.

Such a thing has been reckoned vain; but also he who does no evil is thought and reckoned evil by the evil, and the temperate man is a fool among the licentious, and the brave man is reproached among cowards as rash, and giving to the poor is suspected of being prodigality; for vices are fixed beside virtues and are in some way their next-door neighbours; for, as the said man lived in boorishness and was devoted to seafaring and procured from it what was needed for food and enjoyed the middle fortune, something like this happened: whenever he returned to his own dwelling, he searched into the expenditure of the goods belonging to him and reckoned up, auditing each day, how much of their substance she 〈had been〉 spending; he did not cease hindering her from the practice I have so often described; for one could see her daily supplying gifts ungrudgingly to the poor, clothing those who went naked, showing those who wore rags splendidly dressed, distributing bread to orphans, providing the needy with the means of what is necessary to live, making her gifts more lavish, wishing rather to go naked for Christ than to clothe this earthy and clay appendage, doing and performing everything for the service of Christ.

Ἀλλὰ ταύτην οὕτω διακειμένην παίειν ἀπηνῶς ὁ παράνομος σύζυγος οὐκ ἐπαύετο, δαπανηρὰν ὀνομάζων τὴν διὰ Χριστὸν γενομένην καματηράν· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἔκαμνεν, ἀμφιεννῦσα τοῦτον διὰ τῶν πενήτων ῥακενδυτοῦντα καὶ γυμνητεύοντα, ἄστεγον ὄντα, πεινῶντα, διψῶντα καὶ νοσηλευόμενον· πανταχῇ τῆς ἀγορᾶς περιῄει τὰ σκοτεινὰ ψηλαφῶσα, ἐρεβοδιφῶσα, ποῦ ποτε ἄρα ἐφεύροι κοιταζόμενον πένητα, μᾶλλον δ᾽ αὐτὸν εἰπεῖν τὸν Χριστόν, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸν δανείσῃ τὸ ὄφλημα.

But the lawless spouse did not cease beating her harshly while she was so disposed, calling her costly who toiled for Christ; for she toiled not a little for him, clothing him through the poor when he was in rags and naked, homeless, hungry, thirsty and sick; she went round everywhere in the market-place groping in the dark places, searching the gloom, wherever she might find a poor man lying, or rather, to say it, Christ himself, so that she might lend him the debt.

[16] Τοῦτο δὲ πάντως κατὰ τὸν ἀψευδῆ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον ἐκατονταπλάσιον ἐλάμβανεν ἐνταυθοῖ, ἐκεῖσε δὲ καὶ μυριοπλάσιον, πρὸς δὲ καὶ βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, τὸ μέγιστόν τε καὶ τελεώτατον, πρὸς ἣν ἔσπευδεν ὅλῳ τῷ πόθῳ, πρὸς ἣν ἀνέτεινεν ὅλον τὸν νοῦν, ἣν ἐπεπόθει καὶ τάχιστα ἐσπούδαζε ταύτην καταλαβεῖν, δι᾽ ἣν ἐμαστίζετο, πληγὰς οὐ φορητὰς ὑπεδέχετο καὶ ὠτειλὰς περιέφερεν· ἔθηγε τὸν κολαστὴν εἰς αὐτήν, “τύπτε” φάσκουσα “μετ᾽ οὐ πολὺ φθαρησόμενον σῶμα καὶ εἰς γῆν, ἐξ ἧς συνέστη, πάλιν ἀναλῦσαι μέλλον.” Matt. 19, 29. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ προφητικοῖς ἐχρᾶτο τοῖς ῥήμασι, she foretells her death; τὸν αὐτῆς προσημαίνουσι θάνατον· ὅσον οὔπω γὰρ ἤδη πρὸς Κύριον ἔμελλεν ἐκδημεῖν ἡ θαυμαστὴ Θωμαΐς, ἡ τὸν αὐτῆς βίον τοῖς θεαρέστοις ἔργοις κοσμήσασα, ἡ λόγοις εὐαγγελικοῖς στηρίξασα ἑαυτήν, ἡ τοῖς πνευματικοῖς χαρίσμασι τὸν ἐντὸς καλλύνασα ἄνθρωπον, ἡ τὸν Χριστὸν πολλάκις εὐφράνασα, ἡ τὴν θεωρίαν τῇ πράξει πανσόφως συγκεράσασά τε καὶ μίξασα, ἡ τοῦ παρόντος βίου καταφρονήσασα, ἡ κόσμον προκρίνασα τῶν ἀρετῶν τὸν δὲ ῤευστὸν τουτονὶ κόσμον μισήσασα, ἡ τὸν ἑαυτῆς ἄνδρα κοσμοφρονοῦντα βδελυξαμένη τῷ δὲ Χριστῷ νυμφευθεῖσα ὡς νύμφη καλλίστη καὶ καλλιπάρθενος κόσμον ἡγησαμένη μᾶλλον τῶν ἀρετῶν ἢ τῶν ἐκ σηρικῶν ἀμφίων τὸν μάταιον.

And this surely, according to the unlying word of the Lord, she received a hundredfold here, and there ten-thousandfold, and besides the kingdom of heaven, the greatest and most perfect thing, toward which she hastened with all her longing, toward which she stretched her whole mind, which she longed for and was eager to attain most speedily, for which she was scourged, received unbearable blows, and carried weals about; she whetted the punisher against herself, saying, "Strike a body that will perish before long and is about to be dissolved again into the earth from which it was composed." And at the same time she used prophetic words foretelling her death; for the wonderful Thomaïs was all but on the point of departing to the Lord, she who had adorned her life with God-pleasing works, who had established herself on the words of the Gospel, who had beautified the inner man with spiritual gifts, who had often gladdened Christ, who had most wisely blended and mingled contemplation with action, who had despised the present life, who had preferred the adornment of the virtues and hated this flowing world, who had loathed her own worldly-minded husband and been betrothed to Christ as a most beautiful bride and fair virgin, deeming the adornment of the virtues worthier than the vain one of silken garments.

Οὕτω τοίνυν τῆς ἁγίας ἐφ᾽ ἱκανὸν καιρὸν ἀνιαροῖς ὅτι πολλοῖς συζησάσης, καὶ γὰρ τρισκαιδέκατον ἤδη χρόνον τὰς σφοδρὰς ἐκείνας αἰκίας, τὰς ὀδυνηρὰς ὠτειλάς, τὰς ἀμέτρους ἔστεγε σμώδιγγας σμώδιγας , τὰς πληγάς, τὸ μακάριον ἀπειλήφει τέλος καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀγήρω καὶ ἀτελεύτητον μετέστη ζωήν, τὸν σύμπαντα χρόνον τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ διανύσασα, πρώτην ἄγοντος τότε τοῦ Ἰαννουαρίου μηνός, she dies on the [ of January.] ἡνίκα πρὸς Κύριον ἐξεδήμησε· ζῶσα δὲ ἔτι παρεγγυᾶται τοῖς συνοῦσιν αὐτῇ μὴ θελῆσαι θεῖναι ταύτην ἐντὸς τοῦ θείου σηκοῦ, ἀλλ᾽ ἔξωθεν περὶ τὰ προαύλια, ἄχρις ἂν αὐτὸς ὁ πανοικτίρμων Θεὸς ἐθελήσῃ τερατουργῆσαι διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ χάριτος καὶ δεῖξαι, ποῦ ἄρα χρεὼν κεῖσθαι αὐτήν.

Thus, then, the saint having lived for a long time with very many sorrows — for already for the thirteenth year she had borne those violent tortures, the painful weals, the measureless bruises, the blows — she received the blessed end and passed to the ageless and endless life, having completed in all thirty-eight years of the present life, the month of January then keeping its first day, when she departed to the Lord; and while still living she charges those with her not to wish to place her within the divine precinct, but outside, about the forecourts, until the all-compassionate God himself should wish to work wonders through his grace and to show where she ought to lie.

Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἐκείνη προεθέσπιζε λέγουσα, ἑαυτὴν ταπεινοῦσα, μᾶλλον δὲ τοῖς ἄκουσιν ὑπογραμμὸν καὶ τύπον ταπεινοφροσύνης ὑποδεικνύουσα· καὶ ἦν ὁρᾶν προφητικήν τινα χάριν καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐνθεωρουμένας ἄμφω καὶ νοουμένας τοῖς τῆς μακαρίας τοιοῖσδε ῥήμασιν· ἔφασκε γὰρ οὑτωσίν· “Ἐπὰν ἐκ τοῦ παρόντος σκήνους ἐξέλθῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου, παρεγγυῶμαι πᾶσιν ὑμῖν μὴ θελῆσαι καταθεῖναι τὸ γεῶδες τοῦτο σωμάτιον τοῦ θείου ναοῦ ἔνδοθεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς προαυλίοις, ὡς εἴρηται, ἄχρις ἂν ἡ θεία πρόνοια περὶ ἐμὲ τερατουργήσῃ θαυμάσια.” Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ γέγονε· καὶ τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέραι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἤδη διεληλύθασι μετὰ τὴν ταύτης ἐκδημίαν πρὸς Κύριον, καὶ θαυματοποιΐαι πλεῖσται γεγόνασι, τοῦ θείου ταύτης λειψάνου τὰς ἰάσεις παρεχομένου τοῖς προσιοῦσι τούτῳ ῥᾳδίως καὶ θαύματα τελοῦντος ἐξαίσια· καὶ ἃ μὲν ζῶσα τετέλεκεν ὁ λόγος φθάσας ἤδη προείρηκε, τὰ δὲ μετὰ θάνατον ταύτης ὁποῖα, ὡς καινὰ καὶ θαύματος ἄξια.

And these things she foretold in speaking, humbling herself, or rather showing to the hearers a pattern and type of humility; and one could see a certain prophetic grace and humility both beheld and understood in such words of the blessed woman; for she spoke thus: "When my spirit goes out of the present tent, I charge you all not to wish to lay this earthy little body within the divine church, but in the forecourts, as has been said, until the divine providence works wonders concerning me." And this also happened; and forty days in number had already passed after her departure to the Lord, and very many wonder-workings took place, her divine relic readily providing healings to those who approached it and performing extraordinary miracles; and what she accomplished while living the discourse has already related; but those after her death, of what kind they were, how novel and worthy of wonder!

[17] Miracles Θαῦμα ς᾽. Ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆς τῶν Νικομηδέων χώρας ὁρμώμενος καὶ ὑπὸ δαιμονίου σφοδροῦ ἐλαυνόμενος τῇ τῆς ἁγίας σορῷ προστρέχει μετὰ δεήσεων· κἀκεῖσε παραμένει χρόνον βραχὺν καὶ παρακλήσεις πεποιηκώς, after death. ὡς τοῦ ἐνοχλοῦντος αὐτῷ δαιμονίου ἀπαλλαγείη, ταχέως τὴν ἴασιν εὕρατο· αἱ γοῦν τῷ σεμνείῳ προσμένουσαι γυναῖκες σεμναὶ τὸν μοναχικὸν μετιοῦσαι βίον τὸ παράδοξον ἰδοῦσαι τοῦ θαύματος καὶ τοῦ ῥήματος ἀναμνησθεῖσαι τῆς μακαρίας καὶ τὴν πρόρρησιν ταύτης θαυμάσασαι μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης τιμῆς τῷ θείῳ σηκῷ τὸ τῆς ἁγίας λείψανον ἐμβιβάζουσι καὶ τέλος διδόασι τῷ ταύτης παραγγέλματι. Possessed persons

Miracle 6. A certain man setting out from the region of the Nicomedians and driven by a violent demon runs to the reliquary of the saint with supplications; and he remains there a short time and, having made entreaties that he might be freed from the demon troubling him, he quickly found healing; the venerable women, then, who remained in the convent pursuing the monastic life, seeing the marvel of the miracle and remembering the saying of the blessed woman and marvelling at her prediction, bring the relic of the saint with fitting honour into the divine precinct and give fulfilment to her command.

[18] are freed. 〈Θαῦμα ζ᾽〉. Οὐ πολὺ τὸ ἐν μέσῳ, καί τις γυνὴ σεμνὸν μετιοῦσα βίον καὶ ὅλην ἑαυτὴν Θεῷ ἀναθεῖσα καὶ θεαρέστοις ἔργοις σχολάζουσα καὶ τὴν μοναδικὴν ἐκλεξαμένη διαγωγὴν τὴν μᾶλλον καὶ Θεὸν καθηδύνουσαν, ὡς ἡσύχως βιοῦσαν καὶ Θεῷ προσλαλοῦσαν καὶ τοῖς ἐκείνου θεσπίσμασι προσεμμένουσαν, παρὰ δαιμονίου δεινῶς ἠνωχλεῖτο τοῦ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ γένει βασκαίνοντος καὶ ὄμμα τούτῳ ἀρχῆθεν ἐπιβεβληκότος ἐπίφθονον ἄνωθέν τε καὶ ἐκ προγόνων ἡμῖν λυμαινομένου· ὃ καὶ τῇ ῥηθείσῃ γυναικὶ παρεισφρῆσαν ταύτην θανατῶσαι κακῶς ἐπεβούλευεν, ὡς καὶ τὴν ἡμῶν προμήτορα θανάτῳ πρότερον καθυπέβαλεν· αὕτη τοίνυν τῷ τῆ A. τῆς ἁγίας τάφῳ θερμοτέροις προσιοῦσα τοῖς δάκρυσιν ἔκλαιεν, ἠντιβόλει καὶ διὰ ταύτης ἐξελιπάρει τὸν Κύριον ῥυσθῆναι τοῦ θλίβοντος· τοῦ λὰρ δαιμονίου ταύτην σπαράττοντος, ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἤσχαλλεν οἰκτράς τε ἠφίει φωνὰς ἐπικαμπτούσας πρὸς ἔλεον᾽ “Ἐλέησόν με, δούλη τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ παρόντος ἀπάλλαξον δαίμονος.” Καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς τῷ τάφῳ προσαράττουσα τὸν συνήθη ἔλεον εὕρατο καὶ τῆς δαιμονικῆς ἐπηρείας ἀπηλλάγη καὶ διοχλήσεως.

〈Miracle 7〉. Not long was the interval, and a certain woman, pursuing a venerable life and having dedicated her whole self to God, devoting herself to God-pleasing works and having chosen the solitary way of life, the one that rather delights God, as living quietly and conversing with God and persevering in his commandments, was terribly troubled by a demon, the one who envies our race and from the beginning cast an envious eye upon it, and from of old and from our forefathers has ravaged us; which, having stolen into the said woman, wickedly plotted to put her to death, as formerly it subjected our foremother to death; she, then, approaching the tomb of the saint with hotter tears, wept, implored, and through her entreated the Lord to be delivered from the one afflicting her; for as the demon was tearing her, she was in anguish and distress and uttered piteous cries that bend to mercy: "Have mercy on me, handmaid of God, and free me from the present demon." And dashing her head against the tomb she found the customary mercy and was freed from the demonic abuse and trouble.

[19] Of a paralytic,Θαῦμα 〈η᾽〉. Προστίθησι τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὁ λόγος καὶ ἕτερον θαυματούργημα τῶν πρώην οὐδὲν ἧττον εἰ μὴ καὶ μεῖζον τῷ μεγέθει τε καὶ τῷ ἀξιώματι. Ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς μεγαλοπόλεως ὥρμητο, τὴν κλῆσιν Εὐτυχιανός, ἔγγιστά που τοῦ τῆς Ὀξείας θείου ναοῦ [On the church of St. Michael ἐν τῇ Ὀξείᾳ, Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 387, 722, 728. There was also in that place a church of St. John the Baptist, concerning which there is mention here and there in the Miracles of St. Artemius, A. Papadopoulos-Kerameus, Varia graeca sacra (St Petersburg, 1909), p. 1 – 79.] κατοικῶν, ἐν ᾧ τιμᾶται πάντως ὁ τῶν οὐρανίων ταξιάρχης δυνάμεων πλούτῳ κομῶν καὶ ἀξιωμάτων ὄγκῳ βρίθων καὶ σεμνυνόμενος, γένει λαμπρῷ κυδαινόμενος, περίπυστος ἅπασι γνωριζόμενος· οὗτος οὖν γόησί τισι καὶ ἐπαοιδοῖς ἀνδράσι κατεγοήτευτο δαιμόνων συνεργία καὶ τῇ πρὸς τὰ χείρω πάντως ῥοπῇ καὶ οὕτω πάρετος γέγονεν· ἤσχαλλε τοίνυν διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐποτνιᾶτο καὶ τὸν ἅπαντα βίον τοῖς Ἀσκληπιάδαις κατηνάλου, τῆς σωματικῆς ὑγιείας τυχεῖν ἱμειρόμενος · κἀν ταύτης τεμένει προστρέχει καὶ ὅλον ἑαυτὸν ἐπιρρίπτει τῇ θαυμαστῇ Θωμαΐδι καὶ τοιάσδε φωνὰς ἠφίει

Miracle 〈8〉. The discourse adds to what has been said another wonder-working, in no way less than the former ones, if not even greater in magnitude and dignity. A certain man came from this great city, Eutychian by name, dwelling somewhere very near the divine church of Oxeia, in which the captain of the heavenly powers is surely honoured, flourishing in wealth and weighed down and dignified with a mass of dignities, glorified by a splendid family, known as renowned to all; this man, then, had been bewitched by certain sorcerers and enchanters with the co-operation of demons and through his inclination toward the worse, and thus became paralysed; he was distressed, then, on this account and lamented, and spent his whole substance on the Asclepiads, longing to obtain bodily health; and he runs to her precinct, and throws his whole self upon the wonderful Thomaïs, and uttered such cries

καὶ ἔλεγεν· “Ἐπίσης τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις σε καὶ ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ τὰ ἐλέη σου ἔκχεε, ἔνδειξον τὴν θερμήν σου βοήθειαν, λύτρωσαί με τῆς σφοδροτάτης ταύτης ἀνάγκης, ἣν ὁ τάλας περίκειμαι· δεῖξον τὴν πολλήν σου συμπάθειαν εἰς ἐμὲ τὸν ἀνάξιον δοῦλόν σου τὸν μετὰ πολλῆς καταφυγόντα σοι πίστεως.

”

Καὶ οὕτως αὐτοῦ εὐχομένου καὶ θρηνοῦντος ἀπαραμύθητα, ἡ μακαρία τὴν ἴασιν ἐβράβευσε, τῆς νόσου ῥυσαμένη τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν πάρετον· καὶ ὥσπερ τὴν κλίνην ἦρε πρὶν ὁ παράλυτος τῆς μακρᾶς ἐκείνης νόσου τὴν λύσιν εὑρών, οὕτω καὶ διὰ ταύτης ὁ ῥηθεὶς ἰάθη καὶ ἥλλετο· καὶ ὁ πρώην βαδίσαι ὅλως μὴ δυνάμενος ταχὺ ἐκ τόπου εἰς τόπον μεταβαίνειν ὡρᾶτο καὶ εὐδρόμως κινούμενος. Matt. 9, 6.

and said: "As to the others who call upon you, pour out your mercies on me too, show your fervent help, redeem me from this most violent constraint which I, wretched man, have about me; show your great compassion toward me, your unworthy servant, who has fled to you with much faith." And as he thus prayed and lamented inconsolably, the blessed woman awarded the healing, delivering the paralysed man from his disease; and as formerly the paralytic took up his bed, having found release from that long disease, so through her too the said man was healed and leapt; and he who formerly could not walk at all was seen quickly passing from place to place and moving with good speed.

[20] the cure of an epileptic. Θαῦμα θ᾽ θαῦμα η᾽ A. . Ἀλλὰ μεταβήτω μεταβάτω A. λοιπὸν ὁ λόγος καὶ εἰς ἕτερον θειότερον τερατούργημα καὶ δεικνυέτω τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ θαυμάσια καὶ μεγαλυνέτω τὴν τούτου δόξαν, ὡς χρή. Ἀνήρ τις ἐπιληψίας πάθει συνείχετο καὶ ὁ ποῦς σὺν τῇ χειρὶ ἄπρακτος ἦν· καὶ τὸ πάθος ἡ φύσις εἶχεν ἀνίατον· ἡ δὲ φήμη πανταχῇ διιοῦσα ταχυτάτῴ πτερῷ καὶ εἰς τὰ τοῦ ῥηθέντος ὦτα διὰ τάχους πεφοίτηκε καὶ πρὸς τὸν τῆς ἁγίας οἶκον εἷλκε τὸν ἄνδρα μηδὲ βραχύ τι μελλήσαντα μελήσαντα A. · καὶ τῆς ἰάσεως τετευχὼς ἐπαλινόστει πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα ἄνοσος, ὑγιὴς καὶ τοῦ προλεχθέντος πάθους ἐλεύθερος, τὸν Θεὸν μεγαλύνων καὶ τῇ ἁγίᾳ ὡς λαμπρὰς τὰς χάριτας ἀνομολογῶν.

Miracle 9. But let the discourse now pass on to another, more divine wonder-working too, and let it show the wonders of God and magnify his glory, as it should. A certain man was held by the affliction of epilepsy, and his foot together with his hand was useless; and his nature held the affliction to be incurable; but the report, going everywhere on swiftest wing, came quickly to the ears of the said man too, and drew the man to the house of the saint without his delaying even a little; and having obtained the healing he returned home free of sickness, healthy and free of the aforesaid affliction, magnifying God and confessing the splendid graces to the saint.

[21] Thomaïs helps a fisherman. Θαῦμα ι᾽ θαῦμα θ᾽ A. . Ἕτερος δέ τις ἀνὴρ τὴν ἁλιευτικὴν μετιὼν πρὸς ἄγραν ἐπιβεβλήκει κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τὰ δίκτυα καὶ ἀπόλλυσι ταῦτα ἀπὸ τρικυμίας καὶ ζάλης χαλεπῆς διασκορπισθέντα· καὶ ἡ ζημία τοῦ ἀνθρώπου διπλῆ, οὐ τῆς τῶν ἰχθύων μόνον ἄγρας ἀποτυχόντι ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν τῆς ἐπιστήμης ὀργάνων ὡς εἴρηται τελείαν πεπονθότι ἀπώλειαν· τί οὖν; δέεται καὶ οὗτος τῆς μακαρίας, δάκρυσι καὶ ὀδυρμοῖς τὰ τῆς ἱκετηρίας συνανακίρνησι· καὶ οὐ διήμαρτε τῆς ἐντεύξεως· ἐπιστᾶσα γὰρ ἡ μακαρία τῷ ἁλιεῖ τὸν τόπον δηλοποιεῖ, καθ᾽ ὃν ἦσαν τὰ δίκτυα κείμενα ἰχθύων πλείστων καὶ μεγάλων ἀνάμεστα· Ἕβδομον δὲ ἐγχωρίως ὁ τόπος ὠνόμαστο [On the very well-known district of the Hebdomon it is superfluous to discourse. Compare Synax. Eccl. CP., P. 1078; Preger, Scriptores originum CP., p. 362, under the word Ἕβδομον.] . οὗ δὴ καὶ γεγονώς, ὡς κεχρημάτιστο παρὰ τῆς ὁσίας, ἐντυγχάνει τοῖς δικτύοις πολλῆς καὶ δαψιλοῦς πεπληρωμένοις τῆς ἄγρας· καὶ μεθ᾽ ὅτι πλείστης τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ εὐθυμίας ἐπάνεισιν. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐχέσθω καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς ὁ λόγος.

Miracle 10. Another man, pursuing the fisherman's craft, had cast his nets for a catch according to custom, and loses them, scattered by a great swell and a grievous storm; and the man's loss was double, since he not only failed of the catch of fish but also, as has been said, suffered the complete loss of the tools of his craft; what then? He too beseeches the blessed woman, mingling his supplication with tears and lamentations; and he did not fail in his petition; for the blessed woman, standing by the fisherman, makes known the place where the nets lay, full of very many and great fish; and the place was called in the local usage the Hebdomon. Having come there, as he had been instructed by the holy woman, he comes upon the nets filled with a great and abundant catch; and he returns with the greatest pleasure and good cheer. But let the discourse hold to what follows.

[22] She restores lost things to their owners. Θαῦμα 〈ια᾽〉 . Μονή τις ἐν τῇ μεγαλοπόλει τῇδε καθίδρυται, ἐν ᾗ τιμᾶται τὸ τῆς παναμώμου κόρης καὶ θεομήτορος ὄνομα καὶ διαφερόντως κυδαίνεται (ἐπικέκληται δὲ τὰ Μικρὰ Ῥωμαίου παρὰ τοῖς ἐγκωμιάζουσιν) ἔγγιστά που τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ Μωκίου διακειμένη [Of the church of St. Mocius there is frequent mention both in the writers and in the liturgical calendars. Compare Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 1138; Anal. Boll., vol. XXXI, p. 225 – 29.] , ἔνθα καὶ τὸ τῆς ἁγίας ἐνσεσορίασται λείψανον · ἧς ἡ adds A. τὴν ἡγουμενείαν ἡ κατὰ σάρκα μήτηρ τῆς μακαρίας καὶ θαυμαστῆς Θωμαΐδος ἐνεχειρίσθη ἐνεχειριάσθη A. . Συνέβη γοῦν ποτε βιβλίον ἀπολέσαι τὰς ἐκεῖ μοναζούσας· οὗ μὴ εὑρισκομένου, ἐν πάσῃ ἀθυμίᾳ διετέλουν αὗται τυγχάνουσαι· ἤσχαλλον, ἠνιῶντο δεινῶς· ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐᾷ ταύτας ἡ συμπαθεστάτη καὶ φίλοικτος Θωμαῒς ἐπὶ πολὺ τῇ ἀθυμίᾳ κατέχεσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιστᾶσα νύκτωρ εἴρηκε πρὸς αὐτάς· “Ζῆν με γινώσκετε ἀληθῶς, ἀδελφαί, εἰ καὶ τὰ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τέθνηκα· ἡ δὲ βίβλος ἐπὶ τὸν ἐμὸν κατάκειται τάφον συντηρουμένη μοι.” Αὐτίκα γοῦν προσέρχονται τῇ σεβασμίᾳ σορῷ, εὑρίσκουσιν ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ κείμενον τὸ βιβλίον κατὰ τὴν τῆς ἁγίας ὑφήγησιν καὶ ὅλαι χαρμονῆς καὶ θάμβους πλήρεις ἐγένοντο καὶ πρὸς εὐχαριστίαν καὶ αἶνον ἐκινοῦντο, Θεοῦ τοῦ θαυμαστὰ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ τερατουργοῦντος ἑκάστοτε· ὧν ἓν καὶ τὸ νυνὶ ῥηθησόμενον καὶ τοῖς προδεδιηγημένοις προστεθησόμενον..

Miracle 〈11〉. A certain monastery is established in this great city, in which the name of the all-blameless maiden and Mother of God is honoured and especially glorified (it is called the Mikra Romaiou by those who praise it), situated somewhere very near the church of the wonderworker Mocius, where also the relic of the saint has been laid in its reliquary; the government of which was entrusted to the mother according to the flesh of the blessed and wonderful Thomaïs. It once happened, then, that the nuns there lost a book; and since it was not found, they continued in all despondency; they were vexed, they were terribly distressed; but the most compassionate and pitying Thomaïs does not allow them to be held for long by despondency, but, standing by them at night, she said to them: "Know that I truly live, sisters, even though, as far as you are concerned, I have died; and the book lies upon my tomb, kept safe for me." Straightway, then, they approach the venerable reliquary, find the book lying in safety according to the saint's instruction, and became wholly full of joy and amazement, and were moved to thanksgiving and praise of God, who at every time works wonders in his saints; one of which is also the one now to be told and added to those narrated before.

[23] A memorial of a benefit received. 〈Θαῦμα ιβ᾽〉. Γυνή τις ἔγγιστά που τοῦ καλουμένου Βοὸς [On the Forum of the Ox, compare Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 1067; Preger, Scriptores originum CP., p. 361, under the word βοῦς; Acta SS., Oct. vol. VIII, p. 133.] ποιουμένη τὴν οἴκησιν χαλεπῷ τινι τι A. νοσήματι κατετρύχετο καὶ τὰ ἐντόσθια ἤλγει καὶ ὀξυτάταις ὀδύναις ἐβάλλετο· αὕτη τοίνυν ἀπογνοῦσα πάσης ἄλλης ἐλπίδος τῇ τῆς ἁγίας πρόσεισι τιμίᾳ σορῷ· καὶ μετὰ θερμοτάτης τῆς πίστεως τὴν παρ᾽ αὐτῆς αἰτησαμένη βοήθειαν καὶ νύκτωρ και μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἐγκαρτερήσασα καὶ δάκρυα συχνὰ καταχέασα, ταχύτατα λαμβάνει τὴν θεραπείαν καὶ τοῦ πιέζοντος πάθους παντελῶς ἀπαλλάττεται· ἀλλὰ τοσαύτης ἀπολελαυκὸς τὸ γύναιον χάριτος, οὐδ᾽ αὐτὸ πρὸς τὴν εὐεργεσίαν ὤφθη ἀχάριστον οὐδὲ ψυχρὸν καὶ ἀγνῶμον ὡς εἰπεῖν τὴν προαίρεσιν ἀλλὰ τῇ τὰ μέγιστα χαρισαμένῃ καὶ εὐκταιότατα μικράν τινα καὶ τῇ δυνάμει σύμμετρον ἀποδιδοῦσα τὴν ἀμοιβήν, ἁψίδα τινὰ ἐφύπερθεν τοῦ τάφου τῆς ἁγίας ἀνήγειρε σὺν πὸθῳ πολλῷ, εἰκόνων ἁγίων ἱστορίαις ταύτην κατακοσμήσασα· ἥτις καὶ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν περισῴζεται εἰς μέγιστον ἐκείνης μνημόσυνον· ἐκεῖ δὲ καὶ τίς ἂν καὶ παρελθεῖν δύναιτο τοῦτο (δ. τ.) by conjecture; δικαιον A. ἀξιοθαύμαστον ὂν μάλα καὶ χαριέστατον; οὔκουν οὐδ᾽ ἡμεῖς παρέλθωμεν ἀδιήγητον.

〈Miracle 12〉. A certain woman making her dwelling somewhere very near the place called the Ox was wasted by a grievous disease, and her inward parts ached and she was struck with very sharp pains; she, then, despairing of every other hope, approaches the precious reliquary of the saint; and having asked help from her with most fervent faith, and having persevered night and day and shed frequent tears, she very quickly receives the cure and is entirely freed from the affliction that pressed upon her; but the little woman, having enjoyed so great a grace, was not seen to be ungrateful for the benefaction, nor cold and unfeeling in her purpose, so to speak, but, rendering to her who had bestowed the greatest and most desired things a small return proportioned to her power, she raised with much longing an arch above the tomb of the saint, adorning it with the depictions of holy icons; which is preserved even to the present day as her very great memorial; and there, who could pass over this too, which is very wonderful and most charming? Let us not, then, either pass it by untold.

[24] A lost thing is recovered. Θαῦμα ιγ᾽. Ἀνήρ τις τὸν μοναδικὸν καὶ ἄζυγα βίον παιδόθεν ἀνῃρημένος καὶ τῆς θεοφιλοῦς ἐργασίας ὁλοτρόπως ἀντιποιούμενος, ᾧ Συμεὼν μὲν ἡ κλῆσις, πατρὶς δὲ ἡ περιφανεστάτη αὕτη τῶν πόλεων, προσευχάδιόν [Προσευχάδιον is usually understood as a kind of step, or a bench on which those kneeling lean. So in the Typicon of the Empress Irene, P. G., vol. CXXVII, p. 1049. Constantine Acropolites too narrates the miracle, Eulogy c. 18, where he calls the lost thing προσευχῆς βιβλίον.] τι ἐσχηκὼς εὔτεχνον καὶ πολύτιμον (ἐκ γὰρ κοσμίας ὕλης διείργαστο) ἀπώλεσε τοῦτο τοιουτοτρόπως· καὶ γὰρ ὑπό τινος αὐτῷ προσφιλοῦς συνέβη τοῦτο ζητηθῆναι· ὁ δὲ μηδὲν περίεργον ὑπολογισάμενος ἁπλῇ καὶ φιλικῇ προαιρέσει δίδωσιν ἑτοίμως τῷ φίλῳ τὸ πρὸς χρείαν ἐξαιτηθέν· ἐκεῖνος δὲ λαβὼν τοῦτο καὶ οἴκαδε ἀπαγαγὼν ἠθέλησεν ὑποκρύψαι συνεργιᾳ σατανικῇ· ὁ τοίνυν εἰρημένος θεοφιλὴς ἀνὴρ εἰς λήθην μετὰ ταῦτα τοῦ δεδομένου ἐλθὼν καὶ ᾧ τουτο δέδοτο, οὐ μικρῶς ἠθύμει καὶ ἤσχαλλεν· ἡ γοῦν ἁγία τῷ εἰρημένῳ κατ᾽ ὄναρ ἐμφανισθεῖσα τοιαῦτα φησίν· “Οἶδας, τίνι δέδωκας ὅπερ ἐκέκτησο προσευχάδιον; ἀλλ᾽ εἰ ἐπιλέλησαι, ἀναμνήσθητι·” καὶ ἅμα δὴ αὐτὴ τὸν λαβόντα παρεδήλου καὶ ἀνεμίμνησκεν αὐτολεξεὶ οὕτως εἰποῦσα ὅτι· “Παρὰ τοῦ φιλουμένου σοι Ἰωάννου κατέχεται τὸ ζητούμενον”. Ὁ δὲ ἀναμνησθεὶς καὶ ζητήσας, ταχέως τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀπέλαβε καὶ τῇ ἁγίᾳ μεγάλας τῆς περὶ αὐτὸν προμηθείας ὡμολόγει τὰς χάριτας.

Miracle 13. A certain man who from childhood had taken up the solitary and unmarried life and held fast in every way to the God-loving work, whose name was Symeon, and whose homeland was this most illustrious of cities, having a certain prayer-stand, well made and very costly (for it had been worked of an ornate material), lost it in this way: for it happened that it was asked for by someone dear to him; and he, reckoning nothing suspicious, with a simple and friendly purpose readily gave his friend what had been requested for use; and the friend, taking it and carrying it home, wished to hide it away by satanic co-operation; the said God-loving man, then, having afterwards come to forget what had been given and to whom it had been given, was not a little despondent and distressed; the saint, then, appearing to the said man in a dream, says such things: "Do you know to whom you gave the prayer-stand that you possessed? But if you have forgotten, remember"; and at the same time she herself pointed out the one who had taken it and reminded him, saying in so many words: "What you seek is held by your dear friend John." And he, remembering and seeking, quickly recovered his own and confessed to the saint great thanks for her forethought for him.

[25] She frees her husband himself from a demon. Θαῦμα ιδ᾽. Ἀναγκαῖόν ἐστι καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιμνησθῆναι τῶν συνεύνου ταύτης παθῶν καὶ μὴ σιγῆσαι ταῦτα μήτε παραδραμεῖν, ἀλλὰ τῷ παρόντι λόγῳ σαφηνίσαι τε καὶ ἑρμηνεῦσαι ὡς οἷόν τε, ὁποίαν τε εἴσπραξιν εὕρατο τοῦ κακίστου καὶ φαυλοτάτου βίου αὐτοῦ· καὶ γὰρ προσκέκρουκέ τινι δαίμονι τὴν ἰσχὺν χαλεπῷ καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ σφοδρῶς ἔνθεν κἀκεῖθεν ἠλαύνετο· καὶ τὸν τῆς ἁγίας καταλαμβάνει τάφον θρηνῶν ἀπαράκλητα· καὶ πολλὰ τοῦ δαίμονος ἐκεῖσε τοῦτον σπαράξαντος καὶ μὴ θελήσαντος ἐκεῖθεν ἐξεληλυθέναι, τῇ δεήσει ταύτης τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπέτυχεν. Jer. 40, 23; Prov. 30, 19.

Miracle 14. It is necessary for us too to make mention of the sufferings of her bedfellow, and not to keep silence about them nor run past them, but in the present discourse to make clear and interpret, as far as possible, what sort of exaction he met with for his most evil and most base life; for he came up against a certain demon grievous in strength and was violently driven by it hither and thither; and he reaches the tomb of the saint lamenting inconsolably; and though the demon tore him much there and did not wish to come out of him, by her intercession he obtained salvation.

Ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἀμήχανον ψάμμον θαλάσσης ἐρευνῆσαι καὶ ἴχνη νηὸς ποντοπορούσης, οὕτως καὶ τῶν τῆς ἁγίας θαυμάτων διήγησιν θέσθαι λεπτομερῆ· ἀλλ᾽ ὥσπερ ἐξ ὀνύχων τὸν λέοντα κἀκ τοῦ κρασπέδου καταλαμβάνει τις ὅλον τὸ ὕφασμα [Pseudo-Diogenianus, Cent. V, 15, Leutsch-Schneidewin, Corpus paroem. graec., vol. I, . 252.] , οὕτως κἀκ τῶν μερικῶν αὐτῆς θαυμάτων τὸ πᾶν καταλάβοι τις· μέχρι γὰρ καὶ δύο καὶ δέκα χρόνων οὐκ ἐπαύσατο τὰς ἰάσεις ἐπιτελεῖν εἰς τοὺς μετὰ πίστεως προσιόντας αὐτῇ νύκτωρ καὶ μεθ᾽ ἡμέραν· ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι καὶ σήμερον τοῖς θερμῶς ἐπικαλουμένοις αὐτὴν οὐ παύεται τὰς ἰάσεις ἀφθόνοις δωρεαῖς ἐπιχορηγεῖν.

But as it is impossible to search out the sand of the sea and the tracks of a ship crossing the deep, so too is it to set out a detailed narrative of the miracles of the saint; but as one grasps the lion from its claws and the whole fabric from its hem, so one may grasp the whole from her particular miracles; for up to twelve years she did not cease performing healings for those who approached her with faith, night and day; but even to this day she does not cease supplying healings with ungrudging gifts to those who fervently call upon her.

[26] Invocation of the saint. Ἀλλ᾽ ὦ ὁσίων συμμέτοχε, δικαίων ἰσοστάσιε, ἀγγέλων ἐνόμιλε, μὴ παύσῃ καθικετεύουσα τὸν πανοικτίρμονα καὶ φιλάνθρωπον Κύριον ταῖς σαῖς θερμαῖς ἱκεσίαις, περιφρουρεῖν τὸν τῆς πορφύρας κλάδον, τὸν εὐθαλέστατον Ῥωμανόν Romanus II, 959 – 963. Preliminary Commentary, no. 3. , τὸν ἐν φιλοχρίστοις φιλοχριστότατον ἄνακτα, τὸν πάσαις καλῶν ἰδέαις περιαστράπτοντα· δίδου δὲ τούτῳ καὶ πᾶσαν φιλαρχίαν ἐθνῶν κατατροποῦσθαι καὶ πᾶσαν τούτων πανσπερμίαν τὴν μιξοβάρβαρον· καὶ χάριν βραβεύοις τούτῳ τὴν νικητήριον ὡς τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκριβεστάτῳ γνώμονί τε καὶ φύλακι, ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας κανόνι, ὡς τοῖς πᾶσι τὰ πάντα χρηστὰ ἐπιχορηγοῦντί τε καὶ βραβεύοντι· καὶ μὴ ἐλλίπῃς λειπης A. αὐτὸν ἀγαθύνουσα, πάντα τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν βραβεύουσα· συμπαρομάρτει δ᾽ αὐτῷ νοητῶς καὶ συνέριθος γίνου ταῖς σαῖς ἱκεσίαις καὶ φύλαξ ἄγρυπνος· ἀλλ᾽ ἄγε καὶ πάντα τὸν σοὶ προσιόντα σκέπε καὶ φρούρει, διδοῦσα τούτοις ἐνιαυτὸν δεκτὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ πρώτῃ καὶ καλλίστῃ τῶν ἡμερῶν τὸ τοῦ βίου τέλος ἐδέξω καὶ πρὸς Κύριον ἀπεδήμησας· αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν καλανδῶν πρωτίστη, καθ᾽ ἣν καὶ ὁ μέγας ἐν ἀρχιερεῦσι Βασίλειος πρὸς Κύριον ἀπεδήμησε Synax. Eccl. CP., p. 364. .

But O partaker with the holy, equal in rank with the just, companion of the angels, do not cease beseeching the all-compassionate and man-loving Lord with your fervent supplications, to guard the branch of the purple, the most flourishing Romanus, the most Christ-loving sovereign among the Christ-loving, who shines about with all the forms of good things; grant him also to put to flight every ambition of the nations and all their half-barbarian brood of every seed; and may you award him the grace of victory, as the most exact gnomon and guardian of justice, as the rule of truth, as one who supplies and awards all good things to all; and do not fail to do him good, awarding all things that lead to salvation; accompany him spiritually and become a fellow-worker with your supplications and a sleepless guardian; but come, shelter and guard also everyone who approaches you, granting them an acceptable and well-pleasing year, for on this first and fairest of days you received the end of life and departed to the Lord; and this is the very first day of the calends, on which also Basil, the great among high priests, departed to the Lord.

μεθ᾽ οὗ πρεσβεύοις ἀεὶ καὶ συμπαρείης τῷ ἡμετέρῳ ἡγεμόνι τῷ κρατίστῳ καὶ φιλευσεβεῖ αὐτοκράτορι· μέμνησο δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν τῶν σῶν ἀθλίων οἰκετῶν μικρὸν κεκοπιακότων εἰς τὴν σὴν ὑμνῳδίαν καὶ πρὸς τὴν τῶν θαυμάτων ἀρήγησιν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ πρέπει δόξα σὺν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ υἱῷ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.

With whom may you always intercede and stand by our ruler, the most mighty and pious emperor; and remember also us, your wretched servants, who have laboured a little at your hymnody and at the narration of your miracles, in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom belongs glory with the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

II. EULOGY OF ST. THOMAIS

Greek text only in the Acta; the English here is translated from the Greek.

BY CONSTANTINE ACROPOLITES

Thomaïs, matron at Constantinople. (S.)

From the Ambrosian codex H. 81. sup. (= B). Compare Preliminary Commentary, no. 3.

Λόγος εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν Θωμαΐδα.

Discourse on St. Thomaïs.

[1] The saint's homeland and parents Θωμαῒς ἡμῖν εἰς εὐφημίαν τανῦν πρόκειται, Θωμαῒς τῶν ἐγκωμίων ὑποθεσις, Θωμαῒς ἐπαίνων μὲν ἡμῖν ἀφορμὴ τοῖς ἐν δ᾽ ἐν B. δυνάμει τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ μὴ πάμπαν ἐθελοκακοῦσι κἀκ ψυχῆς τὸ κακὸν καλὸν B. ἀποστέργουσι, τἡν δὲ περὶ τοῦτό γε ἕξιν μέσοις, ἵν᾽ οὕτως εἴποιμι τὴν προαίρεσιν, μεγίστη πρὸς ἀρετἡν παράκλησις· φαίην δ᾽ ἂν καὶ τοῖς ἄλλως διακειμένοις· οὐ γὰρ μικρὸν καὶ τὸ

Thomaïs is now set before us for eulogy, Thomaïs the subject of encomia, Thomaïs an occasion of praises for those of us who are within the power of the good and are not altogether wilfully wicked and from the soul loathe evil, and, for those who are midway in their habit concerning it — to speak thus of their choice — the greatest exhortation to virtue; and I would say, to those otherwise disposed as well; for it is no small thing also

ὁπωσοῦν τοῦ κακοῦ διαστῆναι καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὁπωσδήποτε ἀποκλῖναι· ὅπερ ἐργάζεσθαι βίοι θεοφιλῶν τε καὶ φιλοθέων ἔχουσιν ἱστορούμενοι. Θωμαῒς ἡ τὴν τύχην μὲν ταπεινή, τὴν δ᾽ ἀρετὴν ὑψηλή· ἤνεγκε μὲν γὰρ ταύτην ἡ νῆσος Λέσβος· πατράσι δ᾽ ἐχρήσατο τῶν οὐκ ἄγαν ἐπιφανῶν, οὐδὲ τῶν εὐροούντων τοῖς ἐνταῦθα, σεμνῷ δὲ βίῳ διαπρεπέσι κἀντεῦθεν ἐπισήμοις so B, one would expect διαπρεπῶν … ἐπισήμων. ὡς τὰ πολλά·

in any way to stand apart from evil and in whatever way to incline toward the good; which the lives of the God-beloved and God-loving, when they are narrated, are able to work. Thomaïs, lowly in fortune, but lofty in virtue; for the island of Lesbos bore her; and she had for parents persons not very conspicuous, nor of those who prosper in the things here, but distinguished for a venerable life, and for the most part notable on that account;

ὀνόματα τούτοιν Μιχαὴλ καὶ Καλὴ τὰ κύρια· συζυγία τῷ ὄντι καλλίστη τε καὶ θεάρεστος, ἀλλήλοις βίου τε σπουδαίου καὶ πολιτείας ἵν᾽ οὕτω φαίην ἀγγελικῆς δεξιοὶ συνεργοὶ καὶ συνέριθοι· καὶ τις ἂν ἰδὼν ἐκείνους βοηθὸν κατ᾽ αὐτὸν τῷ ἀνδρὶ δεδόσθαι τὴν σύνευνον ἔφησε, τὸν δ᾽ αὖ γε σύζυγον κεφαλὴν πλήρη συνέσεως καὶ παντοίοις κατάκομον ἀγαθοῖς καλλίστῳ προσηρμόσθαι τῷ σώματι· τὰ ἀναγκαῖα μόνα ζητοῦντες, ἅπαν δὲ περιττὸν διαπτύοντες· τὸ “πλοῦτον καὶ πενίαν μὴ δῷς ἡμῖν, Κύριε” οὐ δι᾽ εὐχῆς ἴσως τιθέμενοι, δι᾽ ἔργον δὲ ἐκπεραίνοντες· ἠγάπων γὰρ αὐταρκείᾳ καὶ τὸν δίκαιον βίον ἠσπάζοντο, ὃν δὴ βίον ἀμέτοχον πλούτου μεμαρτύρηκεν ἡ γραφή, πλοῦτον ἄσυλον ἐν ὑστέρῳ προξενοῦντα καὶ ἀδιάπτωτον· οὗπερ ἐρῶντες ἦσαν, οὗπερ ἐφίεντο. Gen. 2, 20, 1 Cor. 11, 3, Prov. 30, 8.

the proper names of the two were Michael and Cale; a union truly most beautiful and pleasing to God, skilful fellow-workers and helpers to each other of an earnest life and of a conduct, if I may so say, angelic; and anyone seeing them would have said that the bedfellow had been given to the man as a help like him, and that the spouse in turn, a head full of understanding and richly crowned with every kind of good, had been fitted to a most beautiful body; seeking only necessities, and spitting away everything superfluous; the saying "Give us neither riches nor poverty, O Lord," perhaps not making a matter of prayer, but accomplishing it in deed; for they were content with sufficiency and embraced the just life, which life Scripture has witnessed to be without share of wealth, procuring afterwards a wealth inviolable and unfailing; this they loved, this they desired.

[2] who obtain a daughter from God, Οὐκ ὀλίγους οὕτω συνδιέζησαν χρόνους, τἄλλα μὲν καλῶς ἔχοντες, ἑνὸς δ᾽ ὃ τοῖς ἐν συζυγίᾳ τὸ περισπούδαστον, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς τὸν σεμνότερον ἀσπαζομένοις γάμον, στερόμενοι· οὐ γαρ ἐτέκνωσαν οὐδ᾽ ἔσχον ἐξ αὐτῶν διάδοχον· τῷτοι καὶ λιπαροῦντες ἦσαν Θεὸν καὶ τὴν θεομήτορα, μὴ ἀνωνύμους τοῖς ἐς νέωτα καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτοὺς οἰχέσθαι, ἀλλά τι καὶ αὐτοὺς τῇ φύσει δοῦναι καὶ τεκεῖν ἔμπαλιν ὡς ἐλοχεύθησαν ἢ μᾶλλον Θεῷ καρποφορῆσαι καί τινά πως ἀπαρχὴν τοῦ σφῶν γάμου προσενεγκεῖν· τί γοῦν οὐκ ἔδρων; τί περ οὐκ ἔπασχον; ἕως τῆς αὐτῶν δεήσεως ὁ Θεὸς ἐπήκουσε καὶ καρπὸν κοιλίας παρέσχετο θαυμάσιον οἷον, τὴν λαμπρὰν ταυτηνὶ Θωμαΐδα· ἣν δὴ καὶ ἐπόθουν πόθῳ καὶ συλλαβόντες καὶ ὠδινήσαντες καὶ τοῦ πόθου προσαξίαν ἔτρεφον, μονογενῆ τε οὖσαν καὶ ἀστείαν ἄλλως ἐξ αὐτῆς φάναι γενέσεως. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ οἶδ᾽ ὅπως τὸ πρὸς ἐγκώμιον μεῖζον παρέλιπον, εἴπερ μέγιστον εἰς εὐφημίας ὑπόθεσιν τὸ τὴν τεκοῦσαν τὴν Θεοτόκον ἰδεῖν, τὸ παρ᾽ ἐκείνης αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ τόκου λαβεῖν καὶ τὸν τόκον ὁποῖος ἔσται ἀναμαθεῖν· τί τοίνυν ὥρας πέρι πλείω λέγειν; ἣ τί χρὴ γράφειν τὴν ἐξ ἐπαγγελίας γεννηθεῖσαν τῆς θεομήτορος ὅπως εἴδους εἶχεν, οἵα τὸ ἦθος ἐτύγχανεν;

They lived together thus for not a few years, well off in other respects, but deprived of the one thing which is much sought after by those in marriage, and above all by those who embrace the more venerable marriage; for they had no children, nor did they have a successor from themselves; therefore they were entreating God and the Mother of God not to depart nameless to the coming generation and to those after them, but themselves too to give something to nature and to bear in turn as they had been borne, or rather to bear fruit to God and to offer some first-fruits of their marriage; what, then, did they not do? What did they not suffer? Until God heard their prayer and granted a fruit of the womb, a wonderful one indeed, this splendid Thomaïs; whom indeed they longed for with longing, and having conceived and been in travail they reared her worthily of the longing, as an only child and otherwise fair, so to speak, from her very birth. But I know not how I have left out what is greater for encomium, if indeed it is the greatest subject for eulogy that she who bore her saw the Mother of God, received the promise of the birth from her very self, and learned what kind the offspring would be; why, then, say more about her bloom? Or why should one write of her who was born from the promise of the Mother of God, what she was like in form, what she was in character?

ἀλλ᾽ ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὥραν ἐφθάκει γάμου, κατάλληλον ὡς ᾠήθησαν τὸν νυμφίον οἱ γεγεννηκότες εὑρηκότες συνάπτουσιν, ἄκουσαν μὲν καὶ τὰ πολλὰ δυσανασχετοῦσαν, γονέων δ᾽ ὅμως ὑποκλίνασαν ἐντολῇ καὶ προσηκόντων βίᾳ καθυπαχθεῖσαν· καὶ ὁ χρόνος, ἐφ᾽ ὅσον τὰ τῆς παρθενίας αὐτῇ παρατέτατο, ὁποῖα τὰ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῇ καὶ ὡς παρὰ γνώμην ὁ γάμος ἦν, whom they place in marriage. βεβαιοῖ· ἔτη γὰρ γεγονυῖα τέτταρα πρὸς τοῖς εἴκοσιν ἦν· καὶ τότε δήπου συνέζευκται ἢ μᾶλλον εἰπεῖν ξυνεύνῳ πρὸς τῶν γεγεννηκότων ἐκδέδοται.

But since she had reached the age of marriage, her parents, having found, as they thought, a suitable bridegroom, join her to him, she being unwilling and for the most part chafing, but nevertheless bowing to the command of her parents and subdued by the force of those related to her; and the time for which her virginity was prolonged confirms what her own wish was and how the marriage was against her wish; for she was twenty-four years old; and then indeed she was yoked, or rather, to put it so, was given over by her parents to a bedfellow.

[3] Οὗτος δὲ ἧν τὰ μὲν ἐκτὸς καὶ ὅσα πρὸς τὸ φαινόμενον ἥκει καὶ πάνυ λίαν τῇ μακαρίᾳ κατάλληλος, τὰ δ᾽ ἐντὸς ἀξυμφυής τις ὡς ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀντίθετος, ἀπεοικὼς ἐς τὸ παντελὲς καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς ἀντικαθιστάμενος. Καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῖς ἐφεξῆς γνωριεῖ· ὡς γὰρ δὴ τῆς Λέσβου ἀπῆραν καὶ παρὰ τὴν ἀντιπέρας τῆς Κωνσταντίνου Χαλκηδόνα [That the parents of Thomaïs lived at Chalcedon is not read in her Life (cc. 6. 7: ἐν Βοσπορείοις μέρεσιν). Compare above, pp. 235 – 36.] γενόμενοι ᾤκησαν πατέρες τε καὶ θυγάτηρ καὶ ὁ ἐπὶ τῇ θυγατρὶ κηδεστὴς καὶ γε ὁ τῆς μακαρίας πατὴρ τὸ κοινὸν ἀπέτισεν ὄφλημα, The mother embraces the monastic life. ἡ μὲν γειναμένη κατὰ μοναχὰς τὴν τρίχα παραυτὰ κείρεται καὶ τὸν θειότερον βίον ἀσπάζεται· ὅθεν καὶ παρά τινι τῶν σεμνείων γενομένη οἰκίσκῳ φέρουσα ζοφώδει καὶ ἀφεγγεῖ ἑαυτὴν καθείργνυσι, μόνῷ Θεῷ προσανέχουσα καὶ τούτῳ διὰ παντὸς ἐντυγχάνουσα·

He was, in outward things and in whatever pertains to appearance, quite exceedingly suited to the blessed woman, but in inward things truly an ill-matched one and an opposite, utterly unlike and wholly set against her. And the discourse will make it known in what follows; for when the parents and the daughter and the son-in-law married to the daughter set out from Lesbos and, having come to Chalcedon, over against Constantine's city, dwelt there, and indeed the father of the blessed woman paid the common debt, the mother at once has her hair shorn in the manner of nuns and embraces the more divine life; whence also, having come to one of the convents, she shuts herself up in a gloomy and lightless little house, attending to God alone and continually petitioning him;

ἡ δέ γε μακαρία Θωμαῒς συνῴκει μὲν τῷ ἀνδρί, ἅπαξ τοῖς γονεῦσι γενομένη πειθήνιος, συνῆν δὲ μᾶλλον Θεῷ εὐχαῖς τε σχολάζουσα καὶ νηστείαις ἑαυτὴν κατατήκουσα, οὐχ ἑπτάκις μόνον τῆς ἡμέρας τὸν δημιουργὸν αἰνοῦσα Θεὸν ἀλλὰ διὰ παντὸς προσευχομένη καὶ διηεκῶς ἱλεουμένη τὸν Κύριον, πένησι τὸν βίον μεριζομένη ἢ μᾶλλον ἀφειδῶς Psalm 118, 164. ἐξαντλοῦσα καὶ μεγαλοψύχως ἄγαν σκορπίζουσα· ἀλλ᾽ ἐντεῦθεν τῇ γενναίᾳ τὰ σκάμματα, ἐντεῦθεν οἱ ἆθλοι, ἐντεῦθεν τῶν κατ᾽ ἀρετὴν ἀγώνων τὰ ἔπαθλα· ὡς γὰρ δὴ καὶ ἔφθημεν εἰπόντες, ἐναντίως παντάπασιν ἔχων ὁ ξύνευνος ἧν· ὅσον γὰρ ταύτῃ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν προσῆν ἐλευθεριότητος, τοσοῦτον ἐκείνῳ φειδωλίας τε καὶ μικροψυχίας ἐπῆν· καὶ ὅσον ἐκείνη τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ θείων ἐφίετο, τοσοῦτον οὗτος τῶν ἐν γῇ καὶ ὑλωδῶν περιείχετο.

but the blessed Thomaïs lived with her husband, having once for all become obedient to her parents, but rather was with God, devoting herself to prayers and wasting herself with fasts, not only seven times a day praising God the Creator but praying always and continually propitiating the Lord, sharing her substance with the poor, or rather drawing it out unsparingly and scattering it very magnanimously; but hence came the noble woman's wrestling-grounds, hence the contests, hence the prizes of the contests of virtue; for, as we have said before, her bedfellow was wholly contrary; for as much as she had of liberality according to God, so much he had of stinginess and meanness; and as much as she aimed at things in heaven and divine, so much he clung to things on earth and material.

[4] The vexations inflicted by her husband Ἦν οὖν ὁ ἀγὼν τῇ μακαρίᾳ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα περὶ κτήσεώς τε καὶ ἀποκτήσεως, ἢ μᾶλλον καὶ ἀμφοῖν περὶ κτήσεως, πλὴν διαφόρου τῆς κτήσεως καὶ ὡς ἀληθῶς διεστηκυΐας κατὰ διάμετρον· ἡ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ κρείττονος ἐφιεμένη πλούτου πάντ᾽ ἐν οὐρανῷ θησαυρίζειν ἐσπούδαζεν, ὅπου γε οὔτε σὴς οὔτε βρῶσις ἀφανίζων οὔτε κλέπται διορύσσοντες ἢ σπαράσσοντες, ὡς ἡ αὐτοαλήθεια Χριστὸς μεμαρτύρηκεν, ὁ δ᾽ αὖ τοὐναντίον πάντα παρ᾽ ἑαυτῷ συνάγειν καὶ ὑπὸ γῆν τιθέναι καὶ παρακατέχειν ἐν ἀφανεῖ. Matt. 6, 20. Τί τὸ ἐντεῦθεν; ἐκμαίνεται ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ οὐχ ὅτι τῆς ἁδρᾶς μεταδόσεως (πρὶν γὰρ ἢ κατακλεῖσαι τουτονὶ τὰ προσόντα, τὸ παρευρισκόμενον ἅπαν ἀφειδέστερον ἦν χορηγοῦσα τοῖς δεομένοις), ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ τῶν σμικροτάτων, ἄρτου τρύφους τυχὸν ἢ καὶ παλαιᾶς ἐσθῆτος, δίκην ἀπαιτεῖν ἤθελεν· ὅθεν καὶ ἀνηλεῶς ἐρράπιζε πὺξ βάλλων κατὰ τοῦ στόματος, κονδυλίζων τὰς παρειάς, λύγοις ξαίνων τὰ νῶτα, λὰξ κατὰ λαγόνων τύπτων καὶ μηδενὸς καθάπαξ μέλους φειδόμενος, τὸ τῶν μεμηνότων ἄντικρυς πάσχων, τὰς ἰδίας σάρκας διασπαράττων ὁ μέλεος.

The contest, then, of the blessed woman with her husband was about acquiring and getting rid of possessions, or rather, for both of them, about acquiring, except that the acquisition was different and truly diametrically opposed; for she, aiming at the better wealth, was eager to store everything up in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes nor thieves break through or tear, as Christ the very Truth has witnessed; but he, on the contrary, to gather everything to himself and put it under the earth and keep it hidden away. What came of this? The man is enraged, and not only at her lavish giving (for before he locked up his possessions, she supplied everything to be found to the needy rather unsparingly), but now he wished to exact punishment even for the smallest things, perhaps a crumb of bread or an old garment; whence also he beat her pitilessly, striking her on the mouth with his fist, punching her cheeks, carding her back with withies, kicking her flanks with his heel and sparing no limb at all, plainly suffering what madmen suffer, tearing apart his own flesh, the wretch.

Ἀλλ᾽ ἐνίκα τοῦτον ἡ μακαρία τοσαῦτά τε πάσχουσα καὶ οὐδὲν ὅ, Thomaïs bears with an even mind τι τῶν ἀνὰ χεῖρα μὴ προἳεμένη τοῖς πένησιν ἢ τῶν ὅλως παρευρισκομένων τῷ κιβωτίῳ καὶ τῷ οἰκήματι· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα τὰ πολλὰ παρῶ, τοῦτο μόνον πρὸς ὑμᾶς διηγήσομαι· πᾶσαν μὲν δεσποτικὴν ἐντολὴν ἀκριβῶς πλῆρουν ἤθελεν· ἀμέλει τοι καὶ λίαν ἐξεπλήρου καλῶς, ὕμνοις τὸ θεῖον γεραίρουσα, πένησιν ὡς ἔφην τὰ προσόντα μερίζουσα, νηστείαις ἑαυτὴν κατατήκουσα, πάντας ἀγαπῶσα καὶ χώραν μηδενὶ σκανδάλου παρέχουσα, ὅτι μὴ τῷ συζύγῳ ἐξ ἐναντίας ταύτῃ πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν φυλακὴν ἔχοντι.

But the blessed woman conquered him, suffering so much and yet leaving nothing of what was at hand, or of all that was to be found in the chest and the house, that she did not give away to the poor; but, to pass over much, I will relate to you this one thing: she wished to fulfil exactly every commandment of the Lord; and indeed she fulfilled it very well, honouring the Divinity with hymns, sharing her possessions, as I said, with the poor, wasting herself with fasts, loving all and giving no one occasion of scandal, except her spouse, who stood opposed to her regarding the keeping of the commandments.

[5] and devotes herself to pious works. Ἦν οὖν διὰ σπουδῆς τῇ θείᾳ Θωμαΐδι καὶ ἡ παρὰ τοὺς θείους νεὼς ἄφιξις· καὶ δή ποτε ἀπιούσῃ πένης συνηντήκει ὁποιασδήποτε χρῄζων περιβολῆς· οὐδὲν γὰρ ὅ, τι καὶ περιέκειτο τῶν ὅσα ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἄνθρωποι περιβάλλονται, ἀλλ᾽ ἅπαν τὸ ὑπὲρ τὴν ὀσφὺν ὡς ἐκ μήτρας προῆλθεν ἐδείκνυε· τί τοίνυν ἡ μακαρία; οὐ τὴν τοῦ λεὼ παρὰ τὸ θεῖον τέμενος αἰσχυνθεῖσα συνάθροισιν, οὐ πτοηθεῖσα τὸν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἀπηνέστερον θηρὸς ἐπιπίπτοντα σύνευνον, τὴν χλαμύδα παρευθὺς περιδύεται καὶ τὸν γυμνήτην ἀμφιέννυσι πένητα· ἀλλ᾽ οὔπω φθαίη τὴν οἰκίαν εἰσιοῦσα, καὶ τὰ ἔσχατα ὥσπερ πρὸς αὐτῆς ὁ σύζυγος πεπονθὼς “ἵνα τί (φησί), κάκιστον γύναιον, οὕτω μου τὸν βίον ἐκκενοῖς κάκιστα τηνάλλως τηνάλως B. σκορπίζουσα καὶ διακενῆς δαπανῶσα; ἀλλ᾽ οὐ χαιρήσεις ταῦτα ποιοῦσα, ἀλλὰ κακὴ κακῶς ἀπολῇ. Matt. 21, 41.” Καὶ ἅμα λέγων ῥάβδοις κατὰ γῆς βαλὼν ἔπαιεν, ἕως ἡμιθνῆτα διέθηκεν, ἕως τὰ τῆς λύπης ἐξέπλεσεν, ἕως ὁ τέως ἀκορέστως βασάνων ἔχων τῶν κατ᾽ αὐτῆς τὰ κατὰ θυμὸν ἐκτελέσας κεκόρεστο.

Going to the divine churches, then, was also a matter of zeal for the divine Thomaïs; and once, as she was going, a poor man met her, in need of any covering at all; for he had about him nothing of what men of necessity wear, but showed everything above the loins as he came forth from the womb; what, then, did the blessed woman do? Not ashamed of the gathering of the people at the divine precinct, not frightened of her bedfellow, who would fall upon her for such things more savagely than a beast, she at once strips off her mantle and clothes the naked poor man; but hardly had she entered the house, when her spouse, as though he had suffered the worst at her hands, said: "Why, most wicked woman, do you thus empty out my substance, scattering it most wickedly in vain and spending it to no purpose? But you will not rejoice in doing these things, but, evil woman, you shall perish evilly." And while speaking he threw her to the ground and beat her with rods until he left her half-dead, until he had filled up the measure of his spite, until he who till then was insatiable of torments against her had carried out the wishes of his anger and was sated.

Ποίᾳ λοιπὸν τῶν θείων ἐκείνων καὶ παλαιῶν γυναικῶν, τὴν μακαρίαν ταυτηνὶ παραβάλοι παραβάλλοι B. τις; Σωσάννῃ πάντως τῇ τρόπον ἕτερον πειρασθείσῃ, πλὴν ὅτι ὁ μὲν καιρὸς ἐκείνῃ τοῦ πειρασμοῦ μέτριος, βίος δὲ ὅλος ταύτῃ σχεδὸν καὶ μακρῷ τινι βαρυτέρα ἡ ἐπίθεσις· εἰ δὲ καὶ ταῖς μετὰ τὴν χάριν Θέκλῃ τε καὶ Βαρβάρᾳ παραλληλίσειε, She is likened to Thecla and Barbara. τῆς ἀληθείας οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται· πλὴν γὰρ τοῦ τελευταίου πάθους εὑρήσει τἄλλα οὐκ ἀποδέοντα· βασάνοις γὰρ ὅτι βαρείαις καὶ αὕτη εἰ καὶ μὴ διὰ Χριστὸν ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς Χριστοῦ ἐντολὰς προσεπάλαισε καὶ οὐχ ὑπ᾽ ἀλλοτρίου ταυτὶ πέπονθε· φέρει γὰρ ἴσως τοῦτο παράκλησιν· ἐῶ γάρ, ὡς τοῦ θανεῖν εἰσάπαξ τὸ διηνεκῶς κακῶς πάσχειν βαρύτερον.

To which, then, of those divine women of old would one compare this blessed woman? Surely to Susanna, who was tried in a different way, except that for her the time of trial was moderate, while for this woman it was almost her whole life, and the assault was heavier by far; and if one should compare her with Thecla and Barbara, who came after grace, he will not miss the truth; for, except for the final suffering, he will find the rest not falling short; for she too wrestled with heavy torments, even if not for Christ, yet for the commandments of Christ, and she suffered these things not at the hands of a stranger; for that perhaps brings some consolation; for I pass over the fact that to suffer evil continually is heavier than to die once for all.

Καὶ ὁ διὰ βασάνων προσδοκώμενος θάνατος τοῦ διὰ ξίφους πολλῷ φοβερώτερος, ῥᾴστην ἐπάγοντος τὴν τῆς βίας ἀπαλλαγήν· ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν οὕτω τῶν θείων ἐντολῶν περιείχετο καὶ τοιαῦθ᾽ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἔπασχε· Θεὸς δὲ τίσιν ἀμείβεται καὶ πῶς τὴν ἀρετὴν αὐτῆς φανεροῖ καὶ διάδηλον τίθησιν; οἷς ἂν ὑμῶν εἴη βουλομένοις, ἀκούσατε καὶ τὰ εἰκότα δοξάσατε τὸν τοὺς αὐτὸν δοξάζοντας πολλῷ τῷ περιόντι ἀντιδοξάζοντα. 1 Kings 2, 30. Χάριν ἰαμάτων παρέχεται, διαφόρων νοσημάτων ἀκεστήριον, δαιμονίων ἐπιβουλῶν ἀλεξητήριον καὶ παντὸς καθάπαξ ἐνοχλοῦντος λυτήριον. Ἄγε δὴ λοιπὸν τοῖς τῆς μακαρίας θαύμασιν ὁ λόγος θιασευέτω καὶ ὡς τὸ εἰκὸς ἐνωραἳζέσθω τοῖς τεραστίοις φιλοχωρῶν· δοῦναι δ᾽ ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς ἐκείνης πάντως, ἧς ὁ λόγος ἐμβατεῦσαι τοῖς θαυμασίοις παρώρμηται.

And the death expected through torments is far more fearful than that by the sword, which brings the easiest release from violence; but she thus clung to the divine commandments and suffered such things for them; and with what does God repay her, and how does he make her virtue manifest and plain? Hear, those of you who wish, and fittingly glorify him who with great abundance glorifies in return those who glorify him. He grants the grace of healings, a remedy for various diseases, a safeguard against the plots of demons, and a release once for all from everything that troubles. Come, then, let the discourse now keep festival among the miracles of the blessed woman and, as is fitting, take its delight lingering among her wonders; and may she herself surely give strength, into whose miracles the discourse has been urged to enter.

[6] At Blachernae Δεδέσθαι μὲν γάμῳ τὴν μακαρίαν ὁ λόγος φθάσας δεδήλωκε, λελύσθαι δὲ Θεῷ καὶ μόνῳ προσανέχειν αὐτῷ μεμαρτύρηκεν· ὅθεν καὶ θείοις προσεδρεύουσα σηκοῖς ἦν, ἄλλοτε παρ᾽ ἄλλον φοιτῶσα· καὶ δή ποτε παρὰ τὸν ἐν Βλαχέρναις νεὼν Above, p. 237, note 2. γέγονε καὶ τὰ εἰωθότα ποιοῦσα ἐτύγχανε· τῇ γὰρ θεομήτορι ἐνετύγχανε καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ χριστωνύμου ἐξελιπάρει λαοῦ· τὰ γὰρ ἑαυτῆς εὖ τε καὶ ὡς ἔδει διαθεμένη τῶν ἄλλων χάριν ἐφρόντιζεν. Ὡς δὲ καί, τῆς συνήθους προβάσης λιτανείας, τὴν μὲν εἰκόνα τῆς θεομήτορος οἶς ἦν τεταγμένον ἐπωμισάμενοι, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ γε περιοδεῦσαι, ὡς ἁγιασθῆναι μὲν τὸν τόπον, κατανυγῆναι δὲ τὸ παρατυγχάνον πλῆθος, ἐξῄεσαν, συνῆν δὲ καὶ ἡ μακαρία Θωμαῒς καὶ τῶν πολλῶν μία νενόμιστο, ἀναδεῖξαι ταύτην βουλόμενος ὁ Θεὸς δαιμονῶντά τινα καὶ κακῶς πάσχοντα ἰθὺ ταύτης παρώρμησε μέγα τε βοῶντα καὶ μετὰ συνέσεως “Ἵνα τί δὲ κρύπτεις σεαυτήν, δούλη τοῦ Θεοῦ;” λέγοντα “μέχρι τίνος παρακαθέξεις καὶ οὐ δημοσιεύσεις τὸ χάρισμα;” Ταῦτ᾽ εἰρήκει τῶν ποδῶν τῆς ἁγίας προκαλινδούμενος καὶ ἐπισυνείρων ὡς· “ἄρξαι δὴ ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ τοῦ δειλαίου θαυματουργεῖν καὶ με

The discourse has already shown that the blessed woman was bound by marriage, but it has witnessed that she was loosed for God and attended to him alone; whence she was attending the divine precincts, going now to one, now to another; and once she came to the church at Blachernae and was doing her customary things; for she was petitioning the Mother of God and entreating for the people that bears the name of Christ; for, having ordered her own affairs well and as she ought, she took thought for the sake of others. And when, the customary litany having gone forth, those to whom it was assigned had taken the icon of the Mother of God upon their shoulders and went out in order to go round, so that the place might be sanctified and the crowd that happened to be present might be moved to compunction, and the blessed Thomaïs was with them and was reckoned one of the many, God, wishing to show her forth, urged a certain man possessed by a demon and suffering badly straight toward her, crying loudly and with understanding, and saying, "Why do you hide yourself, handmaid of God? How long will you hold back and not make public your gift?" These things he said, rolling before the feet of the saint and stringing on: "Begin, then, to work wonders with me, wretch that I am, and me

τοῦ τυραννοῦντος ἐλευθέρωσον δαίμονος· ὁρᾷς, ὅπως κατατρύχει ὁπόσοις τε περιβάλλει δεινοῖς· οὐδεὶς λύχνον ἅπτει καὶ ὑπὸ μέδιμνον τίθησιν, ὥς πού φησιν ὁ σωτήρ· Λαμψάτω τὸ ἐν σοὶ Col. 244A φῶς ἔμπροσθεν τῶν, ἀνθρώπων, ὅπως σου τὰ καλὰ ἰδόντες ἔργα τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἡμῶν πατέρα δοξάσωσιν, ὡς ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς ὑποτίθεται, ὃν θεραπεύειν προήρησαι, οὗ τὰς ἐντολὰς πληροῦν διὰ πλείστου πάνυ πεποίησαι.” Matt. 5, 15, 16. Κάμπτει τούτοις τὴν μακαρίαν καὶ πολλὰ τέως συγκρύπτειν αὑτὴν βουλομένην πείθει τὴν ἴασιν παρασχεῖν καὶ ἀμωσγέπως φανερῶσαι τὴν ἀρετήν· καὶ ἄλλως γὰρ εἰς νοῦν ἔβαλεν, ὡς οὐκ ἂν νουνεχῶς ἐλιπάρει καὶ συνετῶς οὕτως ἐφθέγγετο, εἰ μὴ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ κινῶν κἀκείνην ἐξ ἁπάντων τε καὶ πασῶν Ζητῆσαι κατήπειγεν· ἀμέλει τοι καὶ χεῖρας εἱς οὐρανὸν ἄρασα καὶ τὰ εἰκότα Θεῷ ἐπευχαριστήσασα ἐλαίῳ χρίει τῆς Θεομήτορος, she heals a possessed man; ὡς ἂν ἐκεῖθεν νομισθείη τὴν χάριν κατάγουσα καὶ μηδέν τι τοιοῦτον αὐτὴ δυναμένη τοῖς πολλοῖς δείξειε· καὶ παρευθὺς (ὣ τοῦ θαύματος) σώας ἔχων ὁ δαιμονῶν τὰς φρένας ἐδείκνυτο, Θεὸν μεγαλύνων, τὴν Θεοτόκον δοξάζων καὶ τὴν τούτων συνδοξάζων θεράπαιναν.

free me from the tyrannizing demon; you see how it wears me down and with how many terrors it surrounds me; no one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, as the Saviour says somewhere; let the light that is in you shine before men, that seeing your good works they may glorify our Father in heaven, as he himself counsels, whom you have chosen to serve, whose commandments you have made it your very great concern to fulfil." With these words he bends the blessed woman, and, though till then she wished to keep herself much hidden, he persuades her to provide the healing and in some way to make her virtue manifest; for besides, she considered that he would not be entreating so sensibly and speaking so intelligently, unless it were God who moved him and urged him to seek her out from among all men and women; indeed, then, raising her hands to heaven and giving fitting thanks to God, she anoints him with oil of the Mother of God, so that she might be thought to draw down the grace from that source and might show to the many that she herself could do nothing of the kind; and at once (O the wonder!) the demoniac was shown to have his mind sound, magnifying God, glorifying the Mother of God, and glorifying together with them their handmaid.

[7] she heals a paralytic while absent; Ἕτερον εὐθὺς μετὰ τοῦτο, μηδὲν τούτου τῷ τεραστίῳ λειπόμενον, τῇ μακαρίᾳ τετερατούργηται. Ἐκτομίας τις παρὰ τῶν τινι τῆς πόλεως σεμνείων ᾤκει, ἢ μᾶλλον ἐλεεινὸν κατέκειτο θέαμα, Ἀγγουρίου καλεῖται τὸ φροντιστήριον· Ἀγγουρίου γὰρ κλῆσιν οὕτω γε τυχὸν ὁ δειμάμενος εἴληχε Above, p. 238, note 1. · Κωνσταντῖνος 〈τῷ om. B. 〉 ἐκτομίᾳ τὸ ὄνομα. Ἔκειτο γοῦν χρόνοις ἐπὶ συχνοῖς παρειμένος καὶ παραλελυμένος τὴν ὁλομέλειαν καί τι δὲ τῶν ἀνηκέστων ἐπισυμβὰν πρὸς τὴν ἐπὶ θανάτῳ κατήπειγε· κυνάγχη καὶ γὰρ ἐνέσκηψε τούτῳ τῶν χαλεπῶν· ἦν οὖν τὴν ζωὴν ἀπειπάμενος καὶ τὸν φοβερὸν ἀνθρώποις ὁσημέραι τε καὶ νύκτες ἀπεκδεχόμενος θάνατον· οὔτε γὰρ ἰατρῶν ἴσχυε τέχνη οὔτε μὴν ἡ φύσις ἀντέχειν πλέον ἠδύνατο· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ μικρὸν ὕπνωσε καὶ ὄναρ ὁρᾷ, εἴ γε ὄναρ ἐκεῖνο φάναι χρεών, τοιαῦτ᾽ ἄττα διὰ λευχείμονος φάσκον ἀνδρός· “Ἴνα τί ζητεῖς φάρμακα καὶ ἰατρῶν παῖδας μετακαλῇ; τὴν Θωμαΐδα ὅπῃ ποτέ ἐστι διατρίβουσα, πάντα τ᾽ ἄλλα περιιδὼν ζήτησον· καὶ τινα τῶν οἰκείων ἐξαποστείλας ὕδωρ, ᾦ ὅ B. χεῖρας ἢ πόδας ἀπονίψασθαι ταυτηνὶ γένοιτο, κατὰ παντὸς λαβὼν ῥᾶνον τοῦ σώματος ἐπίχεόν τε μέλει παρειμένῳ παντὶ καὶ ᾧ μάλιστα νῦν τὴν πολλὴν βίαν ὑφίστασαι· καὶ θᾶττον ἴσθι τοῦ συνέχοντος ἀπαλλαγήσῃ πάθους ἢ τῷ ἐκεῖθεν ῥαντισθεὶς φθάσοις ἂν ὕδατι.” Ταῦθ᾽ ἑώρακε, ταῦτ᾽ ἀκήκοε· καὶ τὰ τῆς ὑποθήκης μηδὲν μελλήσας μελήσας B. πεπλήρωκε καὶ παραυτὰ τῆς ἰάσεως κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τετύχηκε.

Another wonder was worked by the blessed woman straightway after this, falling in no way short of it in marvel. A certain eunuch dwelt in one of the convents of the city, or rather lay there, a pitiable sight; the monastery is called that of Angourios; for the founder perhaps had obtained the name of Angourios; Constantine was the eunuch's name. He lay, then, for many years paralysed and disabled in his whole frame, and something incurable, befalling him besides, was hastening him toward death; for quinsy, one of the grievous things, had fallen upon him; he had, then, given up on life and was awaiting, day and night, the death that is fearful to men; for neither did the art of the physicians avail, nor could nature hold out any longer; but he slept for a little and sees a dream, if indeed one should call it a dream, saying such things through a man in white: "Why do you seek medicines and summon the sons of physicians? Seek out Thomaïs, wherever she may be spending her time, disregarding all else; and sending one of your household, take water in which she may have washed her hands or feet, sprinkle it over your whole body, and pour it on every disabled limb, and above all on that in which you now suffer the great violence; and know that you will be freed from the affliction that holds you sooner than you are sprinkled with the water from there." These things he saw, these he heard; and without any delay he fulfilled the counsel, and at once obtained healing according to the promise.

Acts 5, 15. Πέτρου μὲν οὖν τοῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων κορυφαίου καὶ ἡ σκιὰ νόσους ἦν θεραπεύουσα, ἐκείνου αὐτοῦ πλησιάζοντος καὶ τάχα τὴν ἐνοῦσαν χάριν ἐξαποστέλλοντος. Ταύτης δὲ νῦν καὶ πόρρωθεν ἡ χάρις ἐνήργηκε καὶ πόρρω διατριβούσης μόνον ἀκρωτηρίων ἀπόμοργμα θαῦμα μέγιστον ἐκτετέλεκε.

The shadow even of Peter, the chief of the apostles, healed diseases, when he himself was near and perhaps sending forth the grace that was in him. But her grace now worked even from afar, and, while she was dwelling far off, a mere washing of her extremities accomplished a very great wonder.

[8] Προσκείσθω τούτῳ καὶ ἕτερον τῷ πρὸ αὐτοῦ παραπλήσιον· ὑπερδεδόξασται μὲν ἡ πάναγνος δέσποινα Θεοτόκος καὶ κατὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν τιμᾶται καὶ μεγαλύνεται καὶ πάσαις ἑκασταχοῦ γενεαῖς ὡς ἔφησε μακαρίζεται, τιμᾶται δὲ καὶ παρὰ τῇ μεγαλοπόλει ταύτῃ διαφερόντως καὶ εἰσαεί, in the church of the Mother of God ἐν δέ γε τῇ τῆς ἑβδομάδος τρίτῃ ἀριδηλότερον, ὅσῳ καὶ παρὰ τὸν θεῖον ταύτης σηκὸν συρρέειν τὸ πλῆθος εἰώθασι καὶ προπέμπειν τε καὶ παραπέμπειν τὴν θείαν ταύτης εἰκόνα καὶ ἱκετεύειν ὑπέρ τε ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τοῦ κοινοῦ πληρώματος ἕκαστος. Luke 1, 48. Μιᾶς γοῦν καὶ ἡ σεμνὴ Θωμαῒς τῶν προπεμπουσῶν τε καὶ παραπεμπουσῶν ἐκείνων τυγχάνουσα ἦν· ἦν δὲ καὶ πλῆθος δεινῶς πασχόντων καὶ διαφόροις νόσοις τὸ σῶμα λελωβημένων τάχα μὲν λιπαρούντων καὶ αὐτῶν τὴν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν, τάχα δὲ δεομένων τῶν ἐν εὐπορίᾳ τε καὶ ὑγιείᾳ ἐπαρκέσαι σφίσι τὰ πρὸς θεραπείαν τοῦ κάμνοντος σώματος. Καὶ τις οὖν γυνὴ ὑπὸ δαίμονος δεινῶς ἐνοχλουμένη συναναμέμικτο· ἣ καὶ τῶν ἄλλων χωρισθεῖσα καὶ δρομαία παρὰ τὴν ἁγίαν γενομένη τὴν ἴασιν ἐζήτει· “Ἓως πότε (κατὰ τὸν προρρηθέντα καὶ αὐτὴ φάσκουσα) χαλεπὼς ἐάσεις ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ βασανίζεσθαι καὶ τοσούτοις με προσπαλαίειν δεινοῖς; ἐπιτίμησον τῷ ἀλάστορι, φυγάδευσον τὸν ἐχθρὸν καὶ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ πλάσμα τῆς τυραννίδος ἀπάλλαξον.”

Let there be added to this another too, like the one before it; the all-pure Lady, the Mother of God, is exceedingly glorified, and every day is honoured and magnified, and, as she said, is called blessed by all generations everywhere, and she is honoured in this great city too especially and for ever, but on the third day of the week more conspicuously, inasmuch as the multitude is accustomed to flow together to her divine precinct and to escort forth and accompany her divine icon, and each to supplicate for himself and for the whole community. The venerable Thomaïs, then, happened to be one of those women who escorted it forth and accompanied it; and there was also a multitude of those suffering terribly and maimed in body by various diseases, perhaps they too entreating the salvation of our race, perhaps begging those in prosperity and health to supply them with what was needed for the care of the ailing body. And a certain woman terribly troubled by a demon was mingled among them; who, separating herself from the others and coming at a run to the saint, sought healing: "How long (she too saying, after the aforesaid man) will you let me be grievously tortured by the enemy and wrestle with so many terrors? Rebuke the avenger, put the enemy to flight, and free the creature of God from his tyranny."

she frees a woman from a demon. Ἡ δ᾽ εὐθὺς παρὰ τὸν νεὼν εἰσιοῦσα ἔλαιόν τε λαβοῦσα καὶ χρίσασα ὑγιᾶ τε καθίστησι καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν ὅλως πεπονθυῖαν δεινόν δείκνυσι, μικροῦ διαπιστουμένου διαπιστευομένου B. συχνοῖς, ὅτι γε αὐτή ἐστιν ἐκείνη ἡ τῳτέως τὰ ἀφόρητα πάσχουσα. Ἁλλ᾽ ἄγε πρὸς ἄλλο μεταβῶμεν, δι᾽ οὗ διπλῆν ἡ κάμνουσα τὴν ἴασιν εὕρετο.

And she, at once going into the church and taking oil and anointing her, makes her healthy, and shows her as one who had suffered nothing terrible at all, many all but disbelieving that she was that very woman who until then had been suffering unbearable things. But come, let us pass to another, through which the sick woman found a double healing.

[9] A woman healed in body and mind. Γύναιον μὴ ὅτι γε γυναικείαν ἀποσεισάμενον ἀλλ᾽ ἀνθρωπίνην καθάπαξ αἰδῶ κατὰ τῶν ἀρρένων ὡς εἰπεῖν ἐξωρμήκει καὶ ἀκολασίᾳ φέρουσα ἑαυτὴν ἐκδεδώκει. Καὶ ἦν ἡμέρας τε καὶ νυκτός, φεῦ τῆς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν τοῦ Σατὰν ἐπιθέσεως, φεῦ τοῦ εὐπεριτρέρτου τῆς ἡμῶν φύσεως, ἀσελγῶς διαζῶσα καὶ τὴν σάρκα μολύνουσα· ἀλλ᾽ ἐπήνεγκε ταύτῃ πρὸς παιδείαν νόσον ὁ κηδόμενος ἡμῶν Κύριος καὶ πανταχόθεν τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν πραγματευόμενος· αἱμόρροια τῶν ἀκρατῶν ἡ νόσος ἐτύγχανεν· ὁ χρόνος ἐφ᾽ ὅσον αὐτῇ παρετάθν συχνός· ἣν ὡς ἑώρακεν ἡ ἁγία, τὸ ψυχικὸν οὐχ ἧττον πάθος ἢ καὶ τὸ σωματικὸν συνεώρακεν, εἰ καὶ ἄμφω κεκρυμμένα καὶ οὐκ ἐπίδηλα· καὶ δὴ διὰ τοῦ σωματικοῦ τὸ κατὰ ψυχὴν θεραπεῦσαι δεῖν ἔκρινε· καὶ φησὶ πρὸς αὐτήν· “Εἰ τοῦ συνέχοντος, ἀδελφή, πάθους ἀπαλλαγῆναι βουλομένῃ σοι εἴη, τοῦ τῆς ἀσωτίας πάθους ἀπόστηθι· οἶσθα γάρ, ὅπως ἀκρατῶς ἔχουσα οὐδὲ παρὰ ταῖς μεγίσταις ἀνέχῃ τῶν ἑορτῶν σωφρονεῖν.” Καὶ ἥ· “Ἀλλ᾽ ἴασαί με καὶ ἀποστήσομαι.” Καὶ αὕτη τῷ συνήθει χρησαμένη φαρμάκῳ, τῷ τῆς Θεοτόκου κέχρικεν ἐλαίῳ καὶ διπλῆν συνάμα τῷ γυναίῳ τὴν ὑγείαν παρέσχετο· τοῦ τε γὰρ ἀσελγαίνειν ἀπέσχετο, καθάπερ καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ γε τῆς αἱμορροίας τελείαν ἐξ ἐκείνου τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν εὕρετο

A little woman, having shaken off not only womanly but human shame altogether, had rushed out, so to speak, after males, and had given herself over, borne along by licentiousness. And she was, day and night — alas for Satan's assault upon us, alas for the easily overturned nature of ours — living wantonly and defiling her flesh; but the Lord, who cares for us and works out our salvation on every side, brought upon her a disease for her correction; the disease was a flow of blood of the incontinent kind; the time over which it was prolonged in her was long; when the saint saw her, she saw at the same time the affliction of the soul no less than that of the body, even though both were hidden and not manifest; and indeed she judged that she must heal the affliction of the soul through that of the body; and she says to her: "If you wish, sister, to be freed from the affliction that holds you, stand away from the passion of prodigality; for you know how, being incontinent, you cannot bear to be temperate even at the greatest of the feasts." And she: "But heal me and I will stand away." And she, using the customary remedy, anointed her with the oil of the Mother of God and provided the little woman with a double health at once; for she abstained from wantonness, just as she had promised, and from that time found complete release from the flow of blood.

[10] Likewise another. Τὸ δ᾽ αὐτὸ μικροῦ καὶ περὶ ἑτέραν ἑταιρίδα μετὰ τοῦτ᾽ εὐθὺς ἐνεργεῖ, τῇ προρρηθείσῃ τὰ παραπλήσια κάμνουσαν· ἔζη γὰρ ἀσώτως οὐδὲν οὐδαμῶς ἐκείνης τῷ ψυχικῷ πάθει, κἂν τῷ περὶ σῶμα διήλλακτο, διαφέρουσα· καρκίνῳ γάρ, ὡς οἱ τῶν ἰατρῶν παῖδες τὸ πάθος καλεῖν οἴδασιν, ὁ μαστὸς αὐτῆς οἰδῶν ἦν καὶ ὅτι γε δριμείαις ὀδύναις βαλλόμενος. Αὕτη γοῦν τῇ μακαρίᾳ πάντων ἀπογνοῦσα τῶν ἄλλων ἐλεεινῶς πρόσεισι, τί μὲν οὐ λέγουσα, τί δὲ οὐ πάσχουσα τῶν ὅσα θείαν δυσωπεῖν οἶδε ψυχὴν καὶ ἐφέλκεσθαι πρὸς συμπάθειαν. Ταὐτὰ δὲ ἀκούσασα τῇ προτέρᾳ καὶ λίαν ἀσμένως ὑποσχομένη τὰ παραπλήσια, ἐπίσης τῆς θεραπείας τετύχηκε· καὶ ἦν τοῦ λοιποῦ ἑνὶ συνευναζομένη καὶ τούτῳ μετ᾽ εὐλογίας συζῶσα κατὰ τὴν ἀγαθὴν τῆς θείας Θωμαΐδος παραίφασιν.

Almost the same she works straightway after this concerning another courtesan, who suffered things like the aforesaid; for she lived prodigally, differing in no way from her in the affliction of the soul, though she differed in that of the body; for her breast was swelling with a cancer, as the sons of physicians know how to call the affliction, and was struck with sharp pains. She, then, despairing of all else, approaches the blessed woman piteously, saying what not, suffering what not, of all that is able to move a divine soul and draw it to compassion. And having heard the same things as the former and promising very gladly the like, she obtained the cure equally; and thereafter she was bedded with one man and lived with him with blessing, according to the good exhortation of the divine Thomaïs.

[11] She does not cease to be zealous for virtue, Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ καιρὸς ἰδοὺ τῇ μακαρίᾳ τῆς ἀναλύσεως ἦν καὶ ἡ προθεσμία τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ἐκδημίας ἐφειστήκει. Ὃ δὴ καὶ προέγνωσται ταύτῃ· ἢ δῆλον, ὅθεν καὶ ἡ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων κεχάριστο πρόγνωσις καὶ ἡ τῶν τισιν ἀπορρήτων κατὰληψς. Προλέγει γοῦν τὴν ταύτης μετάστασιν καὶ παρεγγυᾶται καταθεῖναι ὁπῃδήποτε τοῦ θείου νεὼ ἀτημελήτως καὶ ἐν τῷ προνάῳ. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ μὲν οὕτω τε ἀρετῆς εἴχετο καὶ οὕτω διὰ παντὸς ἑαυτὴν ἐταπείνου μέχρι γε αὐτῆς τελευτῆς· καὶ τῆς ἰδιαιτάτης αὐτῇ μάλιστα, ἵν᾽ οὕτω φαίην, ἐπεμέλετο ἀρετῆς, τὸν ἔλεόν φημι καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς δεομένους χορηγίαν ὡς ἐνὸν ἄφθονον· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἐφείδετο, οὐκ ἀργύρου, οὐχὶ χρυσοῦ, οὐ βρώματος, οὐ πόματος, οὐδενὸς ὅλως τῶν πρὸς χρείαν τοῖς πένησιν· εἰ δυνατὸν ἦν, καὶ ἑαυτὴν ἂν ἀπεμπολήσασα τοῖς ἐνδεέσι τὸ ληφθὲν ἔνειμεν.

But behold, the time of departure was at hand for the blessed woman, and the appointed day of her emigration to God had come. Which indeed was foreknown to her; or rather plainly so, whence also the foreknowledge concerning others had been granted her, and the apprehension of things secret to some. She foretells, then, her passing, and charges that she be laid anywhere about the divine church, without care, and in the narthex. But she thus held to virtue and thus continually humbled herself up to her very end; and she took care above all of the virtue most proper to her, so to speak, I mean mercy and her bestowing on the needy, as ungrudging as possible; for she spared nothing, not silver, not gold, not food, not drink, nothing at all of the things needed by the poor; if it had been possible, she would even have sold herself and distributed what she received to the needy.

even with her husband resisting. Ὁ δὲ σύνευνος Στέφανος (τοῦτο γὰρ ἤκουε) στεφάνους ὄντως ταύτῃ διέπλεκεν· οὐ γὰρ ἀνίει κολαφίζων, ἀνηλεῶς μαστίζων, πᾶν εἶδος ἐπάγων βασάνου, ὡς τοῦ ταῦτα ποιεῖν ἀποστήσειε καὶ φιλοχρηματεῖν ἀναγκάσειεν, ὄντως πρὸς σκότος ἕλκων ἀπὸ φωτὸς καὶ ἐξ ἀληθινοῦ καὶ ἀδιαπτώτου πλούτου πρὸς πενίαν συνωθῶν ἐσχάτην. Τίς γὰρ τοῦ παρὰ Θεῷ πλούτου κρείττων, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἀκηράτων ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων ἀπόλαυσις, ἅπερ ἐλεημοσύνη φιλεῖ προξενεῖν καὶ τῶν προσόντων μετάδοσις; ἀγαθὸν μὲν ἦν τῷ στεφάνῳ τούτῳ τῆς ὕβρεως (οὕτω γὰρ προσειπεῖν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν πράξεων αὐτοῦ πρόσφορον) οἴκοθεν ἀρχῆθεν ξυνεῖναι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ταὐτὰ τῇ ξυνεύνῳ πράττειν ἑλέσθαι· εἰ δ᾽ οὖν, ζηλῶσαι ταύτην καὶ συνεργὸν ἀλλ᾽ οὐ κωλυτὴν δείκνυσθαι· ἤ, τό γε τελευταῖον καὶ ἴσως αἰτίας οὐδὲ τοῦτό γε ἄξιον, μὴ ἐμποδὼν αὐτῇ πρὸς τὸ καλὸν γίνεσθαι. Ὁ δὲ τὰ ἔσχατα κατεδίκαζεν, ὕβρεσι πλύνων, βασάνοις περιβάλλων καὶ οὐδὲν ὃ μὴ ἐπάγων δεινόν· ἀμέλει τοι καὶ μεθίστησι ταύτην Θεός, τοῦτο μὲν θέλων τῶν ἐνταῦθα τιμωριῶν ῥύσασθαι, τοῦτο δὲ τῶν ἐκεῖσε ἀγαθῶν καταξιῶσαι βουλόμενος· ἀλλ᾽ ὅσοις τοῖς τεραστίοις καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν ἐνταῦθα σῶμα ταύτης τετίμηκεν ἐξ ὀλίγων ἄγε δηλώσωμεν.

But her bedfellow Stephen (for so he was called) truly wove crowns for her; for he did not cease buffeting her, scourging her pitilessly, bringing every kind of torture, so as to make her stand away from doing these things and compel her to love money, truly dragging her from light toward darkness and pushing her from the true and unfailing wealth toward utter poverty. For what is better than the wealth that is with God, which is the enjoyment of those pure goods, which almsgiving and the sharing of one's possessions are wont to procure? It would have been good for this crown of insolence (for so it is fitting to call him from his deeds) to have been from the beginning at home with the good and to choose to do the same things as his bedfellow; or if not, to emulate her and to show himself a fellow-worker and not a hinderer; or, at the very least — and perhaps not even this deserving of blame — not to be in her way toward the good. But he condemned her to the worst, washing her with insults, surrounding her with tortures, and bringing upon her every terrible thing; and indeed God takes her away, partly wishing to deliver her from the punishments here, partly wanting to deem her worthy of the goods there; but come, let us show from a few with how many wonders he honoured her sacred body here also.

[12] Miracles after death. Ἀνήρ τις τῆς Νικομήδους ὁρμώμενος πονηρῷ συνισχημένος ἦν δαίμονι· ᾧ δῆτα καὶ δεινῶς ἐλαυνόμενος περιῄει τὴν Κωνσταντίνου· ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ παρὰ τὸ σεμνεῖον, ἵνα γε ἡ τοῦ μακαρίου θήκη λειψάνου κατὲκειτο, γίνεται· δρομαῖος οὖν τῇ τῆς ἇγίας προσπίπτει σορῷ, πᾶν δὴ καὶ λέγων καὶ πράττων, ὃ πρὸς ἔλεον ἱκανὸν ἐπισπάσασθαι· καὶ παρευθὺς (ὢ Θεοῦ θαυμασίων) εὖ ἔχων νοῦ καὶ φρενῶν διανίσταται. Ἀλλ᾽ ὅ με μικροῦ παρέδραμεν ἄν, ἔφθασεν ἐπισκήψασα ταῖς ἐν τῇ μονῇ, παρ᾽ ἣν εἰώθει θαμίζειν, ἐκτὸς τὸ σῶμα καταθεῖναι ὡς ἔφημεν τοῦ ναοῦ· εἰ δ᾽ ἐνεργήσειέ τι διὰ τούτου Θεός, τότε δὴ τότε καταξιῶσαι τῆς ἔνδον αὐτὸ καταθέσεως· ὅπερ καὶ εἰς νοῦν αἱ μοναχαὶ βαλόμεναι μεθ᾽ ὅτι γε πολλῆς εὐθὺς τῆς τιμῆς ἔνδον τε κατατιθέασι τοῦ σηκοῦ καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ἐξ ἐκείνου τοῖς τῶν ἁγίων λειψάνοις τιμὴν κατὰ χρέος ἀπένεμον καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐντυγχάνειν Θεῷ λιπαρῶς καθικέτευον· ἄγε καὶ πάλιν τοῖς τῆς ἁγίας θαύμασι προσβῶμεν. The body is placed in the church.

A certain man coming from Nicomedia was held fast by an evil demon; driven terribly by it, he went round the city of Constantine; but now he comes also to the convent where the tomb of the blessed relic lay; at a run, then, he falls upon the reliquary of the saint, saying and doing everything sufficient to draw down mercy; and at once (O the wonders of God!) he rises up sound in mind and wits. But — a thing I had almost run past — she had earlier enjoined the women in the monastery which she used to frequent to lay her body outside the church, as we said; and if God should work anything through it, then and only then to deem it worthy of being laid within; which the nuns bearing in mind, they at once lay it within the precinct with very great honour, and from that time duly rendered to it the honour owed to the relics of saints, and besought it earnestly to intercede with God for them; come, and let us approach again the miracles of the saint.

[13] A possessed woman. Μοναχή τις βίον ἀσπασαμένη σεμνὸν καὶ ὁλοσχερῶς ἐπιμελουμένη τῆς ἀρετῆς διεφθονήθη τῷ ἀρχεκάκῳ Σατάν· ὡς δ᾽ οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ χαιρέκακος οὗτος τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν μεταστῆσαι προθέσεως, παρατρέπει ταύτην δι᾽ εἰσοικήσεως· ἐντεῦθεν καὶ πάσχουσα τὰ χαλεπώτατα ἦν. Τῇ δέ γε τῆς ἁγίας προσιοῦσά πως σορῷ καὶ θερμότερον ἱκετεύουσα τετύχηκε τῆς ἰάσεως καὶ τοῦ κατέχοντος

A certain nun who had embraced a venerable life and was wholly careful of virtue was envied by Satan, the author of evil; and since this rejoicer in evil could not move her from her purpose according to God, he perverts her by indwelling; hence she was suffering the most grievous things. But approaching the reliquary of the saint in some way and supplicating more fervently, she obtained healing, and from the possessing

ἠλευθέρωται δαίμονος. Καὶ τοῦ λοιποῦ καὶ φρενῶν εὖ εἶχε καὶ τῆς πρὶν εὐεξίας ἀπήλαυεν.

demon she was set free. And thereafter she was both sound in mind and enjoyed her former good health.

[14] A paralytic. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ οὐ τοὺς ἐξ ἀλλοδαπῆς μόνον ἦν θεραπεύουσα, ἀλλ᾽ ἤδη καὶ τοὺς αὐτόχθονας, οὓς ἡ τῶν πόλεων ἤνεγκε βασιλεύουσα· καὶ γάρ τις Εὐτυχιανὸς τὴν κλῆσιν, περίβλεπτος ὣν ἐκ γένους καὶ πλούτῳ κομῶν, γοητείαις περιπεσὼν πονηρῶς εἶχε τοῦ σώματος· τήν τε γὰρ τῶν μελῶν ἁρμονίαν ἐξήρθρωτο καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν τοῦ σώματος διαρτίαν παρασεσάλευτο. Οὗτος οὖν πλεῖστα τοῖς ἰατροῖς ὑπὲρ ὑγιείας δούς τε καὶ ὑποσχόμενος καὶ μηδεμίαν μηδαμῶς εὑρηκὼς τὴν ὠφέλειαν τῇ τῆς ἁγίας σορῷ πρόσεισι δάκρυα θερμὰ καταχέων καὶ τὴν ἴασιν ἐξαιτούμενος· ἧς καὶ τυχὼν δόξαν ἀναπέμπει τῷ δι᾽ αὐτῆς τοιαῦτα ἐνεργοῦντι Θεῷ καὶ τοιάδε ἐκτελοῦντι τεράστια. Μετὰ δὲ τοῦτον ἐμβρόντητός τις καὶ τὰς φρένας παράκοπος τῷ τάφῳ προσάγεται καὶ ὑγιὴς αὐτίκα καὶ καλῶς ἔχων καθίσταται. Προσθετέον τούτοις καὶ ἕτερον.

For she was healing not only those from foreign lands, but now the natives too, whom the queen of cities bore; for a certain man named Eutychian, conspicuous for his family and flourishing in wealth, having fallen victim to sorceries, was in a bad state of body; for he had been put out of joint in the harmony of his limbs and shaken loose in the whole articulation of his body. This man, then, having given and promised very much to the physicians for his health and having found no benefit whatever, approaches the reliquary of the saint, shedding hot tears and asking for healing; and having obtained it he sends up glory to God, who works such things through her and accomplishes such wonders. And after him a certain man, thunderstruck and deranged in mind, is brought to the tomb, and at once is made healthy and well. To these must be added another too.

[15] By a fisherman his nets, Ἁλιεύς τις τὰ τῆς ἁλείας μετεχειρίζετο. Καθεὶς γοῦν τὰ δίκτυα τῷ βυθῷ τὴν ἄγραν περισκοπούμενος ἦν· ἀλλ᾽ αἴφνης λαίλαψ ἐγείρεται καὶ ἡ θάλασσα (τὸ δὴ λεγόμενον) εἰς οὐρανὸν αἴρεται καὶ γοῦν τὸ ἀκάτιον τὰ ἔσχατα κλυδωνίζεται. Ἐντεῦθεν ὁ μὲν ἁλιεὺς ἀλλαχοῦ μὴ ὅτι πρὸς ἄγραν ἔχων τὸν νοῦν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δὲ σωτηρίαν ζητῶν, τὰ δὲ δίκτυα πόρρω που καὶ μηδ᾽ ὅπῃ καὶ γὲγονε γινωσκόμενα· ἀλλὰ κεκόπακεν ὁ κλύδων καὶ ἡ θάλασσα κατεστόρεσται· καὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῦ μετὰ τὴν ζάλην ὁ ἁλιεὺς γίνεται. Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω τὴν τε ἄγραν ἀπολέσας καὶ συναπολέσας τὰ δίκτυα, εἰς μνήμην τῆς ἀγίας καὶ τῶν δι᾽ αὐτῆς θαυμασίων ἔρχεται· καὶ προάγεται λιπαρεῖν μὴ ἐν ζημίᾳ τοιαύτῃ καταντήσαντα παριδεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ σὺν ἄγρᾳ ἢ καὶ μόνα ἐπανασῶσαι τὰ δίκτυα, ἐφ᾽ οἷς γε μόνοις τὰ πρὸς χρείαν εἶχε πορίζεσθαι. Καὶ ἣ ὄναρ ἐπιστᾶσα· “Ἄγε (φησί) πρωΐας παρὰ τὸν οὑτωσί πως ἐπωνομασμένον τοῦ Ἑβδόμου Above, p. 240, note 2. , τόπος δὲ οὗτος παράλιος· παρὰ γοῦν τὸν αἰγιαλὸν αὐτοῦ γεγονὼς ἅπερ ἀπώλεσας ζήτησον.” Ὁ δὲ δρομαῖος ἅμα γε ἕῳ παρὰ τὸν τόπον τε ἐφθακὼς καὶ ἀναζητεῖν ὡρμηκὼς ἰχθύων εὗρε μεστὰ καὶ ἀνέλαβε (τὸ θαυμάσιον) ὑπὸ τοῦ πλήθους πεπονθότα μηδέν. Ἆρ᾽ οὐκ ἀληθὴς ἐκείνου μαθήτρια τοῦ εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ βαλεῖν προστεταχότος τὸ δίκτυον ἰχθύων τε πλησθὲν ἀδιάρρηκτον συντηρήσαντος; παντἰ που δῆλον, κἂν πολλοστὴ τῷ χρόνῷ Πέτρου καὶ Ἰωάννου τυγχάνουσα ἦν. John 21, 6.

A certain fisherman was plying the fisher's craft. Having let down his nets into the deep, then, he was watching for the catch; but suddenly a squall rises, and the sea (as the saying goes) is lifted up to heaven, and the little boat is tossed to the utmost. Hence the fisherman had his mind elsewhere, not on his catch, but seeking his own safety, while the nets were somewhere far off, and where they had got to was not known; but the surge abated and the sea was calmed; and after the storm the fisherman comes to himself. When, then, he knew that he had lost the catch and lost the nets with it, he comes to remember the saint and the wonders done through her; and he is led to entreat her not to overlook one who had come into such loss, but to restore either the nets with the catch or even the nets alone, by which alone he was able to provide for his needs. And she, standing by him in a dream: "Go," she says, "early in the morning to the place named, as it is, of the Hebdomon, and this place is by the sea; having come, then, to its shore, seek what you have lost." And he, having arrived at a run at the place with the dawn and having set out to search, found them full of fish and took them up — the wonder of it! — having suffered nothing from the multitude. Is she not a true disciple of him who commanded the net to be cast on the right side and kept it unbroken though filled with fish? It is plain to everyone, even though she came very long after Peter and John in time.

[16] by nuns a book Καὶ τοῦτο μὴ παραδραμεῖν ἄξιον. Ἀπόλεσάν ποτε μοναχαὶ κτῆμα μοναχαῖς περισπούδαστον· βίβλος τόδ᾽ ἦν καὶ τῶν ὁσημέραι ἀνελιττομένων αὐταῖς· μονή, καθ᾽ ἣν καὶ συνήγοντο, ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου καὶ θαυματουργοῦ Μωκίου Above, p. 240, note 3. ἔγγιστά που τυγχάνουσα καὶ οὕτω πως τὰ Μικρὰ Ῥωμαίου λαχοῦσα κατονομάζεσθαι· ἐν ᾗπερ κατετέθη μὲν τὸ τῆς ἁγίας ταυτησὶ λείψανον, ἡ δέ γε μήτηρ τὴν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ προστασίαν ἐσχήκει καὶ καθηγεῖτο πνευματικῶς. Ἤσχαλλον οὖν αἱ μοναχαὶ καὶ ἡ προστάτις συνήσχαλλεν· ἐδυσφόρουν ἀνύποιστα, κατ᾽ ἀλλήλων εἶχον, ἀλλήλας ὑπώπτευον, ἕως ὄναρ φανεῖσα τοιαῦθ᾽ ἡ μακαρία πρὸς αὐτὰς εἴρηκεν· “Ἴστε, ἀδελφαί, ὡς κἂν ἀπέθανον ζῶ, κἂν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἐγενόμην τοῦ τῆς θεομήτορος τοῦδε ναοῦ οὐκ ἀφίσταμαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ περιπολῶ τοῦτον καὶ ὑμῶν ἑτοίμη τυγχάνω τὰς δεήσεις προσίεσθαι, ὑπὲρ ὅτου ἄν μου καὶ δέησθε. Τὸ δὲ πυξίον ὑπὸ τῇ ἐμῇ σορῷ εἰ ζητήσετε ἀνευρήσετε. are recovered.” Ὡς οὖν ὤρθρισαν αἱ μοναχαί, παρά τε τῇ σορῷ γενόμεναι καὶ τὴν βίβλον εὑροῦσαι ἀπέβαλον μὲν τὴν ἀθυμίαν, εὐφροσύνης δ᾽ ἐπλήσθησαν, οὐχ ὅτι τὴν βίβλον εὑρήκασιν ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι τοιαύτης πρὸς Θεὸν προστάτιδος τετυχήκασιν.

And this too is worthy not to be passed over. Once some nuns lost a possession much prized by nuns; it was a book, and one of those unrolled by them daily; the monastery in which they were gathered happened to be somewhere very near that of the holy wonderworker Mocius, and so had come to be named the Mikra Romaiou; in it was laid the relic of this saint, and her mother had the presidency of those in it and governed them spiritually. The nuns, then, were vexed, and the superior was vexed along with them; they were unbearably troubled, they had words with one another, they suspected one another, until the blessed woman, appearing in a dream, said such things to them: "Know, sisters, that though I have died I live, though I have departed from among men I do not stand away from this church of the Mother of God, but I go about it and am ready to receive your petitions, for whatever you may ask of me. And the tablet-book, if you seek it, you will find under my reliquary." When, then, the nuns rose at dawn, having come to the reliquary and found the book, they cast off their despondency and were filled with gladness, not because they had found the book but because they had obtained such a patroness before God.

[17] Pain of the bowels driven off. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τοῦτο παρήσω. Γυναικί τινι τῶν αὐτοχθόνων νόσος ἐνέσκηψε χαλεπή· τά τε γάρ ἐντόσθια πάσχουσα ἦν καὶ ἀφορήτοις ὀδύναις περιεπείρετο, ὡς καὶ τὴν φωνὴν αὐτὴν ἀνακόπτεσθαι, τὸ δὲ χεῖρον εἰπεῖν καὶ τὴν ἀναπνοὴν εἴργεσθαι· αὕτη γοῦν φαρμάκου παντὸς ὑπεριδοῦσα καὶ τέχνης ἁπάσης ὑπερφρονήσασα τῇ ἱερᾷ προσέδραμε θήκῃ· καὶ τί πολλὰ λέγειν; ὡς ἂν οὐδέν τι πεπονθυῖα καὶ αὕτη παραυτίκα ἑώραται· ἣ καὶ περὶ τὴν εὐεργέτιν οὐκ ἀχἀριστος φαίνεται· στοὰν γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ τάφῳ τῆς ἁγίας ἐγείρει καὶ ἁγίων κατακοσμεῖ τὴν στοὰν ἐκτυπώμασι.

But neither will I pass over this. A grievous disease fell upon a certain woman of the natives; for she was suffering in her inward parts and was pierced with unbearable pains, so that her very voice was cut off, and, what is worse to say, her breathing was hindered; she, then, disregarding every medicine and despising all art, ran to the sacred tomb; and why say much? She too was at once seen as one who had suffered nothing; and she shows herself not ungrateful toward her benefactress; for she raises a portico over the tomb of the saint and adorns the portico with images of saints.

[18] Recovery of a lost book. Μικρὸν μὲν ἴσως δόξει τὸ ῥηθησόμενον, περὶ γὰρ μικρὸν τετέλεσται τὸ θαυμάσιον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν καὶ τοῦτο τῶν μεγίστων εἰ σκοπήσοι τις ἐπικρίνειεν. Ἀνήρ τις καὶ γὰρ τὴν Κωνσταντίνου πατρίδα λαχών, τὸν τρόπον χρηστός, τὸν βίον σεμνός, ἀρετῆς ἐργάτης ὡς ἀληθῶς, βίβλον τῶν τινι συνήθων αἰτήσαντι δέδωκε· προσευχῆς ἡ βίβλος βίβλος ἐτύγχανε [Above, p. 241, note 2. Compare W. Nissen, Die Diataxis des Michael Attaleiates von 1077 (Jena, 1894), p. 80; N. A. Bees, in Byzantinisch-neugriechische Jahrbücher, vol. I (1920), p. 384.] . ψαλμοὺς γὰρ καὶ εὐχὰς ἦν περιέχουσα, οὓς ταῖς τῆς ἡμέρας ὥραις τοὺς ἐντυγχάνειν Θεῷ βουλομένους ἐπιμερίζειν τεθέσπισται· ἀλλ᾽ οἷα δὴ συμβαίνειν φιλεῖ, ὅτῳ δέδωκεν, ἀπὸ μνήμης αὐτῷ γένοιτο· ἠθύμει γοῦν τὰ πολλά, τοῦτο μὲν τὸ κάλλιστον ἀπολωλεκὼς τῶν κτημάτων (καὶ γὰρ περικαλλής τις ἦν καὶ ἐρίτιμος), τοῦτο δ᾽ ἐν χρήσει καθ᾽ ἡμέραν τούτου γινόμενος. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐπιφανεῖσα νύκτωρ ἡ μακαρία ὅτῳ τε τῶν ἐπιτηδείων ἔδωκε καὶ ὡς οὐκ ἀπώλεσε, διεδήλωσε καὶ τῆς ἀθυμίας ἀπήλλαξεν.

What is about to be told will perhaps seem small, for the wonder was accomplished concerning a small thing, but, as it seems to me, anyone who considered it would judge this too to be among the greatest. For a certain man who had obtained Constantine's city as his homeland, good in manner, venerable in life, a worker of virtue in truth, gave a book to one of his acquaintances who asked for it; the book was a book of prayer; for it contained psalms and prayers, which it has been ordained that those who wish to petition God should distribute among the hours of the day; but, as is wont to happen, the one to whom he had given it slipped from his memory; he was very despondent, then, partly as having lost the finest of his possessions (for it was very beautiful and precious), partly as being in daily use of it. But the blessed woman, appearing at night, made clear to which of his friends he had given it and that he had not lost it, and freed him from his despondency.

[19] The mercy of Thomaïs toward her husband. Ἀλλ᾽ εἰ κατὰ μέρος τὰ τῆς ἁγίας βουληθείην διηγεῖσθαι τεράστια, εἰς μακρόν τε τὸν λόγον ἀποτενῶ, τάχα δὲ καὶ ἀναπεσοῦμαι ὄκνῳ τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀδυναμίᾳ καταληφθείς. Ὃ γοῦν τεθαυματουργήκει περὶ τὸν σύνευνον, τοῖς εἰρημένοις προσθεὶς τὸν λόγον ἐνθαδὶ καταπαύσω. Ὅσοις μὲν δεινοῖς τὴν μακαρίαν ταύτην περιβαλὼν οὗτος ἔφθασεν, ὁ λόγος προλαβὼν διὰ βραχέων ἐγνώρισε· μήτε καὶ γὰρ τὸν σεμνὸν αὐτῆς βίον αἰδούμενος μήτε μὴν τὸ ἔργον οὕτω γε θεάρεστον ὂν καὶ σωτήριον μήτε τὴν διὰ τῶν θαυμάτων θεόθεν ἀνάδειξιν, χαλεπῶς τε ᾔκιζε καὶ ἀνηλεῶς τὰς σάρκας κατέξαινε· τῷτοι καὶ δίκας εἰσπράττεται τῆς κακίας καὶ τοῦ τολμήματος. Ἀγρίῳ τοίνυν δαίμονι κατάσχετος γεγονὼς τί μὲν οὐκ ἔπασχε τῶν δεινῶν, τί δὲ τῶν ἀποφήμων οὐκ ἔφασκεν; ἕως τῷ τῆς ἁγίας ἐπιστὰς τάφῳ ἐν συναισθήσει δή πως τοῦ πάθους γενόμενος δάκρυσιν ἠντιβόλει θερμοῖς καὶ τοῦ ἀλάστορος ῥύσασθαι καθικέτευε δαίμονος “ὁρᾷς (λέγων) οἷα πάσχω, δούλη Θεοῦ, καὶ ὡς πελάγει κακῶν ἐναπερρίφην ὁ μέλεος· ἀλλὰ ῥῦσαί με, ῥῦσαι λιπαρῶ τῶν δεινῶν, ἡ πολλὰ τῷ τέως πεπονθυῖα πρὸς ἐμοῦ τὰ δεινά.” Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ περιοῦσα ἔτι τῷ βίῳ εὖ τὰς ἐντολὰς συντῆρήσασα, πειθαρχοῦσα πάντως Θεῷ, πῶς οὐ μεταστᾶσα καὶ συνοῦσα Θεῷ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ περιείχετο; Rom. 12, 17.

But if I should wish to relate the wonders of the saint one by one, I shall stretch the discourse out at length, and perhaps I shall also fall back, overtaken at once by hesitation and incapacity. What, then, she wrought concerning her bedfellow I shall add to what has been said, and here bring the discourse to rest. With how many terrors he had surrounded this blessed woman the discourse has already made known in brief; for, respecting neither her venerable life, nor her work, so God-pleasing and salvific as it was, nor her being shown forth by God through miracles, he grievously maltreated her and pitilessly carded her flesh; therefore penalties too are exacted from him for his wickedness and his daring. Having become possessed, then, by a savage demon, what terrible thing did he not suffer, what ill-omened thing did he not say? Until, standing at the tomb of the saint and somehow coming to an awareness of his suffering, he implored her with hot tears and besought her to deliver him from the avenging demon, saying, "You see what I suffer, handmaid of God, and how I, wretched man, have been cast into a sea of evils; but deliver me, deliver me, I entreat, from these terrors, you who until now have suffered many terrible things from me." But she who, while still in life, kept the commandments well, obeying God in everything, how should she not, having passed over and being with God, hold fast to his commandments?

Μὴ γοῦν ὅτι γε κακὸν ἀντὶ κακῶν, καὶ ταῦτά γε πλείστων, ἀνταποδέδωκεν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῷ καλῷ καθ᾽ ἑτέραν αὖ ἐντολὴν τὸ κακὸν ἐκνενίκηκε· τὸν γὰρ διὰ κακίαν εἰσφρήσαντα τουτῳῒ δαίμονα τῇ δοθείσῃ ἄνωθεν χάριτι κραταιῶς ἄγαν ἀπήλασε καὶ ὑγιᾶ τὰς φρένας κατέστησε χάριτάς τε ἀνομολογοῦντα Θεῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς προτέροις ἐκείνοις μεταμελόμενον πλημμελήμασιν. Rom. 12, 21.

She, then, not only did not render evil for evils — and those very many — but, according to another commandment again, conquered evil with good; for the demon which had made its way into this man through his wickedness she drove out very mightily by the grace given from above, and she made him sound in mind, confessing thanks to God and repenting of those earlier offences.

[20] Invocation. Ἀλλ᾽ ὦ καὶ γνησίων καὶ ἀλλοτρίων πάθη τῇ πρὸς Θεοῦ δοθείσῃ χάριτι θεραπεύουσα καὶ πᾶσιν εἰσαεὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθέν σοι δοθεῖσαν δύναμιν ἐμφανίζουσα, πάρεσο καὶ ἡμῖν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασιν ἀρωγός, πᾶσαν νόσον ἰῶ, πάσης συμφορᾶς ῥύου, τὰ δυσχερῆ τῷ βίῳ ῥᾴω τίθει, κλυδωνίων κοσμικῶν ὑπερτίθει· ὁρᾷς γάρ, ὅσοις περιεστοιχίσμεθα τοῖς δεινοῖς· ἐν δ᾽ αὖ γε βίῳ τῷ μέλλοντι πρόστηθι τῶν βεβιωμένων δίκας εἰσπραττομένων καὶ τῆς καταδίκης ταῖς λιταῖς ἐλευθέρωσον· τὴν δ᾽ εὐσεβῆ τε καὶ φιλόχριστον ἄνασσαν τὴν ἐκ φιλοθείας τόνδε τὸν νεὼν καὶ πλείστους ἄλλους οὓς μὲν ἐρειπωθέντας ἀνακαινίσασαν οὓς δ᾽ ἐκ βάθρων ἐγείρασαν συχνά τε ἄλλα διεκτελέσασαν ἔργα θεάρεστα ἐνθαδὶ μὲν ἀνιαροῦ παντὸς ἐξάντη τίθει καὶ τὰ εἰκότα περίεπε, σύσκηνον δ᾽ ἐκεῖ τοῖς, τῶν ἁγίων χοροῖς ταῖς λιπαραῖς πρὸς Θεὸν ἱκεσίαις σου ποίησον· καὶ καθάπαξ εἰπεῖν ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς εἰς λῆξιν ἀγαθὴν τέλος ἐπισυνάγαγε, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ Θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ προσκύνησις νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν.

But O you who heal the afflictions of your own and of strangers by the grace given by God, and who always show to all the power given you from there, be present to us too as a helper in all things, heal every disease, deliver from every calamity, make the hardships of life easier, set us above the surges of the world; for you see with how many terrors we are surrounded; and in the life to come stand by us when penalties are exacted for what we have lived, and by your supplications free us from condemnation; and the pious and Christ-loving empress, who out of love of God renewed this church and very many others, some of which had fallen into ruin, and raised others from their foundations, and accomplished many other God-pleasing works, keep here free from every sorrow and cherish her as is fitting, and make her a dweller in the same tent there with the choirs of the saints by your earnest supplications to God; and, to say it in a word, gather us all at the end into a good lot, by the grace and love for man of our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to whom belongs all glory, honour and worship, now and always and unto the ages of ages, amen.