ON ST. EUPHEMIA OF CHALCEDON, VIRGIN AND MARTYR,
AT CHALCEDON IN BITHYNIA.
The year 303 or 304.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
Euphemia, virgin and martyr at Chalcedon in Bithynia (S.)
BY J. S.
§ I. Certain brief eulogies of the Saint: her memory
in the sacred Calendars, and her cultus on various days.
St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr of Chalcedon,
was always most celebrated,
not only in the Eastern
Church, St. Euphemia as virgin and martyr where she suffered, but
also in the Western, especially
after the Council of Chalcedon, held in
the Saint's church in the year 451. St. Paulinus of Nola
briefly celebrates Euphemia of Chalcedon
in his Birthday Poem on St. Felix, page 638
of the Verona edition, where he ascribes her relics to the church
of Nola in these two little verses:
And Euphemia the martyr, who on the Chalcidian shores
Marks the hallowed strand with her virginal blood.
He asserts that the relics of various Saints are at Nola,
and in the words given he numbers Euphemia among them. Nevertheless
it is not to be gathered from this that there were
many or large bones of the Saint there, since Paulinus presently adds:
Great is the power even in the scanty dust of the Saints.
Virginity and martyrdom are likewise attributed to Euphemia,
just as by St. Paulinus, by St. Peter Chrysologus,
bishop of Ravenna, who mentions her thus
in Sermon 97: But holy Euphemia paid out more in
fruit than she promised in the flower, since, while
the flower of her virginity remained, she came to the abundant
fruit of martyrdom.
[2] Fortunatus, bishop of Poitiers, in book 8, poem
4, On Virginity, celebrated by the ancients, after the most holy Mother of God,
celebrates Euphemia as first among the Virgins,
writing thus:
Then the Mother of God, the holy Virgin Mary, shines forth,
And leads the virgin sheep from the flock of the Lamb.
She herself, surrounded in the midst by a company of maidens,
Draws on the shining camp with the light of chastity …
There Euphemia, and Agatha likewise applauds,
And Justina together, with Thecla joining them, etc.
He then assigns the place of martyrdom in this line:
Padua offers Justina, Chalcedon offers Euphemia hither.
How highly the emperor Marcian and the whole Council
of Chalcedon, which was held in the year 451
in the Saint's basilica, esteemed St. Euphemia, is clear from
the sixth Session, in Labbe, volume 4, column 612,
where Marcian addresses the Fathers of the council in this manner:
In honor of the holy martyr Euphemia, and
equally of your holiness, we decree that the city of the
Chalcedonians, in which the council of the holy faith was
held, shall have the privileges of a metropolis, honoring it
in name only, saving of course to the city of the Nicomedians
its own proper dignity. All
cried out: Just is the judgment of the emperor, etc.
Of that basilica, where these things were done, we shall treat more
fully hereafter. Zosimus himself, although a most bitter
enemy of the Christians, briefly mentions the honor paid to St. Euphemia
on account of the worship rendered to Christ, in book 5 of his History,
page 794.
[3] and especially by St. Ennodius of Pavia: At greater length St. Ennodius, bishop of Pavia,
celebrated St. Euphemia and her contests; and this hymn
of his about her has been published by our Sirmond:
What tongue could, what pen would avail,
To tell the triumphs of so great a Virgin?
Now, you soft men, learn a manly mind:
She furnishes examples; take them up, you sluggards,
When a brave girl overcomes men.
Virtue is ever ignorant of tenderness,
Nor do the laws of sex, nor a broken spirit, hold her
Who once conceived Christ in her heart.
They loose their breasts from perishable chains
In whose minds God is laid up.
She tortured with her body the strong torments:
As the punishment grew faint, love of the cross grew.
If you could know that you were conquering a Martyr,
Mad executioner, you would learn to spare.
Flames, the scourge, the butchers, the wheels—
She who must follow the cross does not greatly fear.
Priscus, more harmful than a fount of poison,
Is said to have ordered her to be thrown headlong
Into furnaces crackling with fire,
(For thus in that squalid age they called
The deadly judge of the holy Virgin.)
While his servants were all too eager
To hand over the Martyr as food for the furnace,
A light of heaven, more serene than light,
Removed the work of those who savagely willed it,
While with a voice they show forth also the sword:
We beg you, direct us hence to Tartarus;
For our hand does not violate the holy woman.
His hot liver swells within him with gall:
Presently he prepares stones, pits, scourgings, beasts;
And a greater poison, flatteries,
Which the heroic woman bravely withstood.
Thus far St. Ennodius, whose hymn will be very
opportune for refuting the criticism of certain
moderns who too much disapprove the Acts of the Saint,
since Ennodius has briefly touched upon almost everything
contained in the Acts.
[4] [commemorated in the Calendars on this day, elsewhere also on the following, and at other times at Rome,] Further, the memory of St. Euphemia was celebrated not only
in the works of men distinguished for learning and sanctity;
but was also entered in the sacred Calendars of almost all
nations, and indeed on several days.
In the Hieronymian Martyrologies, in Florentinius, she is commemorated in a few
words, as is customary, on this day: At Chalcedon,
the birthday of holy Euphemia, virgin. More correctly
in the Corbie codex in these words: At Chalcedon,
the birthday of holy Euphemia, virgin. In the very ancient
Echternach codex she seems to be announced at Rome, or
at any rate she is joined with other Saints who are also announced at Rome,
and there suffered. The same happens in certain other
more abbreviated Martyrologies, which
have been published by us in volume VII of June, and in Martène,
volume 3 of the Thesaurus Anecdotorum, and in volume
6 of the Collectio amplissima. The reason seems to be that
St. Euphemia was already venerated at Rome when those
Martyrologies were written. Further, in the principal
Hieronymian transcripts the memory of St. Euphemia
is repeated on the XVII of September, and there she is commemorated
with several Companions, and she is placed at Chalcedon
even in the Echternach transcript itself. Florentinius surmises
in his Annotations that this was done
lest she should be separated from some companions in the struggle who were
crowned on another day. I should rather believe that she is commemorated
on that day also because she was venerated on it in some
church, the preceding day being there taken up by another Office.
Whatever the case, it is certainly the same Euphemia
who is announced on both days.
[5] That the cultus of St. Euphemia at Rome on this day, the XVI of September,
is very ancient, where she has an ancient cultus, but not as a Roman martyr. Eulogies is gathered from the Book
of Sacraments of St. Gregory, in which on the XVI Kalends
of October is placed the birthday of St. Euphemia, martyr,
and three prayers to be recited in the Mass are prescribed.
Then similar things follow concerning SS. Lucy and Geminianus.
Nevertheless, that she was not venerated at Rome as a Roman
Martyr, but as one of Chalcedon, is gathered
from the old or lesser Roman Martyrology,
published by Rosweyde, in which on the same day
the memory of the Saint is announced in these words: At Chalcedon,
of Euphemia, virgin. A longer eulogy for the same
Saint was composed by Bede, and Raban adopted it after
his manner. I transfer the whole of it here: The birthday
of St. Euphemia, virgin, who was martyred under the emperor Diocletian,
and under the proconsul Priscus, in
the city of Chalcedon: who overcame for Christ torments and prisons,
scourgings and the devices of wheels, fires and the weights
of corner-stones, beasts and the clubs * of rods,
sharp saws and heated pans, and again
the bite of a beast, and was buried at
a thousand paces from the city of Chalcedon by her father
Philosophronus *, a senator. These things have been
faithfully drawn from the Acts.
[6] Ado of Vienne likewise followed the Acts,
and from them celebrated the Saint in this manner: drawn from the Acts, The birthday of St.
Euphemia, virgin, who was martyred under the emperor
Diocletian, and under the proconsul Priscus in
the city of Chalcedon. Who, on the information of the most wicked
Apellianus, was handed over with forty-nine others
to the proconsul Priscus. To whom Priscus said: Honor
yourself, and do not lose the dignity of your family, and
sacrifice to the god Mars. Blessed Euphemia, despising his wicked
persuasion, fortifying her breast with the sign
of the cross, stood undaunted. Priscus, angered,
in order that he might overcome her, applied to her, after torments and prisons,
also scourgings and the devices of wheels, fires
and the weights of corner-stones, beasts and the blows
of rods, axes and fiery pans:
at last he ordered her to be led into the theater, and lions and beasts
to be let loose upon her. Then the blessed Virgin, pouring out
a prayer to the Lord, said: Thou, O Lord,
known to all who call upon thee with pure and entire faith,
receive the soul of thy handmaid. And as thou didst receive
the sacrifice of our father Abraham, so vouchsafe to receive
the sacrifice of my lowliness, which
is offered to thee for the confession of thy praise. Then
only one of the beasts, running up, fixed its bite in her holy
body: and the Virgin rendered up her spotless spirit
to the Lord. But her mother
Theodora came, and Philosophron her father,
and having tended her body they buried it about a thousand paces
from the city of Chalcedon. And her martyrdom
was completed on the sixteenth day of the month of September.
Thus far Ado from the Acts, which he held in no way
suspect.
[7] and other eulogies in the Martyrologies of various nations. Usuard and Notker gave a briefer eulogy,
and Wandelbert a single line. These
therefore I pass over. The Martyrology of Auxerre
in Martène, volume 6 of the Collectio Ampl., on the same
day has it thus: In the city of Chalcedon, the birthday
of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, with forty-nine others.
But those forty-nine Companions, although they were arrested with
Euphemia, and suffered some torments,
are not read to have undergone death with her, but
are said to have been sent to the emperor Diocletian. In
the ancient Calendar of the church of Carthage, which
Ruinart reprinted at the end of his Acta Martyrum sincera,
on the same day St. Euphemia is announced
in these words: XVI Kal. Oct., of holy Euphemia.
From this it is gathered that the Saint was venerated in Africa on the same day.
The Spaniards also have celebrated St. Euphemia from several
centuries at least. Baronius praises
the Toledo Breviary, in which there is an ancient sacred hymn
on the Saint; a transcribed copy of which I have.
I find a Mass of the same Saint in the Toledo
Missal, printed two hundred years ago. About a hundred
years ago there was printed at Paris an Office
of St. Euphemia, in which both the hymns and the lessons
are composed from the Acts of the Saint.
[8] as also of the Roman Church, in which she is venerated today: But I bring forward no more of these, just as I have no wish
to heap up the more recent Martyrologies in which the memory of Euphemia
is found, because they can be of no use
for elucidating or confirming her deeds.
Let the Roman Martyrology suffice for us,
in which the Saint is accurately commemorated in these words:
At Chalcedon, the birthday of St. Euphemia, virgin and
martyr, who under the emperor Diocletian and
the proconsul Priscus overcame for Christ torments, prisons, scourgings,
the devices of wheels, fires, weights of stones, beasts,
the blows of rods, sharp saws, heated
pans: but again led into the theater
to the beasts, when she had prayed to the Lord
that he would now receive her spirit, one of them fixing its bite
in her holy body, while the rest licked her feet,
she rendered up her spotless spirit to God.
In the Roman Breviary a Commemoration is prescribed
of St. Euphemia together with SS. Lucy and Geminianus,
and the ninth lesson concerning them: for the Office
is of SS. Cornelius and Cyprian. Nevertheless St. Euphemia
is honored also with a solemn Office in particular
churches both at Rome and in other cities
of Italy, and of other provinces of the Latin Church.
[9] [The Greeks and Muscovites venerate the Saint with a solemn Office on the XVI of September,] That the festival of St. Euphemia is celebrated with a solemn Office
among the Greeks on the same day, the XVI of September, is clear
from their Menologies, Synaxaries, and ritual
books. For in all of them she is celebrated as most famous and
μεγαλομάρτυς, excepting however the Basilian
Menology, from which this eulogy perhaps fell out,
as certain other things seem to have fallen out. Certainly in that whole
Menology the principal festival of Euphemia is nowhere
mentioned: nor yet is it likely that it was omitted
by the compiler of the Menology, since it was already celebrated
before at Constantinople. This is clearly shown by the Letter
on the death of St. Martin the Pope and martyr, probably written at
Constantinople in the year 655, which,
published by Sirmond, in the reprint of his Works, volume
3, column 331, has it thus: But the same most holy
and thrice-blessed Apostolic Martin, the Pope, died…
in the month of September, on the sixteenth day, on
which the most precious and most blessed memory of the most happy
martyr, and keeper of the orthodox faith,
Euphemia, is celebrated in the round of the year.
The same is sufficiently plain from the Office which is prescribed to be performed
on that day in the Menæa and in other ritual books,
both recently and formerly published. Brief eulogies
occur in the printed and manuscript Menæa and Synaxaries;
but I do not bring them forward, because
they are taken from the Acts, and add nothing to what has already been given.
The Muscovites, generally following the Greeks, celebrate Euphemia
on the same day also. In the Calendars, however,
of the Egyptians and the Ethiopians I do not find Euphemia on that
day, but on another, as will be said below.
[10] Another festival of St. Euphemia is celebrated among the Greeks
on the XI day of July, another festival of the Saint among them on the XI day of July. and it is as well known in all their
Calendars as the preceding. Nevertheless
their Menologies and Synaxaries do not entirely agree
about the reason for that celebration. In the Sirletian
Menology that festival too is announced
as the birthday of St. Euphemia. But in the printed Menæa
the reason alleged for the festival is the miracle
which is said to have taken place at the time of the Council of Chalcedon.
The same reason is narrated in the Basilian Menology,
where these things are read: And the memory of the miracle of the most famous
martyr Euphemia. Then the matter is narrated thus:
In the reign of Theodosius the younger, Eutyches, a monk
and priest, came forward as the author of a heresy…
But when the holy Marcian, having attained the empire,
had convoked a synod of six hundred and thirty fathers,
and there was disputing with the heretics, it pleased
all that two volumes, one of the orthodox,
the other of the heretics, should be set forth, and that the
Martyr's urn being opened, the volumes should be laid upon her breast,
and be held approved by her. This being done,
after six days, unsealing the urn, they found the volume
of the heretics indeed placed beneath her feet,
but that of the orthodox held in her hand.
And so the heretics were confounded, but the orthodox
filled with the greatest joy. Of the same miracle brief
mention is made in the Anthology of the Greeks, which we have
printed in the year 1738, where also the Saint's festival
is prescribed to be celebrated on the XI of July.
[11] No other reason therefore for that festival of St. Euphemia
seems to have been acknowledged among the Greeks, she who is venerated among the Egyptians on the same day is perhaps another;
so that I cannot agree with Galesinius, and with Ferrarius who followed him,
who believed that the finding of the body is celebrated on the XI
of July, since they allege no grounds
for that conjecture. In the sacred Calendars of the church
of Alexandria, which Job Ludolf published, Euphemia
is commemorated on the XVI of the eleventh month, that is
on our XI of July. But it is not entirely certain that she
is the one celebrated of whom we treat, especially since
in three ancient Latin Martyrologies also Euphemia
seems to be announced at Alexandria with Euticus
or Eutychius, of whom our Sollerius treated most briefly
on the XI of July, where he believed that Eutychius has nothing in common
with Euphemia, because she is omitted in most of the
Hieronymian copies; but that the Euphemia there placed
is this most famous one of ours. This conjecture appears
probable; yet it is not certain, since
Euphemia is joined with Euticius not only in the Echternach codex, but
also in the Rheinau Martyrology, and in the Reichenau one,
so that perhaps another woman
suffered at Alexandria or in Egypt, who is there
commemorated.
[12] Certainly Theophanes, at the year 440, page 82,
writes this: but the saint of today seems to be venerated there on the 6th of May. In this year the holy martyr Euphemia
was translated to Alexandria on the sixth of the Kalends of October.
This woman is without doubt other than our Chalcedonian.
The name of Euphemia in fact recurs on three days in
the Ethiopic Calendars, namely on the VI of May,
the VI of June, and the XI of July. Of the second, on the VI of June,
our Papebroch treated, where at the same time he notes this
concerning the others: The same poet invokes two other Euphemias,
(whom he there praises) one on the VI of May, killed by the bite
of a beast, who is the famous megalomartyr of Chalcedon;
the other, crucified and burned with fire,
on the XI of July, about whom we greatly desire to learn more.
Therefore it seems certain that St. Euphemia was venerated in the church
of Alexandria; but rather on the VI of
May than on the XI of July. But on this day too
some Euphemia, and indeed a martyr, was venerated
there; and she is more probably distinct from the Chalcedonian
of today.
[13] Several Euphemias commemorated in our Work, Moreover several Euphemias have been reviewed
in our Work: and it seems certain that some of them
are distinct from the most famous Chalcedonian. Such
is the one given on the XX of March, who is read to have suffered at Amisus in Pontus
with others. Such is she who suffered at Camerino
in Italy, commemorated on the XI of May with Companions.
Such is Euphemia the martyr of Aquileia, given on the III
of September. Such also is Euphemia the Bavarian abbess,
of whom it was treated on the XVII of June. Not
certainly distinguished, however, from the saint of today is that Euphemia
who is commemorated on the XII of April with several companions
in the Hieronymian Martyrologies without a place, and is so
commemorated among us. Still less distinct seems she
who is likewise found in the Hieronymian codices, and in our
Work, on the XIII of April, and is attributed to Chalcedon
with Companions, as also is she who on
the XVII of August is similarly announced at Chalcedon,
and about whom it was treated among us in the Prætermissi on the same
day. But it appears far more likely that the Euphemia
commemorated on the two latter days,
since she is announced at Chalcedon, is no other than the saint
of today; indeed I suspect that not even the one placed without a place
on the XII of April is distinct. It is therefore likely
that both on the XIII of April and on the XVII of August
there was some festival of St. Euphemia not
sufficiently known.
[14] some of which are the same as ours, On two days likewise some Euphemia is announced at Constantinople,
namely on the III day of July,
where she is given among us with many other martyrs,
among whom she is placed first. If this be the Chalcedonian,
then our Euphemia would have been venerated at Constantinople with many
companions before her body was translated thither:
for before this translation of the body the words of the Martyrology
cited were probably written.
But it is by no means certain that she who is announced on that day
with several companions is the Chalcedonian.
On the contrary, she seems altogether to be the Chalcedonian
who is commemorated on the XVI of May in the Prætermissi,
and referred hither. The words there given I transfer here:
“The celebration of St. Euphemia at the Naval station of the harbor on account of
her holy power” or miracles, is indicated in
the Menæa. This was a particular festival, such as
probably the others on the days before mentioned also were.
Ferrarius in his General Catalogue on the 2nd of July commemorates a translation
in these words: At Constantinople,
the translation of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, from
the island of Lemnos. But in his Annotations he says that this is given
from the Menology of the Greeks. But I have not been able to find
the feast of the translation announced on that day in
any Menology of the Greeks, so that I am compelled at least to doubt
whether Ferrarius found it in any Menology,
not being always sufficiently accurate in citing
documents.
[15] There is no festival of the Saint on the XXV of October. Baronius in his Annals, at the year 451,
treating of the seventh, or rather the sixth session of the Council
of Chalcedon, held on the XXV of October, says that on that day
there was a festival of St. Euphemia. The same, from Baronius,
I suppose, Florentinius asserts in his Annotations on the XIII
of April. But I think this opinion liable to error,
since I find nothing about that festival of St. Euphemia.
Ignorance of the Greek language seems to have produced
this error. For in the Greek text, with which the
Latin in Labbe, volume 4, column 567, agrees,
on the XXV day of October the Synod is said to have met
ἐν
τῇ
ἁγιωτάτῃ
ἐκκλησίᾳ
τῆς
ὁσίας
καὶ
καλλινίκου
μάρτυρος
Ευφημίας, in the most holy church of the holy
and victorious martyr Euphemia, without any
mention of a festival. But Baronius says that the session was
held on the birthday … of the most glorious virgin and
martyr Euphemia, and of Callinicus the martyr.
Certainly Callinicus arose from the word καλλινίκου badly understood,
(since the word refers to Euphemia and ought to be
rendered Victrix or "victorious"), so that it seems not to be doubted
that from a like error there came forth
the birthday, of which there is no mention either in the Greek
or in the Latin text in Labbe.
Annotations* in Raban, blows
* elsewhere Philophron
§ II. The time of St. Euphemia's martyrdom: the magnificent
basilica built for her in the fourth century near Chalcedon: the marvels
wrought there down to the translation of her body.
[ ] The Saint's martyrdom in the year 303 or 304, The deeds of St. Euphemia, while she lived and for Christ
suffered, down to her blessed death and burial,
we have from the Acts to be published below. The one thing
that seems to need inquiry concerning them is the time
of her glorious contest and most blessed death, so that
the Saint's posthumous glory may then be more clearly set forth
in chronological order. All the Acts and other documents
agree that the Saint suffered under Diocletian,
and indeed in the general persecution which
began in the month of February of the year 303. From the Acts
it is likewise gathered that the Saint suffered before
Diocletian abdicated the empire: which Tillemont holds
to have happened in the year 305, in the month of May: for
the Christians who had been taken with St. Euphemia and
interrogated were sent to Diocletian. But these
would not have been sent to him after his abdication
of the empire. Therefore, according to the Acts, the martyrdom
of St. Euphemia must be fixed in the year 303 or 304,
since it took place on the XVI day of September, before which
in the year 405 Diocletian had begun to lead a private
life.
[17] Tillemont, however, Baillet, and others assign the year 307
to the martyrdom of St. Euphemia; it is not to be fixed in the year 307. because
Tillemont says that he had seen Acts of which this was
the opening: In the fifth year of the persecution. I reply
that I have seen in our Museum easily ten
different copies of the Acts; and that I found only one
copy whose beginning was such in the Ms.,
so that I cannot doubt that that copy
which Tillemont saw is at least in that part interpolated.
Certainly we not infrequently find
ancient Acts thus somewhat enlarged or altered, especially at
the beginning. But since Tillemont asserts
that so many fabulous circumstances are mingled in those Acts which he cites,
that they cannot deserve credit,
he himself acknowledges on how frail a foundation he rests.
Wherefore, even if perhaps the Acts he cites
are less fabulous than he would have it, since at least they disagree
with all the rest in this part, that epoch seems
to be altogether disregarded: for it cannot be reconciled
with what is constantly asserted in all the Acts,
namely that those Christians who had been arrested together
with St. Euphemia were sent to the emperor
Diocletian.
[18] In the fourth century, at the beginning of which St. Euphemia
had suffered, a magnificent basilica was founded outside Chalcedon,
A basilica built for the Saint near Chalcedon in the fourth century, and dedicated to St. Euphemia. By whose piety
and munificence that building was constructed,
no one explains; nor is the time of the beginning
or completion of that foundation assigned. That basilica
certainly stood before the year 399, as we have from
the conference of the emperor Arcadius with Gaïnas the Goth,
which took place in the year 399, as I showed on the XIV of September
in St. John Chrysostom, §44. Witnesses of the affair
transacted in the church of St. Euphemia near Chalcedon
are Socrates, Sozomen, and Zosimus. The first, in book
6 of his History, chapter 6, has it thus on that matter: And when both, the emperor
that is and the barbarian, had come into the church
in which the body of Euphemia the martyr is laid up,
they confirmed by oaths given on both sides
that neither would lay snares for the other. Sozomen
in book 8, chapter 4, agrees in these words: And having gone forth
(Gaïnas) to a conference with the prince (Arcadius)
in the church which is next to Chalcedon, in which
is the tomb of Euphemia the martyr, an oath of friendship having been given
and received on both sides, he laid down his arms.
Zosimus, in book 5, page 794, sets forth their meeting
thus: They met in a certain place before
Chalcedon, where the shrine of Euphemia the devout
martyr stood built: she who is honored on account of the worship
rendered to Christ. From
these things we have it that the basilica of St. Euphemia was founded
in the fourth century, and was outside the city
of Chalcedon.
[19] in which the Council of Chalcedon was held: its situation, Further, of what great size and of what great sanctity
the Saint's basilica cited was, is gathered both
from the most numerous Council of Chalcedon assembled in it,
and from the description of Evagrius, who in book 2
of his Ecclesiastical History, chapter 3, on occasion of the Council of Chalcedon
composed a lengthy description of that
basilica, and of the marvels wrought in it
by the body of St. Euphemia. I transfer the whole chapter here,
as being in the highest degree conducive to our purpose:
They assemble therefore, he says, in
the basilica of Euphemia the martyr at Chalcedon, which
is a city of the province of Bithynia. This basilica is distant
about two stadia from the Bosphorus, situated
in a certain pleasant and gently sloping place: so much
so that those who go up into the Martyr's temple feel no
labor of walking, but suddenly appear on high,
standing within the basilica itself.
From which, as from a watchtower, casting down their eyes,
they behold the fields beneath stretched out into a plain,
clothed with green grass, and waving as it were with crops,
and adorned with every kind of tree:
wooded mountains besides, gradually raising
themselves up and curving; and finally divers
seas, some indeed glittering with calm, and
sweetly and gently playing about the shores, where namely
the places are tranquil, without winds or storms;
but others surging and roaring with waves,
carrying with the alternating tide shells, seaweed, and all
the lightest of the shellfish, and drawing them back
again. Further, the temple itself is situated
opposite Constantinople: so that the temple is not a little
adorned by the sight of so great a city.
[20] the size and form of the basilica, in which was the Saint's tomb: Now it consists of three most spacious buildings.
The first is open to the sky, adorned on every side with a long
court and with columns. After this a second, in length
and breadth and columns nearly like it:
differing in this one thing, that it has a roof set upon it.
On the northern side of this, toward the rising of the sun,
there is a round building in the manner of a vault, very
skillfully wrought, surrounded within by columns equal
among themselves both in material and in size.
Above these is a lofty upper chamber, under the same
roof. From which it is permitted to those who wish, to make
supplication to the Martyr, and to be present at the sacred Mysteries. But within
the vault, toward the rising sun, is a magnificent
tomb, in which the relics of the holy Martyr
lie laid up in a certain oblong chest, which
some call μακρὰν, most beautifully wrought of silver.
And the miracles indeed which are from time to time wrought
by the most holy Martyr are known to all
Christians.
[21] For frequently, appearing in dreams either to the bishops of that city
or to men illustrious for piety, the prodigious blood collected from the body who have come to her
basilica, she gives command
that they should hold vintage in the temple. And when this has become known
both to the emperor and to the patriarch and to the whole city,
at once all proceed to the basilica, the august ones,
that is, as well as the pontiffs, and the magistrates,
and the rest of the multitude of the people, that
they may be made partakers of the sacred mysteries. Then, while all
look on, the bishop of the city of Constantinople
together with his priests enters into the sanctuary
in which that sacred body of which I spoke
is deposited. In that same chest there is a small opening
on the left side, secured by certain little doors.
Through which they let down an oblong iron rod, to which
a sponge is attached, as far as the sacred relics.
And after they have turned the sponge this way and that,
they draw back to themselves the iron rod, full of gore
and of clotted blood. And when the people
have seen this, straightway they adore God with praises.
And so great is the abundance of the gore that is drawn out thence,
that not only do the most pious emperors, and
the priests there assembled, and finally the whole multitude
of the people gathered there, receive of it
abundantly: but they also send drops of it to the faithful,
whoever may desire them, throughout the whole world.
Moreover that clotted blood endures perpetually,
nor is the sacred gore changed into any other color.
And this miracle takes place, not at any fixed and
definite space of time, but according as the life
and gravity of manners of the bishop have deserved. For they say
that as often as an upright and honorable man,
adorned with every kind of virtue, has governed the church, that
miracle takes place, and indeed most frequently: but as often
as the prelate has not been of that sort, these signs
rarely occur.
[22] Now I shall relate another miracle,
which is interrupted neither by time and a most sweet odor accustomed to flow from her relics. nor by any cause,
and makes no distinction between the faithful and
the unfaithful: but is set forth to all alike. When
anyone has approached that place in which is that
precious chest which contains the sacred relics, he perceives
such a sweetness of odor as far surpasses all customary
odors. For that odor is like neither to the odor
which is gathered from the meadows, nor to that which is exhaled from
the most fragrant things, nor such as is made by perfumers:
but a certain strange
and excellent one, declaring of itself how great
is the power of the relics which send it forth.
Thus far Evagrius, who wrote about the end of the sixth
century, when the marvels which he relates used
to take place. But as regards that most sweet odor,
some things bearing on our matter are read concerning it in the Life of St. Melania
the Younger, where her journey to Constantinople is narrated.
The Life is published in Surius
on the XXXI of December, and there in chapter 28 holy
Melania is said to have come to Chalcedon, and these words
are added: And she turned aside indeed where was
the temple of the in every way blessed martyr Euphemia.
But about midnight the Martyr
poured forth from herself no small measure of a most sweet odor. More
on these matters will be given by the History of the finding and translation of the body.
Meanwhile the words given intimate that that odor
was not perpetual; whereas Evagrius asserts
that it was perpetual. This apparent contradiction of the two writers
can perhaps be removed if we say
that the most excellent odor was perpetually perceived near
the tomb or shrine of the Saint; but that that odor was
more widely diffused through the whole basilica when
St. Melania perceived it.
[23] When the emperor Maurice doubted about that miraculous blood Theophylact Simocatta, a writer of the seventh century,
in book 8 of his Histories, chapter 14, records these things about the prodigy of the blood
of St. Euphemia: It is not fitting either
for those eager for histories to pass over the things which at that time
were done concerning the martyr Euphemia beyond men's
expectation. Let us therefore prolong our discourse
somewhat. For narratives which illuminate minds
with a certain divine brightness are wont to engender no small
profit in the hearers.
Chalcedon is a city situated at the mouth of the Pontus,
opposite Byzantium. In it is a temple of St. Euphemia
the martyr, where the report has come down to us from our forefathers
that her most sacred body is preserved
in a chest. Further, in each single year, on the day
on which she underwent martyrdom, a most wonderful thing is brought forth:
and, to say it briefly, to those who have not seen it,
by no means credible, on account of the excellence
of that divine work. For although her body has now lain
four hundred years in the tomb, yet on the day
of which we were speaking, in the sight of all,
the bishop of the place collects with sponges a great quantity of blood
from the dead body. You would see, no otherwise
than from a body freshly slain, a force of blood mingled with the
matter of wounds burst forth, smelling of ointments
prepared by no art, and
distributed in little glass vessels to those who come thither.
[24] the emperor Maurice was taught by his own experiment: Maurice, then, now reigning in his twelfth year,
was seized by a certain unwarlike and cowardly
thought concerning divine things, and he belittles and rejects
so remarkable a miracle, and asserts that this mystery
is a fiction of deceitful men. He therefore strips
the tomb of its silver ornaments, and
seals up that which the boldness of his incredulity demanded.
When the appointed day came, the secret is explored:
the mystery is investigated: the miracle is proved:
and by this wonderful work the Martyr becomes a witness of her own
power beyond all exception, and again with ointment-bearing blood
the passages of the body flow through the monument
like fountains, and the mystery gushes forth in outpourings,
and the sponges are steeped with the odor of the sweetly breathing
gore. And then the Martyr increased that flow.
For God, although he be not believed,
nevertheless does not begrudge men the knowledge of his power
and goodness. And thus the Martyr taught the emperor's
incredulity to be wise: who repaid the emanations of blood
with the pouring out of tears: and
for the flowing ointments returned the showers of his own eyes,
saying: Wonderful is God in his Saints.
Thus far Simocatta, on whose account some things
are to be noted.
[25] those miracles were related by others also. First, what he says, that the body had lain
four hundred years in the tomb while he was writing, is not
to be taken strictly: for the author does not seem to have carefully
investigated the year in which the Saint had died; but
he used a round number, because the fourth century
was running from the death of St. Euphemia. Secondly he asserts
that the blood was collected each year on the
Saint's birthday. Against this Evagrius says: But this
miracle takes place, not at any fixed and definite space
of time, but according as the life and gravity of manners
of the bishop have deserved. Wherefore it seems to be said
that that custom of collecting the blood each year
from the body of the Saint had not yet flourished in the time
of Evagrius, but was begun afterwards, before Simocatta
wrote. The miracles thus far related rest on such
certain testimonies that they cannot be called
in doubt by a prudent man. I pass over therefore the testimonies
of more recent historians. Many things also are said of them
in the Acts written by Theodore Bestus. But I do not think
even these are to be recited, because that author is not
sufficiently known, nor at all accurate. But what
is read of the same miracles in the History of the finding
and translation of the body, to be published below, may be seen
in its own places.
[26] There remains to be examined in this place another fact
equally wonderful, [St. Euphemia is said to have confirmed the confession of faith at the Council of Chalcedon,] which does not have authors so ancient.
Theodore Bestus in the Acts narrates that there was disputing
in the Council of Chalcedon between the Catholics
and the Eutychians, because each side wished its own opinion
to be the true one, and that at last this plan
pleased both parties, that they should make the holy Martyr
the judge of their controversy. And so, if
we believe the author, each wrote the confession of their faith,
and the shrine of St. Euphemia being opened, they offered to her the written
confession. But the Martyr is said, with hand extended,
to have accepted the confession of the Catholics, and to have
restored it to them. So he narrates the matter, of
which there is no mention in the Acts of the council itself. Constantine,
bishop of Tium, in his History of the finding, number
9, sets forth the fact in a manner a little different: for
he affirms that the confession of faith was placed upon the Martyr's
body after the right faith had already been confirmed in the council,
so that the doubt of the adversaries might be removed.
[27] Zonaras in his Annals, book 13, chapter 25, narrates the story
in a much different manner, or by others after the council, by a miracle: and as if it
took place after the council was finished, the author of that plan
being Anatolius, patriarch of Constantinople. For
after relating the exile of Dioscorus and the death of Eutyches
the heresiarch, he continues thus: But when
the followers of Eutyches and Dioscorus, who were in the city,
mocked at the decrees of the council, and said that its
authority rested not on truth but on the power of the emperor,
and were trying to establish the perversity of their own opinion;
Anatolius the patriarch, having called together both
his supporters and his adversaries, thus speaks to
the latter: “Since you still hold your opinion
tenaciously, and do not believe that you think amiss;
but accuse us, as though we approved the doctrine
of Nestorius, since we preach two natures in the Savior,
each retaining its own properties without
confusion: let the decision of this controversy,
if it please you, be committed to God. Let
therefore your opinion concerning the faith be written in one little book,
and ours in another, and let both be placed in the coffin
of the glorious martyr Euphemia,
and let her judgment determine which of us think
rightly or wrongly.” When these things had pleased even the heretics,
the little books were written, the stone which closed the coffin
being removed, and are placed upon the breast of the Martyr,
and the stone being replaced in its own place, it is sealed
by both parties. Thereupon supplications are made, and prayers
to God through the night, that he would show which opinion
is dear to him, and which should seem to be rejected. After
three days they assemble, the emperor also being present,
and the coffin being opened, O wonderful thing! the book of the heretics
is found at the feet of the Martyr, the other in her
right hand, which she is said to have extended toward the emperor
and the patriarch, and to have held out the book to them.
And so the assertors of the right opinion applauded, but the adversaries
departed with downcast faces and darkened with shame,
some even embracing the true opinion.
Thus Zonaras. In exactly the same manner Michael Glycas narrates the matter
in his Annals, part 4, page
263; but much more briefly. The same prodigy is also
narrated in the Life of St. Anatolius of Constantinople,
among us in volume 1 of July, page 663: but there it is not clearly
stated whether the matter took place in the council itself
or after the council.
[28] but it is rightly denied that any such thing happened in the council; Now as regards the former account,
of a thing done in the council itself, the Most Eminent Baronius rejects it
not without reason, at the year 451,
number 122, and rightly says: But since he (Constantine) relates
that this was done at the time of the synod, the author is convicted of falsehood
(or at least of error) by the very Acts
then exactly written down; for so great a matter
would not have been left buried in utter silence. There may be added
the silence of Evagrius and of others who in the fifth, sixth,
and seventh centuries treated of the Council of Chalcedon. No less
pressing is another argument of Baronius, put forth
in these words: For it is far, far from the case that the Fathers
in the sacred ecumenical councils sought the truth of doctrines
from miracles, whereas they were wont to seek, propose, affirm,
and establish it first of all from the divine
Scriptures, and from the ancient traditions of the Church,
and lastly from the assertions of the holy Fathers:
so that it appears plainly foolish and altogether
fictitious that the Fathers then sought
the truth by a miracle of this kind… The fiction therefore
vanishes on every side, that an experiment of this sort
was made by the consent of the Fathers, or indeed that they were its authors.
These observations of Baronius appear to me most true:
nor can I doubt of the falsity of the thing related, which is altogether
repugnant to the manners and
custom of the councils.
[29] nor is it sufficiently probable that it happened after the council; The account of others, about a miracle wrought
at Constantinople after the council was concluded, Baronius does not
wholly censure as false, but seems to hold it
as doubtful, as does also Tillemont in volume 5
of his Monuments, under St. Euphemia, discussing the whole matter
ambiguously. But that whole account also appears to me
no less fictitious and false than the preceding,
both because for three whole centuries no writer made mention
of a fact so memorable, if it were true;
and because it was not for Anatolius the patriarch to subject
a controversy of faith decided in a universal council to a new
doubt, as if the definition of the council,
confirmed by the authority of the Supreme Pontiff St. Leo,
had not sufficed for complete certainty. Besides,
the emperor Marcian would never have permitted
that the Catholic opinion, after the definition of the council,
should again be subjected to an examination of this kind: for although
God cannot work a miracle to confirm
a false doctrine, he certainly can refuse to hear those asking
a miracle in favor of a true doctrine, which was otherwise
sufficiently established and confirmed. Indeed I do not
think that any example can be produced of a miracle
sought in confirmation of the faith in circumstances
altogether similar to these; although otherwise I am not ignorant
that the stubborn altercations of heretics or of the heathen
have been extinguished by holy men through the power
of miracles, as Baronius observes.
[30] [but the whole matter seems fabricated from the words of the council Fathers badly explained.] Wherefore I am altogether persuaded that what is narrated of these things,
whether they be asserted to have been done in the council or a little after,
are mere figments. Yet I should believe that this little fable
flowed from the Acts of the council itself, badly explained.
For the Fathers of Chalcedon,
the council being concluded, in their Letter to St. Leo
the Pope ascribed the happy issue of the council to the divine mercy
and to the patronage of St. Euphemia, and
spoke thus, in Labbe, volume 4 of the Councils,
column 836: For it was God who was at work,
and Euphemia, adorned with the beauty of victory,
who crowned the council with her own bridal chamber
(that is, in whose church it was held): who, receiving
from us the definition of the faith as her own confession,
offered it to her Spouse through the most pious emperor
and the Augusta, the friend of Christ, allaying indeed
all the disturbance of the adversaries, and strengthening
the confession of the truth as a friend, and
subscribing with hand and tongue to the decrees of all
for a demonstration. These words signify that the Fathers ascribed
to the patronage of St. Euphemia all
that had been rightly and happily transacted in the council. But
these same words seem to have furnished those Greeks who after
three hundred years narrated the marvels just now refuted
with the occasion of devising fables of this sort.
The very words of Constantine increase that suspicion:
for below, at number 9, he says: And therefore
Euphemia, the martyr of Christ, who is seen
among the holy images, is everywhere set forth holding a scroll in
her hand. Doubtless some painter first exhibited her
as offering to God the profession of faith
of the Fathers of Chalcedon. But afterwards, from a panel
so painted, others drew their own dreams.
§ III. The Saint's body translated to Constantinople
for fear of the Persians, and there deposited in a church dedicated to the Saint: other
churches of St. Euphemia in the same place: the body sunk in the sea, but recovered and
kept in Lemnos, and then brought back to Constantinople.
[ ] The Saint's body translated to Constantinople, The body of St. Euphemia remained in her own church
near Chalcedon until the times of the emperor Heraclius,
when, for fear of the Persians who were making incursions
as far as that into the lands of the Roman empire, it was translated
to Constantinople. Of those Persian
expeditions Theophanes records something in almost each of the earlier years
of Heraclius. But he refers their frustrated
attempt to occupy Chalcedon
to the 6th year of Heraclius; and in the 7th year of the same
he says: In this year the Persians, preparing an expedition against Chalcedon,
took it by war. The city therefore was taken
in the year 617, and not long after the translation of the body
took place. Yet we cannot assign a certain
year, since we do not know how long the Persians held
Chalcedon. They seem to have held it
some years, but not many, because afterwards the emperor Heraclius
won many victories over the Persians.
Wherefore we shall not stray far if we fix the translation
about the year 620. Further, Theodore
Bestus in the Ms. Acts, and Constantine of Tium in
his History of the Finding, number 3, testify that the Persians took
pains to burn the relics of St. Euphemia,
but that the Saint's bones were unharmed by the fire. Since
with these things indeed the account does not agree which the anonymous author
of the Antiquities of Constantinople hands down,
whose Work Bandur published in his Imperium Orientale,
volume 1. For he, on page 8, narrates the matter as if
the sacred relics had not fallen into the hands of the Persians.
But he deserves little or no credit in this
matter, both because he is much younger than the writers cited,
and because he has circumstances plainly fabulous.
[32] He says that a certain Eutychian deacon,
named Acatus, fled into Persia. Then he adds:
And at once he made known to Perittius the prefect of the garrison
the weakness of the citizens of Chalcedon, after the Persians, having taken Chalcedon, had tried in vain to burn it:
adding besides that he himself could easily subdue
them at the first assault. Wherefore the aforesaid Persian, without
delay, set out with seventy thousand soldiers, and
invaded Chalcedon with such speed
that scarcely enough time was left to the citizens
for transferring the relics of St. Euphemia
to Constantinople, on whom above all that impious
traitor Acatus was hastening to avenge the ignominy brought by writings
upon the Eutychian heresy, and because
they had refused to grant that metropolis to the unfortunate Eutyches.
These things seem to me so fabulous
that they would not have been recited, had not Bandur, in volume 2
of his Annotations, page 473, so illustrated them
as though they were to be held for true. For the cause
which is said to have moved Acatus the Eutychian, namely that
St. Euphemia by a miracle had disapproved the Eutychian heresy,
has already been refuted above as a fable unknown
to the ancients. And the manner in which Chalcedon
is said to have been occupied is plainly improbable: for neither could seventy
thousand men be led so suddenly from Persia
to Chalcedon, since the whole of Asia Minor
lay between. Besides, it is clear from Theophanes
that Chalcedon could not be taken by the Persians in the first year
in which it was besieged; but that it was taken in the
second year. Wherefore that account is altogether to be disregarded,
and that admitted which is contained in the Acts about the attempted
burning of the relics by the Persians: for that deed was conformable
to their impiety; and the authors
are sufficiently ancient for these things, to deserve credit.
[33] and there deposited in a church dedicated to the Saint in the Hippodrome: Further, the relics translated to Constantinople
were there deposited in a church sacred to the same St. Euphemia
in the Hippodrome. Du Cange in his Constantinopolis
Christiana, book 4, page 145, discusses various things about this church
of St. Euphemia. George Codinus,
in his book On the Origins of Constantinople, page 38, records these things about its first
foundation and its vicissitudes:
Likewise Constantine the Great founded the temple of St. Euphemia in the Hippodrome,
and adorned it with precious
material: which, after four hundred and forty-eight
years, Constantine Copronymus changed
into a cattle-shed and a public dunghill,
the relics of St. Euphemia with their coffin being thrown into the sea.
But after thirty-seven years Irene, the most pious
Athenian Augusta, rebuilt this temple,
and translated thither again the holy relics, which had been found
on the island of Lemnos. So Codinus,
whose later statements will be confirmed below. More
about that church, less pertinent to us, may be seen
in the aforesaid Du Cange; but he was not sufficiently informed
about the translations of the body.
[34] another church of St. Euphemia in the same city, with a monastery of men, Of another church of St. Euphemia at Constantinople
Codinus, page 47, has it thus: St. Euphemia,
called the church of Olybrius, Eudoxia, hateful to God
(the wife of the emperor Arcadius), began to found, and carried the foundation
to the height of two cubits above
the ground. But after she had been carried off by a bitter death,
a certain master Olybrius, a Roman
dwelling there, completed the structure, and adorned it with many
precious marbles, and enriched it with estates and sacred
vessels. The same things are read in the Antiquities
in Bandur, page 131. That Olybrius
afterwards was made emperor in the West, and had
Placidia to wife. Concerning them the Paschal Chronicle,
page 321 of Du Cange's edition, has it thus: Olybrius,
sent to Rome by the emperor Leo, is crowned emperor by the Romans
against his will, having married that Placidia
who had been ransomed from the barbarians (the Vandals, then
reigning in Africa), that is, freed from captivity.
These founded the sacred church of holy
Euphemia, called that of Olybrius. Du Cange in his Constantinopolis,
page 146, observes that this church of St. Euphemia
is the same as that whose construction
Codinus attributes to the empress Euphemia, page
19, writing thus: The statue of Euphemia, the wife of Justin the Thracian,
was placed in the temple of St. Euphemia,
which she herself founded. The Antiquities cited agree,
page 127. But in the same Antiquities, from
the treatise of Theodore Lector, page 89, these things are given:
The statue of Euphemia, the wife of Justin the Thracian, was placed
in the quarter of Olybrius near St. Euphemia,
which church she raised up, etc. This
church in the quarter of Olybrius, as Du Cange rightly observes,
seems to be no other than the church called that of Olybrius.
Hence Du Cange thinks that that church was not founded
by Euphemia Augusta, but repaired. The matter
seems to me doubtful, because it might also have happened
that by an error the foundation was attributed to Olybrius
because it was founded in the quarter called that of Olybrius. For the rest,
Du Cange observes that there was an archimandrite or hegumen
of that church, and thence it is gathered that it belonged
to monks.
[35] Yet another church of St. Euphemia at Constantinople
Codinus assigns, page 47, a third with a monastery of women: writing of it
thus: St. Euphemia, surnamed Petræa,
Anastasius Dicorus and his wife Ariadne built.
The Antiquities in Bandur agree,
page 36. But in the same Antiquities, page 39,
these things are read concerning that church: St. Euphemia, surnamed
Petrion, and a bath the emperor Basil
founded, and there he shore his daughters. The church
therefore belonged to a monastery of women, as
is also clear from other things adduced in Du Cange.
But Basil the Macedonian was not its founder,
but its restorer; or perhaps also the founder of the monastery,
which he added to the church with certain other buildings,
as is gathered from Codinus, page 60, where
he has it thus: The monastery of St. Euphemia, and the tombs
which are at Petrion (and the washing-place, or bath,
as is added in the Greek), Basil the Macedonian founded,
and there shore his daughters. These things therefore
are not contrary to the preceding. Nevertheless Du Cange sufficiently shows
that that church is much older than the emperor Anastasius,
who reigned at the end of the fifth and the beginning of the sixth
century. Certainly Theodore
Lector, in the Historical Excerpts in Valois,
page 568, has it thus: In the times of the same Theodosius the Great
the relics of the holy martyrs Terentius
and Africanus were, by the order of the same emperor, deposited
in the martyrium of holy Euphemia, which
is at Petra, on the tenth day before the Kalends of October.
Of the martyrs Terentius, Africanus, and their
companions it has been treated among us on the X of April,
and there also that translation is recorded. Wherefore it seems
certain that that church of St. Euphemia already stood
in the fourth century.
[36] Nicephorus of Constantinople affirms that that church
was constructed even earlier. but concerning its foundation credit is not to be given For in
his compendious Chronography, page 413, reviewing
the bishops of Byzantium, he speaks thus of Castinus, the nineteenth,
as he will have it, bishop of Byzantium: He
built at Byzantium an oratory in the place whose name is Petrium,
to St. Euphemia, who suffered martyrdom in his
time. Nicephorus Callistus adopted these things, book
8, chapter 6, with some change however: for he who
is here Castinus is by him called Constantinus. Of the oratory founded
he speaks thus: He in the first year of his episcopate
built a temple within Byzantium in the northern
quarter, and consecrated it to Euphemia
the martyr, who had then accomplished her sacred contest.
But that whole catalogue of the Byzantine bishops,
which both Nicephori composed, and from which these things
also about the oratory built to St. Euphemia flow,
seems plainly fabulous,
as has been abundantly proved by our Cuper in
the Chronological History of the Patriarchs of Constantinople
before volume 1 of August, §3.
[37] [to the fabulous catalogues of the Byzantine bishops: concerning a fourth church there nothing is certain.] Pseudo-Dorotheus, from whose impostures that catalogue
was adopted, in Du Cange after
the Paschal Chronicle, page 433, speaks thus of its foundation:
After him Cyrillianus for sixteen years,
and then Castinus for seven years, were
bishops. Constantine therefore in his first
year erected another church within Byzantium toward
the North, where the Anemodulium stands, called the church of Euphemia
the martyr, who at that time underwent
martyrdom. Here the construction of the church
is attributed to the emperor Constantine. But that this
cannot stand with the chronological order, both Nicephori
seem to have perceived: for in the time of Castinus
the bishop, if the chronological order held, Constantine would not yet have been
born. Hence the first attributes the building to Castinus:
but the other changes the name of Castinus,
and calls him Constantine. But both would more rightly have consigned
that assertion about a church of St. Euphemia founded at that time,
together with the whole catalogue of fictitious bishops,
to fables. Pseudo-Dorotheus himself a little before
writes differently about the construction of that church:
for on page 430 these things are found: The great
pontiff Dorotheus himself therefore left it in writing
that the venerable church of the holy and unconquered martyr
Euphemia at Petrion was first founded
by a certain Titus. This Titus he afterwards makes bishop
after Castinus; nay, even a martyr. But
he sets forth his fables so ineptly that he deserves
no credit at all; and consequently the catalogues
of Byzantine bishops which have been woven together from that fabulous Work
can likewise deserve no credit,
especially since it is certain that the Byzantine episcopate
began far later than those catalogues
refer it back to St. Andrew the apostle. A fourth
church of St. Euphemia at Constantinople Du Cange seeks,
page 146, where the Saint was venerated on the XVI day
of May, as was said at number 14: but it is uncertain
whether that church was dedicated to the Saint: for she could be venerated
there for another cause.
[38] The Saint's church is profaned and the body cast into the sea Further, the body of the Saint, which about the year
620 I said was deposited at Constantinople in the church of St.
Euphemia in the Hippodrome, was there religiously venerated
until the reign of Leo the Isaurian or
of Constantine Copronymus, one or other of whom, in his impiety,
utterly wished to destroy the Saint's body,
and profaned her church. Theodore Bestus treats
of this matter in the Life, and Constantine in the History
of the Finding. But Theophanes, page 370, relates everything
more briefly in this manner: Wherever relics,
which most of all win God's favor,
were held as a precious treasure of those who possessed them,
he (Copronymus) removed them out of the way as quickly as possible,
so that they should not be seen thereafter. Something
of this kind the irreligious emperor practiced
upon the most precious body of the most famous
martyr Euphemia, when namely he sank it into the deep of the sea
together with its coffin, not bearing to see the Martyr
exuding holy ointments in the sight of the Christian
people, and thus confuting the ravings
babbled against the prayers of the Saints.
But God, who according to the words of Scripture keeps the bones
of those who please him, preserved it unharmed,
making it swim to the island of Lemnos. Indeed, when it had been cast
upon the shore, he admonished through a vision by night
that it should be taken up and kept hidden. But under the most pious
emperors Constantine and Irene,
in the fourth Indiction, with due honor into its own
temple it was brought back again. That common enemy of the churches
had indeed, when that sacred building was profaned,
made it an armory *, and had wickedly devoted it
to receiving dung: but the place
being cleansed and expiated, they consecrated it a church anew;
as a monument both of the impiety of the one Constantine to be
reproved, and of the piety of the other toward God to be
demonstrated.
[39] Furthermore this wonderful portent, worthy of relation,
under Leo the Isaurian or Constantine Copronymus: about (in the Greek, after)
twenty-two years from the death of that nefarious emperor, together with
the most pious emperors and the most holy patriarch,
we ourselves beheld, and although unworthy,
yet heaped with that grace by God, we venerated
it. Thus far Theophanes, briefly relating
those things which are read more fully related in the Little Works
of Theodore Bestus and Constantine of Tium. But between
these and Theophanes there seems to be no correct agreement
about that impious emperor who had the body of St. Euphemia
cast into the sea. For Theodore
and Constantine seem to attribute the deed to Leo the Isaurian,
whereas Theophanes makes Leo's son
Constantine the author of so great an impiety.
Perhaps the thing was done secretly, and thence it may
have happened that neither the author became certainly known, nor
the time at which the sacred body was cast away. There may
also be a suspicion that that crime was perpetrated by
Constantine while Leo was still alive, with whom he reigned
together many years; or that under Leo the body was taken out of
its own church and deposited in some oratory of the palace,
as Constantine of Tium has it at number 4,
but that under Copronymus it was thrown into the sea,
and that then the Saint's church was utterly profaned.
[40] The year of the body's return is expressed clearly enough
by Theophanes, [but the body is brought back under Irene in the year 796, and the church restored:] when he says that it was brought back in the fourth
Indiction, and twenty-two years after the death
of Constantine Copronymus. For these notes taken together
designate the year 796. And from this year
there might also be known the year in which the body was cast
into the sea, and in which the Saint's church
in the Hippodrome was first founded, if the reckoning of George Codinus
about these things, whose words were given at number
33, were certain enough. For if the body was brought back after thirty-seven
years, as he himself says, it
was cast away in the year 759. And he says that the temple
stood before its profanation four hundred and forty-eight
years: it would therefore have been founded in the year 311.
But that latter epoch is certainly false, since
Constantine the Great, who is said to have founded that church,
did not rule at Byzantium before
the year 323. Hence we can hold the other epoch of Codinus
only as doubtful: for that
writer is not ancient. More on these matters will be given by
the History of the Finding.
[41] John Zonaras also treats of these things, book
15 of his Annals, chapter 8, Zonaras's confused account of these matters. and raises a doubt
as to the manner in which the sacred body was treated by Constantine
Copronymus. Nor did he indeed harass the living servants of Christ
only, he says, (Copronymus,)
but he did not cease to insult also the holy martyrs and others
pleasing to God, whom he asserted to be able to do nothing,
and whose intercessions he called a fig-tree defense.
But their relics he partly buried in the earth
in contumely, partly sank in the sea, partly
reduced to ashes, as also the holy body of the glorious martyr
Euphemia, concerning which there is a twofold report.
For some report that the nefarious Copronymus
had it in mind to burn it, dogs and
asses being burnt along with it, but that his design
lacked success, since the orthodox, having learned of that attempt,
secretly stole it from the coffin and transferred it elsewhere,
and substituted another corpse, which
was burnt by that nefarious man. Others affirm that the body
of the Martyr was not burnt, but sunk in the sea together with its coffin:
which, by the guidance of divine grace,
was driven to the island of Lemnos, and was recognized by the faithful
of that place, and there kept,
and under Irene and her son Constantine was honorably
and magnificently brought back into the imperial city.
These things indeed Zonaras, not well informed about the whole matter,
mixing and corrupting much. For
he wrongly attributes to Copronymus the burning of the sacred body attempted
by the Persians; and he seems to have been ignorant in what
manner that precious treasure reached the island of Lemnos.
But this is the less to be wondered at, since
he is later than the fact by several centuries.
Annotations* a stable for herds
§ IV. On the relics, holy places, and festivals of St. Euphemia in various cities and provinces.
[ ] [The Saint's church in Palestine, two others in the Roman territory, another at Rome,] From what Constantine of Tium says at number 16
about the relics of the Saint brought back to Constantinople,
it is abundantly clear that her bones were much divided,
and thence carried to various regions. And from that
division of relics the cultus of the Saint was without
doubt propagated to various places. But already
before those times the veneration of the most famous Euphemia
had been received in many places. In the Life of St. Anastasius
the Persian, given among us in volume 2 of January,
page 428 and page 433, mention is made of a church of St.
Euphemia, which that Saint is said to have visited at Cæsarea
in Palestine. Therefore, not far advanced in the seventh century,
when that Saint was crowned with martyrdom,
the cultus of the Saint seems to have been received in Palestine.
St. Gelasius the Pope dedicated a church of St. Euphemia,
as Anastasius narrates in his Gelasius in these words: He
dedicated the basilica of holy Euphemia the martyr
in the city of Tibur, at the twentieth milestone from the city
of Rome. This foundation may broadly be fixed about the year
490, at which the pontificate of St. Gelasius was about the middle.
The same Anastasius, in Pope Donus, concerning another
church of St. Euphemia has it thus: And likewise the church
of holy Euphemia, situated on the Appian Way, he similarly
dedicated. This was done about the year 677:
for Donus was not Pontiff long before or after that year.
Again, of another church of St. Euphemia,
not first constructed but restored,
Anastasius makes mention in St. Sergius I, writing this:
He roofed and renewed the basilica of St. Euphemia, which for many times
had been uncovered. St. Sergius
sat at the end of the seventh century, and reached
to the beginning of the eighth. This is perhaps that church
which already stood in the City in the time of Gregory
the Great, that is at the end of the sixth century. Of it
St. Gregory of Tours makes mention in his History,
book 10, chapter 1, where he relates the Sermon of Gregory
the Great, who on account of a raging plague instituted litanies,
and names various churches from which various
classes of men were to go out to the supplication.
But of the church of St. Euphemia he makes mention in these words:
Let all widowed women (go out) from the church
of St. Euphemia with the priests of the fifth region.
The deeds of St. Sergius have been given among us on the IX of September.
Probably it is the same basilica of which the aforesaid
writer again makes mention in St. Leo III, section 388,
in these words: And at the same time in the basilica
of blessed Euphemia he made a vestment of stauracin.
Of St. Leo III it was treated among us on the XII of June,
where however, to avoid tedium, not all his
gifts were reviewed.
[43] Florivante Martinelli, in his Roma sacra, page
357, teaches which was destroyed in the time of Sixtus V: that that church was situated in the Vicus
Patricius, and believes it to be the same as the church
of the Archangel, of which in Anastasius there follows:
And in the basilica of the blessed Archangel, which is placed in
the Vicus Patricius, he made a vestment of stauracin. But,
if the words of Anastasius which I have recited from the latest Roman
edition are correctly given, those churches seem
to be distinct, since in each of them some gift
is said to have been offered. Nevertheless, in the Description of the City
of Rome which Mabillon published in volume 4 of his Analecta,
page 506, there is mentioned a church of St. Euphemia
in the Vicus Patricius, so that at least about the place there is
no doubt. Besides, Anastasius in the same
Leo, section 407, clearly makes the church of St. Euphemia the same
as the church of the Archangel, writing thus:
In like manner he makes also in the monastery of the holy Euphemia
and of the Archangel, which is placed next to the title
of Pudens, a basket of silver, weighing
five pounds. Therefore this is probably a third
church of St. Euphemia constructed by the Roman Pontiffs,
and seems to have had a monastery attached,
which could have St. Euphemia together with St. Michael
the archangel as patrons. Oldoinus,
in his Additions to Ciaconius, volume 1, column
465, attributes the foundation of this church to Pope Adeodatus,
who in the declining seventh century sat before Donus.
He built, he says, the church of St. Euphemia at the foot
of the Esquiline hill: which, already crumbling
with age, Sixtus V leveled to the ground for the adornment
of the City. Whence Oldoinus drew that founder of that church
he does not indicate. But this is the same
as that which we saw mentioned in the Vicus Patricius,
since the Vicus Patricius is at the foot of the Esquiline
hill; and since Martinelli likewise acknowledges
that the church of the Vicus Patricius was destroyed,
where he says: Traces still remain at the corner
of the crossroads of the said street. If also it is the same as
the one commemorated by St. Gregory, it is older than Adeodatus.
[44] There nevertheless survives even today a pious place dedicated
to St. Euphemia in the city of Rome. another dedicated to the Saint by Clement VIII stands today. It had before been
sacred to St. Bernardine, as Panciroli writes in church
30, page 196, and after him Martinelli, page
348. Namely it was a monastery of women of the Order
of St. Francis, whose patron was St. Bernardine.
Now the church is dedicated to St. Euphemia,
together with a monastery of girls. Of these Martinelli,
page 101, has it thus: St. Euphemia (the church)
in the street which is called Campus Caroli Leonis,
and commonly Carleo, where very many
girls are maintained, whom the common people call Zitelle sperse:
whose monastery is contiguous to the nuns of the Holy
Spirit. The same church he places, page 348,
at Trajan's column, because it is not far distant thence.
But in what manner that congregation of very many needy
girls was there begun, chiefly by the work
of two Cardinals distinguished for piety,
namely Cesare Baronio and Federico
Borromeo, to whom Pope Clement VIII furnished aid,
Carlo Bartolomeo Piazza relates at greater length
in his Italian Work on the Pious Works of Rome,
treatise 3, chapter 3. Further, Clement VIII wished to consecrate
that Church to St. Euphemia, because the other,
crumbling with age, had been destroyed for the adornment
of the City by Sixtus V.
[45] Piazza in his Sacred Diary of the City assigns various
festivals and relics of St. Euphemia at Rome
on the XVI of September. relics in the City, where the festival is celebrated in various places. For he testifies that her feast
is celebrated with plenary indulgences in the church of the girls
just mentioned at Trajan's column.
And he asserts that notable relics of the same Saint are exposed
in the church of St. Bartholomew of the Bergamasks:
that the skull is kept in the church of St. Mary in Campitelli.
He adds that it is also asserted that the head is kept in the oratory
of the Lateran church, which is called the Sancta Sanctorum.
Finally he assigns some of the relics to the Basilica
of St. Mary Major; to the chapel of St. John the Baptist
at the Font; to the basilica of the Holy Cross on the Cælian hill,
commonly St. Croce in Gerusalemme; to the church of St. Eustace,
and to the church of the nuns of St. Martha. That the Saint's festival
is also celebrated in the already named church
of Holy Cross in Jerusalem, the same Piazza testifies
in his Roman Menology. Among the very many relics
of the church of St. Cecilia, preserved in the confession or crypt
beneath the altar, relics of St. Euphemia are also numbered,
as I myself saw there when present.
[46] A church and cultus at Milan and in other places, At Milan too the cultus of St. Euphemia is very ancient,
and still flourishing, to whom St.
Senator, bishop of Milan in the declining fifth century,
is said to have erected a church, in which he is also read
to have been buried. The Acts of St. Senator have been given among us
on the XXVIII of May, and there was recited the Lesson of the Office
which is performed at Milan on St. Senator, and in
which these things are found: His body is honorably kept
in the church of the holy martyr Euphemia, which
he had had built near his paternal house.
In the Sacred Diary of Milan, which
Giovanni Battista Carisio published, the festival of St. Euphemia
is noted in her own parish church. Primo Luigi
Tatti in the Sacred Annals of the city of Como,
at the year 452, number 79, discusses much
about the cultus of St. Euphemia throughout the province of Insubria.
For he testifies that she is venerated at Milan, at Piacenza,
at Pavia, at Como, and at Tortona. And of this
cultus he believes the chief author to be St. Abundius,
bishop of Como, who with others
was sent as legate to Constantinople in the year 450 by
St. Leo. St. Abundius might indeed then have learned of
the glorious miracles of St. Euphemia; and thence have been stirred
to propagate her cultus. Nevertheless, since
this conjecture cannot make the matter certain, it will be enough
if we say that St. Euphemia enjoys an ancient
cultus in the cities just mentioned; but that the beginning
and the author of that veneration are not known by certain
arguments.
[47] especially at Piacenza, where relics also are kept; Further, the people of Piacenza not only celebrate the festival of St.
Euphemia every year with a proper Office and
double rite: but they also think that they possess the body of the same
Saint, as we learn from the History
of Piacenza which Pietro Maria Campi,
canon of Piacenza, published in Italian. He narrates, book 12,
at the year 1091, that the body of St. Euphemia was found
by the people of Piacenza in a church long before dedicated
to the same Saint: and in confirmation he recites these words
from an ancient Ms. Chronicle: In the same year
[1091] the body of St. Euphemia was found
at Piacenza in the month of April, on the XIII day. He adds
that that finding is celebrated every year on the XIII of April.
Then he asks whose bones, of the several holy Euphemias,
were then found. And he answers
that both the ancient Breviary of Piacenza
and several ancient Ms. Annals hold that the bones
are those of the most famous Euphemia of Chalcedon. He confesses
however that there is no writing, nor any
certain memory, of the translation of the bones of the said
Saint, as neither of the time at which her church was erected.
This the Canons Regular of St. Salvator possess.
The same writer, at the year 1094, relates a notable donation
made by the brothers Winigisus and Ansaldus
to the cloistral Canons of the church of St. Euphemia
in honor of the same Saint. At the year
1108 he relates the dedication of the church of the Canons of St.
Euphemia, and the acquisition of lands for the same
church and monastery. Finally the charter of the donation
just mentioned, which he recites on page 523, has it thus: In
the church of St. Euphemia, where her holy body
rests, built in the city of Piacenza. This charter
was given in the year from the Incarnation of our
Lord Jesus Christ one thousand and ninety-three,
in the middle of the month of January, in the second Indiction; that
is, according to present-day usage, in mid-January
of the year 1094, as is clear from the Indiction. It is called the year
1093, because the year 1094 was then only to begin
on the XXV of March, that is on the feast of the Annunciation.
Finally we ourselves visited this church of St. Euphemia
in the year 1752, and there saw a marble urn
beneath the table of the altar. In that urn the bones of St.
Euphemia are placed, as the inscription declares
which it has on its rear side, conceived in these words:
To God, Best and Greatest. This altar, into which the sacred bones of Euphemia,
V. M., long hidden on account of infidelity,
first found under Aldo in the year of the Lord 1091, and again
found under Joseph de Zandemaria, bishops of Piacenza,
in the recurring year 1672, Giovanni Battista Salvatico,
abbot visitor, translated, and Mario Boeri of Piacenza,
abbot ex-visitor, more nobly adorned in the year
of the Lord 1747. On the front side there is only:
Of St. Euphemia, V. M. Thus far concerning the relics
of St. Euphemia preserved at Piacenza, which indeed are customarily
called the body: but the aforesaid Campi
does not seem to think that most of the bones of the sacred body
are preserved there: nor does the last inscription hold this.
[48] There is also a church and abbey sacred to St. Euphemia
near Brescia. near Brescia, at Bologna, at Verona. This is said to have been constructed
in the ninth century by Landulph, bishop of Brescia.
Certainly Ughelli, volume 4 of Italia sacra, column 536,
has it thus of Landulph: He built the monastery of St. Euphemia
for Benedictine monks outside the walls.
Giovanni Francesco Fiorentini agrees,
in his Catalogue of the bishops of Brescia, under Landulph
I. Both cite for testimony the diplomas
of Pope Calixtus II. More may be seen in
Lubin's Abbeys of Italy, page 62. In Bernardino
Faino's Cælum of the church of Brescia, besides
the abbey already named, in the city of Brescia itself,
page 166, there is also reviewed a chapel of St. Euphemia
with the cure of souls. Further, in the geographical maps
near Brescia there is also noted a village of St.
Euphemia: and indeed among us, in volume III of February,
page 249, under St. Paterius bishop of Brescia, mention is made not
only of a church, but also of a village of St. Euphemia.
Masini in his Bologna perlustrata, page 456,
on the XVI of September, among the relics preserved at Bologna,
names the arm with the hand of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr,
to which flesh and skin adhere, in
the church of St. Francis. The Veronese have a church
dedicated to St. Euphemia with a monastery of Augustinian
Hermits, and they believe that with them also
some relics of the aforesaid Saint are kept, as is clear
from the index of Veronese relics, which is given
in the Little Work of Agostino Valier, bishop of Verona,
on the Saints of that city. For in that
catalogue, page 79, these things are read: In the church of St. Euphemia,
or monastery, … there are also preserved
relics of St. Euphemia, etc.
[49] The Maltese bring forward more about the relics
of St. Euphemia. Rocco Pirri, volume 2 of Sicilia sacra,
treating of the church of Malta, and enumerating the sacred
relics of the Temple dedicated to St. John the Baptist at Valletta,
which is the chief church of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, The Maltese have relics of the head and body:
page 620, reckons among them the head with the
body of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, which
La Valette, then Grand Master of the whole Order,
caused to be preserved in the year 1560 in a silver chest
gilt above, elegantly wrought. Giacomo Bosio
in his History of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem,
commonly called the Order of Malta, part 3, book 21, page
221, at the year 1660, relates the construction of a new
shrine, elegantly and skillfully constructed of gilded silver
by the order of the aforesaid Master of the Order, on which
he tells us the history of the martyrdom of St. Euphemia was also engraved.
And the shrine was fashioned in such a way that it might be borne on the
shoulders by two deacons, he says,
because each year on the Saint's feast it must be carried about
in procession, a long train of suppliants accompanying it. And the Maltese
are said to have shared relics of Euphemia with
others also. Certainly Saussay in his Gallican
Martyrology, on the XIII of April, writes: At Saint-Malo
(in Brittany of Armorica) the memory of holy Euphemia,
virgin and martyr, on account of some of her most sacred pledges
received there: of which also a notable
portion is preserved at Paris in the college of the Sorbonne, famous
throughout the whole world, transmitted as a precious gift
by the knights of Malta or of Rhodes,
and received with a solemn concourse of the academy
on the XXVIII day of December in the year of salvation 1606.
Similar things he writes on the XVI of September, and
in the Supplement to the 2nd of July.
[50] in Calabria likewise the head, or part of the head, is said to be. What the Maltese assert about the body and head
of St. Euphemia preserved with them, all will not admit,
if they wish to claim the whole head for themselves.
For Girolamo Marafioti in his Chronicle
of Calabria, book 3, chapter 24, attributes the head of St. Euphemia
to the church of the same Saint, which is in Further
Calabria near the sea, where also the gulf of St. Euphemia
is found on the very geographical maps of the kingdom of Naples.
There is there a town or village on the sea, called St.
Euphemia, and likewise so expressed on the maps,
about whose church he writes in Italian, which
I transfer here in Latin. He says that in that town or village
there is nothing worthy of note except in the most spacious church,
first dedicated to St. John the Baptist,
then to St. Euphemia, which was formerly a monastery
of the Order of St. Benedict. Among other relics,
he says, are preserved the arm of St. John the Baptist,
the head of St. Euphemia, etc. Whether these, or
the Maltese, attribute the Saint's head to themselves with the better right,
I cannot learn: but, as generally happens in these matters,
perhaps both possess a part. Lubin in his
Notitia of the abbeys of Italy, page 125, mentions that church
of St. Euphemia, as also another abbey sacred to her,
which he suspects was in the duchy of Benevento.
Another also is mentioned by Erasmo Gattola
in his Cassinese History, century VI, page 230, where
he says it was constructed at Fara.
[51] The Saint's festival likewise at Antequera in Spain, The cultus of holy Euphemia penetrated also
into Spain. Concerning it Juan Tamayo Salazar
in his Spanish Martyrology on this day has it thus:
At Antequera in Bætica (it is a city of the kingdom of Granada,
commonly Antequera) is found the famous
festival of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, patroness
and protectress of that city, on account of a notable victory won
over the Saracens, by which that city, after
some centuries of servitude, being brought back to the Catholic
faith, spat out the errors of Mahomet. The victory and
storming of the city, on account of which the festival was instituted,
is fixed by historians in the year 1410, and is related
in Mariana's History of Spain, book 19, chapters
21 and 22. Ferdinand, prince of Castile, and afterwards
king of Aragon and Sicily, had moved the Catholic camp
to besiege the city. But the Moors came up with
a huge column to raise the siege.
These he first routed with immense slaughter in the month
of May. Then he pressed the siege of the fortified city,
and stormed it on the XVI day of September, sacred to St.
Euphemia, as he narrates at greater length. Hence the festival was
instituted, says the martyrologist, whom in this
matter at least I hold worthy of credit, although we should never
trust him when he brings forward supposititious Chronicles.
[52] Besides, in the printed Catalogue of the relics
which the college of the Society of Jesus at Madrid possesses, and relics at Madrid, at Lisbon, and in other places.
I find noted on the XVI day of September: the Body of St. Euphemia,
Virg. Mart. So among the
good many relics which in the year 1587 the professed House
of the Society of Jesus at Lisbon received, there are also numbered
relics of St. Euphemia, Virg. Mart., as may
be seen in volume 2 of January, page 612: for there
a catalogue of those relics has been given. Bucelinus
in his Benedictine Sacrarium, on the XVI of September,
assigns relics of the same Saint to two places
of his own Order, writing thus: There is preserved an arm of St. Euphemia
the virgin in the monastery of St. Claudius at León.
An entire bone of the same at Einsiedeln. And
Einsiedeln is a famous abbey in Switzerland, called in Latin
the Hermitage of the Mother of God. Among the relics of the abbey
of Centula in Picardy, or the county of Ponthieu,
which are enumerated among us in volume III of February,
page 103, mention is also made of relics of Euphemia.
So among the relics brought to Prague by the emperor Charles
IV, there is named an arm of St. Euphemia, V.
M., as may be seen in the catalogue of them,
given in volume 1 of January, page 1084. A hand
of St. Euphemia, still covered with skin, we ourselves saw
in the year 1753 at Vienna in Austria among the
Capuchin Fathers. Gelenius in his Work on Cologne Agrippina,
page 264, in the sacred Treasury of the church of St. Gereon,
records some relics of St. Euphemia; as
also on page 616 in the Chapel of SS. Willibrord and Boniface.
Similarly Raissius in his Belgian Hierogazophylacium,
page 82, attributes some of the bones of St. Euphemia
to the abbey of St. Aubert of Canons Regular at Cambrai.
Finally Andreas Saussay in the Supplement
to the Gallican Martyrology, on the XIII of April,
writes: At Tarbes (in Novempopulania) the veneration
of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr. Which is explained in the index
as of the veneration of her relics.
For the rest, I do not doubt that in certain other places also
some relics of the Saint are honored.
§ V. The ancient Acts; which are vindicated: the same somewhat altered
by Metaphrastes: the Acts written by Asterius belong to another
[ ] Euphemia: the History of the Finding likewise to be published.
The Greek Acts, which have been too freely rendered into Latin The Greek Acts of St. Euphemia, in my judgment at least far to be preferred
to all the rest, we received
from a Ms. codex of the royal library at Paris,
where the Illustrious Gentleman Monsieur Claude Sallier, keeper of the aforesaid library,
had them transcribed for us;
and sent them to us: but afterwards, when I had come to Paris,
I myself compared the transcript with the Ms. codex.
Those Acts we have published in Latin in Mombritius,
volume 1, folio 255 and following; if however they are to be called
the same; for they are disfigured and interpolated,
and too freely rendered into Latin. The same
Acts we also have in five different Latin Ms.
codices, which are marked P. Ms. 17,
P. Ms. 158, Q. Ms. 5, Q. Ms. 6, and Q. Ms. 7.
Of these the two latter codices, which are also much older
than the other three, approach more nearly to
the Greek text than the edition of Mombritius, and
agree with each other.
[54] and stand interpolated, Nevertheless neither Mombritius nor our codices
exhibit a pure translation of the Greek
Life, but rather one interpolated, whether from
Metaphrastes or from some other writer. Certainly
to all of these, one codex excepted, some facts have been added
which Metaphrastes also has, and which
are both absent from the Greek Acts and less credible,
especially if they be joined with the facts related
in the Greek Acts. For so often are the modes changed
by which the proconsul Priscus is said to have wished
to inflict death upon St. Euphemia, that it becomes incredible
that so many different things were attempted by him. Besides, of the torments
there added neither Ennodius
of Pavia, nor Bede, nor Ado made mention in the ample eulogies
which they gave concerning St. Euphemia, so that it becomes
likely that those facts were inserted into the Acts after their
times.
[55] they seem worthy of credit in their historical facts. One of our codices, as I have just hinted,
does not even have those facts which appear fabulous.
Nevertheless I would not dare to trust that codex as much
as the Greek Acts, both because it is not
very ancient, and because the translation is not
accurate, nor everywhere consonant with the Greek. Wherefore
I shall faithfully render the Greek Acts into Latin, and
only in the Annotations upon them shall I observe, from Mombritius and our
codices, those things which seem worthy of
annotation. As regards the authority of the Acts,
they seem both ancient and of a sufficiently good stamp
for historical facts. Nevertheless I should not wish to vindicate
all the sayings of the Saints or of the tyrants inserted
in them. The author seems to have followed the manner of writing
usual with most, even with the holy Fathers themselves,
and to have attributed to persons such words as he believed
suited them in the circumstances, or at any rate, if
he had learned something of what was said on either side, to have
set it out freely according to his own genius. And so the speeches
inserted into the Acts cannot have much
authority. But the facts related in them are so confirmed
by the authority of Ennodius of Pavia, of Bede or
Florus, and of Ado, that they seem to be admitted as true
without scruple.
[56] These some have condemned by a hasty judgment, Tillemont, who in volume 5 of the Monuments of the Church
treats of the deeds of St. Euphemia, examines the authority of her Acts
in his Note on Euphemia; and there
he so far disapproves them, and rejects them as
fabulous, that he entirely omitted all the torments and miracles of the Saint
related in those Acts, and
contended that the history of the martyrdom must be sought
from the account of Asterius, bishop of Amasea, alone. Baillet
in his critical table on the XVI of September follows that judgment
of Tillemont with such vehemence that he not only
says of the Acts published in Surius and Lipomanus
that they are worth nothing, but even adds concerning those he has never
seen: Mention is made of certain others still
in manuscript, which are no better.
But neither he nor Tillemont had seen the Acts which
Baronius and Allatius cite; as Tillemont himself
confesses. Neither had seen the Acts of which our Papebroch
in the Annotations to the Greco-Muscovite Ephemerides,
page 41, pronounces: Whose (Euphemia's)
excellent Acts, and better than those hitherto published, we have.
And so it is clear and manifest that by that severe judgment
Acts are condemned which were never seen by those who
so prematurely brought forth such a criticism: for Baronius,
Allatius, and Papebroch, who had the unpublished Acts of the Saint,
by no means condemned them, so that from their
judgment no foundation can be had for the condemnation
of the Acts, even the Latin, much less the Greek.
These few observations I wished to make, so that
anyone might understand with how hasty a judgment the Acts of the martyrs
are frequently repudiated by those critics.
[57] But let us now examine the chief reason
by which Tillemont held the published Acts of St. Euphemia
to be fabulous. because they do not agree with the account of Asterius of Amasea. François Combefis in
his Auctarium of the holy Fathers, volume 1, column 207, published
Greek-Latin Acts, to which this title is
prefixed: The Narration of B. Asterius, bishop of Amasea, on
the martyrdom of the most illustrious martyr Euphemia.
The same Ruinart reprinted in Latin in his Acta Martyrum
sincera, page 490 of the second edition. They were read
in the Second Council of Nicæa, as may be seen
in Labbe, volume 7 of the Councils, column 487 and
following. But Tillemont thinks that this Narration, which was wholly
taken from a painted panel, cannot be reconciled with the published
Acts of St. Euphemia;
and thence concludes that the account of Asterius must be retained,
but the Acts thrown away. That this
is the chief and almost the only reason by which Tillemont
disapproved the common Acts, he himself hints in these
words: We should have judged that we ought to give a summary
(of the deeds of St. Euphemia from the common Acts)
had there not stood in the way the difficulty of reconciling them with
St. Asterius of Amasea, who lived about the end of the fourth
century in Pontus, and who could not be ignorant
of what was truly said of her. Presently again, where he had confessed
that the hymn of St. Ennodius, bishop of Pavia,
and the Martyrologies of Bede, Ado, and Usuard, agree with
the common Acts, he observes that the Acts cannot
be equally reconciled with the account of Asterius, and adds:
Wherefore, if we wish to follow this Saint,
whom the quality of his person, the time in which he lived,
and the region in which he spoke, sufficiently little distant
from Chalcedon, make worthy indeed of much authority,
the testimony of Ennodius himself must also be rejected,
although it imposes on us the necessity
of acknowledging that the facts related by Metaphrastes
had already from the beginning of the sixth century been committed to writing.
Thus far Tillemont, whose reasoning tends to this,
that he would have all those things held for fables which
for twelve whole centuries or longer had been constantly
related and written concerning St. Euphemia: and that on the contrary
we should believe those things about St. Euphemia of Chalcedon
which, besides Asterius, no one of the ancients through very many
centuries is known to have asserted.
[58] But the reasons of Tillemont are not of such
weight that Asterius is too easily honored with the title of Saint, as to compel us to accept so hard a condition.
Indeed he seems to exalt too much the authority
of Asterius, who in these circumstances would by no means seem
to be preferred to all others, even if it were established
that Asterius speaks of St. Euphemia of Chalcedon,
and not of some other Saint of the same name.
First, I do not understand why Tillemont with so much
affection bestows the title of Saint on Asterius, so that
I never find him named without that title,
although Bede, Ado, and Ennodius, who are all
venerated as Saints, are cited in the same places without
the glorious title of Saint. I should truly like to know whence
Tillemont learned the sanctity of Asterius, and several others
who followed him, before all of whom went
Combefis in volume 1 of the Auctarium already cited, in which
he published various writings of Asterius. Certainly in no Calendars
of the Greeks or Latins have I been able to find
the name of Asterius. In the Second Council of Nicæa Asterius
is cited on various occasions; but the title of Saint given to him
I find nowhere. For at column 487, where the Greek text
is joined with the Latin, he is simply called
Asterius of Amasea, and his name is thrice repeated without any
other title. So he is cited without any other title
at column 855. Nevertheless in the Latin edition, columns 738
and 739, the title of Blessed is prefixed to his name.
But that seems rather to have been done by the liberty of the translator
than by the authority of the Nicene Fathers. Photius
in his Bibliotheca, column [ ], where he begins to review the writings of Asterius,
honored him with the title of μακαρίου
Αστρίου, blessed
Asterius. But neither can the authority of Photius
be great in these matters, nor can the title of Blessed,
so given to one deceased, prove that Asterius was ever honored
with ecclesiastical cultus. Wherefore
the title of Saint seems to have been given to Asterius by various
writers too lightly. And let the fair reader excuse this
observation, if it seem less necessary to the matter
in hand; because it is at least necessary
for the plan of our Work: for if Asterius were really
venerated as a Saint, we should have to seize some occasion
for treating of him.
[59] nor does he seem to have been a bishop when he wrote of Euphemia, Secondly, Asterius does not seem to have been a bishop
when he described the Acts of St. Euphemia from a picture
he had seen. For, as Ceillier rightly observes in his Work
on the sacred writers, volume 8, page 507, that Little Work
seems rather to have been composed for exercising the style
than for narrating all
the deeds of the Saint. These things are gathered from the beginning and the end.
For Asterius begins thus: Lately, gentlemen, I had in hand
Demosthenes, that distinguished orator,
and that oration of Demosthenes in which
he assails Æschines with bitter enthymemes.
But the reading having been prolonged, and my mind almost
overwhelmed, I needed some relaxation and a walk,
by which my weary spirit might be somewhat relieved of its labor.
And having gone out of my house, after I had walked a little
in the forum with acquaintances, I betook myself thence into
the temple of God, to pray at leisure. But when
I had obtained this too, and was passing through a certain one
of the porticoes, I saw in it a certain picture
whose appearance quite captivated me. You would have said
it was the workmanship of Euphranor, or of some one of those
who of old procured the greatest dignity for painting,
painting no otherwise than if they were exhibiting living
forms on their panels. Come then, if you will:
for even now there is time to narrate it;
and I will set forth the picture. For neither do
we, the nurslings of the muses, have worse colors than the painters.
Thus far Asterius, whom various things intimate
to have been then devoting himself to eloquence, namely so prolonged a reading
of Demosthenes, the walk in
the forum with acquaintances, and above all those words, We,
the nurslings of the muses.
[60] nor to have written everything pertaining to the Saint. Further, that Asterius wrote these things rather for exercising
the style than for narrating the Saint's deeds
is gathered from the following. If he had wished accurately to narrate
the Deeds of St. Euphemia,
he would not have said I will set forth the Picture,
but I will explain the martyrdom, or something
similar. Again, at the end he would not say: Thus far
the painter held his hand, and I my discourse
and my tongue. For by those words he indicates that he does not wish
to add anything to the picture. Finally, an exercise of style
is indicated by the last words, in which he asks that someone
should examine whether he has been able rightly to narrate what was contained in
the picture. Tillemont objects some things against this observation,
and contends that all the deeds of St. Euphemia
were written by Asterius. For he clearly asserts,
(he says) that the whole history was represented.
Then he adds that, if the whole had not been represented, St. Asterius
could not have been ignorant of the rest, and without
doubt would have recorded it at least in a word. But I find nothing
solid in these things. For if Asterius wished to set forth
everything, I do not understand why he does not say in
what city St. Euphemia suffered, whose picture
he sets forth. Still less do I understand why he is silent
about the name of the tyrants, that is, why he does not declare under what
emperor and under what governor the holy Virgin
suffered. If he omitted the place and time of the martyrdom, if the names
of the tyrants, if the day on which the Saint was venerated,
if many other things customarily expressed in the Acts of the martyrs,
how could Asterius be ignorant of nothing,
and leave nothing undeclared even in a word? You see, I suppose,
reader, that the objection is inept, and that it is falsely
contended that a full narration of the martyrdom is given by
Asterius; since even those things are passed over which could
least of all have been unknown.
[61] Thirdly, if Asterius is treating of St. Euphemia
of Chalcedon, [Therefore the account of Asterius must be placed after the others, if he is treating of the Chalcedonian:] his account does not seem to be made of such account
that he alone should be preferred to the ancient Acts, to St. Ennodius, and to
all the rest, as
Tillemont contends. The reason appears to me clear
and manifest, namely because Asterius narrated of
St. Euphemia only those things which the painter had exhibited
on the panel. And it is commonly known that painters
have greater care to paint skillfully than
to exhibit true things in a picture. And Asterius himself seems
then to have cared little to inquire into the deeds of Euphemia;
but to have studied solely to express what was elegantly painted
in equally elegant colors of speech.
Hence his narration was plainly neglected by all ancient writers,
and was never adduced for narrating the contests of St. Euphemia;
but seems to have been recited solely
in the Nicene council 11, that from it
it might be proved that it is pious and customary with the ancients to paint the deeds
of the Saints. Asterius relates from the picture
that the Saint's teeth were struck out. By what reason shall we say it happened
that no one knew this of St. Euphemia,
that certainly no one but Asterius narrated it, if
the torment was represented in a picture exposed to the eyes of all
at Chalcedon, especially since in the Saint's church
the Council of Chalcedon was held in the fifth century,
so that that torment of the Saint would have had to
become most notorious? One or other of two things seems altogether
to be said: either that no credit was given to the picture, or
that there was no such picture at Chalcedon. If the first
is true, Asterius was ignorant of the deeds of St. Euphemia,
as indeed he could easily be ignorant of them, being later
by almost a whole century, and born and brought up in a province
far distant from Chalcedon, as far as appears.
But if such a picture was never at Chalcedon,
as appears to me far truer, Asterius is speaking
of another Euphemia, who has little or nothing
in common with St. Euphemia of Chalcedon.
[62] Fourthly therefore it is so likely and probable,
not to say certain and undoubted, but it is shown by various reasons, that Asterius
is treating of some other Euphemia, also a virgin
and martyr, that it does not seem to me even probable
that Asterius is speaking of the Chalcedonian. My reasons
and arguments I shall seek from Asterius himself, compared with other
documents. First, Asterius came upon the picture
of which he treats after he had wearied himself with a prolonged
reading of Demosthenes, and after he had walked a little
in the forum with acquaintances, that he might take
some relaxation. These things intimate that he was then
either in his native place, or in some city in which
he was living: for strangers are not wont to weary the head with prolonged
reading, or to walk in the forum for the sake
of relaxation, or at once to find acquaintances with whom
to walk in the forum. But it is not likely
that Asterius was born at Chalcedon, or pursued his studies
there; and consequently it is likely
that the picture was seen by him in another city.
[63] Secondly, this is again gathered from what
he says about the Saint's tomb; of some other Euphemia for he asserts that not far from the temple
a tomb was built by the citizens,
and that a panel was hung up by the painter next to the tomb.
The tomb, therefore, near which Asterius saw the picture,
was outside the temple: for he found the picture
when, his prayer finished, having gone out of the temple,
he was passing through a certain one of the porticoes, so that
both the tomb and the panel seem to have been in a portico
next to the temple. But according to the description
of the church of St. Euphemia given from Evagrius at number
20, the tomb of St. Euphemia was in the church itself;
so that Asterius is speaking of another tomb. Tillemont
himself, under St. Euphemia, saw that the words of Asterius do not
agree with the description of Evagrius, and therefore says
that the arrangement of the church had been changed. But of that
change no witness can be produced, no
indication.
[64] and that Asterius is treating of a less famous one, Besides, the basilica of St. Euphemia was outside
the city. But that church which Asterius says he entered
seems to have been within the city, either in the forum
or near the forum. For, having related his walk
in the forum, he adds: Thence I betook myself into the temple of God
to pray at leisure. Which words intimate that the temple
was not far off. Finally, that temple
does not seem to have been dedicated to St. Euphemia. Certainly
Asterius makes mention of the tomb built for his Euphemia,
of her coffin deposited there, of the picture hung up,
of the festival instituted, of the discourses customarily delivered
in the Saint's honor; but not of a church
dedicated to her. Yet he does not seem to have been likely to omit this,
if there really had been a church sacred to St. Euphemia.
And so from this observation it again follows
that Asterius is speaking of another, less famous Euphemia.
To these reasons there is added the very diversity
of the Acts, which intimate different Euphemias.
For our Acts, with the published ones, with SS. Ennodius,
Bede, Ado, and others, contain many
torments over which the Saint was superior, being at last killed
by the bite of a wild beast. But Asterius relates that she was burnt
with fire and died. And instead of all the other torments
he asserts that the Saint's teeth were struck out, while the Acts
and the writers who followed are silent about that torment.
Wherefore it does not appear sufficiently probable that there was such a picture
of St. Euphemia at Chalcedon as Asterius
describes. For how did the Westerns as well as
the Easterns not know of the striking out of the teeth, if a picture
represented it in the church of Chalcedon, where
six hundred prelates were assembled in the year 451?
But if the aforesaid picture was not at Chalcedon, then
Asterius is not speaking of the Chalcedonian Saint: since
the picture was in that place where the body was.
[65] he might indeed be treating of Euphemia of Alexandria, Modern writers have believed that Asterius speaks
of the most famous Euphemia, but, as far
as appears, only on account of the likeness of the name. For neither
does Asterius hint that he is treating of the Chalcedonian Saint,
nor have I seen any writer who has tried
to show that the words of Asterius must be understood of the Chalcedonian.
And indeed there are not wanting others of whom Asterius could
be speaking. That some Euphemia certainly
was translated to Alexandria is clear from the words
given at number 12. With what torments she was afflicted,
or by what kind of death she ended her life, we do not know.
But we know that the teeth of St. Apollonia were struck out at Alexandria,
and death inflicted by fire, so that St. Euphemia venerated at Alexandria
might have suffered similar things there. Asterius might also
have lived at Alexandria for the sake of studies, as for some time
did St. Gregory Nazianzen and his brother Cæsarius.
Nothing therefore prevents Asterius from having been able to celebrate
the Alexandrian Euphemia. Nevertheless
we have no conjectures strong enough to believe
that he spoke of her by name.
[66] Another Euphemia is found among the seven
women martyrs who are read to have suffered at Amisus,
and who ended their lives in the fire, as may be seen
among us in volume III of March, page 83, where they were treated
almost from the Martyrologies alone. Amisus,
the place of martyrdom, or of the one of Amisus or some other. The Greek Acts to be published. was a city on the Euxine Sea,
episcopal under the metropolis of Amasea, over which Asterius presided.
And so he might also be treating of this Euphemia,
if her martyrdom was less correctly set forth in the Greek
Calendars, as often happens. Nevertheless
I should not dare to explain Asterius by name of this Euphemia either;
since she does not seem to be celebrated in the Calendars
as a virgin. Let it suffice to have said one thing, that more stands in the way
of Asterius being explained of the Chalcedonian
than could stand in the way if one wished to expound his words
of the Alexandrian or of the one of Amisus. But,
if we wish to act prudently, we shall confess that it is unknown
to us of which Euphemia Asterius wrote.
And so neither the Little Work of Asterius, nor anything
else, ought to deter us from publishing the Greek
Acts of St. Euphemia, or from holding them for genuine, and from admitting
the Saint's contests as highly probable and true,
as being confirmed by St. Ennodius of Pavia,
a learned prelate who flourished at the beginning of the sixth century, as also
by Bede and Ado. These Greek Acts therefore
I shall publish in the first place, and illustrate with due Annotations.
[67] We have also other Greek Acts of St. Euphemia,
received at Rome from the Reverend Fathers of the Oratory, The Acts of Theodore Bestus not to be published: that is
from the Vallicellian codex, to which this title is prefixed:
τοῦ
μακαρίου
Θεοδώρου
τοῦ
Βέστου
Ενκώμιον
εἰς
τὴν
ἁγίαν
καὶ
πανεύφημον
μεγαλομάρτυρα
Ευφημίαν,
The Encomium of Blessed Theodore Bestus on the holy and
most famous martyr of great name Euphemia.
I believed at first that I should publish these Acts,
both because they have nowhere been published, and because they contain together
all those things which pertain to the Saint's body
down to about the ninth century. But after
I had sought in vain to find something
about the age and qualities of Theodore Bestus, and after
I had compared all the Acts of St. Euphemia with one another,
I changed my opinion, and judged that I should not be doing
anything worth the labor if I published those Acts. For
I found that in the Little Work of Theodore Bestus there is nothing
which is not read either in the earlier Acts, or in
the History of the finding and translation of the body, which is likewise
to be published. Besides, that author plays the orator more
than the historiographer, and frequently quite ineptly adduces
sentences of sacred Scripture to his own purpose.
And so I have been unwilling to give the Little Work of an unknown author,
and an inept declaimer, who at least did not write
before the ninth century, especially since he brings forward no facts
which are not explained in the Acts or in the History of the finding.
This only I add, that Theodore does not
agree with what is related by Asterius, but rather with
the Acts to be published.
[68] but the Finding of the body is to be published, and the account of Asterius This Little Work therefore being omitted, after the Acts I shall subjoin
the History of the Finding of the relics of St. Euphemia,
which has already been published in Latin in Lipomanus,
volume 6, and in Surius on the XI of July.
The author is Constantine, bishop of Tium in Paphlagonia,
who flourished at that time when the relics
became known to the people of Constantinople, and were brought back from the island of Lemnos
to the royal city. And so in those things
which then happened he seems certainly worthy of all credit.
Nevertheless I should not dare to ascribe so much authority to him
for other things which were long past,
since he seems to have indulged conjecture rather too much, and
to have mingled some things contrary to more certain documents.
The Greek Little Work of Constantine, hitherto unpublished,
our predecessors received from a Ms. codex of the Vatican
library. I shall therefore publish it with the Latin translation
already published, to be corrected here and there in a few
places. Finally, as an Appendix, I shall give
the Little Work of Asterius, bishop of Amasea, of whom already
enough has been said. But since the Greek text
has been published in Combefis, I shall reprint only the Latin
translation from the edition of Ruinart,
with a few Annotations.
ACTS
From a Ms. codex of the royal library at Paris, translated by J. S.
Euphemia, virgin and martyr at Chalcedon in Bithynia (S.)
From the Ms.
CHAPTER I.
While the persecution of Diocletian rages, St. Euphemia with forty-nine
others is arrested at Chalcedon; all, having professed the faith, are tortured:
then Euphemia alone, condemned to the wheels and to the fire, remains
unharmed in these.
ΔΙοκλετιανοῦ
βασιλεύοντος,
ἀνθυπατεύοντός
τε
Πρίσκου
τῆς
Ευρώπης,
ἦν
ἀθροισμὸς
μέγας
τῶν
χριστιανῶν
ἐν
πόλει
Καλχιδόνι.
Πρίσκος
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
εἴχεν
ἀσεβέστατον
φίλον
ὀνόματι
Απελιανὸν,
σοφιστὴν
τὴν
ἐπιστήμεν,
ὁς
παρήδρευε
τῷ
δαίμονι
Ἄρει.
Ο͂ὗτος
οὖν
ὁ
Απελιανὸς
ἐγένετο
κατήγορος
τῶν
χριστιανῶν,
λέγων
πρὸς
τὸν
ἀνθύπατον·
κράτιστε
τῶν
ἄνδρων
καὶ
λόγιε
ἀνθύπατε,
γνωστὸν
ἔστω
τῇ
σῇ
ἐξουσίᾳ
ὅτιπερ
πάντες
ὠφέλωμεν
κατὰ
τὴν
τοῦ
αὐτοκράτορος
καὶ
μεγάλου
βασιλέως
ἔκθεσιν
θυσίαν
ἀποδοῦναι
τῷ
μεγάλῳ
θεῷ
Ἄρει.
ἤρευεν
δὲ
οὗτος
ὁ
λόγος
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ
ἐπὶ
καταστροφῇ
ψυχῶν
ἀπολλυμένων.
ὅθεν
τίτλους
γραμμάτων
ἐκφοβῶν
κατὰ
τοὺς
ἐπισήμους
τόπους
διέθηκεν,
περιέχοντας
οὗτως·
Ἄνδρες
Καλχιδόνιοι
γνωστὸν
ἔστω
πᾶσιν
ὑμῖν,
ὅπως
τὰ
δόγματα
τοῦ
βασιλέως
τηρήσαντες,
καὶ
ἀγνίσαντες
ἑαυτοὺς
ἡμέρας
ὀκτὼ,
θυσίαν
προσαγάγωμεν
τῷ
μεγίστῳ
θεῷ
Ἄρει.
εἰ
δέ
τις
εὑρεθὴν
κ᾽απειθῶν
καὶ
ἑτέρᾳ
τινὶ
θρησκείᾳ
ἐπιφοιτῶν,
δειναῖς
κολάσεσι
τιμωρήσας
αὐτὸν
ἀπολέσω.
ἔστι
δὲ
τὸ
σημεῖον
τοῦτο
τῆς
κλήσεως.
ᾗδ᾽
ἄν
ἡμέρᾳ
ἡ
σάλπιγξ
ἠχήσῃ,
πάντες
ὁμοῦ
ἐπὶ
τὸν
ναὸν
τοῦ
μεγίστου
Ἄρεως
ἀναδραμόντες
προθύμως
τὴν
θυσίαν
ἐπιτελέσωμεν
ἐξευμενίζοντες
ἑαυτοῖς
τὸν
μέγιστον
τῶν
θεῶν.
[2] Ἦν
δὲ
Ἀπελιανὸς
περιεργαζόμενος
ἑκάστης
ἡμέρας
καὶ
ὧρας,
ὅπως
εὕροι
τίνας
ἀπειθοῦντας
τῇ
ἐκθέσει
τοῦ
βασιλέως,
ἵνα
ὥσπερ
κύων
ὑλακτῆσῃ
κατ᾽
αὐτῶν·
καὶ
δὴ
τῆς
προθέσεως
ἐνστάσης
ἐβόα
ἡ
σάλπιγξ
τέλος
τι
πένθηκον,
συγκαλοῦσα
πάντας
τοὺς
τὰς
κοινὰς
ἐλπίδας
ἐπιδιώκοντας.
ἦσαν
δὲ
οἱ
τὸν
ἀληθινὸν
Θέον
ἔχοντες
ἐν
τῇ
ψυχῇ,
ἐν
δωματίῳ
τινὶ
κατακεκλεισμένοι,
καὶ
ταῖς
εὐχαῖς
προσκαρτεροῦντες.
ἦν
δὲ
σὺν
αὐτοῖς
καὶ
ἡ
ἁγία
Ευφημία,
πατρὸς
μὲν
οὖσα
Φιλόφρονος
συνκλητικοῦ,
μητρὸς
δὲ
Θεοδωρισιανῆς
εὐσεβοῦς,
ἥτις
πολλὰς
ἐλεημοσύνας
ἐποίει
ἐν
τῷ
λάῳ,
ἀπεκδεχομένη
τὸν
μισθὸν
ἐκ
τοῦ
Θεοῦ.
Ἀπελιανὸς
δὲ
ὁ
σύσχολος
τοῦ
σατανᾶ
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ
λέγει·
Εἰσὶν
ἄνδρες
τινὲς
ἐν
δωματίῳ
κατακλήσαντες
ἑαυτοὺς,
οἵτινες
οὐδὲ
τῇ
ἐκθέσει
τοῦ
βασιλέως,
οὐδὲ
τῷ
προστάγματι
τῆς
σῆς
ἀρετῆς
πειθαρχῆσαι
βούλοινται·
καὶ
ἐὰν
ταύτοις
συγχωρήθῃ,
πολλοὶ
ἀποστραφήσονται
ἀπὸ
τῆς
θυσίας
τῆς
μεγάλης,
καὶ
προσκολληθήσονται
αὐτοῖς,
καὶ
διασκορπίσουσιν
ἐν
χλεύῃ
τὴν
θυσίαν
ἡμῶν.
Ακούσας
δὲ
ταῦτα
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος,
ἐκέλευσεν
ἀχθῆναι
αὐτοὺς.
ἀγομένων
δὲ
αὐτῶν,
ἡ
ἁγία
Εὐφημία
χαρίεν
τὸ
πρόσωπον
ἔχουσα,
σεμνὴ
τῇ
κοσμήσει
ὑπὲρ
πάντας
τούς
σὺν
αὐτῇ,
φωτίζουσα
ταῖς
ἀρεταῖς
τὰ
πρόσωπα.
[3] Ἐλθόντων
δὲ
αὐτῶν
καὶ
σταθέντων
ἔμπροσθεν
τοῦ
βήματος,
λέγει
αὐτοῖς
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος·
πειθαρχήσατε
πάντες
ὁμοῦ
τῇ
ἐκθέσει
τοῦ
αὐτοκράτορος,
καὶ
θύσατε
τῷ
μεγάλῳ
θεῷ
Ἄρει.
οἱ
δὲ
πάντες
ὁμοῦ
ἅμα
τῇ
ὁσίᾳ
Εὐφημίᾳ
ὧς
δι᾽
ἑνὸς
στόματος
εἶπον.
Γγωστὸν
ἔστω
σοι,
ἀνθύπατε,
ὅτι
ἡμεῖς
δοῦλοί
ἐσμὲν
τοῦ
δεσπότου
Χριστοῦ,
τοῦ
αἰωνίου
βασιλέως,
τοῦ
καταζομένου
ἐν
τοῖς
οὐρανοῖς,
τοῦ
τανύσσαντος
μὲν
οὐρανοὺς,
γῆν
δὲ
ἐδράσαντος
καὶ
τὰ
πάντα
ποιήσαντος,
τουτῷ
ἡμεῖς
λαθρεύομεν,
θυσίαν
εὐάρεστον
ἑαυτοὺς
προσκομίζοντες
αὐτῷ.
Πρίσκος
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ἀκούσας
ταῦτα,
λέγει
αὐτοῖς·
Εκπλήττομαι
ἐφ᾽
ἑνὶ
ἑκάστῳ
ὑμῶν,
κατανοῶν
τὴν
ὁρμὴν
τῆς
προθέσεως
ὑμῶν,
καὶ
τὸ
ὑπερφυὲς
τῆς
γνώμης,
καὶ
τὸ
κάλλος
ἑνὸς
ἑκάστου
ὑμῶν·
πείσθητε
οὖν
μοι,
καὶ
τῷ
αὐτοκράτορι
ὑποταγέντες,
τῆς
τῶν
θεῶν
απολαύσατε
θυσίας,
ἵνα
τῆς
μεγίστης
τυχόντες
φιλίας,
καὶ
γνωστοὶ
γενόμενοι
τῷ
βασιλεῖ,
ἡγεμονίας
καὶ
ἀρχῆς
ἀξιωθῆτε
μεγάλης.
Ακούσαντες
δὲ
οἱ
γενναῖοι,
καὶ
μεταβαλλόντες
τὸ
στυγνὸν
τοῦ
προσώπου,
καὶ
θεολογίας
πλησθέντες,
τήν
τε
μεγάλην
καὶ
ἁγίαν
Εὐφημίαν
κατέχοντες
μέσην,
καὶ
ὡς
ἀγγελικὸς
χορὸς
τυγχάνοντες,
εἶπον·
ἡμεῖς,
ἀνθύπατε,
δοῦλοι
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
τοῦ
ὑψίστου
ἐσμὲν,
καὶ
σπεύδωμεν,
ἥνπερ
πίστιν
παρέδωκεν
ἡμῖν,
ἐν
ταυτῇ
καὶ
φανῆναι
ἄμεμπτοι,
ἵνα
τύχωμεν
τῆς
ἐπαγγελίας
αὐτοῦ
τῆς
λεγούσης·
εὐ
δοῦλε
ἀγαθὲ
καὶ
πιστὲ,
ἐπὶ
ὀλίγα
ἦς
πιστὸς,
ἐπὶ
πολλῶν
σε
καταστήσω·
καὶ
αὐτὸς
δὲ
οὐκ
ἀγνοεῖς,
ἀνθύπατε,
ὅτι
ἕκαστος
τῶν
τὰς
ἀρχὰς
ἐμπεπιστευμένων
σπεύδει
εὐαρεστεῖν
τῷ
ἐγχειρίσαντι
αὐτὰς,
ἵνα
τύχῃ
μειζόνων
ἀρχῶν
καὶ
κρειττόνων
τιμῶν.
εἰ
οὖν
οὗτοι
οἱ
φθαρτοὶ
ὄντες
καὶ
φθαρτοῖς
δουλεύοντες,
ζητοῦσι
τὰς
προσκαίρους
καὶ
ἀνωφελεῖς
τιμὰς,
πόσῳ
μᾶλλον
ἡμεῖς
σπουδάσωμεν
τὰς
συνθήκας
τῷ
ἀφθάρτῳ
καὶ
αἰωνίῳ
Θεῷ
φυλάξαντες,
τὰς
ἀΰλους
καὶ
ἀφθάρτους
καὶ
διαμενοῦσας
ἐπαγγελίας
εἰς
αἰῶνας
κληρονομῆσαι;
ποίει
οὖν
ὅ
θέλεις.
ἡμεῖς
γὰρ
ἕτοιμοί
ἐσμεν
διὰ
τήν
γνῶσιν
τῆς
ἄνω
θεορίας
ἑαυτοῦς
παραδοῦναι
μᾶλλον
εἰς
θάνατον,
καὶ
τυχεῖν
τῶν
ἀποκειμένων c θησαυρῶν
παρὰ
τῷ
παντοκράτορι
Θεῷ.
[4] Πρίσκος
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ἀκούσας
ταῦτα,
διέστρεψε
τὸ
πρόσωπον
αὐτοῦ,
καὶ
ἐκέλευσεν
ἕνα
ἕκαστον
αὐτῶν
βασάνοις
καὶ
τιμωρίαις
ὑποβληθῆναι.
τιμωρούμενοι
δὲ
καθ᾽
ἑκάστην
ἡμέραν
ὑπέφερον
τὰς
βασάνους
διὰ
Χριστὸν
μεγαλοφρονοῦντες,
παρακαλοῦντές
τε
ἑαυτοῦς
καὶ
διεγείροντες
πρὸς
τὴν
ὑπομονὴν
τῆς
ἀθλήσεως·
τὴν
μεγαλόφρονα
καὶ
γενναῖαν
Ευφημίαν
μετὰ
χαρᾶς
ἐπὶ
τὸ
βραβεῖον
τοῦ
χριστοῦ
προτρεπόμενοι,
ἔλεγον
αὐτῇ·
ὦ
Χριστοῦ
δούλη,
πίστει
κατακοσμουμένη
καὶ
φρονήματι
στερεουμένη,
καὶ
σοφὴ
ὑπάρχουσα
χριστοφόρε,
κτῆσαί
σου
τὸ
βραβεῖον,
μετὰ
τῶν
παρθένων
ἅσβεστον
ἔχουσα
τὴν
λαμπάδα
σύνδραμε,
συγκαταριθμήθητι
μετὰ
τῶν
πέντε
παρθένων
τῶν
λαμποφοροῦσων
σὺν
τῷ
νυμφίῳ,
τῷ
τὸν
μισθὸν
τέλειον
ἐν
τῇ
βασιλείᾳ
τῶν
οὐρανῶν
ἀποδιδόντι.
Πληρωθείσων
δὲ
ἡμερῶν
ἐννέα
καὶ
δέκα
ἐπὶ
τῇ
μεγάλῃ
τῶν
ἁγίων
ἀθλήσει,
ἦσαν
ἐπὶ
τῇ
εἰρκτῇ
τρεφόμενοι
ἐν
πνεύματι
ἁγίῳ·
ἐν
δὲ
τῇ
εἰκοστῇ
ἡμέρᾳ
Πρίσκος
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
σκέψιν
ποιησάμενος
μετὰ
τοῦ
ἀσεβεστάτου
Ἀπελιανοῦ,
τοῦ
ὁμοίου
τῷ
ὀνοματι,
καὶ
τὴν
πρόκρισιν
ἐπικεκτημένου,
πρόσεις
εἰς
ἐρώτησιν
τὸν
ἁγίων,
καθεσθεὶς
πρὸ
τοῦ
βήματος,
ἐκέλευσεν
ἀχθῆναι
τοὺς
μάρτυρας.
Ἤχθησαν
δὲ
οἱ
γενναῖοι,
μέσην
ἔχοντες
ὥσπερ
λαμπάδα
τὴν
ἁγίαν
Εὐφημίαν·
καὶ
ἠρώτησεν
αὐτοῦς
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
λέγων·
εἰπᾶτέ
μοι,
μείρακες,
οἱ
τὴν
πείραν
δεξάμενοι
τῶν
ἀλγεινῶν,
ἐπεστράφητε
τοῦ
θῦσαι
τῷ
θεῷ
Ἄρει,
ἢ
οὔ;
[5] Οἱ
δὲ
ὡς
δι᾽
ἑνὸς
στόματος
μιᾷ
φωνῇ
μετὰ
τῆς
ἀθλοφόρου
Ευφημίας
εἶπον·
μέχρις
πότε,
ἀνθύπατε,
σεαυτὸν
ἀπατᾷς,
καὶ
οὐκ
ἀποστρέφῃ
ἐκ
τῆς
περιεχούσης
σε
πλάνης,
καὶ
γνωρίζεις
τὸν
ποιήσαντά
σε
Θεὸν;
Τότε
Πρίσκος
λέγει
τοῖς
ὑπηρέταις
τοῦ
διαβόλου·
ἐξαλαπίσατε
αὐτοὺς,
καὶ
λέγετε
αὐτοῖς·
Πείσθητε
τοῦ
θῦσαι
τῷ
θεῷ
Ἄρει.
Εποίουν
δὲ
οἱ
ὑπηρέται
τὰ
κελευόμενα
διὰ
τάχους.
τυπτομένων
δὲ
αὐτῶν
ἐπὶ
τῶν
ὄψεων,
ἐλαμπρύνοντο
μᾶλλον
τὰ
πρόσωπα
αὐτῶν·
ἠτόνησαν
δὲ
οἱ
ὑπηρέται
καὶ
ἐγένοντο
ὡσεῖ
νεκροῖ.
Ἀπελιανὸς
δὲ
ὁ
σύσχολος
τοῦ
σατανᾶ,
ὁ
τὸ
φρόνημα
κεκτημένος
τῆς
διαβολικῆς
πλάνης,
λέγει
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ·
τιμωρουμένους
ἀναπέμψωμεν
τῷ
βασιλεῖ.
καὶ
ἤρεσεν
ὁ
λόγος
οὗτος
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ,
καὶ
πᾶσι
τοῖς
σὺν
αὐτῷ,
καὶ
ἐκέλευσεν
βληθῆναι
αὐτοὺς
ἐν
τῷ
κάστρῳ
ὑπὸ
τὴν
εἱρκτὴν
ἔως
ἀναπέμψῃ
αὐτοὺς
τῷ
βασιλεῖ.
ἦσαν
δὲ
τὸν
ἀριθμὸν
ὀνόματα
τεσσαράκοντα
ἐννέα
ὡς
εἶναι
αὐτοῦς
τὴν
ἁγίαν
εὐφημίαν
πεντεκοστήν.
[6] Ἀπαγομένων
δὲ
αὐτῶν
ἐπὶ
τῆς
εἰρκτῆς,
ἦλθεν
δρομέως
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ὡς
λύκος
ἄγριος
καὶ
ἅρπαξ
εἰς
ποίμνην,
καὶ
ἀφήρπασεν
τὴν
ἁγίαν
Ευφημίαν,
οἰόμενος,
ὡς
αὐτὸς
σαθρὸς
ἦν,
καὶ
σαθρὸν
ὄργανον
εὐρίσκειν.
ἢ
δὲ
φιλόχριστος
περιχαρὴς
γενομένη,
καὶ
τὸ
ὄμμα
εἰς
τὸν
οὐρανὸν
ἀνατείνασα,
λέγει·
βοήθει
μοι,
Χριστὲ,
ἡ
γὰρ
ἐλπίς
μου
εἰς
σέ
ἐστὶν,
ἡ
δὲ
ὑπόστασίς
μου
μὴ
ἀπολεῖται
παρὰ
σοῦ,
Κύριε.
Πρίσκος
δὲ
ἀκούων
ταῦτα,
λέγει
αὐτῇ·
τίμησον
σεαυτὴν
καὶ
τὴν
χρεωστουμένην
σοι
διὰ
τὸ
γένος
σου
τιμὴν
μὴ
ἀπολέσῃς·
ἄλλ᾽
εἰ
καὶ
διεφθαρῆς
λόγος *, ὡς
γυνὴ,
μετατράπηθι,
καὶ
θῦσον
τῷ
θεῷ
Ἄρει.
ἡ
δὲ
γενναῖα
ἀθλοφόρος
λέγει
αὐτῷ·
ἡμεῖς
οὐκ
ἐν
τῇ
φύσει
τῆς
τοῦ
σώματος
ἀσθενείας
τιμᾶσθαι
σπουδάζομεν,
ἀλλ᾽
ἐν
τῇ
ὑποστάσει
τοῦ
πνεύματος
καὶ
τῷ
γενναίῳ
τῆς
ἀθλήσεως
ἀγαγεῖν
ἀγωνιζόμεθα.
ὥστε
τῷ
φρονήματι … * παρέστηκα,
ἐτοίμη
οὖσα
τυχεῖν
τῆς
ἐπαγγελίας
τῶν
πατέρων
μου.
Τότε
Πρίσκος
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
θυμομαχήσας,
ὅτι
ὐπὸ
γυναικὸς
ἠττᾶται,
κελεύει
ὄργανον
κατασκευασθῆναι
διὰ
τροχῶν,
καὶ
μέσον
αὐτὴν
βληθῆναι,
ἵνα
τεινομένη
καὶ
συνθλιβομένη
ἐν
τάχει
τὸ
πνεῦμα
ἀποδῷ.
ἡ
δὲ
βληθεῖσα
ἐν
τῷ
τροχῷ,
τὴν
τοῦ
Κυρίου
σφραγίδα
ἐν
τῷ
στήθει
ποιήσασα,
εἶπεν·
ὦ
τῆς
ἀνομίας·
πόσας
φλέβας
ἐξέχεεν
Πρίσκος,
ὁ
τῆς
ἀληθείας
ἐχθρὸς·
καὶ,
προκάθηται
ὁ
ἐργάτης
τοῦ
σατανᾶ,
μηχανευόμενος
τέχνας
πονηρὰς
κατὰ
τῶν
εὐσεβῶν
ὑπὸ
τοῦ
διαβόλου
κινοῦμενος,
καὶ
τὰ
μυστήρια
τῆς
κακῆς
ἀπάτης
τοῦ
πατρὸς
αὐτοῦ
ἐκτλῶν.
[7] Καὶ
ἔτι
προσθεῖσα
λέγει
πρὸς
αὐτὸν·
ἐχθρὲ
καὶ
κακοῦργε
καὶ
δολιὲ,
πείσθητί
μοι,
ὅτι
οὐχ
ἅπτεταί
μου
τῶν
μελῶν
τῆς
ψυχῆς
τὸ
ὄργανον
τῆς
κακοτεχνίας
σου,
ἔχουσα
γὰρ
τὸν
Χρίστον
τὸν
βοηθοῦντά
μοι,
ἐλπίζω
διὰ
μειζόνων
καὶ
περισσοτέρων
πόνων
τὴν
τῆς
ἀθλήσεώς
μου
ὑπομονὴν
πάσι
συστῆναι.
Λεγοὔσης
δὲ
αὐτῆς
ταῦτα,
ἔστρεφον
οἱ
ὑπηρέται
τοῦς
τροχοὺς,
καὶ
πάντα
μὲν
μέλη
τοῦ
σώματος
αὐτῆς
κατεκλῶντο,
τὸ
δὲ
τῆς
ψυχῆς
φρόνημα
μᾶλλον
ἠγάλλετο.
ἤρξατο
δὲ
τὸν
Θεὸν
εὐλογοῦσα
λέγειν·
Ἡ
πάντων
χαρὰ,
Κύριε,
τὸ
φῶς
τῆς
ἀληθείας,
ὁ
οἰκτείρων
καὶ
τοὺς
ἐπικαλουμένους
ἐν
ἀληθειᾷ,
ἔπιδε
ἐπ᾽
ἐμὲ
τὴν
ταπεινὴν
καὶ
ἀχρείαν
δούλην
σου,
καί
ἀφάρπασόν
με
ἀπὸ
τοῦ
χάους
τοῦ
ἀνοσίου
καὶ
ἀσεβεστάτου
διαβόλου
καὶ
τῆς
ἀπειλῆς
τοῦ
μισοκάλου
Πρίσκου.
λεγοῦσης
δὲ
αὐτῆς
ταῦτα,
εὐθέως
ἄγγελος
ἐκ
τοῦ
οὐρανοῦ
κατελθῶν
ἔκλασε
τὰ
ὄργανα
τῶν
τροχῶν,
καὶ
παρέλυσε
τοὺς
ὑπηρέτας,
ὡς
γενέσθαι
αὐτοὺς
ἀλλοειδεῖς
τῇ
ὄψει,
ἐξελθεῖν
δὲ
τὴν
ἀθλοφόρον
ἄσπιλον,
ὥστε
θεωρεῖσθαι
φαιδρὰν
κατέναντι
πάντων.
[8] Εἶπεν
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος·
μὰ
τὴν
τοῦ
αὐτοκράτορος
τύχην,
καὶ
τὴν
τῶν
θεῶν
εὐμένειαν,
ἐὰν
μὴ
θύσῃς
τῷ
θεῷ
Ἄρει,
πυρί
σε
ἀναλίσκω,
ἵνα
μάθῃς
ὅτι
οὐ
βοηθεῖ
σοι,
ὃν
σέβῃ
Θεόν.
ἡ
δὲ
ἁγία
Εὐφημία
ἀπεκρίθη·
πῦρ
μοι
ἀπειλεῖς,
τὸ
πρὸς
ὀλίγον
φαινόμενον,
καὶ
ταχέως
σβεννύμενον·
ἀλλ᾽
οὐχ
οὑτῶς
εἰμι
ἄνανδρος,
ἵνα
τὴν
ἀπειλήν
σου
φοβηθῶ.
μὰ
τοὺς
γὰρ
ἱεροὺς
τῶν
εὐσεβῶν
διὰ
Χρίστὸν
άγῶνας,
πατήσω
σου
τὴν
τυραννίδα.
ἕκθαμβος
γενόμενος
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ἐκέλευσεν
καῆναι
κάμινον,
ὥστε
φαίνεσθαι
ἐπταπλασίως
τὴν
φλόγα
τοῦ
πυρὸς,
καὶ
ἀχθῆναι
τὴν
ἁγίαν
ὑπὸ
ἑτέρων
τινῶν
ὑπηρετῶν.
ἔστη
δὲ
ἡ
ὁσία
Εὐφημία
εὐθαλὴς
τῷ
προσώπῳ,
ὑγιὴς
τῷ
σώματι,
καὶ
ἆσεν·
Εὐλογητὸς
εἶ,
ὁ
Θεὸς,
ὁ
ἐν
ὑψηλοῖς
κατοικῶν,
καὶ
τὰ
ταπεινὰ
ἐφορῶν,
ὃν
δοξάζουσιν
ἄγγελοι
καὶ
πᾶσαι
αἱ
δυνάμεις
τῶν
οὐρανῶν,
σὲ
ἐπικαλοῦμαι
ἐγὼ
ἡ
μικρᾶ
καὶ
εὐτελὴς,
βοήθησόν
μοι
τῇ
σῇ
ἀγαθότητι,
καὶ
σφράγισόν
με
τῇ
δυνάμει
τοῦ
πνεύματός
σου,
καὶ
δεῖξον
τῷ
κακόφρονι
καὶ
μισοχρίστῳ,
ὅτι
σὺ
εἶ
ὁ
Θεὸς
ὁ
καταπέμψας
τὸν
ἄγγελόν
σου
ἐπὶ
τῶν
τριῶν
παίδων,
καὶ
διασκορπίσας
τὴν
φλόγα
τοῦ
πυρὸς
ἐκ
τῆς
καμίνου,
καὶ
τὰ
νῦν
ἔπιδε
ἐπ᾽
ἐμὲ
τὴν
ταπεινὴν,
καὶ
ἐξαπόστειλον
τὴν
βοήθειάν
σου,
καὶ
ῥυσαί
με
ἐκ
στόματος
λέοντος
καὶ
ἐκ
θηρὸς
τοῦ
θηρευτοῦ,
καὶ
ἐκ
τῆς
ἀπειλῆς
τοῦ
ἀνθυπάτου.
σοῦ
γάρ
ἐστι
τὸ
ὄνομα
φοβερὸν,
καὶ
ἔνδοξον
εἰς
τοὺς
αἰῶνας,
ἀμήν.
[9] Εἰπούσης
δὲ
ταῦτα,
ἐκέλευσεν
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
τοῖς
ὑπηρέταις
ᾦσαι
αὐτήν.
Ζωννυμένης
δὲ
αὐτῆς
κατεῖχον
τοῦ
βαλεῖν
αὐτὴν
ἐν
τῇ
καμίνῳ
τοῦ
πυρὸς.
εἶς
δέ
τις
τῶν
ὑπηρέτων,
ὀνόματι
Σωσθένης,
ἔχων
παραζώνιον,
προσῆλθεν
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ,
καὶ
λέγει
αὐτῷ·
Κέλευσόν
με,
ἀνθύπατε,
τῷ
παραζωνίῳ
τουτῷ
χρῆσασθαι
ἑμαυτῷ·
ἀδύνατον
γάρ
μοι
ἔστιν
κατὰ
τῆς
ὁσίας
ταῦτης
χεῖρα
ἐκτεῖναι·
ὁρῶ
γὰρ
πρὸ
ὀφθαλμῶν
μου
στρατὸν
λαμπροφορούντων
προσδεχομένων
αὐτῇ.
Βίκτωρ
δὲ
ὁμοίως
ὁ
ὑπηρέτης,
γρηγορῶν
καὶ
αὐτὸς
πρὸς
τὴν
γνῶσιν,
λύσας
τὴν
ζώνην
ἑαυτοῦ,
λέγει
αὐτῷ·
δέχομαί
σου
ἀνθύπατε
ἐλευθέρωσόν
με
ἀπὸ
τῆς
ἀνάγκης
ταύτης,
βαρὺ
γάρ
μοι
ἔστιν
τῆς
ἁγίας
ταῦτης
ἅψεσθαι,
ὁρῶ
γὰρ
πρὸ
ὀφθαλμῶν
μου
ἐπὶ
τὸ
χεῖλος
τῆς
καμίνου
ἰσταμένους
ἄνδρας,
οἵτινες
διασκορπίζουσι
τὸ
πῦρ,
προσδεχόμενοι
τὴν
ἁγίαν
ἄσπιλον
διατηρεῖν.
ὁ
δὲ
ἀνθύπατος
κελεύει
τοῦτους
φυλάττεσθαι,
καὶ
ἑτέρους
ὑπηρέτας
ἐλθεῖν.
[10] Ἦλθεν
δέ
τις
Καίσαρ
τοῦνομα,
καὶ
ἑτέρος
τὴν
ἐπωνυμίαν
βάρβαρος,
καὶ
λαβούμενοι
τῆς
ἀθλοφόρου,
ἔρρίψαν
αὐτὴν
ἐπὶ
τὴν
πυρὰν,
καὶ
ἐδέχοντο
αυτὴν
οἱ
τοῦ
…
τῆς
θεότητος
διάκονοι
λαμποφόροι
ἄγγελοι
τῆς
εἰρηνῆς,
καὶ
διεσκόρπισαν
τὴν
φλόγα
τοῦ
πυρὸς,
ἀναλωθέντος
ὑπὸ
τῆς
φλογὸς
ἑνὸς
τῶν
ὑπηρέτων
τοῦ
καλουμένου
Καίσαρος.
ἱστήκει
δὲ
ἐν
μέσῳ
τῆς
καμίνου
ἡ
ἁγία
ὡς
ἐν
παλατίῳ
τερπνῷ
ὁρῶσα
τὸν
βασιλέα
Χριστὸν,
καὶ
ἀπλώσασα
τὰς
χεῖρας,
λέγει· * Εὐλογητὸς
ὁ
Θεὸς
τῶν
πατέρων
ἡμῶν,
ὅτι
…
ἀμνησικάκῳ
σοῦ
ὑπηρέτῃ
μὴ
παριδὼν
τὴν
ὄψιν
μου,
ὁ
τὸ
ὄμμα
σου
τῆς
εὐσπλαγχνίας
ἐκτείνας,
καὶ
τοῦς
οἴακας
τῆς
εὐσεβείας
καταπέμψας,
καὶ
ἀποδιώξας
τὸν
λέλαπα
τῆς
ἀνομίας,
ὁ
τὴν
δικαιοσύνην
σου
ἀνθήσας
εἰς
έμὲ,
καὶ
τῷ
ἁγίῳ
σου
πνεύματι
ἀφορίσας
τὸν
ἐσκοτισμένον
ὄφιν
ἀπ᾽
ἐμοῦ,
ὁ
ἀεῖ
σώζων
τοῦς
ἐλπίζοντας
ἐπὶ
σὲ,
δός
μοι
ἐνώπιόν
σου
ἀξίως
ἀθλήσασαν
καταξιωθῆναι
τῆς
αἰωνίου
ζωῆς.
καὶ
εἰποῦσα
ταῦτα,
ἐξῆλθεν
ἐκ
τῆς
καμίνου,
παραθεμένη
τοῦς
ὑπηρέτας
τῷ
βασιλεῖ
τῶν
ὅλων
Χριστῷ.
Priscus the Proconsul commands a sacrifice of all, In the reign of Diocletian, and under the proconsul Priscus of Europe
a, there was a great gathering of Christians in
the city of Chalcedon. But Priscus the proconsul had a most impious
friend, by name Apelianus,
a sophist by profession, who was constant in attendance upon the demon
Mars. This Apelianus therefore became the accuser
of the Christians, saying to the proconsul: Best
of men, and eloquent proconsul, let it be known
to your authority that by the edict of the ruling
and great emperor a sacrifice must be offered by us all
to the great god Mars. And this speech pleased
the proconsul, to the overthrow of perishing souls.
Whence, writing terrible edicts, he set them up in
conspicuous places, running thus: Men of Chalcedon,
let this command be known to you all, that keeping
the decrees of the emperor, and purifying ourselves
for eight days, we may offer sacrifice to the greatest
god Mars. But if anyone be found disobedient,
and resorting to some other religion, him
I will chastise with heavy punishments and destroy. And let this be
the signal by which they shall be summoned. On the day when the trumpet shall sound,
let us all together, running to the temple of the greatest Mars,
eagerly complete the sacrifice, whereby we may render
the greatest of the gods propitious to us.
[2] not coming to which, Euphemia and many others are arrested, But Apelianus carefully at every day and hour
made search, desiring to find some not obedient
to the emperor's command, that like a dog he might
bark at them. And indeed, the decree pressing, the trumpet at last
sounded something mournful, calling together all
who followed the common hopes. But those who
had the true God in their soul were shut up in a certain house,
and persevering in prayers. There was also
with them holy Euphemia, born of a father Philophron,
who bestowed many alms upon the people, awaiting
her reward from God. But Apelianus, Satan's
fellow-pupil, says to the proconsul: There are certain men
who have shut themselves up in a house, and who are willing to obey
neither the edict of the emperor
nor the precept of your authority. If this be permitted them, very many
will be turned away from the great sacrifice, and will cleave to them,
and will scatter our sacrifice in derision.
These things being heard, the proconsul ordered them to be arrested.
When they had been taken, holy Euphemia, having a gracious
countenance, comely in adornment above all her companions,
made their persons illustrious by her virtues.
[3] [and are set before the proconsul. Being questioned, they freely profess the faith,] But when they had arrived, and were standing before the tribunal,
the proconsul says to them: Obey all together
the edict of the monarch, and sacrifice to the great god
Mars. But they all alike together with holy Euphemia
said as with one mouth: Know, proconsul,
that we are the servants of the Lord Christ, the eternal
king, who sits in the heavens: who stretched out the heavens,
and established the earth, and created all things.
Him we serve, offering ourselves to him as an acceptable
sacrifice. But Priscus the proconsul,
having heard these things, says to them: I am astonished
on account of each one of you, considering the impulse of your purpose,
and the excellence of your disposition, and the beauty of each one
of you. Obey me therefore, and being obedient
to the monarch, enjoy the sacrifice of the gods, that
having obtained the greatest friendship, and being made known to the emperor,
you may obtain the dignity of command and of principate.
Hearing these things, those Noble ones, and changing
the sadness of their countenance, filled with the knowledge of God, and having
the great and holy Euphemia in their midst, and
made like a choir of angels, said: We, proconsul,
are servants of the Most High God, and we strive to appear
blameless in the faith which he gave us,
that we may obtain what he promised us, speaking thus:
Well done, good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things,
I will set thee over many things. And you yourself are not
ignorant, proconsul, that every one of those to whom commands
have been entrusted uses much endeavor to please
him who entrusted them, that he may obtain greater
commands and more distinguished honors. If therefore those who
are mortal and serve mortals seek
temporal and useless honors, how much more shall we
strive, that keeping our covenants with the immortal and eternal
God, we may obtain by inheritance the promised goods,
free from matter and corruption, and enduring
unto everlasting ages? Do therefore what
you will. For we are ready, for the knowledge of the heavenly
contemplation, rather to deliver ourselves over to death,
and to obtain the treasures laid up with God
the Lord of all.
[4] When Priscus the proconsul had understood these things, he turned away
his countenance, [then for nineteen days they are tormented in prison. Brought back to the tribunal,] and ordered each one of them
to be subjected to torments and punishments. But being tortured every
single day, they bore the torments glorying in Christ,
and exhorting one another, and rousing themselves to
endurance in the contest. And exhorting the magnanimous and
noble Euphemia with joy to the prize
of Christ, they said to her: O handmaid
of Christ, who art adorned with faith and strengthened in mind,
and who art wise and clothed with Christ, possess
thy prize, run together with the virgins having thy lamp
unextinguished, be numbered with the five
virgins bearing lamps with the Bridegroom,
who bestows the perfect reward in the kingdom of heaven.
And nineteen days being fulfilled in the great
contest of the Saints, they were in prison nourished
in the Holy Spirit. But on the twentieth day Priscus the proconsul,
having taken counsel with the most impious Apelianus,
who was like to his name d, and had obtained the office of prejudging
e, when he had admitted f the interrogation
of the Saints, sitting on the tribunal, ordered
the Martyrs to be brought forward. And those Noble ones were brought forward,
having in their midst, like a lamp, holy
Euphemia: and the proconsul questioned them,
saying: Tell me, young people, who have taken the trial
of pains, are you converted to sacrificing
to the god Mars, or not?
[5] But they as with one mouth, together with the victorious Euphemia,
said: [and answering freely, they are struck with blows. The other 49 being returned to prison,] How long, proconsul, will you deceive yourself,
and not be converted from the deceit which holds you fast,
and not know the God who made you? Then
Priscus says to the ministers of the devil: Strike them with blows,
and say to them: Obey by sacrificing to the god Mars.
And the ministers speedily executed the commands. But while
they were being struck on the face, their countenances shone
the more; but the ministers failed, and
became as dead men. But Apelianus, Satan's fellow-pupil,
having his mind beset with diabolical
error, says to the proconsul: Let us send them chastised
to the emperor. This speech pleased the proconsul,
and all those who were with him; and he ordered
them to be cast into the fortress beneath the prison, until
he should send them to the emperor. And they were in number
forty-nine, so that holy Euphemia
was the fiftieth.
[6] When these had been led away to prison, the proconsul came running,
like a wild and ravening wolf into a flock, Euphemia alone, tempted in vain with flatteries, is placed upon an instrument
and snatched away St. Euphemia, thinking, weak as he himself
was, that he would find a weak instrument also.
But the Lover of Christ, made exceedingly glad, and lifting her gaze
to heaven, says: Help me,
O Christ, for my hope is in thee: let not my confidence
perish from thee, O Lord. But Priscus, hearing these things,
says to her: Honor yourself; and do not lose the honor due to you
by your birth. But, even if
you have been corrupted by words, as a woman, turn about, and sacrifice
to the god Mars. But the noble Warrior answers him:
We are by no means anxious to be honored
in the nature of the weak body, but we strive to obtain honor
in the subsisting spirit and in the fortitude
of the contest. I am present therefore in mind … g, prepared to obtain
the promises of my fathers. Then Priscus
the proconsul, indignant that he had been overcome by a woman,
orders an instrument fitted with wheels h to be prepared, and her
to be cast into the midst of it, that being stretched and crushed
she might speedily render up her spirit. But she, cast upon the wheel,
having formed on her breast the sign of our Lord,
said: O impiety! How many rivers of blood
has Priscus poured out, the enemy of truth. And: The workman of Satan
presides, contriving with wicked arts against the pious,
moved by the devil, and accomplishing the mysteries of the depraved deception
of his father.
[7] [to be crushed by destructive wheels: but the wheels being broken, she comes forth unharmed.] And adding other things also, she says to him: Enemy,
evildoer, deceiver, believe me: the instrument
of your destructive art does not touch the members of my
soul. For, since I have Christ as my helper,
I hope by greater and more abundant labors
to commend to all the endurance of my contest.
When she had said these things, the ministers turned the wheels, and
all the members of her body indeed were broken;
but the sense of her spirit exulted the more. And she began
to say, praising God: Gladness of all, O Lord,
light of truth, who bestowest mercy on those who call upon
thee in truth, look upon me, thy lowly
and useless handmaid, and snatch me from
the confusion of the profane and most impious devil, and from the threats
of Priscus, who hates the good. After she had said these things,
immediately an angel descending from heaven broke the instruments
of the wheels, and so unnerved the ministers that the form
of their countenance was utterly changed, and the holy
Victress came forth without blemish, so that she was beheld
cheerful before all.
[8] The Saint is led into a furnace violently kindled, But the proconsul said: By the fortune of the emperor
and the kindness of the gods, if you do not sacrifice
to the god Mars, I will consume you with fire, that you may learn that no
help is furnished you by him whom you worship. Holy Euphemia
answered: You threaten me with fire, which
lasts a little while, and is quickly extinguished: but
I am not so unmanly in spirit as to fear
your threats. For indeed, by the holy contests of the pious
for Christ, I shall trample upon your tyranny. Terrified,
the proconsul ordered the furnace to be so kindled that the flame
of the fire seemed sevenfold, and the Saint to be led thither
by certain other ministers. But St. Euphemia stood
with blooming countenance and sound body, and sang: Blessed
art thou, O God, who dwellest on high, and lookest upon lowly things,
whom the angels praise and all the powers
of the heavens; I, lowly and little, call upon thee,
help me according to thy goodness, strengthen me by the power
of thy Spirit, and show to the man of evil mind
and the enemy of Christ that thou art God, who didst send thy angel
to the three children, and didst scatter the flame
of fire from the furnace. Now also look upon me, lowly as I am,
and send thy help, and free me from
the mouth of the lion, and from the hunting beast, and from the threats of the proconsul:
for thy name is terrible and glorious
unto the ages. Amen.
[9] the first ministers refusing to do it, being terrified by a vision, When she had said these things, the proconsul commanded the ministers
to take her up. And they held her girded,
that they might cast her into the furnace of fire. But one of the ministers,
by name Sosthenes, having a sword hung from his belt,
approached the proconsul, and
said to him: Command me, proconsul, to use this sword
against myself; for I cannot stretch out my hands
against that Saint: for I see before my
eyes an army of those wearing shining garments,
who await her. Likewise Victor, a minister,
himself also awake to recognition, loosing his belt,
says to him: I beseech you, proconsul, free
me from this necessity: for it is grievous to me to touch
that Saint. For I behold before my eyes, above
the rim of the furnace, men standing who scatter the fire,
waiting to preserve the Saint unharmed i. But the proconsul
ordered these to be kept under guard, and other ministers
to come.
[10] And there came a certain man, Cæsar by name, and another
surnamed Barbarus k: cast in by others, she is preserved unharmed. these, taking her who was adorned
with victories, cast her into the pyre: but
there received her … l shining ministers of the Godhead,
angels of peace, and they scattered the flame of the fire,
one of the ministers, who was called Cæsar,
being consumed by the flame. But the Saint stood in the midst of the furnace,
as in a pleasant palace, seeing Christ the king,
and with hands outspread she says: Blessed be the God
of our fathers, because … m not despising my
countenance, who hast brought forth the eye of thy mercy,
who hast let down the helm of thy goodness, who hast pursued the lion
of impious deception, who hast made thy justice
to flourish in me, who by thy holy Spirit hast separated the dark
serpent from me, who hast ever kept safe
those who hope in thee; grant me that,
contending worthily in thy sight, I may deserve to obtain
eternal life. Having said these things, she came forth from the furnace,
commending the ministers n to Christ the King of all.
ANNOTATIONS.
Εὐρώπης seems to designate the native land of Priscus, since it is subjoined to his own proper name, both here and near the end, where it is said ἐτι
ἀνθυπατεύοντος
Πρίσκου
τῆς
Εὐρώπης. In all the ancient versions, however, it is read "in Europe," as if
the gathering had been in Europe, or Priscus had been proconsul of Europe. But
the gathering cannot be placed in Europe, since it was at Chalcedon, a city
of Asia. Just as little can Priscus, who is called proconsul of Asia by
Metaphrastes, be called proconsul of Europe, a title no one enjoyed,
since no one presided over the whole of Europe. There was indeed a certain particular
province in Thrace called Europa, of which it has been treated among us
in volume 6 of June, page 65, but it did not have a proconsul: nor would the proconsul
of Europe have administered justice at Chalcedon. Wherefore Europa, whether that particular
province of Thrace, or Europe in general, was the native land of Priscus, as
the very order of the words sufficiently intimates.
Of these matters the aforesaid Ennodius has it thus:
Priscus, more harmful than a fount of poison,
Is said to have ordered her to be thrown headlong
Into furnaces crackling with fire,
While his servants were all too eager
To hand over the Martyr as food for the furnace,
A light of heaven, more serene than light,
Removed the work of those who savagely willed it:
While with a voice they show forth also the sword:
We beg you, direct us hence to Tartarus:
For our hand does not violate the holy woman.
* read λόγοις
* word effaced
* Word effaced
CHAPTER II
Euphemia being brought back to prison, SS. Sosthenes and Victor
are crowned with martyrdom: Euphemia, subjected to other torments without injury,
at last exposed to wild beasts, completes her martyrdom.
ἜΘετο
δὲ
αὐτὴν
ἐπὶ
τὴς
φυλακῆς
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος,
εἴπων·
ἕῳς
αὔριον
ἔστω
ἐπὶ
τῶν
δεσμῶν,
καὶ
σκεψώμεθα
πῶς
ἀναλώσω
αὐτὴν,
καὶ
ἀπῆλθεν
δοξάζουσα
τὸν
Θεὸν.
ἔχαρον
δὲ
οἱ
γενναῖοι
στρατιώται
τοῦ
Χρίστου
ἐπὶ
τῆ
ἀθλήσει
τῆς
μακαρίας
Ευφημίας,
καὶ
ἔλεγον·
εὐλογητὸς
εἶ
ὁ
Θεὸς
εἰς
τοῦς
αἰῶνας,
δὸς
τὴν
δούλην
σου
ἱερουργεθῆναι
μετὰ
τῶν
πατέρων,
τῶν
μετὰ
πόθου
τὴν
Θεότητά
σου
ὁμολογησάντων·
ἔτι
δὲ
καθιζόμενος
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ἐκέλευσεν
ἀχθῆναι
τὸν
Σωσθένην
καὶ
τὸν
Βίκτορα,
καὶ
λέγει
αὐτοῖς·
θῦσατε
τοῖς
θεοῖς.
οἱ
δὲ
λέγουσιν
αὐτῷ·
ἡμεῖς,
ἀνθύπατε,
πλανηθέντες
ὑπὸ
τοῦ
ἐσκοτισμένου
ἐχθροῦ,
οὗ
σὺ
λατρεύεις,
καὶ
καιροῖς
ματαίοις
δουλεύσαντες
αὐτῷ,
ἀπολέσωμεν * παρὰ
τῷ
ἀληθινῷ
Θεῷ
τὰς
ἐλπίδας.
πιστεύομεν
δὲ
διὰ
τῆς
ἀθλοφόρου
Ευφημίας
εἰς
τὸν
φωτίζοντα
ἡμῶν
τὰ
ἐσκοτισμένα,
ὅτι
δυνατός
ἐστιν
ἐξαλεῖψαι
τὸ
καθ᾽
ἡμῶν
χειρόγραφον,
καὶ
ῥύσασθαι
ἡμᾶς
ἐκ
τοῦ
ἐχθροῦ
τῆς
ἀληθείας,
καὶ
πολίτας
εἰς
τὴν
τῶν
ἁγίων
βίβλον
ἐγγράψασθαι.
ποίει
οὖν
ἐν
σπουδῂ
τὰ
ἔργα
τοῦ
πατρός
σου
τοῦ
σατανᾶ,
καὶ
αἰκίζου
ἡμᾶς
μὴ
πειθομένους
τῇ
σῇ
ἀπονοίᾳ,
μὴ
δὲ
τῇ
ἐκθέσει
τῶν
βασιλέων
σου,
μὴ
δὲ
τῶ
ἀκαθάρτῳ
σου
καὶ
ψευδωνύμῳ
θεῷ.
[12] Ἀκοῦσας
δὲ
ταῦτα
ὀ
ἀνθύπατος,
ἐκέλευσεν
ἀρίναν
ἀχθῆναι,
καὶ
αὐτοὺς
ἐμβληθῆναι
ἐκεῖ,
ὅπως
θηριωμαχήσωσιν.
ἐβλήθησαν
δὲ
οἱ
δύω
ὁμοῦ,
καὶ
εἶπον
οὗτως·
Κύριε
παντοκράτωρ,
ὁ
μέγας,
καὶ
φοβερὸς,
ὁ
τῷ
σῷ
ὀνόματι
πάντα
ὑποστησάμενος,
τὸ
κύτος
τῆς
θαλάσσης,
ὁ
τὴν
γὴν
ἐδράσας
τῷ
λόγῳ
τοῦ
προστάγματός
σου,
ὁ
τὸ
φῶς
ἀνατείλας,
καὶ
τὸ
σκότος
διασκεδάσας·
ὁ
τὸν
δράκοντα
ἀποκτείνας,
καὶ
λύσας
τὰς
ὀδύνας
τοῦ
θανάτου,
σῶσον
ἡμᾶς
ἀπὸ
τῆς
τοῦ
ἀνθρωποκτόνου
διαρπαγῆς,
καὶ
δὸς
ἡμῖν
μετ᾽
εἰρήνης
ἀσπίλους
τῇ
ψυχῇ
καί
τῷ
σώματι
τὸ
ὄνομά
σου
κληρονομῆσαι
τὸ
ἅγιον.
καὶ
εὐθέως
φωνὴ
ἐγένετο
ἐκ
τοῦ
οὐρανοῦ
λέγουσα·
εἰσήκουσα
τῆς
δεήσεως
ὑμῶν.
παραθέμενοι
δὲ
ἑαυτοὺς
τῷ
Θεῷ,
παρέδωκαν
τὰς
ψυχὰς.
καὶ
ειδὼν
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος,
ἀνέστη
καὶ
ἀπῆλθεν
ἐν
τῷ
πραιτωρίῳ.
Ἤρθησαν
δὲ
τὰ
τῶν
ἁγίων
σώματα
ὑπὸ
τῶν
Χριστιανῶν,
καὶ
κοσμίσαντες
αὐτά
ἀξίως
κατέθεντο.
[13] Πρωΐας
δὲ
γενομένης,
προῆλθεν
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
ἀκούσαι
τῆς
ἁγίας
Εὐφημίας.
ἡ
δὲ
ἐξίει
ἐκ
τῆς
φυλακῆς,
ὡς
καλὴ
δάμαλις
Χρίστου,
ἄδουσα
τὴν
ἁγίαν
φωνὴν,
καὶ
λέγουσα·
ἄσω
σοι,
Κύριε,
ἄσμα
καινὸν
ἐπὶ
τῆς
γῆς,
δοξάζω
σε,
Κύριε,
ἐν
ἰσχύἳ
μου,
ψαλῶ
σοι
ἐν
ἔθνεσιν,
καὶ
τῷ
ὀνόματί
σου
ὑμνήσω,
καὶ
κληρονομήσω
τὴν
βασιλείαν
σου.
ἄδουσα
δὲ
καὶ
ψάλλουσα,
δοξάζουσά
τε
καὶ
ὑμνοῦσα
ἦλθε,
καὶ
ἔστη
ἐπὶ
τοῦ
βήματος.
καὶ
εἶπεν
πρὸς
αὐτὴν
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος·
μέχρι
πότε
παραφρονεῖς,
καὶ
ἑαυτὴν
ἀπόλλεις;
ὁ
γὰρ
μέγιστος
θέος
εὐίλατος
ἔσται
σοὶ,
ἐὰν
προσκυνήσῃς
αὐτῷ.
πείσθητι
οὖν
καὶ
θῦσον·
καὶ
ζήσασα
μητὴρ
ἡμῶν
ἀποδειχθῆσῃ.
ἡ
δὲ
πρὸς
αὐτὸν
λέγει·
ἀληθῶς
ἄφρων
καὶ
ἀσύνετος
κλῆθω,
ἐὰν
τοῖς
ἀφάνεσι,
καὶ
ἐσκοτισμένοις
καὶ
τοῖς
μῆ
οὖσι
φύσει
θεοῖς
πεισθῶ,
καὶ
δαιμονίοις
ἀλάλοις,
καὶ
κωφοῖς
θύσω,
ἀθέμιστε,
καὶ
ἀκατάστατε,
ἀπερριμένε
τῆς
ἀληθείας
χρίστου,
προσκολλωμένε
δὲ
τῇ
τοῦ
ὅφεως
ἀγάπῃ,
σπεύδεις,
αὐτὸς
ταρτάρου
καὶ
ἀσβέστου
πυρὸς
κληρονόμος
ὢν,
τοὺς
ἐν
ἀλητείᾳ
πολιτευομένους
σεαυτῷ
συγκατασπᾶν·
οὐ
μὴν
δὲ,
ἔχω
γὰρ
τὸ
στερἑωμα
χρίστου
ἐνίσχυον
με
αδιαλείπτως.
[14] Τότε
κελεύει
μηχανικὸν
ὄργανον
γενέσθαι,
καὶ
δρομέαν
αὐτὴν
ἐλθεῖν
ἐπὶ
τὸν
τόπον
καὶ
ρἱφῆναι
ἐν
αὐτῷ,
ὅπως
συλληφθεῖσα
ὡς
ὓς
ἄγριος
ἀποθάνῃ,
μὴ
γνοῦσα
τὸ
γενόμενον
αὐτῇ.
ὡς
δὲ
ἐγένετο
ἡ
παγὶς
ἡ
ἀσεβὴς,
ἦλθεν
ἡ
ἁγία
Ευφημία
φαιδρῷ
τῷ
προσώπῳ,
ἥτις
τοσαῦσα
παθοῦσα
οὐδ᾽
ὅλως
ὑπὸ
δειλίας
κατεκυριεύθη.
ὡς
δὲ
ὑπὸ
τῶν
δορυφόρων
γενναίως
ἠλαύνετο,
ἡρπάγη
δι᾽
ἀγγέλων
καὶ
διῆλθεν
τὸν
τόπον,
καὶ
διέπεσον
οἱ
δορυφόροι
ἐν
τῇ
σκευῇ
τοῦ
ὀργάνου,
καὶ
ἀπέθανον,
καὶ
ἐπληρώθη
τὸ
γεγραμμένον,
ἐν
τοῖς
ἔργοις
τῶν
χειρῶν
αὐτοῦ
συνελείφθη
ὁ
ἀμαρτωλός.
πάλιν
δὲ
ἀνοίξασα
τὸ
στόμα
αὐτῆς
λέγει·
σὺ
ὁ
Θεὸς
ὁ
καρδιογνώστης,
ὁ
τὰ
μυστήρια
τῆς
εὐσεβείας
κατέχων,
ὁ
τῶν
ἀσύλων
θησαυρῶν
χορηγὸς,
ὁ
τοὺς
οὐράνους * τανύσας,
καὶ
τὴν
γὴν
ἐδράσας,
ὁ
τῷ
λόγῳ
τὰ
πάντα
ὐποστησάμενος
διὰ
τοῦ
κυρίου
ἡμῶν
Ιησοῦ
Χριστοῦ,
ὁ
τὸ
φῶς
ἀνατείλας
τῷ
σῷ
θελήματι,
ὁ
καταπέμψας
τὸν
μονογενῆ
σου
υἱὸν
ἐκ
τοῦ
οὐρανοῦ,
ἵνα
λύσῃ
τὰς
ὁδύνας
τοῦ
θανάτου,
καὶ
δεσμεύσῃ
τὸν
τῆς
ἀπολείας
ἄρχοντα
καὶ
στρατηγόν·
ὁ
παρεστῶν
τοῖς
σοῖς
στρατιώταις
τοῖς
διὰ
τὸ
ὄνομά
σου
καταγονιζομένοις
τοῦ
διαβόλου,
καὶ
θεμελιῶν
ἐν
αὐτοῖς
τὸ
στερέωμα
τῆς
πίστεως,
ὁ
βοηθὸς
γενόμενός
μοι
ἀεὶ,
ῥῦσαι
τὴν
ψυχήν
μου,
καὶ
ταῖς
εὐχαῖς
τῶν
ἁγίων,
τῶν
ἐπὶ
τῆς
ειρκτῆς
διὰ
τὴν
σὴν
Θεότητα
τὸν
ἀγαθὸν
δρόμον
τρεχόντων,
φύλαξον
τὴν
δούλην
σου
καὶ
συντήρησόν
με
τῇ
ἐπιχωρηγίᾳ
τοῦ
ἁγίου
σου
Πνεύματος,
ὅτι
σὺ
εἶ
μόνος
ἀμνησίκακος,
καὶ
σώζεις
ἐν
καιρῷ
θλίψεως
τοῦς
ἐλπίζοντας
ἐπὶ
σέ.
[15] Ιδὼν
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος,
ἐκέλευσεν
ἀχθῆναι
αὐτὴν
πρὸ
τοῦ
βήματος
αὐτοῦ,
καὶ
λέγει
αὐτῇ·
οἶδας,
Ευφημία,
ὅτι
εὐγενὴς
οὖσα,
καὶ
τῷ
γένει
πρώτη
ἠπατήθης,
καὶ
ἐναπέμεινας
τῇ
πλάνῃ,
κᾀμοὶ
τῷ
ἰκανὸν
τῷ
αὐτοκράτορι
ποιοῦντι
ἐτόλμησας
ἀντιστῆναι·
ὅμως
ὣς
λογία
καὶ
σεμνὴ
γυνὴ
πείσθητί
μοι,
καὶ
συγγνοῦσα
ταῖς
ὕβρεσι
ταῖς
παρ᾽
ἐμοῦ
γενομέναις
εἰς
σέ,
θῦσον
τῷ
θεῶ
Ἄρει,
ἵνα
μὴ
ὄνειδος
ἐπιγραφῆς
τῷ
γένει
σου.
ἡ
δὲ
ἕτοιμον
ἔχουσα
τὸ
φρόνημα
τοῦ
Χρίστου,
λέγει
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ·
τύραννε,
τί
τὸ
πρόσωπόν
σου
μεστόν
ἐστι
πικρίας
καὶ
δόλου·
ὦ
παγὶς
διὰ
λόγων
εἰρμοσμένη,
ὦ
θῆρ
μετασχηματισθεὶς
εἰς
ἔνδυμα
προβάτου,
ἀγρίου
δὲ
καὶ
ἅρπαγος
λύκου
θῆραν
ἐπιτελῶν.
ὦ
λόγοι
προφορικοὶ,
ἀψινθίου
πικρότεροι.
οὐχ
οὗτως
ἄφρων
γενήσομαι,
ἵνα
καταλείψω
τὸν
τῆς
ζωῆς
μου
θησαυρὸν,
καὶ
κοινονήσω
τῇ
τοὺ
διαβόλου
γεύσει.
μὴ
οὖν
πλανῶ,
ἀνθύπατε,
ὅτι
πείσεις
με
θῦσαι
ἀκαθάρτοις
δαιμονίοις,
οὐ
γὰρ
ἀναγκάσεις
με
θεοὺς
αὐτοὺς
εἰπεὶν,
πῶς
γὰρ
ἂν
εἶεν
θεοὶ
μηδέποτε
ὄντες;
πῶς
δὲ
ἀναισθητεῖς,
καὶ
τῳ
ζῶντι
τοὺς
ἀκινήτους,
καὶ
μηδὲποτε
ζήσαντας
ὁμοίους
ποιεῖς,
καὶ
τοῦτοις
θυσίαν
ἐκτελεῖς;
οὐ
πείθομαι
οὖν
τοῖς
τῆς
πικρίας
σου
λόγοις.
διὸ
σπεύδε
καὶ
ποίει
ὅ
θέλεις.
ζητῶ
γὰρ
διὰ
τῶν
τεχνῶν
σου
εἰσελθεῖν
εἰς
τὸ
στάδιον
τὸ
αἰώνιον,
ὅπου
ὁ
χωρὸς
τῶν
ἀγγέλων,
ὅπου
ὁ
τέλειος
ἀγωνοθέτης
Χριστὸς
στέφει
τοὺς
δι᾽
αὐτὸν
ἀγωνιζομένους,
ὅπου
τὸ
Πνεῦμα
τὸ
ἅγιον,
τὸ
ἄλειμα
τῆς
ἀληθείας.
[16] Θυμωθεὶς
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος
κελεύει
ῥαβδίζεσθαι
αὐτήν.
ἡ
δὲ
ῥαβδιζομένη
λέγει·
οὐχ
ἅπτονταί
μοι
αἱ
ῥάβδοι
σου
παράνομε·
λέλυσαι,
καὶ
οὐκ
ἔχεις
ὑπόστασιν.
νενίκηταί
σου
ἡ
τυραννὶς,
καὶ
ἐκαλύφθη
ὑπὸ
τῆς
ἀνομίας.
Θυμομαχῶν
δὲ
ὁ
Απελιανὸς
σὺν
τῷ
ἀνθυπάτῳ,
ἐκέλευσεν
πριστήρας
ὀξεῖς
τεθῆναι,
καὶ
τήγανα,
καὶ
δι᾽
ὀργάνων
μεχανικῶν
ἀπὸ
τῶν
πριστήρων
διχοτομηθῆσαν
αυτὴν,
ἐπὶ
τῶν
τηγάνων
ῥίπτεσθαι,
ὅπως
ἅπαντα
τὰ
μέλη
αὐτῆς
σποδὸς
γένηται.
ἐγένετο
οὖν
οὗτως
τὰ
ὄργανα,
καὶ
ἐλθοῦσα
ἡ
ἁγία
Εὐφημία
ἐῤῥίφη
ἐπὶ
τοὺς
πριστήρας,
καὶ
εὐθέως
κατεστράφησαν
οἱ
πριστῆρες,
καὶ
τὰ
τήγανα
ἐσβέσθησαν,
καὶ
οὐκ
ἥψατο
αὐτῆς
οὐδὲν,
ἧσαν
γὰρ
ἄγγελοι
σὺν
αὐτῇ.
ἐωρακὼς
δὲ
ὁ
ἀνθύπατος,
καὶ
ὁ
Απελιανὸς
ὅτι
ἡ
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
στρατιῶτις
Ευφημία
νικᾷ
διὰ
τῆς
ὑπομονῆς,
ποιοῦσι
συμβούλιον
τοῦ
άπόλεσαι
αὐτὴν,
καὶ
σκεψάμενοι
ἀρίναν
κατεσκεύασαν.
[17] Καὶ
εἰσάγουσι
τὴν
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
δουλὴν
εἰς
τὸ
στάδιον·
ἡ
δὲ
σταθεῖσα
ἐν
τῷ
μέσῳ
καὶ
προσευξαμένη
εἶπεν·
γνωστὸς
εἶ
ὁ
Θεὸς
τοῖς
ἐπικαλουμένοις
σε.
δέξαι
οὖν
μου
τὴν
ψυχὴν,
καὶ
ὡς
προσεδέξω
τὴν
θυσίαν
τοῦ
πατρὸς
ἡμῶν
Ἀβραὰμ,
οὗτως
καὶ
τῆς
ἐμῆς
ταπεινώσεως
πρόσδεξαι
τὸ
πνεῦμα·
καὶ
ταῦτα
εἰποῦσα,
ἐσφράγισεν
ἑαυτὴν,
ἐπικαλεσαμένη
τὸ
ὄνομα
Κυρίου.
ἀπολυθέντες
δὲ
λέοντες,
καὶ
ἐκπιδήσαντες
κατεφίλησαν
τὰ
ἴχνη
αὐτῆς,
ὁμοίως
δὲ
καὶ
τά
ἕτερα
θηρία,
ἀπολυθέντα
κατὰ
ταυτῆς,
οὗτως
ἐποίησαν.
ἵνα
δὲ
πληρώθῃ
τὸ
τῆς
ἀθλήσεως
αὐτῆς
μαρτύριον,
δραμοῦσα
μία
τῶν
θηρῶν
ἔδακεν
αὐτὴν,
ὑπώπιον
μὴ
ποιήσασα
αὐτὴν·
καὶ
φωνὴ
ἐγένετο
ἐκ
τῶν
οὐρανῶν
λέγουσα·
ἀνάδραμε
Εὐφημία,
στήθι
ἐπὶ
τοῦ
τόπου
τοῦ
ἁγίου,
ἀπολάμβανέ
σου
τὸ
βραβεῖον.
τὸν
δρόμον
τετέλεκας,
τὴν
πίστιν
τετήρηκας.
τῆς
δὲ
φωνῆς
γενομένης,
σεισμὸς
μέγας
ἐγένετο,
ὥστε
σαλευθῆναι
πάντας,
τὴν
δε
ἁγίαν
εἰπεῖν·
ἀπόδος,
Κυρίε,
τῳ
μιαρωτάτῳ
ἀνθυπάτῳ
κατὰ
τὴν
καρδίαν
αὐτοῦ,
καὶ
σύνελθε
τοῖς
δουλοῖς
σου
ὁ
Θεὸς.
καὶ
ταῦτα
εἰποῦσα
ἀπεδωκεν
τὸ
πνεῦμα
αὐτῆς.
[18] Καὶ
ἐλθοῦσα
ἡ
μήτηρ
αὐτῆς
Θεωδωρισιανὴ,
καὶ
ὁ
πατὴρ
αὐτῆς
Φιλόφρων
ἔλαβον
τὸ
σῶμα
αὐτῆς,
καὶ
ἔθαψαν
αὐτὸ
ἐν
τόπῳ
καίνῳ,
ὡς
ἀπὸ
μιλίου
ἑνὸς
Χαλκηδόνος·
ὁ
δὲ
ἀνθύπατος
παρέπεμψεν
τοὺς
ἐπὶ
τῆς
εἰρκτῆς
ἁγίους
τῷ
βασιλεῖ,
παραγγείλας
τοῖς
καπικλαρίοις
διατηρεῖν
αὐτοὺς
ἐν
εἰρήνῃ
ἐν
τῃ
ὁδῷ.
ἦν
γὰρ
πεσὼν
ἐν
ἀσθενείᾳ,
δεινῶς
βασανιζόμενος·
ἐτελείωθη
δὲ
τὸ
μαρτύριον
τῆς
ἁγίας
Εὐφημίας
εἰς
δόξαν
Θεοῦ
Πατρὸς
καὶ
Χριστοῦ
Ιήσου
τοῦ
κυρίου
ἡμῶν,
καὶ
τοῦ
ἁγίου
Πνεύματος
τῇ
ἕξ
καὶ
δεκάτῃ
τοῦ
Σεπτεμβρίου
μηνὸς,
εἰς
μνήμην
ἔνδοξον
τῶν
τὴν
ἁγίαν
ἀνάμνησιν
τῆς
μακαρίας
Ευφημίας
ποιουμένων,
ὅτι
ἡ
σέμνη
πολιτεία
αὐτῆς
ὁμολογητρίαν
αὐτὴν
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
προηγάγετο,
ἔτι
ἀνθυπατεύοντος
Πρίσκου
τῆς
Εὐρώπης.
Πάντες
οὖν
οἱ
διὰ
τὸ
ὄνομα
τοῦ
Κυρίου
τὸ
τῆς
ἁγίας
ἐπιτελοῦντες
μνημόσυνον
δοξολογήσωμεν
Θεὸν
Πατέρα
παντοκράτορα,
καὶ
προσκυνήσωμεν
Ιῆσον
τὸν
Κύριον
οὐρανοῦ,
καὶ
γῆς
καὶ
πάσης
πνοῆς
ἐν
Πνεύματι
ἁγίῳ,
ἵνα
ταῖς
εὐχαῖς
τῆς
ἀθλοφόρου
εὐρεθῶμεν
μέρος
ἔχοντες
σὺν
αὐτῇ
ἐν
τῇ
βασιλείᾳ
τῶν
οὐρανῶν,
ὅτι
αὐτῷ
πρέπει
δόξα
νῦν
καὶ
ἀεὶ,
καὶ
εἰς
τοὺς
αἰῶνας
τῶν
αἰώνων
ἀμήν.
Euphemia being brought back to prison, SS. Sosthenes and Victor Further, the proconsul sent her into prison, saying:
Let her be in chains until tomorrow,
and let us weigh in what manner I may destroy her. And she went away
praising God. But the noble Soldiers of Christ rejoiced
at the contest of blessed Euphemia, and
said: Blessed art thou, O God, unto the ages, who hast granted
that thy Handmaid should offer herself a sacrifice with the fathers
who with longing confessed thy Divinity.
But the proconsul, still then sitting on the tribunal,
ordered Sosthenes and Victor a to be brought forward, and
says to them: Sacrifice to the gods. But they answered:
We, proconsul, deceived by the dark enemy
whom you serve, and serving him vainly for a time,
had fallen away from hope with the true God. But we believe,
through the victorious Euphemia, in him who has illuminated
our darkness, because he can blot out the handwriting
which is against us, and free us
from the enemy of truth, and enroll us as citizens in the book
of the Saints. Do therefore zealously the works of your father Satan,
and torture us who obey neither your impiety,
nor the edict of your emperors, nor your impure
and falsely named god.
[12] condemned to the beasts, they are crowned with martyrdom. Having heard these things, the proconsul ordered the arena to be prepared,
and them to be cast in, that they might fight with the beasts. And they were cast in
both together, and thus they spoke:
Almighty Lord, who art great and
to be feared, who by thy name makest all things to subsist,
the breadth of the sea, who didst found the earth by the word of thy command,
who didst make the light to rise and didst scatter the darkness,
who didst slay the dragon and didst loose the pangs
of death; keep us unharmed from the rapine of the murderer, and
grant that with peace, without stain of soul or body,
we may possess thy holy name by inheritance.
And immediately there came a voice saying: I have heard your prayer.
And commending themselves to God,
they gave up their souls. When the proconsul had seen this, he rose up,
and went away into the prætorium. And the bodies of the Saints were taken up
by the Christians, and they laid them worthily
adorned.
[13] The next morning the proconsul came forth to hear
holy Euphemia. The Saint, despising the tyrant's flatteries, But she was coming out of the prison,
like an excellent Heifer of Christ, singing
with holy voice, and saying: I will sing to thee, O Lord,
a new song in the earth, I will glorify thee, O Lord,
according to my strength, I will sing to thee among the nations,
and to thy name I will say hymns, and by inheritance I shall obtain
thy kingdom. Thus singing, chanting psalms, glorifying
and singing hymns, she came, and stood
before the tribunal. And the proconsul said to her: How
long will you despise, and destroy yourself? For the greatest
god will be propitious to you, if you adore him.
Therefore comply, and sacrifice: and living you shall be
our mother b. But she replies to him: Truly should I be called mad
and foolish, if I obeyed obscure and dark things, and those
which by nature are not gods, and sacrificed to dumb
and deaf demons; unjust one, unstable, alien
from the truth of Christ, and glued fast to the love of the serpent,
since you are yourself the heir of Tartarus and of unquenchable fire,
you hasten to drag along with you those who order their life according
to truth. But it shall not be so: for I have
Christ as my foundation, ever strengthening me.
[14] Then he ordered an instrument to be put together, fearful in its guileful
contrivance, she passes unharmed through a hidden engine. and her to come running to the place,
and to be cast into it, that being caught, like a wild
boar, she might die, not knowing c what was befalling her.
After the impious snare was prepared, holy Euphemia came
with cheerful countenance, having already suffered
so many things, over whom not even fear had been able to prevail.
But when she was being forcefully pushed by the attendants,
she was caught up by angels, and passed the place: but the attendants
fell into the snare of the instrument, and perished,
and that was fulfilled which is written: The sinner is caught
in the works of his own hands.
But the Saint, again opening her mouth,
said: Thou, O God, who knowest hearts, who guardest the mysteries
of piety, who givest treasures not liable to rapine,
who didst establish the heavens and found the earth,
who by thy word didst constitute all things through our Lord
Jesus Christ, who by thy will didst make the light
to rise, who didst send thy only-begotten Son from heaven
to loose the pangs of death, and to bind
the prince and leader of impiety, who standest by thy soldiers
contending with the devil for thy name,
and establishest in them the foundation of faith, who
hast become my perpetual helper, free my soul,
and by the prayers of the holy men who in prison
run well for thy Divinity,
protect thy Handmaid, and preserve me by the supply
of thy Holy Spirit, because thou alone deignest to forget
sins, and savest in the time of tribulation
those who hope in thee.
[15] After the proconsul had seen these things, he ordered her
to be led to his tribunal, Tempted in vain with other blandishments, and says to her: You know, Euphemia,
that you, sprung of a noble and leading family, have been deceived,
and have persisted in error, and have dared to resist me,
who perform an office on behalf of the emperor.
Nevertheless, as a reasonable and honorable woman,
comply with me, and pardoning the injuries
inflicted on you by me, sacrifice to the god Mars, lest you be called
the reproach of your family. But she, instructed
in the wisdom of Christ, says to the proconsul: Tyrant, why is your face
full of bitterness and guile? O snare
contrived with words! O beast clothed in sheep's clothing,
but having taken up the fowling of a wild and ravening wolf!
O eloquent words, more bitter than wormwood!
I shall not become so mad as to abandon the treasure of my life,
and to share the devil's taste. Do not therefore
be deceived, proconsul, as if you could persuade me to sacrifice
to unclean demons: for neither will you compel
me to call them gods. For how should they be gods
who never were? And in what manner are you so
without sense, and make like to the living those who never
enjoyed motion or life, and offer sacrifice to these?
And so I do not comply with the words of your bitterness.
Wherefore hasten, and do what you will.
For I desire through your engines to enter into the eternal
stadium, where is the choir of angels, where the perfect
president of the games, Christ, crowns those who contend for him,
where is the Holy Spirit, the unction of truth.
[16] The proconsul, angered, ordered her to be beaten with rods d.
But she, being beaten, says: [she is beaten with rods, and ordered to be cut with saws and set upon heated pans; but in vain:] Your rods do not touch me,
wicked one: you are dissolved, and have no subsistence:
your tyranny is conquered, and is hidden away from
impiety. But Apelianus, planning a contest
with the proconsul, ordered sharp saws and pans to be set up,
and her, cut asunder by mechanical instruments
by the sawyers, to be thrown into the pans, so that all her
members might go into ashes. So then the instruments were made ready,
and holy Euphemia coming was thrown upon the saws:
and immediately the saws were turned back, and
the pans e extinguished; nor did anything of them
touch her: for the angels were with her. But when
the proconsul and Apelianus had seen that Euphemia, the soldier of God,
was conquering by patience, they take counsel
to destroy her; and counsel being held, they prepared
the arena.
[17] And they lead the Handmaid of God into the stadium. But she,
standing in the midst, [at last delivered to the beasts, the rest sparing her, she dies by the bite of one,] and praying, said: Thou art known,
O God, to those who call upon thee. Receive therefore my soul,
and, as thou didst receive the sacrifice
of our father Abraham, so receive also the spirit
of my lowliness. Having said these things, she signed herself, invoking
the name of the Lord. And the lions being let loose, and leaping out,
kissed her footsteps: likewise the other
beasts, let loose against her, did the same. But that
the martyrdom of the Contender might be completed, one of the beasts
running up bit her, yet did not make her livid:
and there came a voice from the heavens, saying: Ascend,
Euphemia, stand in the holy place, receive thy prize:
thou hast finished thy course, thou hast kept the faith.
And when that voice was heard, a great earthquake took place,
so that all were shaken, but the Saint
said: Render f, O Lord, to the most wicked
proconsul according to his heart, and stand by thy servants,
O God: and having said these things, she gave up her spirit to Christ.
[18] Further, her mother Theodorisiana came,
and her father Philophron, and she is buried by her parents. and they received her body,
and buried it in a new place, distant about one
mile from Chalcedon g. But the proconsul
sent the Saints kept in prison to the emperor,
commanding their guards to keep them peaceably
along the way: for he had fallen into sickness, and
was grievously tormented. And the martyrdom of holy Euphemia
was accomplished to the glory of God the Father, and
of Jesus Christ our Lord, and of the Holy Spirit, on the
sixteenth day of the month of September, in the glorious memory
of those who holily recall blessed Euphemia,
because the honorable ordering of her life made her a Martyr
of Christ, Priscus of Europe still then holding
the proconsulate. All of us therefore who for
the Lord's name celebrate the memory of the Saint,
let us glorify God the Father almighty, and adore
Jesus, the Lord of heaven, of earth, and of every living
soul, with the Holy Spirit, that by the prayers
of the crowned Victress we may have part with her
in the kingdom of heaven, since to him is due glory
now and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
b. Concerning the
blandishments by which the Virgin's constancy was tempted, Ennodius agrees.
I should not however wish to contend that all the sayings on both sides were uttered as they are here
written.
c. Of what kind
that engine was is not sufficiently expressed in the Greek codex. Nevertheless from
what is said it is gathered that there were pits made and covered over, and equipped
with stones or other instruments that inflict death, so that the Virgin falling into
the pits should straightway perish. Ennodius among the torments inflicted on Euphemia mentions pits and stones. And by these I suspect this engine is intimated. Certainly in Mombritius those two things come together, and the matter is set forth at greater length in this manner:
Then Priscus ordered sharp stones with swords to be fixed in a darkened
pavement, and to be covered with a little earth; so that she, coming unexpectedly to
the lake, being thrown upon them, might die, as a boar unaware falls into a pit.
Therefore this contrivance was made without her knowing it, etc. It is added
that the Saint passed through unharmed by the help of angels, as here. Four of
our Ms. codices agree. Metaphrastes in Surius has the following about these things:
They therefore again carved out stones, and made
sharp iron obelisks, and forged saws: then
they ordered also a pit to be dug, which was to have these sharp stones, and obelisks,
and saws fixed lying hidden, a little earth being poured over it,
so that the Martyr proceeding might fall into it unawares, and so
perish, etc. I judge that the engine has here been described from conjecture alone, and that perhaps it was not sufficiently known even to the Christians themselves,
so that we should chiefly stand
by our Acts, although the description given from Mombritius may be held as probable, because it agrees with the words of Ennodius. Further, in Mombritius
and in our codices already named, before the engine mentioned, the proconsul is said to have attempted two other things. But of these there is nothing in the Greek codex. Wherefore
I transfer them here briefly from Mombritius: The proconsul therefore again ordered
four stones to be brought, and at their corners engines
and devices to be set up, so that the stones might be discharged by the devices, and
her flesh be crushed. And the work was completed, and he ordered her to be set,
bound, against the stones… But the Saint praying, as is said, the stones were broken up, and the Saint remained unharmed. The other is this: Again he ordered a pit to be dug, and to be surrounded with much water, and butcher beasts Note: perhaps carnivorous to be let into it, and holy Euphemia to be let into the middle of it, so that the beasts meeting her might devour her… But the Saint, if these things seem to anyone to be admitted, after prayer threw herself into the water, and all the beasts running up carried her upon the water, etc.
Metaphrastes in Surius has both also. But of these there is nothing in
the Greek codex, nothing in Ennodius, nothing in Bede or Ado. These things seem
therefore to have been afterwards stuffed into the Acts, perhaps from Metaphrastes; and they do not
deserve credit.
e. Of the
saws and pans I indeed find nothing in Ennodius: but of
both Bede and Ado made mention, cited in the Commentary at numbers 5 and 6,
and they are much more ancient than Metaphrastes.
among those things which are not to be imitated. Indeed I rather believe that
the Saint prayed silently, than that her words, while she was set among the wild
beasts, were heard by the bystanders. It seems moreover sufficiently clear from other grounds that the sayings which
the author reports must, in part at least, be attributed to his own reflection, as
I noted in the Commentary at number 55.
g. Namely in that
place where afterwards the famous basilica of the Saint was built. Since the author
does not mention this, he seems to have written before that basilica
was built.
* perhaps ἀπολέσαμεν
* in the Ms. ἀνθρώπους, erroneously.
THE HISTORY OF THE BODY OFTEN TRANSLATED
By Constantine, Bishop of Tium.
From a Ms. codex of the Vatican library, together with the Latin translation published by Surius, somewhat corrected.
Euphemia, virgin and martyr at Chalcedon in Bithynia (S.)
By Constantine, Bp.
CHAPTER I.
Leo the Isaurian, having fallen into heresy, casts into the sea the body of St. Euphemia,
famous for miracles: but it is raised from the sea by two pious sailors,
is recognized, and is deposited on the island of Lemnos.
ἭΚω
τὸ
ἐπίταγμα
φέρων,
ὦ
παναγιώτατε
πάτερ,
καὶ
πάσης
ἀγαθῆς
ἐφέσεως
ἐραστὰ,
καὶ
τῆς
ἐμῆς
ἰδιωτείας
καθηγητὰ,
ταῖς
ὑμετέραις
ἀποθαῤῥήσας
ὁσίαις
εὐχαῖς·
οὐ
γὰρ
ἱκανὸς
ὑπάρχω
πρὸς
τουτὶ
τὸ
ἐγχείρημα,
πέλων
ἀμαθὴς
καὶ
ἀγροικίας
ἀνάμεστος·
ἀλλὰ
δεδιὼς
ὡς
ἐπικίνδυνον
ἀεὶ
τῆς
παρακοῆς
τὸ
ἐπιτίμιον,
καὶ
ἐπιζήμιον
τῆς
πατρικῆς
ἐντολῆς
μὴ
ποιεῖν
τὸ
ἐπίταγμα,
ταῖς
σαῖς
θαῤῥήσας
πανέσθλοις
εὐχαῖς,
ἅπερ
ἐξ
άνδρῶν
εὐλαβῶν
ἀκήκοα,
καὶ
ὅσαπερ
ὀφθαλμοῖς
ἰδίοις
τεθέαμαι,
ταῦτα
γράφων,
ἴημι
ἐπὶ
τὴν
τοῦ
λειψάνου
τῆς
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
Ευφημίας
ὑπερορίαν,
καὶ
ἔκπτωσιν,
εὕρεσίν
τε
καὶ
ἀνακομιδὴν,
τὴν
διήγησιν,
ὅπως
ἂν
γνῷ
γενεὰ
ἐτέρα
τὰ
μεγαλεῖα
τοῦ
Θεοῦ,
ἅπερ
πρυτανεύων
ἄνωθεν * καὶ
μέχρι
τοῦ
νῦν
καὶ
ἐπέκεινα
οὐ
διαλιμπάνει
Θεὸς
ὁ
πανάγαθος,
εἰς
δόξαν
καὶ
αἶνον
τῶν
φοβουμένων
αὐτὸν,
καὶ
ἧτταν
καὶ
αἰσχύνην
τῶν
τολμώντων
καθυλακτεῖν
κατὰ
τῆς
δόξης
τῶν
ἁγίων
αὐτοῦ.
[2] Ἐγενέτο
ἐν
τοῖς
παρῳχηκόσι
χρόνοις
κατὰ
παραχώρησιν
Θεοῦ
βασιλεῦσαι
Λέοντα
τὸν
ἐναγῆ
καὶ
βέβηλον
ἐκ
τῆς
φυλῆς
τῶν
δυσωνύμων
Ισαύρων,
ὅστις
οὐχ
ὁσίως
οὐδὲ
εὐσεβῶς
τῆς
βασιλείας
δραξάμενος,
ἤρξατο
κατὰ
τῆς
ἐκκλησίας
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
καθυλακτεῖν,
καὶ
ἐν
προσχήματι
εύσεβείας
δι᾽
εἰδωλικῆς
παρωνυμίας
τε
καὶ
παρομοιώσεως
τὰς
πανσέπτους
εἰκόνας
κατεασσειν,
φάσκων
τοῖς
ὁμοίοις
αὐτοῦ
ἀμυήτοις,
καὶ
παραδιδάσκων,
ὅτι
ταῦτα
εἰσὶ,
περὶ
ὧν
ὁ
προφήτης
λέγει·
στόμα
ἔχουσι
καὶ
οὐ
λαλήσουσι.
διὸ
καὶ
τὸν
πανόσιον
καὶ
ἐν
ἁγίοις
πατέρα
ἡμῶν
Γερμανὸν
τὸν
ἁγιώτατον
πατριάρχην,
βίῳ
καὶ
λόγῳ
ἐξαστράπτοντα,
ἀναιδείᾳ
καὶ
μάστιξι
χρησάμενος,
ἀπεῖρξε
τοῦ
θρόνου·
καὶ
οὐ
μόνον
ἐν
ταῖς
σεπταῖς
εἰκόσι
τὴν
ἑαυτοῦ
βλασφημίαν
κατέπαυσεν,
ἀλλὰ
καὶ
τὰ
λείψανα
τῶν
διὰ
Χριστὸν
μαρτυρησάντων
ἁγίων
ἐξουδένωσεν,
ὀστεολάτρας
ἀποκαλῶν
τοὺς
σχολάζοντας
ἐν
παννυχίσι
καὶ
ἀγρυπνίαις·
ὢ
τῆς
τόλμης,
ὢ
τῆς
παροινίας·
τίς
οὐ
θαυμάσει;
τίς
οὐκ
ἐκπλαγείη
τὴν
τότε
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
μακροθυμίαν.
[3] ἀλλ᾽
ἐπὶ
τὸ
προκείμενον
ὁ
λόγος
ἐπανίτω,
καὶ
τὰ
περὶ
τῆς
ἀοιδίμου
καὶ
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
Ευφημίας
λεγέτω.
Ἦν
οὖν
ἐν
τῷ
ταύτης
ναῷ
τῷ
πλησίον
τοῦ
λεγομένου
ἱπποδρομίου
ὄντι,
τὸ
πανόσιον
αὐτῆς
λείψανον,
ἀκέραιον,
ἀσινὲς,
καὶ
ἀπήματον:
ἀπὸ
γὰρ
Χαλκηδόνος
μετετέθη
σὺν
τῇ
λάρνακι,
διὰ
τὴν
τηνικαῦτα
τῶν
Περσῶν
ἐπιδρομὴν
ἐν
Κωνσταντινουπόλει.
ἐν
τῂ
λάρνακι
δὲ
τὸ
θεῖον
ἱδρύσθη
θυσιαστήριον,
ὑποκάτωθεν
ἔχον
τὸ
πανόσιον
λείψανον,
ὕπερθεν
δὲ
αὐτοῦ
ἐτελεῖτο
ἡ
τοῦ
ἀχράντου
σώματος
καὶ
αἵματος
τοῦ
Δεσπότου
Χριστοῦ
τοῦ
Θεοὐ
ἡμῶν
ἀναίμακτος
μυσταγωγία.
Ἐν
δὲ
τῇ
αὐτῇ
λάρνακι
μικρὰ
ὑπῆρχεν
ὀπὴ,
ἥτις
καὶ
μέχρι
τοῦ
νῦν
ἐστὶ,
φέρειν
δυναμένη
ἔνδον
ὡσεὶ
μέγεθος
χειρὸς
ἀνθρώπου,
ἐν
ᾗ
κἀγὼ
ὁ
ἀνάξιός
ποτε
τὴν
χεῖρα
τετολμηκὼς
εἰσήγαγον,
καὶ
τοῦ
γλωσσοκόμου
ἁψάμενος,
ἡσθόμην
τῆς
εὐωδίας,
καὶ
τῆς
χάριτος
ἀντελαβόμην·
φήσω
δὲ
καί
τὴν
πρόφασιν
τῆς
κατ᾽
οἰκονομίαν
Θεοῦ
γενομένης
ὀπῆς.
Ὅτε
τὸ
τίμιον
αὐτῆς
καὶ
θαυματουργὸν
λείψανον
ἐν
Χαλκηδόνι
ὑπῆρχε,
τῶν
ἀθέων
Περσῶν
τὸν
ἐκεῖσε
χῶρον
καταλαβόντων,
ἐν
ταῖς
ἡμέραις
τοῦ
Ἡρακλείου
τοῦ
βασιλέως,
φθόνῳ
τοῦ
παρ᾽
αὐτῶν
θεραπευομένου
διαβόλου
κινηθέντες
πλῆθος
φρυγάνων
καὶ
ξύλων
περὶ
τὴν
λάρνακα
συνάξαντες,
καῦσαι
ταύτην
σὺν
τῷ
ἐν
αὐτῇ
σεβασμίῳ
λειψάνῳ
ᾠήθησαν.
Ἀλλ᾽
οὐδὲν
ἴσχυσεν
ἡ
βάρβαρος
αὐτῶν
καὶ
δαιμονιώδης
ἐπίνοια,
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
κατὰ
τὸ
γεγραμμένον
φυλάσσοντος
πάντα
τὰ
ὀστᾶ
τῶν
δι᾽
αὐτὸν
ἀθλησάντων·
οὐχ
ἥψατο
οὖν
τῶν
ὀστῶν
αὐτῆς
τὸ
καθόλου
τὸ
πῦρ,
ἤ
μόνον
ἐκ
τῆς
λάρνακος
ὡς
σφαίρας
εἶδος
ἀποπήδησεν,
οἴκονομίαν
μᾶλλον
εἰργάσατο
καὶ
εἴσοδον
τὴν
πρὸς
τὸ
λείψανον
τοῖς
ἐθέλουσιν
ἐξ
αύτοῦ
ἀῤῥύσασθαι
ἰαμάτων
χάριν,
τὴν
προλεχθεῖσαν
ὀπήν.
[4] Ἦν
οὖν
πολλὴ
πίστις
τῶν
ἐν
Κωνσταντινουπόλει
κατοικούντων,
ὡς
ἀνωτέρω
ἔφημεν,
ἐν
τῷ
ναῷ
καὶ
τῷ
λειψάνῳ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
Ευφημίας,
καὶ
πάντες
συνέῤῥεον
ποταμηδὸν
τὰς
ἰάσεις
ἀρυόμενοι·
αἷμα
γὰρ
ἐκ
τοῦ
τιμίου
αὐτῆς
λειψάνου,
εὐωδίας
πεπληρωμένον,
ἐξήρχετο,
ὅπερ
ὡς
μύρον
θεοχορήγητον
τοῖς
νοσοῦσιν
ἐδίδοτο.
καὶ
ἦν
τοῖς
μὲν
πιστοῖς
θαὐμα
φοβερὸν
καὶ
σεβάσμιον,
τοῖς
δὲ
ἀπίστοις
καὶ
ἑτερόφροσιν
ἧττα
καὶ
αἰσχύνη
καὶ
ὄνειδος.
τότε
δὴ
ὁ
πανώλης
ἐκεῖνος
καὶ
ἐναγὴς
βασιλεὺς,
τόλμῃ
θρασείᾳ
χρησάμενος,
νυκτὸς
βαθείας
μετά
τινων
τῶν
τῆς
ἀσεβοῦς
αὐτοῦ
θρησκείας,
ὥρμησε
κατὰ
τῶν
λειψάνων
τῆς
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
Εὐφημίας,
καὶ
τὴν
λάρνακα
ἀναπετάσας,
ἀφείλετο
τὸ
λείψανον
τῆς
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
σύν
τῷ
συνέχοντι
αὐτὸ
γλωσσοκόμῳ·
ἕτερα
δὲ
ἔχων
προπαρεσκευασμένα
νεκροῦ
ἐξηραμμένα
ὀστᾶ,
ἔνδον
τῆς
λάρνακος
ἔῤῥιψεν·
καὶ
πάλιν
σκεπάσας
τὴν
λάρνακα,
ὑπεχώρησε.
τὸ
δὲ
σεβάσμοιν
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον
σὺν
τῷ
ξυλίνῳ
γλωσσοκόμῳ
ἀπέθετο
ἔν
τινι
τῶν
εύκτηρίων
οἴκων
τῶν
ἐκεῖσε
ὄντων
ἐν
τοῖς
βασιλείοις.
ὅθεν
αἱ
τούτου
ἀδελφαὶ
καὶ
θυγατέρες
ἀρώμασι
καὶ
μύροις
καὶ
φώτων
προσαγωγαῖς
ἐσέβοντο
τοῦτο
λαθραίως
διὰ
τὸ
ὑπερβάλλον
τῆς
χάριτος,
καὶ
τῶν
θαυμάτων
τὸ
μέγεθος.
[5] Ταῦτα
μυηθεὶς * ὁ
ἀλιτήριος
ἐπὶ
τὸν
Βουκολέοντα
καὶ
τὴν
Σιδηρᾶν
διαβιβάσας,
ἔῤῥιψεν
ἐν
τῷ
τῆς
θαλάσσης
ῥεύματι.
καὶ
ἐπὶ
τὴν
αὔριον
σελέντιον
ἀσεβές
ποιησάμενος,
ἤρξατο
τήν
μιαρὰν
αὐτοῦ
καὶ
ἐναγῆ
γλῶσσαν
κινεῖν
κατὰ
τῆς
πανευφήμου,
στηλιτεύων,
καὶ
λέγων·
Ἀπέλθετε,
καὶ
θεάσασθε
τὴν
πλάνην,
ἣν
ἐπλανῶντο
οἱ
λέγοντες
σῶον
καὶ
ἀκέραιον
ὑπάρχειν
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
Εὐφημίας
λείψανον,
καὶ
μῦρα
διαχέον
φάσκοντες·
οἱ
δὴ
ἀπελθόντες
καὶ
εὑρόντες
οὐκ
ἔνσαρκον
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον,
ἀλλὰ
τὰ
παρ᾽
αὐτοῦ
ξηρὰ
ῥιφέντα
ὀστᾶ,
διέπτυσαν
καὶ
ἐταλάνισαν.
ἀπάτην
δὲ
καὶ
χλεύην
τὰς
ἰάσεις
ληρωδήσαντες,
κατέστρεψαν
τὴν
λάρνακα,
καὶ
σὺν
αὐτῇ
τὸ
ἅγιον
θυσιαστήριον,
τόν
τε
ναὸν
παρέστειλαν.
ἐξήνεγκαν
δὲ
τὴν
λάρνακα
ἔξω
τοὐ
βήματος,
ἣ
καὶ
γέγονε
κατακητήριον
ἀβαπτίστων,
καὶ
ἀπαιδεύτων
ἀνδρῶν·
τοὺς
γὰρ
ἀπὸ
ἐθνῶν
δορυαλώτους
καὶ
σκῦλα
τῇ
βασιλίδι
διδομένους
ἐκεῖσε
ἀπεφόρτιζον.
ἕτεροι
δὲ
ζαβαροὶ,
καὶ
οἱ
τῶν
βονεύσων
τεχνῶν
ἐν
αὐτῷ
τὰς
καμίνους
πήξαντες,
οἶκον
κοσμικὸν,
τόν
ποτε
ναὸν
κατεσκεύασαν·
ἐν
τῶ
ἁγίῳ
βήματι
ὼς
ἀποκρύφῳ
τόπῳ
τὴν
ἀσθενῆ
τοῦ
σώματος
χρείαν
ποιούμενοι,
τὰ
περιττὰ
τῆς
γαστρὸς
ἀπεφόρτιζον.
ὦ
Χριστέ
μου
τῆς
τότε
σου
ἀνοχῆς.
[6] Ταῦτα
κἀγὼ
ὡς
ἐθεασάμην,
ὅλος
δακρύων
πληρωθεὶς
καὶ
στεναγμῶν,
ἐξῆλθον,
ἐκπληττόμενος
ἐπὶ
τῇ
τοῦ
παντοκράτορος
Θεοῦ
μακροθυμίᾳ,
ἀνοχῇ
τε
καὶ
παραχωρήσει·
καὶ
ταῦτα
μέν
ἐπράχθη
ἐπὶ
τοῦ
προλεχθέντος
ἀσεβοῦς
βασιλέως.
Ἀλλ᾽
ἐπειδὴ
ὁ
τῶν
δυνάμεων
Κύριος,
ὁ
ἀήττητον
ἔχων
τήν
δύναμιν,
καὶ
ἀμυκτήριστον
τὴν
ἰσχὺν,
(Θεὸς
γὰρ
ὄντως
οὐ
μυκτηρίζεται)
ἀκούσωμεν
τὶ
Χριστὸς
ὁ
Θεὸς
ἡμῶν
ἐπὶ
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον
ᾠκονόμησεν.
ἐν
γὰρ
τῷ
ῥιφῆναι
αὐτὸ
ἐν
τῷ
ῥεύματι,
κατ᾽
οἰκονομίαν
τοῦ
πανοικτήρμονος
Θεοῦ,
σκάφος
τινῶν
δύοιν
ἀδελφῶν
ἀνδρῶν
εὐσεβῶν
ἔξεισι
τοῦ
λιμένος
τῶν
λεγομένων
σοφιῶν,
καὶ
ἐν
τῷ
διαπλέειν
αὐτοὺς
ὀλίγον
τι
ἐκ
τοῦ
λιμένος,
ἰδοὺ
τὸ
γλωσσόκομον
κατερχόμενον
σὺν
τῷ
ῥεύματι,
πλησίον
ἐγένετο
τῆς
νηὸς·
ἀνειλκύσθη
γοῦν
παρὰ
τῶν
εὐλαβῶν
ἐκείνων
ἀνδρῶν,
καὶ
ἀπετέθη
ἐν
τῷ
πλοίῳ,
δοκούντων
αὐτῶν
θησαυρὸν
κοσμικὸν
ἐπιφέρειν.
Ἄραντες
δὲ
τὰ
ἱστία,
κατέπλεον
ἐξελθεῖν
τὸ
τῆς
Αβύδου
στόμιον.
ἀνακαλύψαντες
δὲ
μικρὸν
τὸ
γλωσσόκομον,
ὁρῶσι
τὸ
λείψανον,
καὶ
εὐωδίας
πληρωθέντες,
ἐξέστησαν,
καὶ
τὶ
διαπράξασθαι
οὐκ
εἶχον,
ἢ
μόνον
ἐπεκαλοῦντο
τὸν
Κύριον
ἀποκαλυφθῆναι
αὐτοῖς
εἰ
ἅγιόν
ἐστιν,
ἢ
κοινὸν.
Καὶ
δὴ
τῇ
νυκτὶ
ἐκείνῃ
ὁρῶσι
δόξαν
μεγίστην,
φῶτά
τε
καὶ
κηρούς,
καὶ
ἄνδρας
λευχειμονοῦντας,
καὶ
τὸν
Χριστὸν
υμνοῦντας·
εὐωδίας
τε
πάλιν
πληρωθέντες
οἱ
τοῦ
πλοίου,
ἐπέγνωσαν
ὅτι
ἁγίου
ἐστὶ
λείψανον.
ἐχάρησαν
οὖν
χαρὰν
μεγάλην,
καὶ
γεγηθότες,
ἐπορεύοντο
λαθαίως
διὰ
τὸν
τοῦ
τυράννου
φόβον,
ἀπενέγκαι
τῂ
ἐαυτῶν
πατρίδι
θησαύρισμα.
[7] Ὡς
οὖν
ἔφθασαν
ἐπὶ
τὴν
νήσον
τὴν
καλουμένην
Λῆμνον,
συνέβη
αὐτοῖς
κλύδων
μέγας,
καὶ
περιπεσόντες
ἐπὶ
τὸ
ἄκρον
τῆς
νήσου,
ἐν
ᾧ
τραχὺς
ὑπῆρχε
καὶ
ναυαγώδης
τόπος,
ἀπεῖπον
τῆς
σωτηρίας·
τοῦ
δὲ
Θεοῦ
διὰ
τῶν
τῆς
πανευφήμου
πρεσβειῶν
σὺν
τοῖς
κύμασι
τὴν
ναῦν
συναρπάσαντος,
ὑπεράνω
τοὐ
κινδύνου
γενόμενοι
ἔνδον
τῆς
γαλήνης
εὑρέθησαν.
καὶ
δόξαν
τῷ
Θεῷ
ἀναπέμψαντες,
τῷ
λειψάνῳ
τὴν
πρέπουσαν
τιμὴν
ἀπένειμον.
ἤσχαλλον
οὖν
καὶ
διηπόρουν
τίνος
ἂν
εἴη,
καὶ
ποίου
ἁγίου
τὸ
λείψανον.
Καὶ
δὴ
τῇ
νυκτὶ
ἐκείνῃ
τὴν
τοῦ
λειψάνου
ἀποκάλυψιν
ἐδέξαντο
διὰ
τῆς
τοῦ
ὀνόματος
αὐτῆς
ἀποφάσεως.
ἐν
γὰρ
τῇ
νήσῳ
ἐκείνῃ
τὸ
τῆς
ἀγίας
Γλυκερίας
κατέκειτο
λείψανον.
καὶ
τῇ
ῥηθείσῃ
νυκτὶ
ἐφάνη
αὐτοῖς
ἐξελθεῖν
ἐκ
τῆς
νήσου
τὴν
μάρτυρα
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
Γλυκερίαν,
ταύτην
τε
ἐκ
τοῦ
πλοίου
ἐκπορευθεῖσαν,
καὶ
ἀλλήλας
περιπτυξαμένας·
εἰπούσης
τε
τῆς
ἐκ
τῆς
νήσου
πρὸς
τὴν
ἐκ
τοῦ
πλοίου·
χαίροις
μάρτυς
Χριστοῦ
Ἐὐφημία
πανεύφημε,
καὶ
ἀσπασάμεναι
ἀλλῆλαις,
πάλιν
καθ᾽
ἑαυτὰς
ἀνεχώρουν·
τότε
διυπνισθέντες,
δάκρυσι
καὶ
οἰμωγαῖς
τὸ
τίμιον
κατελάμβανον
λείψανον,
καὶ
κατησπάζοντο
τὸ
γλωσσόκομον,
Σέργιος
καὶ
Σεργωνᾶς
οἱ
ἀοίδιμοι
ναύκληροι·
ταυτὶ
γὰρ
ἦν
αὐτῶν
τὰ
ὀνόματα·
Ἡμέρας
δὲ
γενομένης,
ἀπέπλευσαν,
ἐπὶ
τὴν
ἰδίαν
βουλόμενοι
πορεύεσθαι
πατρίδα.
καὶ
γενόμενοι
μέχρι
μιλίων
εἴκοσι,
μικρὸν
πλέον
ἣ
ἔλασσον,
πνεύσαντος
ἐναντίου
ἀνέμου,
καὶ
μὴ
θέλοντες
πάλιν
ὑπέστρεφον,
ὅθεν
ἀπάραντες
ἦσαν.
[8] Πάλιν
τε
μετ᾽
ὀλίγας
ἡμέρας
δοκιμὴν
ποιησάμενοι,
καὶ
τῷ
δοκεῖν
εὐπλοεῖν
βουλόμενοι,
αὖθις
παλίνορσοι
γεγόνασι.
τοῦτο
ἅπαξ
δίς
τε
καὶ
τρὶς
δοκιμάσαντες,
καὶ
μηδαμῶς
πορείαν
ποιεῖν
ἐξισχύοντες,
ἐπὶ
τὴν
ἰδίαν
πατρίδα
ὑποστρέψαντες,
καὶ
ἐν
τῷ
λιμένι
ὁρμίσαντες,
ὥφθη
αὐτοῖς
ἐν
ἐκείνῃ
τῇ
νυκτὶ
ἡ
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
μάρτυς
Εὐφημία,
λέγουσα·
τί
με
ᾧδε
κἀκεῖσε
περιάγειν
ἐπείγεσθε;
οὐκ
ἐστί
μοι
θέλησις
πρόσω
πορεύεσθαι,
οὔτε
ἐντεῦθεν
ἀπαίρειν,
ὄπου
ὑμεῖς
συναπαίρειν
με
βούλεσθε.
Ταῦτα
λέξασα,
πάλιν
ἔφη
πρὸς
αὐτοὺς·
οὐκ
ἤρκει
μοι
τὸ
ἐκ
Χαλκηδόνος
ἐν
Βυζαντίῳ
μετατεθῆναι,
καὶ
τὸ
ἐν
τῇ
θαλάσσῃ
ρἱφήναι,
καὶ
ἐνταῦθα
στῆναι;
ἵνα
τὶ
δὲ
περιάγειν
με
καὶ
ἐν
τοῖς
κατωτέρω
βούλεσθε
μέρεσιν;
οὐκ
ἐστί
μοι
τοῦτο
δυνατὸν,
μὴ
θελήσητε
τοῦτο
ποιεῖν,
ἀλλ᾽
ἐνταῦθά
μου
ποιήσασθε
τήν
ἀνάπαυσιν·
ταῦτα
ἀκούσαντες,
βουλὴν
ἀγαθὴν
βουλευσάμενοι,
καὶ
τῆς
μάρτυρος
ποιεῖν
τὰ
προστεταγμένα
ἀόκνως
σκεψάμενοι,
ᾠκοδόμησαν
οἶκον
εὐκτήριον,
καὶ
πάντα
τὸν
φόρτον
τοῦ
πλοίου
καταναλώσαντες,
καὶ
τὴν
ἑαυτῶν
οὐσίαν
τῷ
Θεῷ
καὶ
τῇ
μαρτυρι
προσκομίσαντες,
ἑαυτοὺς
ἀπέθριξαν,
εἰπόντες,
οὐκ
ἐάσομέν
σου,
πανεύφημε
μάρτυς,
τὸ
σεβάσμιον
λείψανον.
ἀλλ᾽
ὧδε
μέχρι
τερμάτων
βίου
τῷ
σῷ
τιμίῳ
λειψάνῳ
θειότατα
παρεδρεύσομεν.
Τούτων
οὕτως
πραχθέντων,
ὁ
τῆς
Λήμνου
ὁσιώτατος
ἐπίσκοπος
ἦν
οἰκοδομήσας
ἐν
τοῖς
χρόνοις
ἑκείνοις
σεβάσμιον
τέμενος·
ἔδοξεν
οὖν
ἐκεῖσε
ἀποκομίζειν
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον
ἐν
τῷ
ἐγκαινισμῷ
τοῦ
παρ᾽
αὐτοῦ
ἱδρυθέντος
ναοῦ·
καὶ
δέησιν
ποιησάμενος
μετὰ
λιτῆς,
ἀπελθὼν
ἐν
τῷ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λειψάνῳ,
κἀκεῖσε
παννυχικῶς
διανυκτερεύσας,
ὤφθη
αὐτῷ
κατ᾽
ὄναρ
ἠ
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
μάρτυς
λέγουσα·
Μὴ
ἐγχειρήσεις
ποιεῖν,
ὅ
βεβούλευσαι,
οὐ
γὰρ
ὑπακούσω
ἐν
τούτῳ
τῇ
σῇ
ὁσιότητι,
ἀλλ᾽
ἄπελθε
πρὸς
τὴν
ἀδελφήν
μου
καί
συμμάρτυρα
Γλυκερίαν,
κἀκείνην
παρακαλέσω
κἀγὼ,
καὶ
ἐπιδώσει
σοι
ἑαυτὴν
εἰς
τὴν
τοῦ
ποθουμένου
ἐκπλήρωσιν·
καὶ
διϋπνισθεὶς
ὁ
ὁσιώτατος
ἐπίσκοπος,
ἐποίησεν,
ὡς
προσέταξεν
αὐτῷ
ἡ
τοὐ
Χριστοῦ
πανεύφημος
ἀθληφόρος·
καὶ
ταῦτα
μὲν
ἐπράχθη
ἐν
τοῖς
χρόνοις
ἐκείνοις.
[9] Δίκαιον
δὲ
μὴ
παραδραμεῖν
τὸν
τοῦ
διαβόλου
φθόνον,
καὶ
τίνος
ἕνεκεν
τὸν
κλύδωνα
τοῦτον
ἐξήγειρε
τῇ
πανευφήμῳ·
ὅτε
γὰρ
χάριτι
Χριστοῦ
ἡ
ἐν
Χαλκηδόνι
τετάρτη
σύνοδος
ἐπὶ
τοῦ
ἐν
μακαρίᾳ
τῇ
μνήμῃ
Μαρκιανοῦ,
τοῦ
εὐσεβῶς
καὶ
θεαρέστως
βασιλεύσαντος
συνηθροίσθη,
ἥτις
ἁγία
σύνοδος
κατὰ
Διοσκόρου
τοῦ
πάπα
Ἀλεξανδρείας,
συνελθοῦσα,
καὶ
τοῦτον
ἀναθεματίσασα
καὶ
τὸ
τῆς
ὀρθοδοξίας
σύμβολον
ἐπικυρώσασα,
καὶ
ὅρον
ἐκθαμένη
στήλην
ὀρθοδοξίας,
ἀμφιβαλλόντων
τῶν
ἐκ
τοὐ
ἐναντίου
μέρους,
βουλὴν
ἀγαθὴν
βουλευσάμενοι,
εῖπον·
Δεῦτε
καὶ
τὴν
τῆς
πανευφήμου
ἁγίας
μάρτυρος
Ευφημίας
λάρνακα
διανοίξαντες,
ἐν
τῷ
ἐνσάρκῳ
αὐτῆς
καὶ
θαυματουργῷ
λειψάνῳ
τὸν
τόμον
ἐπιθήσωμεν,
ὅπως
ἂν
δι᾽
αὐτῆς
ὁ
τῶν
δυνάμεων
Κύριος
καὶ
νῦν
θαυματουργήσῃ,
καὶ
ἀποκαλύψῃ
ἡμῖν
διὰ
τῶν
εὐχῶν
αὐτῆς,
εἰ
κατὰ
τὸ
θέλημα
αὐτοῦ
ὁ
νῦν
ἐξεφωνήθη
ὅρος·
ταῦτα
οὖν
ποιήσαντες,
ἅμα
τῷ
πλησιάσαι
τὸν
χάρτην
ἐν
τῷ
τιμίῳ
αὐτῆς
λειψάνῳ
παράδοξόν
τι
καὶ
μέγα
ὁ
τῶν
θαυμάτων
δημιουργὸς
εἰργάσατο
Κύριος·
τὴν
γὰρ
τῆς
μάρτυρος
τεθνηκυῖαν
καὶ
ἄψυχον
ψυχώσας
χεῖρα,
ἐξέτεινε,
καὶ
τὸν
χάρτην
λαβοῦσα
ἡ
πανεύφημος
μάρτυς
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
ἐν
τῇ
χειρὶ,
καὶ
τοῦτον
ἀσπασαμένη,
ἀπέδωκε
πάλιν
εὐσεβῶς
τὸν
τῆς
πίστεως
ὅρον
τοῖς
τῆς
ὀρθοδόξου
πίστεως
λειτουργοῖς.
Τοῦτο
πάντες
θαυμάσαντες,
καὶ
ἐκπλήξεως
ἀνάμεστοι
γεγονότες,
τὸν
παντοκράτορα
Θεὸν
ἀνύμνησαν,
καὶ
οὕτω
τὸ
τέλειον
τῆς
ὀρθοδόξου
πίστεως
βεβαιωθέντες,
ἐκύρωσαν,
τὴν
ἁγίαν
καὶ
οἰκουμενικὴν
θετάρτην
σύνοδον
διὰ
τῆς
γενομένης
ὑπὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
ἀποκαλύψεως·
διὰ
τοῦτο
καὶ
ἐν
ταῖς
ἁγίαις
σεπταῖς
εἰκόσιν
ἀνιστορουμένη
ἡ
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
μάρτυς
χάρτην
ἐν
τῇ
χειρὶ
κατέχουσα
πανταχοῦ
ἀναστηλοῦται.
Διά
τοι
ταῦτα
καὶ
τὰ
τούτων
παραπλήσια
τῆς
πανευφήμου
θεράστια,
ὁ
ἀρχέκακος
καὶ
φθονερὸς
κινηθεὶς
διάβολος
ἔκτοτε
ἐμελέτησε
κενὰ
κατὰ
τῆς
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
μάρτυρος,
καὶ
ταύτην
τῷ
βυθῷ
παραπεμφθῆναι
ἐτεχνεύσατο,
καθὼς
προείρηται,
ὅτε
ἐκ
τοῦ
βυθοῦ
τοῦ
ῥεύματος
οἱ
ὁσιῶτατοι
ναύκληροι
ἀνελάβοντο
τὸ
λείψανον
αὐτῆς.
[10] Μετὰ
δὲ
ταῦτα,
ἐτελεύτησαν
οἱ
ὑπηρέται
Σέργιος
καὶ
Σαργωνᾶς,
καὶ
παρὰ
μικρὸν
ἡ
γενεὰ
ἐχείνη,
ὅ
τε
τύραννος
βασιλεὺς,
ἀποῤῥήξας
τὸν
βίον,
κατέλιπε
Κωνσταντῖνον
τοῦ
ἑαυτοῦ
υἱὸν
πονηρότατον
καὶ
δεινότατον,
καὶ
πάσης
ἀσελγείας
ἀνάμεστον,
καὶ
τῆς
πατρικῆς
αὐτοῦ
ἐρεσχελίας
ἀνάπλεων·
ὅστις
οὐ
μόνον
ταῖς
ἁγίαις
εἰκόσι
τὴν
ἑαυτοῦ
κακίαν
ἐξέτεινεν,
ἀλλὰ
καὶ
ἕτερα
πολλὰ
κατὰ
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
καὶ
τῶν
ἐκκλησιῶν,
τῶν
τε
εὐλαβῶν
μοναχῶν,
καὶ
πάντων
τῶν
ὁσίως
πολιτευομένων
ἐξηύρατο,
ἅμα
τε
ἐμπιπρῶν
καὶ
κοινῶν
ἱεροὺς
οἴκους,
τὰ
τε
λείψανα
τῶν
ἁγίων
πυρὶ
κατακαίων
καὶ
διασκορπίζων,
καὶ
τὰς
εἰς
δόξαν
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
καὶ
τῶν
ἁγίων
γινομένας
παννυχίδας
ἐκκόπτων,
καὶ
τὰ
κατὰ
πρόνοιαν
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
βλύζοντα
ἁγιασματα
τοῖς
ἀνθρώποις
ἐξουθενῶν·
καὶ
εἰδωλολάτρας
τοὺς
χρωμένους
ἀποκαλῶν,
τάς
τε
τῶν
ἁγίων
πρεσβείας
ἀκηρύκτους
ποιῶν,
τήν
τε
τῆς
παναγίας
Θεοτόκου
καὶ
ἀεὶ
παρθένου
Μαρίας
βοήθειαν,
καὶ
πρεσβείαν
ἀποκηρύττων,
σταυρούς
τε
ἐν
ἀμφόδοις
κατὰ
πίστιν
πηγνυμένους
παραστέλλων,
τὴν
τριαδικὴν
προσκύνησιν,
ἥν
ἐκ
τῶν
πατέρων
παρειλήφαμεν
ἐν
εὐχῆ,
ἐντεῦθεν
καὶ
ἐντεῦθεν
τῇ
τριάδι
ἀμείβειν
παραρτύων·
τοῦς
δὲ
ὡραιότητι
διαφέροντας
ἐν
κλήρῳ
εὐνούχους
ἀποκληρῶν,
καὶ
τῆ
ἰδίῳ
δουλείῳ
κατατάττων,
τοὺς
μοναχοὺς
τοὺς
μὲν
μάστιξι
τοὺς
δὲ
θωπεύμασιν
ἐξαπατῶν,
καὶ
ἀρνεῖσθαι
τὸ
ἐπάγγελμα
παρασκευάζων,
κοσμικὰς
ἐδίδου
ἀξίας·
ἐνδυτάς
τε,
καὶ
τὰ
θεῖα
σκεύη,
ἐγκεχαραγμένας
θείας
εἰκόνας
ἔχοντας,
κατακλῶν
καὶ
κατακαίων,
ἓτερά
τε
καθ᾽
ἑαυτὸν
ἐπιτελὼν
ἀσελγείας
μιάσματα
καὶ
μυστήρια·
ἀνεῖλε
δὲ
καὶ
τοῦτον
ὁ
τῶν
δυνάμεων
Κύριος
οἰκτίστῳ
τέλει.
Μετὰ
δὲ
τὴν
τούτου
θεοστυγῆ
τελευτὴν
ἐβασίλευσε
Λέων
ὁ
υἱὸς
αὐτοὐ·
οὗτος
τῆς
μὲν
τοῦ
πατρὸς
αἱρέσεως
ἦν
μέτοχος,
τῆς
δὲ
πράξεως
ἀμέτοχος·
οὐ
γὰρ
ἦν
δεινὸς,
ὡς
οἱ
πατέρες
αὐτοῦ·
οὐδεὶς
μέντοι
ἐν
ταῖς
ἡμέραις
αὐτοῦ
δοξάζειν
ἠξιοῦτο
παῤῥησίᾳ
τὸν
Κύριον,
ἀλλὰ
φόβος
καὶ
ἔκστασις
ἐπὶ
πάντας
τοὺς
ὀρθοδόξους
ἦν,
ἐπικειμένης
αὐτοῖς
τῆς
ἀσεβοῦς
τῶν
πρώην
σχολαρίων
ὁμηγύρεως,
ἦν
ὁ
μιαρὸς
ἐκεῖνος
Κωνσταντῖνος
φυτεύσας,
φυτείαν
πονηρὰν
φέρουσαν
βότρυν
πικρίας,
πονηρῶς
ἐξεπαίδευσε,
καὶ
ἐμμανῶς
κατὰ
τῶν
εὐλαβούντων
ἐκθρέψας
ἐξώπλισεν,
οἵτινες
πολλοῖς
τῶν
μοναχῶν
οἰκτίστους
ἐπήγαγον
αἰκισμοὺς
καὶ
θανάτους.
Ἀλλ᾽
οὐκ
εἰς
τέλος
ὠργίσθη
ὁ
Κύριος,
οὐδὲ
τὸ
πρόσωπον
τελείως
ἀπέστρεψεν,
ἀλλ᾽
ἰκτειρήσας,
ἐλέησε
τὸ
τῶν
ἀνθρώπων
γένος.
Preface on the author's purpose. I come bringing what you commanded, O most holy father
and lover of every good desire, and instructor
of my rude wit, relying upon your holy prayers.
For I am not fit to undertake this,
being rude and unlearned, and full of rusticity.
But ever fearing the perilous penalty of disobedience,
and reckoning it harmful not to obey a father's
precepts, relying on your excellent prayers, I set myself to narrate,
writing down what I have heard from
pious men, and what I have beheld with my own
eyes: namely
how the relics of the in every way blessed martyr Euphemia
were carried away into foreign borders, and were lost,
and again were found and brought back:
that another generation may know the mighty works of God,
which he himself, sought from a lofty origin, does not cease to dispense
even to this present day, to the praise and glory
of those who fear him, and to the disgrace and ignominy
of those who dare to bark against the glory
of his Saints.
[2] It happened in past years that, by God's permission,
the impure and profane Leo a reigned, of the race of the ill-omened
Isaurians b. Leo the Isaurian breaks the sacred images: Who, when he had seized the kingdom
neither holily nor piously, began to bark against the Church of God,
and under the pretext of piety, while he calls the venerable images idols
and likens them to idols, to break them, saying to men
like himself and execrable, and teaching them, that they were those things
of which the Prophet says: They have a mouth and shall not
speak. Wherefore also our most holy father
Germanus c, the patriarch, resplendent in life and speech,
using shamelessness and scourges, he cast out of
his see: and not only did he not restrain his blasphemy against the venerable
images, but he also spurned the relics of those
who underwent martyrdom for Christ,
calling those bone-worshipers who
spent themselves in nocturnal vigils. O boldness, O impiety,
O outrage! Who will not marvel,
who will not be astounded at the patience of God which then was?
[3] But let our discourse return to its purpose, and speak of
the illustrious and blessed martyr of Christ, Euphemia. and the Saint's body, which had been translated to Constantinople, In her
temple therefore, which is near the Hippodrome d,
were her most holy relics entire, untouched, and
unharmed. For from Chalcedon they had been translated with their chest
to Constantinople on account of the incursion
of the Persians which then took place. And above the chest
a divine altar had been placed, which had the most holy
relics beneath it. And upon it was celebrated
the unbloody mystery of the undefiled Body and Blood of the Lord,
Christ our God. And in that same
chest there was a small opening, which even now stands
to this present day, which can admit within
about the size of a man's hand. Into which, when
I too, unworthy, once dared to put my hand
and touched the coffin, I perceived a good odor,
and laid hold of grace. But I will tell the cause also
of the opening [e], which was made by divine counsel and providence.
When her venerable and miracle-working relics were at Chalcedon,
when the impious Persians had occupied that place, in the days of the emperor
Heraclius, being moved by the envy of the devil whom they worshiped,
when they had heaped up a great pile of straw and wood
around the chest, they resolved to burn it
with the venerable relics which were in it.
But their barbaric and demoniac undertaking availed nothing,
since God, as it is written, keeps
all the bones of those who have contended for him.
The fire therefore did not touch her bones at all, save only
that, when it had rebounded from the chest in the form of a ball, it provided
that an easier entrance to the relics should be given to those
who wish to draw from it the grace of healings, namely
the opening spoken of before.
[4] Great therefore was the faith of those who dwelt
at Constantinople, there continued to pour forth odor-bearing blood, he secretly carries off, as we said above, in the temple
and relics of the in every way blessed martyr Euphemia,
and all flowed together like a river drawing
healings. For from her precious relics there came forth
blood f full of good odor, which indeed was given to the sick
like an ointment supplied by God.
And to the faithful it was indeed a terrible
and venerable miracle: but to the unbelieving and to those
who thought otherwise, a disgrace and an ignominy. But then
that execrable and pernicious emperor,
using rash boldness, entering by night with certain men
who were of his sect, made an assault upon the relics
of the in every way blessed martyr Euphemia: and
when he had opened the chest, he carried off the relics of the blessed
Martyr with the coffin which contained them. And having
other dried bones of a dead man ready, these
he threw within the chest: and having covered it again, he withdrew.
But the venerable relics of the blessed Euphemia,
with the wooden coffin, he deposited in a certain oratory
house of those which were there in the palace. Wherefore
his sisters and daughters honored it secretly with spices, ointments,
and lights, on account of
its remarkable grace and the greatness of its miracles.
[5] and casts it into the sea: and profanes her church. When the wicked man had learned these things, he carried it over to the Bucoleon
the flood of the sea: and on the following day, an impious council [i] being assembled,
he began to move his wicked and execrable tongue
against the blessed Euphemia,
reviling her, and saying: Go and see how greatly
they erred who said that the relics of the blessed Euphemia
were safe and entire, and asserted that they
poured forth ointments. But they, when they had gone and had seen
that the precious relics of Euphemia were not in the flesh,
but were the dry bones which had been cast there by him,
spat upon them, and pursued them with curses.
And when they had said that the healings were a fraud and a mockery and mere trifles,
they overturned the chest, and with
it they abandoned the holy altar and the temple. And they carried
the chest outside the platform, which was the dwelling
of men who were not baptized, and were
untaught. For those who had been taken in war from the nations,
and were given as spoils to the palace, they used to unload there.
And other makers of arms, and craftsmen of sordid and illiberal
arts, having set up furnaces in it,
made a secular house of what had once
been a temple. And on the holy platform, as being
a hidden place, doing what the body requires, they laid down
the body's excrements. O my Christ, what was thy
patience then!
[6] Two brothers lift the coffin out of the Propontis into their ship, When I too had seen these things, wholly filled
with tears and lamentations, I went out, wondering
at the forbearance and permission of almighty God
[k]. And these things indeed were done in the time of the aforesaid
impious emperor. But since the Lord is
the Lord of hosts, who has unconquered power, and strength
that cannot be mocked, (for God truly is not
mocked) let us hear what Christ our God provided
concerning the relics of the blessed Euphemia. For while
they were cast into the sea, by the providence of God the supremely merciful,
the boat of certain two brothers, pious men,
goes out from the harbor which is called of the Sophias l:
and while they were sailing a little way from the harbor,
behold, the coffin, which was coming down with the current,
was near the ship. It was therefore drawn out by those
pious men, and laid in the vessel, they thinking
that they were carrying some worldly treasure.
And hoisting sail they sailed, that they might go out through the strait
of Abydus [m]. And when they had opened the coffin a little,
they see the relics, and being filled with a sweet odor,
they marveled, nor did they know what to do, except that
they only called upon the Lord that it might be revealed to them
whether it were holy or common. But on that
night they see a very great glory, and lights, and tapers,
and men clothed in white garments, and praising
Christ. And the sailors, again filled with the good odor,
recognized that these were holy relics. Being therefore filled with great
joy, they set out secretly, for fear of
the tyrant, to carry the treasure into their own country.
[7] [and they learn by revelation that the relics of St. Euphemia are contained in it,] But after they had come to the island which
is called Lemnos n, a great storm befell them. And
when they had fallen upon a promontory of the island, on which
there was a rough place, and plainly apt for shipwreck, they despaired
of safety. But when God, through the intercession
of the blessed Euphemia, had snatched the ship along with
the waves, the danger being overcome, they were found in
a tranquil place: and when they had given forth glory to God,
they rendered fitting honor to the relics. But they were troubled
and doubted whose Saint's relics they were.
But on that night they received a revelation of the relics,
by the utterance of her name. For on that
island lay the relics of holy Glyceria [o].
And on the said night the martyr of Christ Glyceria was seen
to go out from the island, and this one to go out from the ship, and
that they embraced one another. And when she who had gone out from the island
had said to her who had come out from the ship: Hail,
blessed Euphemia, martyr of Christ, and they had greeted
one another, they again withdrew each by herself. Then, roused
from sleep, with tears and groans
they received the precious relics, and the illustrious shipmasters
embraced the coffin, Sergius and Sergonas: for these
were their names. And when day had come, they sailed forth,
wishing to go into their own country. And when
they had proceeded about twenty miles, a wind
blowing contrary, they returned, even unwilling, to the place
whence they had set out.
[8] But again, when after a few days they wished to make trial,
[who then appears to them also, and afterwards to the bishop: an oratory built for the Saint.] and desired, as it seemed, to use a second
voyage, they again returned. When they had tried this once,
twice, and thrice, and could in no way
go into their own country, on the night when they had returned and put in to harbor,
there appeared to them Euphemia the martyr of Christ,
saying: Why do you strive to drag me about here and there?
I do not wish to go further, nor to set out hence
whither you wish to lead me. When she had said these things,
she said to them again: Was it not enough that I was translated
from Chalcedon to Byzantium, and was cast into the sea,
and have stood here? Why do you wish also to drag me about
into the lower parts? This indeed cannot be borne
by me. Do not do this: but bring it about that I
may rest here. When they had heard these things, taking good
counsel, and resolving diligently to carry out
what the Martyr commanded, they built an oratory house: and when
they had spent all the cargo of the ship, and had offered their goods
to God and to the Martyr, they shore themselves,
saying: We will not leave, O blessed Martyr,
thy venerable relics: but here, until the end of our life,
we will most divinely attend upon thy precious relics.
These things being so done, the most holy bishop of Lemnos
[p] was building a venerable temple in those times.
It seemed good therefore that the sacred relics
of the blessed Euphemia should be carried thither for the dedication of the temple
which had been constructed by him. And when he had
poured out suppliant prayers, and had come to the relics of the blessed
Euphemia, and had passed the whole night there,
the Martyr of Christ was seen by him in his sleep, saying:
Do not attempt to do what you have resolved: for I will not obey
your holiness in this matter: but go to
my sister and companion in martyrdom, Glyceria,
and I will entreat her. And she will give herself to you for
this, that you may fulfill what you desire. And the most holy bishop,
awaking, did as the blessed Martyr
of Christ had commanded him. And these things indeed were done in those
times.
[9] But it is fitting not to pass over the envy of the devil,
and for what cause he stirred up this storm against
the blessed Euphemia. The Saint's alleged miracle at the Council of Chalcedon. When by the grace of Christ
the fourth synod, which was at Chalcedon, had been assembled in the time
of Marcian of blessed memory, who piously and holily
reigned, when it had come together against Dioscorus,
the pope of Alexandria, and had anathematized him,
and had confirmed the symbol of the right and orthodox faith,
and had set forth the decree as a pillar
of the right faith, those who were of the contrary party
doubting, having taken good counsel, they said: Come,
let us open the chest of the blessed martyr Euphemia, and lay
the book upon her relics, which are in the flesh and are
workers of wonders, that
through her the Lord of hosts may now also work
a miracle, and by her prayers may disclose to us whether
this decree has been issued by his will. When they had done these things
therefore, as soon as the scroll drew near
to her precious relics, the Lord, the worker of miracles, did something wonderful
and great. For when he had quickened the dead
and lifeless hand of the Martyr, she
stretched it out. And when the blessed Martyr of Christ
had received the scroll in her hand, and had embraced it, she piously
gave back the decree of the faith to the ministers of the right faith.
When all had marveled at this, and were filled with astonishment,
they praised God almighty: and so, being established
in the perfection of the orthodox faith, they confirmed the holy
and ecumenical fourth synod, through the revelation
which was made by the blessed Euphemia.
And therefore Euphemia, the martyr of Christ, who is seen
among the holy images, is everywhere set forth holding a scroll
in her hand [q]. On account of these and like miracles of the blessed
Euphemia, the devil, the author of evils and envious,
being stirred up, then devised vain things against
the Martyr of Christ, and contrived that she should be
sent into the deep, as was said before. But
by the providence of God, out of the flood of the deep the most holy
shipmasters received her relics.
[10] [The death of the Isaurian and of Copronymus, whose impiety is recorded, and of Leo his son,] But after these things the ministers
Sergius and Sergonas departed from among the living, and almost that whole generation,
when the tyrant emperor, his life being cut short, left
Constantine his son, a most wicked man
and filled with all wantonness and iniquity,
and full of his father's contentiousness. Who not only stretched out his wickedness
against the holy images, but
also devised many other things against God and the churches of God,
and pious monks, and all who piously and holily
ordered their life: at once burning and profaning
sacred buildings, and burning up and scattering the relics of the saints,
and cutting off the vigils which
are held to the glory of God and of the Saints: and spurning and making nothing
of the sanctifications which by God's providence gush forth for men:
and calling those idolaters who use them,
and abolishing the intercessions of the Saints, and publicly
banishing and expelling the help and intercession
of the most holy Mother of God and ever Virgin Mary,
and casting down the crosses which were fittingly
set up at the crossroads of the faith, preparing to change this way
and that the adoration of the Trinity,
which we received from the fathers in prayer:
and choosing as eunuchs those of the clergy who were
of outstanding form, and ordaining them to his own
service: deceiving some monks with scourges,
others with blandishments, and bringing it about that they should renounce their vow,
by bestowing secular dignities:
and breaking and burning the divine vestments and vessels
which had divine images engraved upon them [r],
and performing of himself other expiations and mysteries of wantonness.
But the Lord of hosts took this man too out of the way
with a pitiable end. And after his
death Leo his son reigned. He was indeed partaker
of his father's heresy, but had no share in his action [s].
For he was not cruel, as his parents. Yet no one
in his days ventured freely to glorify the Lord:
but fear and stupor had seized all the orthodox,
there hanging over them the impious company of those who
had lately come from his father's school. Which plantation, bearing
the grape-cluster of bitterness, when that execrable
Constantine had planted it, he wickedly reared, and, reared,
madly armed it against the pious: who indeed afflicted many
monks with pitiable punishments and with death.
But the Lord was not angry unto the end, nor did he
wholly turn away his face, but in pity he had pity on the human
race.
ANNOTATIONS.
of April, when the 14th Indiction was running, as Baronius rightly observes at
that year, and proves from the Letter of Pope Gregory II, which he recites at
the year 726. For there Gregory clearly asserts that Leo reigned in the 14th Indiction, which
ended on the Kalends of September of the year 716. Pagi indeed, at the year 716,
number 3, wishes to correct the opinion of Baronius from Theophanes. But Theophanes
not seldom errs by a year or two, and the reasoning of Baronius is so clear
that it cannot be obscured by words, provided one have eyes accustomed to chronology,
and be willing to see the truth. The Pontiff begins his
Letter thus: The letters of your majesty guarded by God …
we have received, in the fourteenth Indiction of your reign, and your letters received in that same 14th and
15th and 1st and 2nd and 3rd and 4th and 5th and 6th and 7th and 8th and
9th Indictions, laid up in the holy Church at the threshold of the confession of the holy and glorious prince of the Apostles Peter
we diligently keep, etc. These things Gregory writes, that he may make Leo, who
after ten years of his reign fell into the heresy of the Iconoclasts,
mindful of what he had rightly written and rightly
promised to the Pontiff. Hence a little after he says: For ten years by God's kindness
you walked rightly, and made no mention of the sacred images: but now
you say that they fill the place of idols. Now, studious reader, receive the argument
of Baronius. The 14th Indiction ended on the Kalends of September of the year 716,
as Pagi confesses. But Leo had already reigned, and written his first letters to Gregory,
in the 14th Indiction. Therefore Leo reigned before the Kalends of September
of the year 716. Consequently the beginning of his reign must be fixed in the year 716 with
Baronius, not 717 with Pagi. These things I wished to observe, lest the authority of Pagi
lead anyone into error.
c. Of
St. Germanus, patriarch of Constantinople, it has been treated among us on the 12th
of May, and again in the Chronological History of the patriarchs
of Constantinople before volume 1 of August, page 91 and following. He was cast out
of his chair in the year 730, or rather he himself laid down the dignity.
and the translation that followed to the city of Constantinople, it was treated in
the Commentary at numbers 31 and 32. But what the author says about the cause of the opening
which was in the Saint's chest, as if it had come from the burning attempted by the Persians,
seems false, as Baronius observes at the year 766, writing thus:
But as regards the opening, I think, reader, that this was the author's supposition
rather than its true cause. Since long before
the incursion of the Persians there must have existed in that venerable chest an opening
for drawing off the ointment mingled with blood which flowed from those sacred
relics… Since besides, even without such a gushing forth
of ointments, it was customary to leave an opening in the sacred coffins of the martyrs, through
which they might let down a little cloth, which St. Gregory calls a brandeum, by which
by the touch of the sacred relics they might draw the grace of healings, and it was customarily held in place
of relics. The matter is certain, because Evagrius already makes mention of that opening: for he wrote before the burning attempted by the Persians.
f. That these
things took place while the body was at Chalcedon, I showed by the most certain testimonies
in the Commentary, §2. But here the author is a competent witness of the continuation
of the same miracle at Constantinople.
g. The Bucoleon was
one of the emperor's palaces, of which Du Cange treats in his Constantinopolis
Christiana, book 2, page 119, saying that the name was imposed on it from images of a bull and a lion wrestling with one another. He adds that the harbor itself which was there was called the Bucoleon. And so it was situated by the sea.
or rather Constantine Copronymus, committed that crime, as
others write, I noted in the Commentary at number 39 that it seems uncertain.
an assembly or council, as is shown in Du Cange's Greco-barbarous
Glossary. That phrase is omitted in Surius.
k. The author could
have seen the profanation of the church, if it took place about the end of the reign of Leo
the Isaurian, say about the year 740, as a youth or a young man, if he wrote as an old man,
as soon as the relics were brought back in the year 796.
was on the Propontis, and took its name from Sophia, the wife of Justin
the Younger, the emperor, as Du Cange sets forth at greater length in his Constantinopolis
Christiana, book 1, page 58.
m. Abydus was a city
of the Troad on the Hellespont, which at Abydus is at its narrowest. And so
the author says that the sailors wished to cross through the Hellespont from the Propontis into the Ægean
Sea.
o. Of
St. Glyceria, virgin and martyr, it was treated among us on the 13th of May, and there it was
proved that from her body also a prodigious and precious ointment
flowed.
p. Although it is certain that both before and after that time there were bishops on the island of Lemnos; yet the name of this bishop has not become known.
q. That this
whole story seems fabulous, and fabricated from the words of the council
badly explained, I showed in the Commentary at numbers 26 and following. Indeed from
what follows also, and from the cause asserted above of the opening which was
in the chest of St. Euphemia, it is sufficiently clear that this writer indulged rather more than he ought in conjectures not sufficiently founded.
r. All these
things about Constantine Copronymus, who surpassed his impious father in impiety,
are truly asserted. In the last centuries Calvin and his followers imitated
Copronymus, to whom everything just related agrees excellently.
s. That Copronymus
was most base in life and morals, all the ancient
writers testify. If any Calvinists have wished to whiten that Ethiopian, they have done nothing
but make manifest to the whole world how little they blush to contend
against open truth: but that Leo his son, and heir of the empire,
was less corrupt in morals, this author testifies.
* this word was ambiguously written
* perhaps μνησθεὶς
CHAPTER II
The empress Irene restores the profaned church of the Saint: and takes care that her relics be brought back from Lemnos to Constantinople.
Θανατώσας
δὲ
καὶ
τούτου
τὸν
κλάδον,
Λέοντά
φημι,
τὸν
Σκυθογενῆ,
ἀνέστησε
τὴν
τούτου
γυναῖκα
Εἰρήνην,
καὶ
τὸν
ταύτης
υἱὸν
Κωνσταντῖνον
φερωνύμως
τῷ
κόσμῳ
εἰρήνην
βραβεύοντας,
καὶ
τὰ
παρὰ
τοῦ
μιαροῦ
αὐτῆς
κηδεστοῦ
τε
καὶ
ἀνδρὸς
κατεαγέντα,
καὶ
βεβηλωθέντα,
ἀνιστῶσα,
καὶ
κατακοσμοῦσα
ἦν.
Τοὺς
τοίνυν
διωχθέντας
καὶ
παρ᾽
αὐτῶν
ἐξωρισθέντας
ἀνακαλουμένη
τε
καὶ
ἐκθάλπουσα,
καὶ
τοὺς
παλαμναίους
ἐκείνους
λεηλάτας,
τῶν
ἀθέων
σχολαρίους,
ἐξορίστους
θείᾳ
προμηθείᾳ
ποιήσασα,
καὶ
ἑτέρους
ἀντ᾽
αὐτῶν
εὐσεβεῖς
στρατολογήσασα,
καὶ
τοὺς
τόπους
αὐτῶν
ἐν
τοῖς
τάγμασιν
ἀναπληρώσασα,
καὶ
τὰ
θεῖα
φρονεῖν
ἐκδιδάξασα,
καὶ
πάντας
τοὺς
ὀρθοδόξους
ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ
προσώπῳ
πεπαῤῥησιασμένως
τὴν
δόξαν
Κυρίου,
καὶ
τὴν
ὀρθόδοξον
ἐκδιηγεῖσθαι
πίστιν
παρασκευάσασα,
εἰρήνην
βαθεῖαν
ταῖς
ἐκηλησίαις
δι᾽
αὐτῆς
ὁ
Θεὸς
ἐδωρήσατο.
ἀλλ᾽
ἐπὶ
τὸν
τῆς
πανευφήμου
σκοπὸν
ὁ
λόγος
πάλιν
δρομείτω.
Ὡς
οὖν
ἤρξατο
πάντα
ἡ
εὐσεβὴς
βασίλισσα
ἀν
οἰκοδομεῖν
θείῳ
ζήλῳ
κινηθεῖσα,
τὸν
κατεαγότα
ναὸν
τῆς
πανευφήμου
πρό
γε
τῶν
ἄλλων
ἁπάντων
ἔσπευσεν
ἀνοικοδομῆσαί
τε
καὶ
διακοσμῆσαι,
ὃ
καὶ
πεποίηκε,
καὶ
πάσῃ
εὐσεβείᾳ
τοῦτον
διακοσμήσασα,
ὡς
ἔκπαλαι,
τὴν
ἐν
αὐτῷ
ἀναίμακτον
τῷ
Θεῷ
θυσίαν
πεποίηκεν
ἀναφέρεσθαι,
καὶ
τῇ
Χαλκηδόνι
ἐπίσκοπον
ἐνίδρυσεν,
ἦν
γὰρ
ἕως
τότε
χηρεύουσα,
διὰ
τὴν
ἐπενεχθεῖσαν
ὑπὸ
τῶν
ἀσεβῶς
βεβασιλευκότων
ἐπήρειαν,
καὶ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
τὴν
μνήμην,
καὶ
τὴν
πόλιν
ἀφανίζειν
βουλευσαμένων.
Καὶ
δὴ
θείῳ
ζήλῳ
κινουμένη
ἡ
εὑσεβὴς
βασίλισσα,
περὶ
τοῦ
λειψάνου
τῆς
πανευφήμου
ἐδυσφόρει,
καὶ
ἤσχαλλε,
καὶ
πάντας
εἰς
ἀναζήτησιν
τοῦ
τοιούτου
σεβάσματος
προτρεπομένη,
ὁ
τῶν
φοβουμένων
αὐτὸν
ποιῶν
τὰ
θελήματα,
καὶ
τῶν
ἐπικαλουμένων
αὐτὸν
ἐκπληρῶν
τὰ
βουλεύματα,
εὐδόκησε
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον
ἀποκαλυφθῆναι
τρόπῳ
τοιῷδε.
[12] Καθὼς
ἀνωτέρω
δεδήλωται,
ὅτι
κατέθεντο
οἱ
εὐσεβεῖς
ἄνδρες
ἐκεῖνοι
τὸ
τῆς
ἁγίας
μάρτυρος
λείψανον
ἐν
Λήμνῳ
τῇ
νήσῳ.
Ἦν
οὖν
ἐν
αὐτῷ
τῷ
τοπῳ
τοὺς
παρεληλυθότας
χρόνους
ὡς
ἐν
ἐπικρύψει
καὶ
σιωπῇ,
πάντων
τῶν
τῆς
νήσου
πίστιν
ἐχόντων
περὶ
αὐτὴν
μεγίστην,
καὶ
ἐν
μυστηρίῳ
τοῦτο
περιεφύλαττον,
τὸ
μὲν
διὰ
τὴν
τῶν
τυράννων
ἐπήρειαν,
τὸ
δὲ
διὰ
τὸ
μὴ
ἐπιγνωσθήναι
καὶ
ἀρθῆναι
ἐξ
αὐτῶν
τὸ
πολύαθλον
τῆς
ἀθληφόρου
λείψανον·
τούτων
οὕτως
τελουμένων,
καὶ
τῶν
θαυμάτων
τῆς
καλλινίκου
καὶ
πανευφήμου
μάρτυρος
Εὐφημίας
πανταχοῦ
διαθέοντων,
ἐξαπίνης
πέμπεταί
τις
τῶν
μεγιστάνων,
τῶν
τὰς
ἀποκρίσεις
ποιουμένων,
παρὰ
τοῦ
τυράννου
ἐπὶ
τὰ
ἑσπέρια,
καὶ
προσπελάζει
τῆ
Λήμνῳ,
καὶ
θεωρὸς
γίνεται
τῆς
τε
πληθύος
τοῦ
λαοῦ,
καὶ
τῶν
τελουμένων
θαυμάτων.
Τοίνυν
καὶ
οἷά
τις
πολέμιος
βασκανιᾳ
περιπεσὼν,
τοῦ
ἀλιτηρίου
τὸν
λόγον
ποιούμενος,
τίς
ἡ
σύναξις,
ἐπύθετο,
ἡ
τοῦ
λαοῦ,
καὶ
τίνα
τά
τελούμενα;
καὶ
μαθὼν
ἀκριβῶς,
ἤρξατο
κατακτυπεῖν,
καὶ
ἐκφοβεῖν
τοὺς
ἐκεῖσε
συνερχομένους
λαοὺς,
λέγων
οὕτως·
πάλιν
τὰ
ὀστᾶ
τετίμηνται;
οὕτως
οἱ
βασιλεῖς
διδάσκουσι;
καὶ
ἀπειλησάμενος
πάμπολλα,
τὸ
δωμάτιον
κατέλυσεν,
ἔνθα
ἡ
σωρὸς
τῆς
πανευφήμου
κατέκειτο.
καὶ
ταῦτα
ποιήσας,
βρενθυόμενος
ἄπεισιν·
ἐκεῖθεν
οὖν
ἡ
λώβησις
τῆς
μάρτυρος
γέγονε,
καὶ
τὸ
σῶμα
διέφθαρτο.
Ἀλλ᾽
ἐπειδὴ,
ὅπου
Θεὸς
βούλεται,
νικᾶται
φύσεως
τάξις,
καὶ
διαδιδράσκει
πᾶσα
ἀνθρωπίνη
ἐπίνοια,
τοῦτο
συμβέβηκε.
[13] Κατὰ
γὰρ
διοδοχὴν
συνέβη
εἴς
τινα
ἄνδρα
καταντῆσαι
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
περιαύλιον
καὶ
εὐκτήριον,
ἐν
ᾧ
εὐκτηρίῳ
ἀπέκειτο
τὸ
ταύτης
σεβάσμιον
λείψανον·
μάρμαρον
δὲ
ἦν
ἐπικείμενον,
ὅ
οἱ
θεοσεβεῖς
ἐκεῖνοι
ναύκληροι
τέθεικεν *, ἐπιγεγραμμένον
παρ᾽
αὐτῶν
ἐπιγράμματι
τοιούτῳ.
Ἡμεῖς,
φησὶ,
Σέργιος
καὶ
Σεργωνᾶς,
πλέοντες
κατὰ
τὸν
Ἐλλήσποντον,
καὶ
ἐκ
τοῦ
βυθοῦ
ἀναλαβόντες
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
καὶ
ἁγίας
μάρτυρος
τοῦ
Χριστοῦ
Εὐφημίας
λείψανον,
κατὰ
κέλευσιν
αὐτῆς
ἐνθάδε
τοῦτο
κατεθήκαμεν.
Ὁ
οὖν
κατὰ
διαδοχὴν
κληρονόμος
τοῦ
τόπου
Ἀναστάσιος
ὁ
ἐνδοξότατος
κόμης,
συνέβη
ἐκ
ζηλοτυπίας
τινῶν,
ψευδέσι
λοιδορίαις
περιπεσεῖν,
καὶ
διωχθῆναι
τῆς
ἀξίας·
ὅστις
μηδὲν
μελήσας,
ἀνῆλθεν
ἐν
Κονσταντινουπόλει,
κατορθωθῆναι
θέλων
εἰς
τὸ
κομητάτον·
ὡς
εἴθισται
οὖν
ἑκάστῳ
διερευνᾶν
πρὸς
τὸ
εὑρεῖν
τινα
εἰς
προστασίαν
τοῦ
μεσιτευθῆναι
εἰς
τὴν
βασίλισσαν,
ἡρμηνεύθη
αὐτῷ
παρὰ
τινῶν
λεγόντων,
ὡς
ὁ
μητροπολίτης
Χαλκηδόνος
ἱκανὸς
ὑπάρχει,
καὶ
παῤῥησίαν
κέκτηται,
καὶ
μείζοσι
προΐσταται
πράγμασι.
διερωτήσας
οὖν,
εὗρεν
αὐτὸν
ἐν
τῷ
παλατίῳ,
καὶ
προσπεσὼν,
δι᾽
ἣν
αἰτίαν
πάρεστιν,
ἀνήγγειλε,
λιπαρῶν
μεσιτεῦσαι
καὶ
κατορθῶσαι
αὐτὸν·
ὁ
δὲ
μητροπολίτης
ἀντέλεγε
μὴ
δυνατῶς
ἔχειν
τοῦτο
ποιεῖν.
Ὡς
οὖν
ἀπεπέμψατο
αὐτὸν,
εἰς
τὸ
τοῦ
ἐπισκοπείου
αὐτοῦ
μετόχιον
εἰσῆλθεν,
ἐν
ᾧ
καὶ
ὁ
ναός
ἐστι
τῆς
πανευφήμου·
ἐπηκολούθησε
δὲ
ἐκ
τῶν
ὄπισθεν
ὁ
ἀνἡρ,
θείᾳ
κινούμενος
προμηθείᾳ.
[14] Εἰσελθὼν
δὲ
ὁ
κόμης
ἐν
τῷ
ναῷ,
καὶ
τὴν
προσκύνησιν
τῷ
Θεῷ
ἀναπέμψας,
ἐκάθισεν
ἔν
τινι
τόπῳ.
Προσελθὼν
δὲ
αὐτῷ
εἷς
τῶν
τοῦ
ναοῦ
κληρικῶν,
ὁ
τὴν
τότε
πεπιστευμένος
ἐφημερίαν,
ἠρώτησε
πόθεν,
καὶ
τίς
εἶ·
ἐκεῖνος
δὲ
τάχιστα
ἀνήγγειλε
πόθεντέ
ἐστι,
καὶ
τὰ
συμβάντα
αὐτῷ
λυπηρὰ.
Ηρώτησε
δὲ
ὁ
κόμης
τὸν
κληρικὸν,
τίνος
ὁ
ναὸς
οὗτος·
ὁ
δέ
φησι,
τῆς
πανευφήμου·
ἀποκριθεὶς
δὲ
ἐκεῖνος,
καὶ
γιησιώτατα
τῇ
χειρὶ
τὸ
στῆθος
προσερείσας,
ἔφη·
Τῆς
πανευφήμου
τῆς
ἐμῆς;
ὁ
δὲ
κληρικὸς
πάλιν
πρὸς
αὐτὸν·
πόθεν
ἔφης,
σὴν
εἶναι
τὴν
πανεύφημον;
ὁ
δὲ
ἀποκριθεὶς
λέγει·
Ἐν
τῷ
οἴκῳ
μου,
καὶ
ἐν
τῷ
εὐκτηρίῳ
μου
τὸ
ταύτης
κατέχω
σεβάσμιον
λείψανον.
Ὁ
δὲ
πάλιν,
πῶς
ἔσται
δυνατὸν;
βλέπε,
ἄνθρωπε,
μήπως
καθ᾽
ἑαυτοῦ
ἀποφθέγγῃ,
καὶ
οὐ
δυνήσῃ
τοῦτο
δεῖξαι·
διότι
πολλὴ
ζήτησις
περὶ
τούτου
παρὰ
τῆς
αὐγούστης
καὶ
τοῦ
βασιλέως
γίνεται·
ὅθεν
καὶ
τῷ
μητροπολίτῃ
λιτὰς
καὶ
δεήσεις
προσέταξε
ποιεῖν
ὑπὲρ
τοῦ
τοιούτου
κεφαλαίου·
ὁ
δὲ
πάλιν
ἐν
βεβαίῳ
ἐχέτω
ἡ
σὴ
τιμιώτης,
ὅτι
τὸ
λείψανον
τῆς
ἐν
Χαλκηδόνι
πανευφήμου
παρ᾽
ἐμοί
ἐστι.
Ταῦτα
βεβαιωθεὶς
ὁ
προῤῥηθεὶς
κληρικὸς,
ἀνῆλθε
γεγηθὼς,
καὶ
ἀλλόμενος
πρὸς
Ἀνδρέαν
τὸν
ὁσιώτατον
μητροπολίτην,
συγχαίρων
καὶ
ἀνακηρύττων
τὸ
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
μεγαλεῖον·
ὅσττις
παραχρῆμα
ἀνενέγκας
τὸν
ἀπὸ
κομητῶν,
καὶ
πληροφορηθεὶς
παρ᾽
αὐτοῦ,
ἔδωκε
δόξαν
τῷ
παντοκράτορι
Θεῷ·
διαναστὰς
δὲ,
ἐπορεύθη
πρὸς
Ταράσιον
τὸν
τὰ
πάντα
πανοσιώτατον,
καὶ
παναγιώτατον
πατριάρχην,
καὶ
διηγήσατο
αὐτῷ
πᾶσαν
τὴν
τοῦ
πράγματος
ἀκολουθίαν.
Τότε
πορευθεὶς
ὁ
ἁγιώτατος
πατριάρχης
πρὸς
τὴν
βασίλισσαν,
καὶ
τὸν
ταύτης
υἱὸν
Κωνσταντῖνον,
ὀρθόδοξον
καὶ
φιλομάρτυρα
ὑπάρχοντα,
ἀνέθετο
πάντα
τὰ
γενόμενα.
Θαυμάσαντες
δὲ
ἐπὶ
τῷ
παραδόξῳ
τοῦ
πράγματος,
καὶ
ὕμνους
τῷ
Θεῷ
ἀναπέμψαντες,
ἐχάρησαν
χαρὰν
μεγάλην,
καὶ
πέμψαντες
σκάφος
διὰ
τάχους
ἀπέστειλαν,
τόν
τε
κόμητα
κατορθώσαντες
ἐν
τῇ
ἀξίᾳ
αὐτοῦ,
καὶ
χαρίσματα
δόντες,
καὶ
ἐπισήμους
τινὰς
τῶν
κληρικῶν
ἐκ
τοῦ
ναοῦ
τῆς
πανευφήμου.
[15] Κατελθόντων
αὐτῶν
ἐν
τῇ
Λήμνῳ,
συνήχθη
πᾶσα
ἡ
ἐκεῖσε
περίχωρος
ἐν
θυμῷ
καὶ
ὁρμῇ,
μὴ
βουλόμενοι
ἀπολύειν
τοῖς
βασιλικοῖς
ἀνδράσι
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον.
Ὅθεν
καὶ
ταραχῆς
οὐ
τῆς
τυχούσης
γεγονυῖας,
θεωρήσας
ὁ
τῆς
δηλωθείσης
λήμνου
ὁσιώτατος
ἐπίσκοπος
εἰς
κακόν
τὴν
τοῦ
Λαοῦ
προβαίνουσάν
κίνησιν,
διανέστη,
καὶ
εἰσῆλθεν
ἐν
τῷ
μέσῳ
αὐτῶν
κράζων
καὶ
λέγων·
Ὑποχωρήσατε,
ἄνθρωποι,
οὐ
γὰρ
ἄθεον
τῶν
γινομένων
τι
γίνεται·
πάντως
ὁ
Θεὸς
οὕτως
εὐδόκησεν·
ἐκφύγωμεν
οὖν
τὴν
βασιλικὴν
ἀγανάκτησιν·
θυμὸς
γὰρ
βασιλέως
ὡς
θυμὸς
λέοντος.
Ταῦτα
εἰπὼν
καὶ
ἕτερα
πλείονα,
μόλις
κατέπαυσε
τοὺς
ὄχλους
τοῦ
μὴ
πρᾶξαί
τι
κακὸν
εἰς
τοὺς
ἐλθόντας,
καὶ
εἰς
τὸν
μνημονευθέντα
κόμητα·
ἐπὶ
τούτῳ
γὰρ
ἦν
καὶ
ὁ
θυμὸς
τοῦ
λαοῦ,
κραζόντων
ὅτι
δι᾽
αὐτοῦ
ἡμῖν
ἡ
προδοσία
τοῦ
θησαυροῦ
ἡμῶν
γέγονε·
τότε
οὖν
κατέπαυσαν,
καὶ
εἰς
εἰρήνην
μετῆλθον·
ἔδωκάν
τε
καὶ
αὐτοὶ
δόξαν
τῷ
Θεῷ,
καὶ
αἶνον
τῇ
μάρτυρι,
παραχωρήσαντες
τοῖς
βουλομένοις
ἆραι
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
σεβάσμιον
λείψανον.
Καὶ
παραλαβόντες
αὐτὸ
οἱ
ἐπὶ
τούτῳ
σταλέντες,
ἤγαγον
ἐν
Κωνσταντινουπόλει,
πάσης
τῆς
πόλεως,
καὶ
τῆς
βασιλίσσης
καὶ
τοῦ
ὁσιωτάτου
πατριάρχου
Ταρασίου
εἰς
ὑπάντησιν
ἐξεληλυθότων·
ὑπαντήσαντες
οὖν
καὶ
περιπτυξάμενοι
μετὰ
τῆς
πρεπούσης
δοξολογίας,
ἀπέθεντο
ἐν
τῷ
ταύτης
ναῷ,
καὶ
ἐν
ᾗ
ὑπῆρχε
τὸ
πρότερον
λάρνακι,
ὅθεν
ὁ
ἐναγὴς
καὶ
βέβηλος
βασιλεὺς
ταύτην
ἀφελόμενος,
τῷ
βυθῷ
παρέπεμψεν.
[16] Αὐτοὶ
οὖν,
οἱ
εἰσκεκομικότες
αὐτὸ
ἐν
τῇ
τοῦ
Βύζαντος
πόλει,
διαρπαγὴν
ἐποιήσαντο
τῶν
λειψάνων,
οἵτε
μεγιστάνες,
καὶ
οἱ
τὰ
πρῶτα
φέροντες,
ἀπό
τε
Ἀρταβαστίνης,
καὶ
τῶν
τοῦ
βασιλέως
θυγατέρων
καὶ
ἑτέρων
πλείστων,
ὡς
καὶ
τὴν
χεῖρα
τὴν
ἁγίαν,
δι᾽
ἧς
τὸν
τόμον
ἐδέξατο,
ὑπὸ
Νικήτα
πατρικίου,
τὀ
ἐπίκλην
Μονομάχου,
ἐν
τῇ
Σικελῶν
νήσῳ
τῇ
μάρτυρι
ναὸν
δειμαμένου,
ἀναθέσθαι
ταύτην
ἐκεῖσε
φασὶ·
μικρὰ
οὖν
τινα
καταλειφθέντα
τῆς
κάρας
ἐναποθέσθαι
τῇ
πάλαι
λάρνακι
προσεγένετο
μετὰ
καὶ
ἑτέρων
λειψάνων,
ἅ
καὶ
φυλάττεσθαι,
ἐν
λαρνακίσκῳ
μέχρι
τοῦ
νῦν
ἴσμεν,
σὺν
τοῖς
συμμάρτυσιν
ἔνδον
τηρούμενα·
οἶμαι
δὲ
καὶ
ἐν
τῇ
δηλωθείσῃ
νήσῳ
τῆς
Λήμνου
τινὰ
μέρη
καταλειφθῆναι
τοῦ
σώματος.
Ὢ
τῆς
ἀνεξιχνιάστου
προμηθείας·
ὦ
τῆς
ἀκαταλήπτου
δυναστείας
τε
καὶ
προνοίας
τοῦ
πάντα
ποιοῦντος
Θεοῦ
τοῦ
ὑψίστου·
πάντα
γὰρ
ποιεῖ,
ὅσα
βούλεται·
ἀκούσατε
οὖν
βασιλεῖς
καὶ
σύνετε,
ἐνωτίσασθε
ἄρχοντες
καὶ
παιδεύθητε·
μάθετε
οἱ
κρατοῦντες
γῆς
καὶ
ἐκπλάγητε,
ἴδετε
τὰ
μεγαλεῖα
τοῦ
Θεοῦ,
καὶ
ὑμνήσατε
τὴν
ἀκατάληπτον
αὐτοῦ
δυναστείαν·
τίς
ἤλπιζεν,
ἢ
ἀπεκαραδόκει
εὑρεθῆναί
ποτε
τὸ
τῆς
πανευφήμου
λείψανον;
μὴ
δὲ
κἂν
συντυχίας
ψιλῆς
ποτε
γεγονυῖας
ἐν
τοῖς
τοσούτοις
χρόνοις,
ἕως
οὗ
ὁ
τῶν
δυνάμεων
Κύριος
εὐδόκησεν
ἐξαίφνης
καὶ
ἀπροσδοκήτως
ποιῆσαι
τῆς
ἀκαταλήπτου
αὐτοῦ
δυνάμεως
τὸ
τεράστιον.
Ἡμεῖς
δὲ
τῇ
μάρτυρι
μικρὰ
τοῖς
ἀναξίοις
χείλεσι
χαιρετίσαντες,
τέλος
τοῦ
λόγου
ποιήσομεν.
[17] Χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανεύφημε,
χριστιανῶν
καταφύγιον·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανεύφημε,
ἱερέων
ἱερὸν
ἐγκαλλώπισμα·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανένδοξε,
ἀσθενῶν
καταφύγιον·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανεύφημε,
θλιβομένων
προσφύγιον·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανόλβιε,
βασιλέων
περιτείχισμα·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανόλβιε,
συνοδικῶν
δογμάτων
ἀσφάλεια·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
πανεύφημε,
ἰαμάτων
μῦρα
τῷ
κόσμῳ
προχέουσα·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
σεπτὴ,
αἱρετικῶν
στομάτων
χαλινὸς
ὀχυρώτατος·
χαίροις
Εὐφημία
παγγέραστε,
βαρβάρων
ἀντίπαλε·
χαίροις
πάντων
ἡμῶν
καταφυγὴ
καὶ
προπύργιον,
καὶ
πρὸς
Θεὸν
μεσίτης,
καὶ
πρεσβεία
ἀκοίμητος.
Μέμνησο
οὖν,
ὦ
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
μάρτυς,
κἀμοῦ
τοῦ
ταπεινοῦ
καὶ
δυστήνου·
καὶ
δέχου
τοῦ
τόγε
τὸ
εὐτελές
καὶ
ἄσημον
τῆς
προπετείας
ἐπιτύμβιον
σύγγραμμα,
ἐξαιτουμένη
πᾶσι
τοῖς
πόθῳ
ἀεὶ
τὴν
σὴν
ἐπιτελοῦσι
σεβάσμιον
καὶ
θαυματουργὸν
μνήμην,
ἄναξί
τε
καὶ
ἀρχιποίμεσιν,
ἱερεῦσί
τε
καὶ
μονάζουσιν,
ἄρχουσι
καὶ
ἀρχομένοις,
τὸ
τῆς
ἐκ
δεξιῶν
τοῦ
Θεοῦ
τυχεῖν
παραστάσεως,
καὶ
τῆς
τῶν
αἰωνίων
ἀγαθῶν
ἀπολαύσεως,
χάριτι
καὶ
φιλανθρωπίᾳ
τοῦ
Κυρίου
ἡμῶν
Ιησοῦ
Χριστοῦ,
ᾧ
ἡ
δόξα,
καὶ
τὸ
κράτος
σὺν
τῷ
ἀνάρχῳ
Πατρὶ,
καὶ
τῷ
παναγίῳ
καὶ
ὁμοουσίῳ
καὶ
ζωοποιῷ
Πνεύματι,
νῦν
καὶ
ἀεὶ,
καὶ
εἰς
τοὺς
ἀπεράντους
αἰῶνας
τῶν
αἰώνων.
ἀμὴν.
The empress Irene restores the church of St. Euphemia: But when he had put to death this man's branch also,
Leo a, I mean, who drew his race
from Scythia: he raised up his wife Irene,
and her son Constantine, who, agreeably to his name,
procured peace for the world. For what had been broken and profaned
by her execrable father-in-law and husband,
Irene restored and adorned; those whom they had driven out
and sent into exile she recalled, and motherly embraced
and cherished all: and when by divine providence she had exterminated
those monstrous plunderers, the scholarians b of the impious,
and had brought other pious men into their number in their place,
and had filled the places in their ranks,
and had taught them to think rightly of divine things, and had brought it about that
all the orthodox with open face should freely declare the glory of the Lord
and the right faith, God through her granted a profound
peace to the churches.
But let the discourse return to the aim of the blessed Euphemia.
When therefore the pious empress, stirred by divine zeal,
began to rebuild all things, she strove before all else to build
and adorn again the broken temple of the blessed
Euphemia. Which also she did, and when she had adorned it
with all piety, she brought it about that there should be restored in it
what was formerly wont to be offered to God in it, the unbloody
Sacrifice: and she appointed a bishop at Chalcedon.
For it had been widowed until this time, on account of
the injury inflicted on it by the impious emperors, who
had resolved to destroy the memory of blessed Euphemia and the city.
And that pious empress, moved indeed by divine zeal,
busied herself and was anxious about the relics of blessed
Euphemia: and when she exhorted all to seek this
holy thing, it pleased him who does the will
of those who fear him, and fulfills the counsels
of those who call upon him, that the relics of the blessed
Euphemia should be disclosed in this manner.
[12] [her body, religiously venerated in Lemnos, is treated with contumely by a certain man:] As was shown above, those pious men had deposited
the body of the holy Martyr on the island of Lemnos.
In the years past therefore they had been in that place as if hidden
and covered with silence, all the inhabitants of the island having the greatest
faith in them, and keeping this secret,
partly indeed on account of the insolence of the tyrants,
partly lest the relics of her who underwent so many and
so illustrious contests should be recognized and carried off by them.
But while these things were so being done,
and the miracles of the notable and blessed martyr Euphemia
were spreading in every direction, suddenly a certain one of
the nobles, namely of the apocrisiarii, those, I mean,
who give responses, is sent by the emperor to the West:
and he comes to Lemnos, and beholds the multitude
of the people, and the miracles that were being wrought. And so
like some enemy succumbing to envy, following the mind
of that destroyer *, he asked what
this congregation of the people was, and what were the things that
were being done. And when he had rightly learned, he began to shout,
and to terrify the peoples who were assembling there,
speaking thus: Are bones again held in honor?
Do the Emperors so teach? And having greatly threatened, he pulled down
the little house in which lay the coffin of the blessed
Euphemia. And when he had done these things, raging
he departs. Thence it came about that the Martyr suffered damage,
and her body was injured. But since,
where God wills, the order of nature is overcome, and
all human reason and contrivance perishes, this came to pass.
[13] then she is piously preserved, and by a wonderful chance, through a count, For it happened that by succession the dwelling and oratory
of the blessed Euphemia came to a certain
good man: in which oratory were laid up
the venerable relics of this Martyr. And there was
a marble set upon them, which those pious shipmasters
had set there, inscribed by them with this inscription:
“We, Sergius and Sergonas, sailing through
the Hellespont, when we had raised from the deep
the relics of the blessed and holy martyr of Christ Euphemia,
by her command deposited them here”. When
therefore by succession the most illustrious count Anastasius
had become heir of this place, it happened that by the rivalry of certain men
he was assailed with false slanders, and fell from his
dignity. But he, delaying not at all, came
to Constantinople, wishing to be restored to his countship.
And when (as everyone is wont) he was seeking
to find someone who by his intercession might defend him
before the empress, certain men told him
that the metropolitan of Chalcedon would be fit for this,
as one who could speak freely and confidently, and could
sustain and defend greater affairs. When therefore he had
inquired about him, he found him in the palace: and when he had fallen
at his feet, he declared to him for what
cause he was there, asking that he might be his intercessor and helper.
But the metropolitan said in reply that he
could not do this. After he had dismissed him therefore, he entered
into a part of the episcopal house, in which there is
also a temple of the blessed Euphemia. And behind
him followed the man, moved by divine providence.
[14] in whose oratory it was, it becomes known at Constantinople. And the count, having entered the temple, when he had rendered
divine adoration to God, sat down in a certain
place. And one of the clerics of the temple approaching him,
and one to whom the office had been entrusted for his turn, asked
of what country and who he was. And he at once set forth to him
of what country he was, and what troubles had befallen him.
And the count asked the cleric whose this temple
was. And he says: The blessed Euphemia's. And he,
answering, and most sincerely laying his hand on his breast,
said: My own Euphemia's, the blessed in every way?
And the cleric says to him again: Whence
have you said that the blessed Euphemia is yours? And he,
answering, says: In my house, and in my oratory,
I keep her venerable relics. And he
again says: How can this be? See, O
man, lest perhaps you speak against yourself, and be unable
to show them. For both the Augusta and the emperor
take care that they be diligently sought. Wherefore they have ordered
the metropolitan also to make supplications for that cause.
But he again: Let your reverence hold for certain
that the relics of the blessed Euphemia, who is celebrated
at Chalcedon, are with me. Thus assured,
the aforesaid cleric joyfully and exultingly reports
these things to Andrew [c], the most holy metropolitan, giving thanks
and proclaiming the mighty works of God. And he, having at once
summoned the count, and having been assured by him,
gave glory to God almighty. And rising,
he set out to Tarasius d, the most holy patriarch,
and told him the whole order of the matter. Then the most holy
patriarch, setting out to the empress and
her son Constantine, who was orthodox and
a friend of the martyrs, set forth all that had been done.
And they, marveling at the matter, which was beyond expectation,
having sent up praises and hymns to God, were filled with great
joy: and a skiff being fitted out as soon as possible, they sent
the count, restored to his dignity and endowed
with gifts: and certain notable clerics from
the temple of the blessed Euphemia.
[15] But when they had gone down to Lemnos,
those who dwelt round about there gathered together, Clerics sent by the Augusti bring back the body to Constantinople,
in anger and indignation, unwilling to give up to those who
had been sent by the emperor the relics of the blessed Euphemia.
And when about this no light disturbance had arisen,
the most holy bishop of Lemnos, seeing the people's
commotion proceeding to evil, arose and went
into the midst of them, crying out and saying:
Give way, O men: for of the things that are done, nothing
is done without God's nod. So it has altogether seemed good to God. Let us therefore
avoid the king's indignation: for the wrath of a king is
as the wrath of a lion. When he had said these things, and many others,
he scarcely quieted the multitude, that they might not do
any harm to those who had come, and to the said count. For
the mind of the people was stirred up against him, crying out:
Through him our treasure has been betrayed. Then
therefore they ceased, and were brought over to peace, and gave
glory to God and praise to the Martyr, granting
to those who wished them the venerable relics of the blessed Euphemia.
Which, when they who had been sent for them had received,
they carried to Constantinople, the whole city, and
the empress, and the most holy patriarch Tarasius, going out
to meet them. When therefore they had gone forth to meet them, and
had embraced them with the glorification that is fitting,
they deposited them in her temple, and in that chest
in which the Martyr had been before, and whence the execrable
and profane emperor, having taken her away, cast her
into the deep.
[16] But those who brought them into Byzantium, and
the nobles, whose bones are obtained by various people: and those who held the first places with Artabastes
and the emperor's daughters, and very many others, plundered
the relics. So too they say that the holy hand
which received the book was laid up there by Nicetas [e] the patrician,
surnamed Monomachus, who on the island of Sicily built
a temple to the Martyr.
Hence therefore it came about that a few bones of the head,
which had remained, were enclosed in the chest which had formerly been hers,
together with other relics, which even
to this present day we know to be preserved in a little chest. [f]
And I judge that on the said island of Lemnos also there were left
certain parts of the body. O providence
by no means to be searched out. O power of the most high God, which cannot
be comprehended, who does all things.
For he does all things that he wills. Hear therefore, you kings,
and understand. Give ear, you princes, and understand.
Learn, you who possess the earth, and be astounded.
See the mighty works of God, and praise his power, which
cannot be comprehended. Who would ever have
hoped, or expected, that the relics of the blessed Euphemia
could be found, of whom for so many years there had not been
even a single conversation, until it seemed good to the Lord
of hosts suddenly and unexpectedly to work a miracle
of his power which cannot be comprehended?
But when with unworthy lips we have offered a little congratulation to the Martyr,
we shall make an end of our discourse.
[17] Hail, Euphemia, blessed in every way,
refuge of Christians. the author's apostrophe to the Saint. Hail, blessed Euphemia,
sacred ornament of priests. Hail, Euphemia, illustrious and notable
in every way, refuge of the
infirm. Hail, blessed Euphemia, refuge
of the oppressed. Hail, most blessed Euphemia, bulwark
of kings. Hail, most blessed Euphemia, guardian
of synodal decrees. Hail, blessed Euphemia,
pouring out upon the world the ointments of healings.
Hail, venerable Euphemia, most powerful bridle
of the mouth of heretics. Hail, Euphemia worthy of all honor,
adversary of the barbarians. Hail, refuge and fortification
of us all, who art our perpetual intercession
with God. But remember, O Martyr of God,
me too, lowly and unhappy, and receive
this mean and undistinguished funeral writing of my
temerity, asking on behalf of all who with longing
always keep thy venerable and miracle-working
memory — kings and pastors,
priests and monks, princes and subjects —
that they may obtain to sit at the right hand of God, and to enjoy
eternal goods, by the grace and clemency of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to whom be glory and power with the Father
who is without beginning, and with the most holy and consubstantial
and life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the ages
of ages. Amen.
ANNOTATIONS.
a. Constantine
Copronymus died in the year 775, in the month of September: Leo IV his son
and successor died in the year 780. Then Irene, the widow of Leo, who
was a Catholic, began to reign with her son Constantine.
c. This
Andrew is wanting in the catalogue of the bishops of Chalcedon which Lequien composed in volume 1
of the Oriens Christianus: nor does anything about him occur to me from elsewhere.
d. St.
Tarasius, whose Life was given on the 25th of February, presided over the church
of Constantinople from nearly the end of the year 784 to the year 806, in which
he died, as was proved in the History of the patriarchs of Constantinople,
volume 1 of August, pages 102 and 103.
e. This Nicetas
the patrician has been entered in the Greek Calendars on the 6th day of October, where in
the Basilian Menology he is said to have been a kinsman of Irene Augusta, and to have been sent by her
as legate to the Second Council of Nicæa, then prefect of Sicily, and there
to have administered affairs excellently. At last he is said to have been sent into exile by Leo the Armenian,
and to have died there. These and other things about him may be examined on the said day,
if it shall be sufficiently established that he had legitimate cultus.
f. From
these things it is sufficiently gathered that the Saint's bones were afterwards translated to various
places, according as we have said in the Commentary, §4, that they are now honored in very many places.
In a certain Ms. account of the relics of various Saints in France, sent to
our predecessors in the preceding century, the body of St. Euphemia is said to be at Moulins in France among the Religious of St. Francis of Paola; but it is not added of which Euphemia it is. And so, since that writer says: There is venerated (in the place already named)
the entire body of holy Euphemia, brought thither from Rome by Father du Boisson, a Religious of that Order,
and placed in the chapel of Monsieur du Boisson de Beauregard; I shall not easily believe that that body is St. Euphemia of Chalcedon's, even if someone should also say that not all the bones were translated thither.
* that is, of the saint-fighting emperor
* τεθείκασι
AN EXPOSITION OF A PANEL
painted concerning the martyrdom of a certain holy Euphemia,
by Asterius, bishop of Amasea.
From the edition of Ruinart.
Euphemia, virgin and martyr at Chalcedon in Bithynia (S.)
By Asterius, Bp.
The author, having seen an elegantly painted panel, Lately, gentlemen, I had in hand Demosthenes, that distinguished
orator, and that
oration of Demosthenes in which he assails Æschines
having been prolonged, and my mind almost overwhelmed, I needed some
relaxation and a walk, by which my weary spirit
might be somewhat relieved of its labor. And having gone out
of my house, after I had walked a little in the forum with
acquaintances, I betook myself thence into the temple of God b
to pray at leisure. But when I had obtained this too,
and was passing through a certain one of the porticoes,
I saw in it a certain picture, whose appearance
quite captivated me. You would have said it was the workmanship of Euphranor [c],
or of some one of those who of old procured the greatest
dignity for painting, painting no otherwise
than if they were exhibiting living forms on their panels.
Come then, if you will: for even now
there is time to narrate it: and I will set forth the picture.
For neither do we, the nurslings of the muses [d], have worse
colors than the painters.
[2] in which the martyrdom of a certain Euphemia was represented, A certain sacred woman, an undefiled virgin,
dedicated her chastity to God. They call her Euphemia.
But when at a certain time a tyrant was persecuting pious men
and Christians, she, exceedingly
eager, of her own accord took the hazard of her life. And her fellow-citizens,
and her companions in the religion for which she
underwent death, holding her in admiration as distinguished
for the glory of fortitude and sanctity,
building a tomb not far from the temple, and the coffin being placed,
pay her public honors, making the yearly day
of her contest [e] a common celebration, and glad
with the concourse of the whole people. The sacred
interpreters of God's mysteries honor her memory with continual
discourse, and with all zeal instruct the assembling peoples
how she consummated her contest with such patience:
but the painter also, himself zealous for piety,
by the work of his art, designing the whole story
on linen, with as much living expression as was possible,
hung up there, next to the tomb, the sacred panel
for a spectacle. And thus it stands
this excellent work of art.
[3] The judge sits lofty on his throne,
beholding the Virgin with bitter and savage countenance. he explains the picture For art indeed
grows angry even in lifeless material, when it pleases.
Further, there are present magistrates, attendants, and soldiers
not a few, and indeed clerks of the court carry tablets
and styluses: one of whom, drawing his hand out of the wax,
gazes intently at the Virgin standing before the judgment,
turning his whole face aside, as though bidding her
speak more clearly, lest, hearing with difficulty, he should write faultily,
and worthy of reproof. And the Virgin stands there
in a dark garment, and by her cloak professing
philosophy, as indeed the painter supposed, charming also in her very
countenance, but, as I myself judge, with a mind
excellently adorned with virtues. And two soldiers lead her to
the governor, the one dragging her in front,
the other pressing her from behind. Further, the Virgin's bearing
shines with modesty mingled with constancy. She inclines
indeed, and with bowed head casts down her eyes, as though
blushing at the gaze of men; but she stands undaunted,
suffering nothing timid in the contest. Wherefore,
whereas hitherto I used to praise other painters, when I looked upon
the story of that Colchian woman [f];
that as she was about to drive the sword into her sons, pity and anger
divided her face; and one eye showed anger,
while the other marked out a mother sparing them and shuddering
at the deed; now I plainly turn my admiration from that thought
to this picture:
and I wonder at the craftsman in a marvelous way, that,
blending characters more exactly than colors, he has excellently
tempered together modesty and fortitude at once, affections
certainly contrary by nature.
[4] But the imitation proceeding further, certain executioners
naked in light tunics and so he relates certain torments inflicted on the Saint. were now
pressing on with their work: and one of them, seizing
her head, and bending it back, offered the Virgin's mouth
to the other, exposed for punishment: but the other, standing by,
was striking out her teeth g. Further, the instruments of the punishment
appear to be a hammer and a drill. But thereafter
I dissolve into tears, and emotion cuts short
my discourse. For so clearly did the brush paint on the drops
of blood, that you would truly say they flowed from the lips,
and you would depart lamenting. Again the prison;
again the chaste Virgin, sitting alone in dark garments,
stretches out both her hands to heaven,
and calls upon God as her helper in evils. Further, as she prays
there appears above her head that sign
which the Christians are wont solemnly to adore and to paint;
and I think it a symbol of the passion she desired.
Presently therefore, and after a little, the painter kindles a strong fire
in another place, thickening the flame with
ruddy red on this side and that. And he set the Virgin
in the midst, with hands indeed outspread to
heaven, yet showing no sadness in her countenance,
but rather rejoicing, as one passing over h to the incorporeal
and blessed life. Thus far
the painter held his hand; and I my discourse
and my tongue. For the rest, it is time for you also,
if you will, to complete the picture itself; that you may fully
perceive whether we have been far unequal to the narrating of it.
ANNOTATIONS.
e. Asterius therefore
knew on what day the Saint had been crowned. But he took no care to express either the day of the martyrdom
or the name of the emperor or the judge under whom Euphemia suffered, because he was only explaining a painted panel.
no ancient ever asserted: nor is it read in any Acts.
And so it is not likely that the panel which Asterius sets forth
was seen at Chalcedon: for all the writers would not have been ignorant of so singular
APPENDIX
ON ST. EUPHEMIA OF CHALCEDON, VIRGIN AND MARTYR,
VENERATED AT ORENSE IN GALICIA.
The cultus of Euphemia, who is perhaps the same as the Chalcedonian.
Euphemia, V. M., venerated at Orense in Galicia, perhaps the same (S.)
BY J. S.
[ ] Concerning the finding of the body of St. Euphemia venerated at Orense Juan de Marieta, in his Spanish Work
on the Saints of Spain,
book 4, chapter 13, treats of St. Euphemia,
virgin and martyr,
whom he testifies to be venerated on this day, the XVI of September,
at Orense * in Galicia,
and whom he believes to be distinct from Euphemia
of Chalcedon. Of the same writes Ambrosio de Morales
in his Chronicle of Spain, book 10, chapter 27, Francisco
de Padilla, and several others, who are of the same
opinion, to which Nicolás Antonio also assents
in his posthumous Ms. Work, formerly communicated to our predecessors
in Spain. They write that the relics
were found through a revelation made to a shepherd girl,
in that she saw a hand breaking forth from the earth,
and on its finger a ring, which
she drew off; or rather to the girl's father, to whom she is said
to have given the ring. For when the father had come to the place
designated by his daughter, he is said to have heard
Spanish words agreeing with these Latin ones: Here
lies the body of St. Euphemia: transfer it as quickly as possible
with veneration to the church of St. Marina.
And he is asserted to have carried this out himself.
Further, the place where the body is reported to have been found was
near the borders of Portugal, about ten miles
from the city of Orense, and there was near by the church of St.
Marina, of which it was treated among us briefly on the
XVIII of July. And from the place where the body was found the writers just cited
gather the place of the martyrdom, and they say
that Pedro Seguín, bishop of Orense at that time,
committed the history of the finding to
writing.
[2] The aforesaid writers add that the body was translated in the year
1153 by the already named Pedro Seguín
to the cathedral church of Orense, and the asserted translation and that the history of that
translation was written by Alfonso,
bishop and successor of Seguín. I could indeed wish that I had seen
the cited Little Works of Pedro Seguín and of Alfonso his successor,
so that I might treat of the whole matter more securely.
For indeed I am compelled to doubt whether such Little Works were ever
composed by the aforesaid bishops, and
consequently whether holy Euphemia of Orense is altogether
distinct from the Chalcedonian. Of Pedro Seguín
Nicolás Antonio treats in his Bibliotheca Hispanica,
book 7, chapter 5, and attributes the said Little Work on the finding
of St. Euphemia to him. But he hints
that he never saw it, save from the edition of Juan
Tamayo Salazar, whom he very frequently accuses
as the publisher of fictitious Little Works. Certainly,
if those things which Juan Tamayo published on the VII of August
are Pedro Seguín's, then not only will the history
of the Finding be known, but at the same time also the history
of the martyrdom: for he published both in Spanish under
the name of Pedro Seguín, and both also in Latin
as from an ancient Breviary of Orense. Nevertheless
the aforesaid writers themselves acknowledge that nothing has become known
about the time or manner of the martyrdom. Wherefore I do not
see that I can safely believe that Seguín is the writer
of those things which are said about the finding, and
that the translation was written by bishop Alfonso.
[3] it seems to be doubted: for her body is written to have been translated later. Besides, it seems to me doubtful whether the relics
of St. Euphemia were really translated in the year 1153 to the cathedral
of Orense, as Morales
and the other writers cited affirm. For with that
translation the assertions of Alvar Gómez
in his Life of Cardinal Francisco Ximenes, book
3, page 987 of the Frankfurt edition, agree but little. He narrates there
that Ximenes wished to set out to Philip I the king,
staying at Compostella; but that he learned on the way
that he had already departed thence. For this cause, as he adds,
Ximenes is compelled to turn aside to Orense (that is, Auria);
that at the first opportunity he might meet Philip…
As he was making his journey through those mountains
a certain village met him, in whose very ancient
and ill-repaired church the body of holy Euphemia
was preserved: whose present patronage, by innumerable
miracles wrought throughout that region, both other
neighboring peoples, and especially the neighboring Gigurri,
in whose district is the town of Orense and that village, have
frequently felt. To visit it the prelate came at once:
and since he found that it was, on account of the village's poverty,
kept with too little regard for its dignity, he ordered a little shrine
to be built for the Saint at his own expense, where she might be venerated
with more ornate array. Which afterwards (as I hear)
was translated to Orense. That village was sixteen thousand paces
distant from Orense. According to this account
the relics, which are called the body, were translated in the
sixteenth century to the cathedral of Orense.
[4] Perhaps that Euphemia too is the Chalcedonian herself, Then that almost contemporary and plainly excellent writer
speaks of St. Euphemia in such a way
that he seems to designate no other than our most famous
Chalcedonian. For if he were speaking
of some less known Euphemia, he would probably have
indicated it. And other things too are added which increase
the suspicion that the Euphemia who is venerated at Orense
is not distinct from the Chalcedonian. First, the principal
festival is held on the same XVI day of September on which
the Chalcedonian is venerated. Secondly, we have the proper Offices
of the diocese of Compostella, which is the metropolis of the see
of Orense, printed in the year 1596, in which on
the XVI of September St. Euphemia is prescribed to be venerated
with an office of double rite, and that from ancient custom.
And that this is the Chalcedonian Euphemia is gathered
from the commemoration added. For, since in the Roman
Breviary there is a commemoration of SS. Euphemia,
Lucy, and Geminianus; but in the Compostellan
of Lucy and Geminianus only; it is clear that the Office is made
of the same Euphemia of whom in the Roman there is made
a commemoration. Now who would believe that in the metropolitan
church of Galicia a Saint of that same province,
distinguished by miracles, was omitted; and that the Chalcedonian Saint
was celebrated without just cause?
Further, no other reason will be found than
that the Compostellans believed the Euphemia shining with miracles
in their own province to be no other than the
Chalcedonian.
[5] Thirdly, in the Toledo Breviary no other Euphemia
is celebrated than the Chalcedonian. long venerated in Galicia, and known in the Toledo Breviary, For there
she is said to have had companions seven times seven in number,
that is forty-nine; she is said to have remained unharmed
in the flames; she is said to have been led down to the arena, where
she died; and she is joined to the Peoples of Chalcedon.
And all these things agree with the Chalcedonian,
nor is anything added which does not
suit her. But Tamayo, who sought another city
of Chalcedon in Spain, is more worthy of laughter
than of refutation. Equally fictitious
is his making Euphemia the daughter of St. Attilius Severus, a petty king of Galicia,
and of Calsia his wife, together with eight sisters.
That these are mere trifles Nicolás Antonio acknowledges
in his posthumous Ms. Work, and Morales and others,
whose opinion I am examining, would easily
have acknowledged it, had they seen Tamayo's Martyrology.
But I am compelled also to doubt whether what they say about the finding
and translation of the body is much better
they have handed down about St. Euphemia, and which perhaps
were first committed to writing from mere popular tradition.
[6] Nevertheless Morales, book 10, chapter 27, testifies
that he saw an authentic writing of the confirmation
of a certain privilege for the things brought forward for the distinction which in the year 1165 Ferdinand,
king of León, confirmed to the church. By this
writing he is said to have confirmed to the church the city of Orense given it by Alfonso
his father, that it might be increased,
and from a small city become a greater one, where is buried
the body of the most glorious virgin Euphemia.
Morales brings forward that instrument to prove
that the body of St. Euphemia had already been translated
to Orense in the year 1165. Which is well gathered from the words
cited, provided the words of the instrument are rightly
set forth. But I cannot easily reconcile those words
with the words of Gómez given at number 3. For according
to those, already in the year 1165 the body of St. Euphemia
was at Orense; according to Gómez it was translated thither
only in the sixteenth century. Let the learned Spaniards see,
who are nearer to the place, whose assertions are
the truer. But, even if we held for certain the words
just now cited from the privilege, from them we could not
infer that the Euphemia whose body is asserted to be at Orense
was other than the Chalcedonian. And so
I shall always be compelled to doubt about this matter, unless more solid
instruments be brought forward than have hitherto been
adduced, for asserting a St. Euphemia of Galicia distinct
from the Chalcedonian.
[7] do not suffice for asserting it with certainty. That indeed is not gathered with sufficient certainty from the body
there preserved, as is reported: for neither do we know
how many or what sort are the bones which are
called the body: nor is it improbable that some bones of the Chalcedonian
Saint were formerly transported into Spain.
Tamayo announces the principal festival of St.
Euphemia on the XXVI of July at Obobriga
in Galicia, and Ferrarius on the same day in his General
Catalogue at Orense in Spain. These things our Sollerius noted among us
in the Prætermissi on the XXVI of July,
and observed that that Euphemia is probably no other
than the Chalcedonian. Tamayo commemorated her
translation on the VII of August: on which
day Morales and other Spanish writers testify that the feast of the translation
is celebrated at Orense. And so the cultus
is most certain at Orense: nor shall I deny that there is preserved there
a ring, and held in great price, which
was found on the Saint's finger, as Morales asserts:
for the relics of the Saints are frequently adorned with ornaments
of this kind. Nay, I shall gladly write at greater length
about St. Euphemia of Orense, as certainly distinct,
if the learned Spaniards shall furnish me with certain arguments
of the distinction.
Annotations* Orenge