Humanitext Reader

Gregory of Nazianzus · The Suffering Christ §1.1603-1.1687

Mary's Departure, Christ's Death, and Prophecy of Punishment

Passage 21 of 32 · Greek

Summary

Mary decides to retreat to the house of the young son (John) with the Galilean women, bidding farewell to the tomb. Meanwhile, the interlocutor proclaims the redemptive meaning of Christ's death and prophesies the divine punishment upon the Jews by the Roman army.

§1.1603ἐμὸς θίασος, ἃς συνεμπόρους ἐμοὶ §1.1604ἐκεῖθεν ἕλκει μυστίδας μυστηρίων §1.1605ὁ νῦν νέκυς, φεῦ, τῷ λάκῳ τεθειμένος, §1.1606ἐᾶτε τἀπιχώρι᾿ νεκρῷ μέλη, §1.1607λεπτοῖς δὲ θρήνοις νῦν μιν ἀνυμνήσατε, §1.1608ἔπειτ’ Ἄνακτα ζῶντ᾿ ἀνευφημήσετε, §1.1609ὡς ἔστιν ἐλπὶς ἀσφαλεστάτη δ’ ἐμοί.
My company of initiates, whom the one who is now a corpse— alas, placed in the pit— drags from there as my fellow-travelers, female initiates of the mysteries, leave aside the local songs for the dead, and now praise him with subtle laments, then you shall acclaim the living King, as this is the most secure hope for me.
§1.1610χωρεῖτε χωρεῖτ’, οὐκέτ᾿ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν §1.1611οἵα πρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ τάφον καὶ τὸν λίθον.
Go, go, I am no longer able to look upon his tomb and the stone.
§1.1612Εἴχωμεν οὖν, εἴκωμεν, ὦ φίλαι κόραι· §1.1613ἴτ᾿ ἴτε, κἀπίωμεν ἡσύχῳ βάσει §1.1614εἰς δῶμ’, ἐν ᾧ θηλυγενὲς μένει γένος, §1.1615μήτηρ ὅπου μάλιστα Μάρκου Μαρία, §1.1616μύστην ὅπου θίασον οἶμαι συντρέχειν· §1.1617κἀκεῖ μενοῦμεν γλυκεροῦ φάους δρόμον· §1.1618ἢ μᾶλλον ἀπίωμεν εἰς παιδὸς νέου, §1.1619ὅν μοι τέθεικεν υἱὸν γἱός μοι μόνος.
Let us yield then, let us yield, O dear maidens; go, go, and let us depart with quiet step to the house where the female race remains, especially where Mary the mother of Mark is, where I think the initiate company runs together; and there we shall await the course of the sweet light; or rather let us depart to the young child, whom my only son has appointed as a son for me.
§1.1620Ναὶ καὶ δίκαιον τοῦτο, κοὐκ ἄλλως λέγεις· §1.1621ἐκεῖσε δεῖ, δέσποινα, νῦν ἀπιέναι, §1.1622ὥστ᾿ ἆσσον οὔσας τοῦ τάφου πάντα σκοπεῖν, §1.1623πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν αὔριον ἡσύχως ἔχειν §1.1624τῆς ἐντολῆς ἕκητι καὶ μένειν κνέφας, §1.1625κνέφας φαεινὸν τῆς τριτάτης ἡμέρας, §1.1626ὡς ἂν ἰοῦσαι λάθρα πληρώσητ’ ἔθος.
Yes, and this is just, and you speak not otherwise; we must depart thither now, Lady, so that being closer to the tomb we may observe everything, and keep quiet all tomorrow for the sake of the commandment and await the darkness, the bright darkness of the third day, so that going secretly you may fulfill the custom.
§1.1627Ἴωμεν οὖν, ἴωμεν, εἴκωμεν τάφου, §1.1628πρὶν δυσμενῶν τις παριὼν καταλάβῃ.
Let us go then, let us go, let us withdraw from the tomb, before some of our enemies passing by should capture us.
§1.1629Δείξω δὲ χῶρον, ἔνθα νυχεῦσαι δέον.
And I will show the place where we must spend the night.
§1.1630Ιδού σε, Τέκνον, καταλείπουσαι μόνον §1.1631ἄπιμεν, ᾗχι σταθμὰ θηλειῶν γένους, §1.1632πρὸς οἶκον υἱοῦ, τῷ με παρέθου, Τέκνον, §1.1633δέον μένειν πρὸς νάπος ἐγγὺς σοῦ τάφου.
Lo, Child, leaving you alone we depart, where the dwellings of the female race are, to the house of the son to whom you entrusted me, Child, though we ought to remain in the glen near your tomb.
§1.1634Ὠ φίλτατ᾿ ἀνδρῶν, καὶ θανὼν ἐμοὶ δ’ ὅμως §1.1635τῶν φιλτάτων ἀεί γ’ ἀριθμήσῃ πολύ· §1.1636χαῖρ’· ὕστατόν σε νῦν ἐγὼ προσφθέγγομαι.
O dearest of men, and though dead, nevertheless to me you shall always be numbered greatly among the dearest; farewell; I now address you for the last time.
§1.1637Γένεθλον ἐσθλὸν, οὐκ ἐν αἰνιγμοῖς φράσω, §1.1638ἀνὴρ ὅδ’ ἐστὶ καὶ Θεὸς Θεοῦ γόνος.
Noble race, I shall speak not in riddles: this man is both man and God, the offspring of God.
§1.1639Σαφῶς γὰρ αὐτὸν τοῖσιν ἐξειργασμένοις §1.1640Θεὸν νομίζω, τοῦ δὲ θανάτου πέρι §1.1641σοφὴν πρόνοιαν αἰτιῶμαι καὶ κρίσιν, §1.1642δι’ ἧς ὁ πότμος τοῦ γένους λυθήσεται.
For clearly from his deeds I deem him God; and regarding his death, I attribute it to wise providence and judgment, through which the doom of our race shall be undone.
§1.1643Αὐτός θ’ ὁ χαμαίσυρτος ἐχθρὸς τοῦ γένους §1.1644συντρίβεται νῦν, θανατοῦται, κτείνεται· §1.1645κτανεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν κἀντιπορθήσει γένος §1.1646ὁ τῶν πόλων πάγκλυτος Ἰησοῦς Ἄναξ §1.1647ποινάς ἀδελφῶν καὶ πατρὸς πρώτου λάβῃ, §1.1648παλαιφάτου γέροντος, ὃς βροτῶν γένος §1.1649ἔσπειρεν ἐν γῇ, λείμακος ῥιφεὶς ἄπο §1.1650ἐξ ἀπάτης δράκοντος αἰολοσκόπου, §1.1651πόλει δὲ θήσει τῇ μακαριωτάτη.
And the very earth-dragging enemy of our race is now crushed, put to death, and slain; for the all-glorious King Jesus of the heavens shall slay him and utterly destroy his race, so that he may exact the penalty for his brothers and the first father, the anciently-spoken elder, who sowed the race of mortals on the earth, having been cast out from the meadow by the deceit of the glittering serpent, and he shall establish them in the most blessed city.
§1.1652Καὶ ταῦθ’ ὁ τοῦδε πότμος ἐξεργάζεται, §1.1653καὶ τῶνδ’ ἕκητι καὶ βροτὸς πέφηνέ πως, §1.1654φρικτῶν θ’ ὅδ’ ἀνὴρ θαυμάτων ὦπτο πλέως §1.1655ἐς τόνδε κόσμον, ὧν σὺ πόλλ’ οὐκ ἀγνοεῖς· §1.1656φανεὶς δ’ ἀνὴρ ἄριστος οἴχεται θανὼν, §1.1657αὖθις δ’ ἀναστὰς καὶ Θεὸς γνωσθήσεται.
And his fate works out these things, and for the sake of these he appeared somehow as a mortal too, and this man was seen full of awesome wonders in this world, of which you are not ignorant of many; having appeared as the best of men, he has gone in death, but having risen again he shall be known as God too.
§1.1658Εἰ δ’ ἐν πόλοις ἦν, ἐσθλὸς ὢν ἐλάνθανε, §1.1659ταῖς στρατιαῖς ὑμνούμενος μόναις ἄνω, §1.1660σιγώμενον τε κῦδος εἶχεν ἐν πόλῳ.
But if he had been in the heavens, being good he would have remained hidden, praised only by the hosts above, and he would have had his glory kept silent in the heavens.
§1.1661Αἴτια ταῦτα τοῦ τόκου καὶ τοῦ πότμου· §1.1662τὸ πᾶν δ’ ἐρῶ σοι, τῶν βροτῶν σωτηρία.
These are the causes of his birth and death; I will tell you the whole: the salvation of mortals.
§1.1663Τοιγὰρ τέθνηκεν, ὧν ἐχρῆν ἥκισθ’ ὕπο, §1.1664εἰς δεσμά τ᾿ ἦλθε καὶ λόγους ἐμπαιγμάτων.
Therefore he died at the hands of those who least of all ought to have done so, and came into bonds and mocking words.
§1.1665Τοιαῦτα λαὸς ὁ πρὶν ἠγαπημένος §1.1666εὐεργέτην ἔδρασε, θυμωθεὶς φθόνῳ· §1.1667καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πέπονθεν οὗτος οὐκ ἄκων, §1.1668ἃ δ᾿ αὐ παθεῖν δεῖ λαὸν, οὐ κρύψω κακά.
Such things the formerly beloved people did to their benefactor, angered by envy; and while he suffered these things not unwillingly, the evils which in turn the people must suffer, I will not hide.
§1.1669λίπῃ πόλισμα, βαρβάροις εἰκὼν, ἄκων, §1.1670δοῦλος, μέτοικος.
They shall leave the city, yielding to barbarians, unwillingly, as slaves, as resident aliens.
Ἔστι γὰρ τὸ θέσφατον §1.1671εἰς πᾶσαν αἶαν βαρβάρων ἀποτρέχειν, §1.1672αίχμαῖς ἁλωτοὺς, πόλλ’ ἀνατλάντας κακά.
For it is decreed to flee away to every land of barbarians, captured by spears, having endured many evils.
§1.1673Ἀναιρέταις γὰρ πᾶσιν αὐδᾷ παγγενῆ §1.1674λιπεῖν πόλιν τήνδ’, ἀνοσίου μιάσματος §1.1675δίκας τίνοντας τῷδ’, ὃν ἔκτειναν φθόνῳ, §1.1676καὶ μηκέτ’ ἰδεῖν πατρίδ’· οὐ γὰρ εὐσεβὲς §1.1677μένειν φονευτὰς ἐν τάφοις νεκρουμένων.
For to all the murderers it commands to leave this city with all their kin, paying the penalty of unholy pollution to him whom they slew out of envy, and no longer to see their fatherland; for it is not holy for murderers to remain among the tombs of the slain.
§1.1678Πόλεις δὲ πολλὰς εἰσαφίκωνται, ζυγὸν §1.1679δούλειον ἀνέλκοντες οἱ δυσδαίμονες, §1.1680αἰχμαῖς ἁλωτοί, χρησμὸς ὡς λέγει Θεοῦ, §1.1681πάντη διασπαρέντες, οὐ νόστον δ’ ἔτι §1.1682οἱ τάλανες σχήσουσιν οὐδ’ ἐπάνοδον, §1.1683ἀφ᾿ οὑ τάδ’ ἐκπέρσει γ’ ἀνηρίθμῳ στρατῷ §1.1684ἡγούμενος λόγχαισιν Αὐσόνων δράκων.
And they shall come to many cities, drawing a slavish yoke, the ill-fated ones, captured by spears, as the oracle of God says, scattered everywhere, and the wretched ones shall no longer have a return or restoration, from the time when the Ausonian dragon, leading with spears, shall utterly destroy these things with an countless army.
§1.1685Ταῦτ’ οὐχὶ θνητοῦ πατρὸς ἐκγεγὼς ἔφη §1.1686εἰπών τις, ἐκ Θεοῦ δὲ, καθὼς ἄρ’ ὅδε §1.1687ὁ νῦν νέκυς εἴρηκε πάντ᾿ δυνάμει,
These things did not some mortal born of a mortal father say, but one from God, just as he who is now a corpse spoke everything in power,

Notes

  1. 1603ἐμὸς θίασος, ἃς ... μυστίδας ... ὁ νῦν νέκυς ... ἕλκει — Syntactical structure of the sentence beginning with `ἐμὸς θίασος`. The collective noun `ἐμὸς θίασος` (my company), used here as a vocative, is referred to by the relative pronoun `ἃς` in the feminine plural accusative through synesis. The subject of the relative clause is `ὁ νῦν νέκυς` (the one who is now a corpse), and its verb is `ἕλκει`, taking `ἃς` (along with its appositives `συνεμπόρους` and `μυστίδας`) as its object.
  2. 1610οὐκέτ᾿ εἰμὶ προσβλέπειν οἵα — The construction `οἵα εἰμί` followed by an infinitive, meaning 'to be such as to, to be able to'. Here, accompanied by the negation `οὐκέτι`, the feminine singular form `οἵα` matches the gender and number of the speaker (Mary).
  3. 1647λάβῃ — Use of the aorist subjunctive `λάβῃ`. Following the future verbs (`κτανεῖ`, `κἀντιπορθήσει`) in the preceding clause, the subjunctive stands alone to express purpose. This reflects a later (Byzantine) usage where the subjunctive alone replaces a classical purpose clause introduced by `ἵνα` or `ὡς`.
  4. 1658εἰ δ’ ἐν πόλοις ἦν, ἐσθλὸς ὢν ἐλάνθανε ... κῦδος εἶχεν — A contrary-to-fact conditional sentence referring to the past. The protasis consists of `εἰ` with an imperfect indicative (`ἦν`), and the apodosis consists of imperfect indicatives (`ἐλάνθανε`, `εἶχεν`). The omission of the particle `ἄν` in the apodosis is a phenomenon sometimes found in classical and later Greek to emphasize the certainty of the result.
  5. 1669λίπῃ ... εἰκὼν — Use of the aorist subjunctive `λίπῃ`. It is interpreted either as a noun clause-like subjunctive virtually depending on the preceding impersonal verb `δεῖ` (it is necessary), or as an independent jussive/deliberative subjunctive. Additionally, `βαρβάροις εἰκὼν` is understood as a misspelling or variant spelling of the present participle `εἴκων` (yielding).

Cite this passage

Gregory of Nazianzus, The Suffering Christ §1.1603-1.1687. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg2022.tlg003.humanitext-grc1:1.1603-1.1687

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