Oration to the Assembly of the Saints 17.1–26.2
Greek text: Heikel, GCS 7 (Greek text: Ivar A. Heikel, Eusebius Werke 1 (GCS 7, 1902), digitized by the First Thousand Years of Greek project (Open Greek and Latin), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 1 (1890).
Chapter 17
17.1Heikel
Οὐδεὶς δʼ ἂν ἐκείνου τοῦ δήμου μακαριώτερος γεγόνει πώποτε ἢ γένοιτο, εἰ μὴ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ἑκόντες τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀπεκήρυξαν. τί δʼ ἂν εἴποι τις ἄξιον περὶ Μωϋσέως; ὃς ἄτακτον δῆμον εἰς τάξιν ἀγαγών, πειθοῖ τε καὶ αἰδοῖ τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν κατακοσμήσας, ἀντὶ μὲν αἰχμαλωσίας ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς περιεποιεῖτο, ἀντὶ δὲ σκυθρωπότητος φαιδροὺς ἐποίει, καὶ εἰς τοσοῦτον τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν προηγάγετο, ὥστε τῇ λίαν ἐπὶ τἀναντία μεταβολῇ τῇ τε τῶν κατορθωμάτων εὐτυχίᾳ ἀλαζονέστερον τῶν ἀνδρῶν τὸ φρόνημα γενέσθαι· ὃς τοσοῦτον ὑπερῆρε σοφίᾳ τοὺς πρὸ αὐτοῦ, ὥστε καὶ τοὺς ἐπαινουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἤτοι σοφοὺς καὶ φιλοσόφους ζηλωτὰς τῆς ἐκείνου σοφίας γενέσθαι.
Oudeis dʼ an ekeinou tou dēmou makariōteros gegonei pōpote ē genoito, ei mē tas psychas autōn hekontes tou hagiou pneumatos apekēryxan. ti dʼ an eipoi tis axion peri Mōÿseōs? hos atakton dēmon eis taxin agagōn, peithoi te kai aidoi tas psychas autōn katakosmēsas, anti men aichmalōsias eleutherian autois periepoieito, anti de skythrōpotētos phaidrous epoiei, kai eis tosouton tēn psychēn autōn proēgageto, hōste tę̄ lian epi tanantia metabolę̄ tę̄ te tōn katorthōmatōn eutychią alazonesteron tōn andrōn to phronēma genesthai; hos tosouton hyperēre sophią tous pro autou, hōste kai tous epainoumenous hypo tōn ethnōn ētoi sophous kai philosophous zēlōtas tēs ekeinou sophias genesthai.
No one would ever have been, or would be, more blessed than that people, if they had not of their own will renounced the Holy Spirit from their souls. And what could one say worthily of Moses? He brought a disorderly people into order, adorned their souls with persuasion and modesty, won freedom for them instead of captivity, made them cheerful instead of gloomy, and led their souls on so far that, through the great change to the opposite and the good fortune of their successes, the mind of the men became rather boastful. He so surpassed in wisdom those before him that even those praised by the nations as wise men and philosophers became emulators of his wisdom.
Acts 7:51 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Israel would have been most blessed had it not rejected the Holy Spirit; Moses ordered and freed it, and his wisdom was imitated by the pagan sages.
- Constantine's statement about Israel is translated as written. The claim that Greek philosophers imitated Moses is a common apologetic theme (e.g. Justin, Clement, Eusebius).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR inserted letter; OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slips): γεγόνει πώποτε ἢ γένοιτο, εἰς μὴ → γεγόνει πώποτε ἢ γένοιτο, εἰ μὴ; εἲποι τις ἂξιον περὶ Μωϋςέως; ὃς ἂτακτον → εἴποι τις ἄξιον περὶ Μωϋσέως; ὃς ἄτακτον; αἰχμαλωςίας → αἰχμαλωσίας; καταορθωμάτων εὐτυχίᾳ ἀλαζοέστερον → κατορθωμάτων εὐτυχίᾳ ἀλαζονέστερον; φιλοςόφους → φιλοσόφους.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
17.2Heikel
Πυθαγόρας γὰρ τὴν ἐκείνου σοφίαν μιμησάμενος εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ διαβεβόηται, ὥστε καὶ τῷ σωφρονεστάτῳ Πλάτωνι παράδειγμα τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐγκράτειαν καταστῆσαι. Δανιὴλ δὲ ὁ θεσπίσας τὰ μέλλοντα καὶ τῆς ἐξοχωτάτης μεγαλοψυχίας ἐργάτης ἠθῶν τε καὶ παντὸς βίου κάλλει διαπρέψας πόσην τινὰ καὶ πῶς τραχεῖαν κατηγωνίσατο δυσχέρειαν τοῦ κατʼ Ἀσσυρίαν τότε τυράννου;
Pythagoras gar tēn ekeinou sophian mimēsamenos eis tosouton epi sōphrosynę̄ diabeboētai, hōste kai tǭ sōphronestatǭ Platōni paradeigma tēn heautou enkrateian katastēsai. Daniēl de ho thespisas ta mellonta kai tēs exochōtatēs megalopsychias ergatēs ēthōn te kai pantos biou kallei diaprepsas posēn tina kai pōs tracheian katēgōnisato dyschereian tou katʼ Assyrian tote tyrannou?
For Pythagoras, imitating his wisdom, became so celebrated for self-control that he made his own continence a pattern even for the most self-controlled Plato. And Daniel, who prophesied the future, worker of the most exalted magnanimity, outstanding in the beauty of his character and his whole life: how great and how harsh a hardship he overcame from the tyrant then ruling in Assyria!
Notes and citation
Summary: Pythagoras imitated Moses' wisdom; Daniel, a prophet of great virtue, overcame the hostility of the Assyrian tyrant.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slips): σουφίαν μιμηςάμενος → σοφίαν μιμησάμενος.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
17.3Heikel
ὄνομα δʼ ἐκείνῳ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἦν, οὗ πάσης τῆς γενεᾶς ἐξαλειφθείσης ἡ σεμνὴ καὶ ὑπερμεγέθης ἐκείνη δύναμις πρὸς τοὺς Πέρσας διῆλθε. διαβόητος γὰρ ἦν καὶ ἄχρι νῦν ἐστὶν ὁ πλοῦτος τοῦ τυράννου, καὶ ἡ ἄκαιρος περὶ τὴν μὴ δέουσαν θρησκείαν ἐπιμέλεια, μετάλλων τε παντοδαπῶν εἰς τὴν τῶν θεῶν κατασκευὴν δαψίλεια καὶ ναῶν οὐρανομήκη ὑψώματα, φρικτοί τε καὶ πρὸς ὠμότητα οἱ τῆς θρησκείας συντεθέντες νόμοι· ὧν πάντων ὁ Δανιὴλ καταφρονήσας διὰ τὴν ἄχραντον πρὸς τὸν ὄντως θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, τὴν ἄκαιρον τοῦ τυράννου σπουδὴν μεγάλου τινὸς κακοῦ ἐσομένην αἰτίαν ἐμαντεύετο. ἀλλʼ οὐκ ἔπειθε τὸν τύραννον· ὁ γὰρ ἄφθονος πλοῦτος ἐμπόδιον πρὸς τὸ καλῶς φρονεῖν ὑπάρχει. τέλος γοῦν τὸ ἄγριον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διανοίας ὁ δυνάστης ἐξέφηνε, θηρσὶν ἀγρίοις διαλυμανθῆναι τὸν δίκαιον κελεύσας.
onoma dʼ ekeinǭ Nabouchodonosor ēn, hou pasēs tēs geneas exaleiphtheisēs hē semnē kai hypermegethēs ekeinē dynamis pros tous Persas diēlthe. diaboētos gar ēn kai achri nyn estin ho ploutos tou tyrannou, kai hē akairos peri tēn mē deousan thrēskeian epimeleia, metallōn te pantodapōn eis tēn tōn theōn kataskeuēn dapsileia kai naōn ouranomēkē hypsōmata, phriktoi te kai pros ōmotēta hoi tēs thrēskeias syntethentes nomoi; hōn pantōn ho Daniēl kataphronēsas dia tēn achranton pros ton ontōs theon eusebeian, tēn akairon tou tyrannou spoudēn megalou tinos kakou esomenēn aitian emanteueto. allʼ ouk epeithe ton tyrannon; ho gar aphthonos ploutos empodion pros to kalōs phronein hyparchei. telos goun to agrion tēs heautou dianoias ho dynastēs exephēne, thērsin agriois dialymanthēnai ton dikaion keleusas.
His name was Nebuchadnezzar, whose whole line was wiped out and that venerable and vast power passed to the Persians. For the tyrant's wealth was famous, and is still now, and his untimely care for an improper worship, the abundance of metals of every kind for making gods, the sky-high heights of temples, and the laws of worship drawn up, horrible and cruel. Daniel, despising all these through his undefiled piety toward the true God, foretold that the tyrant's untimely zeal would be the cause of some great evil. But he did not persuade the tyrant; for abundant wealth is an obstacle to right thinking. At last the ruler revealed the savagery of his mind, commanding the righteous man to be torn by wild beasts.
Dan 3:1–7 (allusion, medium confidence) · Dan 6:16 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Nebuchadnezzar's rich and cruel idolatry was rebuked by Daniel, whom the tyrant condemned to the beasts.
- Constantine places the lions' den under Nebuchadnezzar and then (17.4) under Cambyses, whereas Daniel 6 has Darius; translated as written. Compare Dan 3; 6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slips; OCR slips in breathing): ἀξαλειφθείσης → ἐξαλειφθείσης; ἂχραντον πρὸς τὸν ὂντως θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, τὴν ἂκαιρον → ἄχραντον πρὸς τὸν ὄντως θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, τὴν ἄκαιρον; ὁ γὰρ ἂφθονος → ὁ γὰρ ἄφθονος; τὸ ἂγριον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διανοίας ὁ δυνάστης ἑξέφηνε, θηρςὶν → τὸ ἄγριον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διανοίας ὁ δυνάστης ἐξέφηνε, θηρσὶν.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
17.4Heikel
γενναία γε μὴν καὶ ἡ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ἐν τῷ μαρτυρεῖν ὁμοδοξία· οὓς οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα ζηλώσαντες ὑπερμεγέθη δόξαν τῆς πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα πίστεως ἤραντο, πυρὶ καὶ καμίνῳ καὶ τοῖς εἰς τὸ φαγεῖν αὐτοὺς τεταγμένοις δεινοῖς ἀδῄωτοι, ἁγνῇ τε σωμάτων προσβολῇ τὸ ἐμπεριεχόμενον τῇ καμίνῳ πῦρ ἀπωθούμενοι Δανιὴλ δὲ μετὰ τὴν κατάλυσιν τῆς Ἀσσυρίων βασιλείας, ἀναιρεθείσης κεραυνῶν βολαῖς, ἐπὶ Καμβύσην τῶν Περσῶν βασιλέα μετῆλθεν ἐκ θείας προνοίας, φθόνος δὲ κἀνταῦθα, καὶ πρός γε τῷ φθόνῳ ὀλέθριοι μάγων ἐπιβουλαί, διαδοχαί τε κινδύνων μεγάλων τε καὶ πολλῶν, ἐξ ὧν πάντων συναιρομένης τῆς Χριστοῦ προνοίας σωθεῖς εὐχερῶς παντοίας ἀρετῆς πείρᾳ διέπρεψεν.
gennaia ge mēn kai hē tōn adelphōn en tǭ martyrein homodoxia; hous hoi meta tauta zēlōsantes hypermegethē doxan tēs pros ton sōtēra pisteōs ēranto, pyri kai kaminǭ kai tois eis to phagein autous tetagmenois deinois adę̄ōtoi, hagnę̄ te sōmatōn prosbolę̄ to emperiechomenon tę̄ kaminǭ pyr apōthoumenoi Daniēl de meta tēn katalysin tēs Assyriōn basileias, anairetheisēs keraunōn bolais, epi Kambysēn tōn Persōn basilea metēlthen ek theias pronoias, phthonos de kantautha, kai pros ge tǭ phthonǭ olethrioi magōn epiboulai, diadochai te kindynōn megalōn te kai pollōn, ex hōn pantōn synairomenēs tēs Christou pronoias sōtheis eucherōs pantoias aretēs peirą dieprepsen.
Noble too was the brothers' agreement in witnessing; those who emulated them afterwards won surpassing glory for faith in the Saviour, unharmed by fire and furnace and the terrors set to devour them, repelling with the pure contact of their bodies the fire enclosed in the furnace. And Daniel, after the overthrow of the Assyrian kingdom, destroyed by thunderbolts, passed by divine providence to Cambyses, king of the Persians. Envy was there too, and besides envy, the deadly plots of the magi, and successions of great and many dangers; saved easily from all of them by the help of Christ's providence, he excelled in the proof of every virtue.
Dan 3:19–27 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 6:1–9 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The three young men were unharmed in the furnace; Daniel, serving the Persian king, escaped the plots of the magi by Christ's providence.
- The three in the furnace: Dan 3. 'Cambyses' is as printed (Daniel 6 names Darius). The overthrow of Babylon 'by thunderbolts' is Constantine's own detail.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR inserted letter; OCR slip in breathing): ἢραντο → ἤραντο; καεραυνῶν → κεραυνῶν.
Topics: Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
17.5Heikel
οἱ γὰρ τοι μάγοι, τρὶς τῆς ἡμέρας εὐχομένου τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μεγάλας τε καὶ ἐξαισίους ἀρετὰς ἀξιομνημονεύτων ἔργων κατορθοῦντος, αὐτὴν τὴν τῶν εὐχῶν ἐπίτευξιν φθόνῳ διέβαλλον, ἐπικίνδυνον σφόδρα τὴν τοσαύτην αὐτοῦ δύναμιν διαβάλλοντες πρὸς τὸν δυνάστην ἔπεισαν αὐτόν, τοσούτων ἀγαθῶν δημοσίᾳ παραίτιον τοῖς Πέρσαις γενόμενον, λεόντων ἀγρίων θοίνῃ κατακριθῆναι. καθεῖρκτο δὲ κατακριθεὶς οὐκ εἰς ὄλεθρον ἀλλʼ αἰώνιον εὐδοξίαν ὁ Δανιήλ, καὶ ἐν μέσοις τοῖς θηρσὶν ἐξεταζόμενος ἠπίων καὶ ἡμερωτέρων τῶν θηρίων ἢ τῶν καθειρξάντων ἐπειρᾶτο· πάντας γὰρ εὐχὴ κοσμιότητος καὶ σωφροσύνης ἀρετῇ συναιρομένη τιθασοὺς ἀπειργάζετο τοὺς λυσσώδεις τῇ φύσει.
hoi gar toi magoi, tris tēs hēmeras euchomenou tou andros megalas te kai exaisious aretas axiomnēmoneutōn ergōn katorthountos, autēn tēn tōn euchōn epiteuxin phthonǭ dieballon, epikindynon sphodra tēn tosautēn autou dynamin diaballontes pros ton dynastēn epeisan auton, tosoutōn agathōn dēmosią paraition tois Persais genomenon, leontōn agriōn thoinę̄ katakrithēnai. katheirkto de katakritheis ouk eis olethron allʼ aiōnion eudoxian ho Daniēl, kai en mesois tois thērsin exetazomenos ēpiōn kai hēmerōterōn tōn thēriōn ē tōn katheirxantōn epeirato; pantas gar euchē kosmiotētos kai sōphrosynēs aretę̄ synairomenē tithasous apeirgazeto tous lyssōdeis tę̄ physei.
For the magi, as the man prayed three times a day and accomplished great and extraordinary virtues by memorable works, slandered out of envy the very success of his prayers; and representing so great a power of his as very dangerous, they persuaded the ruler that he, who had been publicly the cause of so many good things to the Persians, should be condemned to be a feast for wild lions. Daniel was shut up, condemned not to destruction but to eternal glory; and placed among the beasts he found the beasts gentler and tamer than those who had shut him in; for prayer, aided by the virtue of good order and self-control, made all those raging by nature tame.
Dan 6:10–23 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Accused because of his thrice-daily prayer, Daniel was thrown to the lions, but his prayer tamed them.
- Dan 6:10–23.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR lost breathing and accent; OCR slips): καῖ ἐξαιςίους → καὶ ἐξαισίους; ουκ εἰς ὄλεθρον → οὐκ εἰς ὄλεθρον; σωφροςύνης ἀρετῇ → σωφροσύνης ἀρετῇ.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
17.6Heikel
γνωσθέντων δὲ τούτων τῷ Καμβύσῃ (οὐδὲ γὰρ δυνατὸν ἦν τοσαύτης οὕτω τε θείας δυνάμεως κατορθώματα ἐπισκιάζεσθαι), ὑπερεκπέπληκτο μὲν αὐτὸς τῷ θαύματι τῶν ἀγγελλομένων, μετεγίνωσκε δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ πεισθῆναι ταῖς διαβολαῖς τῶν μάγων εὐχερῶς· ὅμως γοῦν ἐτόλμησε τῆς θέας ἐκείνης ἐπόπτης γενέσθαι καὶ ἰδεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα ἑκατέρας τῆς χειρὸς ὑψώματι τὸν Χριστὸν ὑμνοῦντα, τοὺς δὲ λέοντας ὑποβεβλημένους καὶ οἱονεὶ τὰ ἴχνη τοῦ ἀνδρὸς προσκυνοῦντας, καὶ παραχρῆμα τοὺς ἀναπείσαντας αὐτὸν μάγους τῇ αὐτῇ ζημίᾳ κατέκρινε, καθεῖρξέ τε τῇ τῶν λεόντων αὐλῇ τοὺς μάγους, οἱ δὲ θῆρες οἱ τὸν μικρῷ πρόσθεν κολακεύσαντες ἐπεφοίτων τοῖς μάγοις καὶ πάντας αὐτοὺς κατὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν φύσιν ἐλυμήναντο.
gnōsthentōn de toutōn tǭ Kambysę̄ (oude gar dynaton ēn tosautēs houtō te theias dynameōs katorthōmata episkiazesthai), hyperekpeplēkto men autos tǭ thaumati tōn angellomenōn, meteginōske de epi tǭ peisthēnai tais diabolais tōn magōn eucherōs; homōs goun etolmēse tēs theas ekeinēs epoptēs genesthai kai idein ton andra hekateras tēs cheiros hypsōmati ton Christon hymnounta, tous de leontas hypobeblēmenous kai hoionei ta ichnē tou andros proskynountas, kai parachrēma tous anapeisantas auton magous tę̄ autę̄ zēmią katekrine, katheirxe te tę̄ tōn leontōn aulę̄ tous magous, hoi de thēres hoi ton mikrǭ prosthen kolakeusantes epephoitōn tois magois kai pantas autous kata tēn heautōn physin elymēnanto.
When this became known to Cambyses (for it was impossible that achievements of so great and so divine a power be overshadowed), he was utterly amazed at the wonder of what was reported, and repented of having been easily persuaded by the slanders of the magi. Nevertheless he dared to become a spectator of that sight, and to see the man hymning Christ with both hands raised, and the lions lying submissive and, as it were, worshipping the man's footsteps; and at once he condemned the magi who had persuaded him to the same penalty, and shut them up in the lions' court; and the beasts, which a little before had fawned on him, attacked the magi and destroyed them all according to their nature.
Dan 6:19–24 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The king saw Daniel praying to Christ unharmed among the submissive lions and threw the accusing magi to the beasts, who devoured them.
- 'Hymning Christ' is Constantine's interpretation. Dan 6:19–24.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR inserted letter; OCR lost breathing; stray mark): τῶν ΄μάγων → τῶν μάγων; παραχῆμα → παραχρῆμα; κατέδκρινε → κατέκρινε; οἱ δὲ θῆρες οι τὸν → οἱ δὲ θῆρες οἱ τὸν.
Topics: Prayer, Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 17.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/17-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-17-6) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 18
18.1Heikel
Παρίσταται δέ μοι καὶ τῶν ἀλλοδαπῶν τι μαρτυριῶν τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεότητος ἀπομνημονεῦσαι· ἐκ γὰρ τοι τούτων δηλονότι καὶ ἡ τῶν βλασφημούντων αὐτὸν διάνοια οἶδεν αὐτὸν θεὸν ὄντα καὶ θεοῦ παῖδα, εἴπερ γοῦν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν λόγοις πιστεύουσιν.
Paristatai de moi kai tōn allodapōn ti martyriōn tēs tou Christou theotētos apomnēmoneusai; ek gar toi toutōn dēlonoti kai hē tōn blasphēmountōn auton dianoia oiden auton theon onta kai theou paida, eiper goun tois heautōn logois pisteuousin.
It occurs to me also to recall some testimonies from foreigners to the deity of Christ. For from these clearly even the mind of those who blaspheme him knows him to be God and Son of God, if indeed they believe their own words.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine will cite pagan witnesses to Christ's deity.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 18.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-18-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
18.2Heikel
ἡ τοίνυν Ἐρυθραία Σίβυλλα, φάσκουσα ἑαυτὴν ἕκτῃ γενεᾷ μετὰ τὸν κατακλυσμὸν γενέσθαι, ἱέρεια ἦν τοῦ Ἀπόλλωνος, διάδημα ἐπʼ ἴσης τῷ θρησκευομένῳ ὑπʼ αὐτῆς θεῷ φοροῦσα, καὶ τὸν τρίποδα περὶ ὃν ὁ ὄφις εἱλεῖτο περιέπουσα, ἀποφοιβάζουσά τε τοῖς χρωμένοις αὐτῇ, ἠλιθιότητι τῶν γονέων ἐπιδεδωκότων αὐτὴν τοιαύτῃ λατρείᾳ, διʼ ἣν ἀσχήμονες θυμοὶ καὶ οὐδὲν σεμνὸν ἐπιγίνεται, κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς ἱστορουμένοις περὶ τῆς Δάφνης.
hē toinyn Erythraia Sibylla, phaskousa heautēn hektę̄ geneą meta ton kataklysmon genesthai, hiereia ēn tou Apollōnos, diadēma epʼ isēs tǭ thrēskeuomenǭ hypʼ autēs theǭ phorousa, kai ton tripoda peri hon ho ophis heileito periepousa, apophoibazousa te tois chrōmenois autę̄, ēlithiotēti tōn goneōn epidedōkotōn autēn toiautę̄ latreią, diʼ hēn aschēmones thymoi kai ouden semnon epiginetai, kata ta auta tois historoumenois peri tēs Daphnēs.
The Erythraean Sibyl, then, who says she lived in the sixth generation after the flood, was a priestess of Apollo, wearing a diadem equal to that of the god she served, tending the tripod around which the serpent coiled, and giving oracles to those who consulted her, her parents in their folly having given her over to such a service, from which shameful passions arise and nothing venerable, just as is told of Daphne.
Notes and citation
Summary: The Erythraean Sibyl was a priestess of Apollo, given to his service by her foolish parents.
- Compare Sib. Or. 3.823–827 and the prologue of the Sibylline Oracles. ἀλιθιότητι is a slip for ἠλιθιότητι ('folly').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): κατακλυσμὲν → κατακλυσμὸν; ἀλιθιότητι → ἠλιθιότητι.
Extrabiblical texts: Sib. Or. 3.823-827 (Sibylline Oracles; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 18.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-18-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
18.3Heikel
αὕτη τοίνυν εἴσω τῶν ἀδύτων ποτὲ τῆς ἀκαίρου δεισιδαιμονίας προαχθεῖσα καὶ θείας ἐπιπνοίας ὄντως γενομένη μεστή, διʼ ἐπῶν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ μέλλοντα προεθέσπισεν, σαφῶς ταῖς προτάξεσι τῶν πρώτων γραμμάτων, ἤτις ἀκροστιχὶς λέγεται, δηλοῦσα τὴν ἱστορίαν τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ κατελεύσεως. δρώσει γὰρ χθών, κρίσεως σημεῖον ὅτʼ ἔσται· Ηξει δʼ οὐρανόθεν βασιλεὺς αἰῶσιν ὁ μέλλων Σάρκα παρὼν πᾶσαν κρῖναι καὶ κόσμον ἄπαντα. Οψονται δὲ θεὸν μέροπες πιστοὶ καὶ ἄπιστοι Υψιστον μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἐπὶ τέρμα χρόνοιο, Σαρκοφόρων ψυχὰς δʼ ἀνδρῶν ἐπὶ βήματι κρίνει. Χέρσος ὅταν ποτε κόσμος ὅλος καὶ ἄκανθα γένηται, Ρίψωσίν τʼ εἴδωλα βροτοὶ καὶ πλοῦτον ἅπαντα, Εκκαύσῃ δὲ τὸ πῦρ γῆν οὐρανὸν ἠδὲ θάλασσαν, Ιχνεῦον ῥήξῃ τε πύλας εἱρκτῆς ἀίδαο.
hautē toinyn eisō tōn adytōn pote tēs akairou deisidaimonias proachtheisa kai theias epipnoias ontōs genomenē mestē, diʼ epōn peri tou theou ta mellonta proethespisen, saphōs tais protaxesi tōn prōtōn grammatōn, ētis akrostichis legetai, dēlousa tēn historian tēs tou Iēsou kateleuseōs. drōsei gar chthōn, kriseōs sēmeion hotʼ estai; Ēxei dʼ ouranothen basileus aiōsin ho mellōn Sarka parōn pasan krinai kai kosmon apanta. Opsontai de theon meropes pistoi kai apistoi Ypsiston meta tōn hagiōn epi terma chronoio, Sarkophorōn psychas dʼ andrōn epi bēmati krinei. Chersos hotan pote kosmos holos kai akantha genētai, Ripsōsin tʼ eidōla brotoi kai plouton hapanta, Ekkausę̄ de to pyr gēn ouranon ēde thalassan, Ichneuon rhēxę̄ te pylas heirktēs aidao.
She, then, having once entered the shrine of untimely superstition and become truly filled with divine inspiration, foretold in verses the things to come concerning God, plainly showing by the order of the first letters, which is called an acrostic, the story of the descent of Jesus. [The acrostic reads in Greek: 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, Cross.'] "The earth shall sweat, when the sign of judgment comes; there shall come from heaven the King who is to reign for the ages, present to judge all flesh and the whole world. And mortals, faithful and faithless, shall see God most high with the saints at the end of time; he judges the souls of men in the flesh at his tribunal. When the whole world becomes a waste and a thicket of thorns, and mortals cast away their idols and all their wealth, the fire will burn up earth, heaven and sea, and, tracking them out, will break the gates of the prison of Hades.
Matt 24:30 (echo, medium confidence) · Rev 1:7 (echo, medium confidence) · 2 Pet 3:10 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Inspired, the Sibyl foretold Christ's coming in an acrostic poem spelling 'Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour, Cross,' beginning with the signs of the judgment.
- The acrostic is Sibylline Oracles 8.217–250; its initial letters spell ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΕΙΣΤΟΣ ΘΕΟΥ ΥΙΟΣ ΣΩΤΗΡ ΣΤΑΥΡΟΣ, which cannot be kept in English. The digital text has lost the first letter of the first line (Ἰδρώσει, 'shall sweat'). The poem continues in 18.4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; breathing slip; joined words separated): ἀκροστχὶς → ἀκροστιχὶς; ἂκανθαγένηται → ἄκανθα γένηται.
Extrabiblical texts: Sib. Or. 8.217-226 (Sibylline Oracles; quotation)
Topics: Eschatology, Christology, Prophecy and fulfilment
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 18.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-18-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
18.4Heikel
Σὰρξ τότε πᾶσα νεκρῶν ἐς ἐλευθέριον φάος ἥξει, Τοὺς ἁγίους ἀνόμους τε τὸ πῦρ αἰῶσιν ἐλέγξει, Οππόσα τις πράξας ἔλαθεν, τότε πάντα λαλήσει. Στήθεα γὰρ ζοφόεντα θεὸς φωστῆρσιν ἀνοίξει, Θρῆνος τʼ ἐκ πάντων ἔσται καὶ βρυγμὸς ὀδόντων. Εκλείψει σέλας ἠελίου ἄστρων τε χορεῖαι, Οὐρανὸν εἱλίξει, μήνης δέ τε φέγγος ὀλεῖται. Υψώσει δὲ φάραγγας, ὁλεῖ δʼ ὑψώματα βουνῶν. Υγος δʼ οὐκ ἔτι λυγρὸς ἐν ἀνθρώποισι φανεῖται, Ισά τʼ ὄρη πεδίοις ἔσται, καὶ πᾶσα θάλασσα Οὐκ εἰς πλοῦ εἴξει· γῆ γὰρ φρυχθεῖσα κεραυνῷ, Σὺν πηγαῖς ποταμοί τε καχλάζοντες λείψουσιν, Σάλπιγξ δʼ οὐρανόθεν φωνῆν πολύθρηνον ἀφήσει, Ωρύουσα μέσος μέλεον καὶ πήματα κόσμου. Ταρταρόεν δὲ χάος δείξει τότε γαῖα χανοῦσα, Ηξουσιν δʼ ἐπὶ βῆμα θεοῦ βασιλῆες ἅπαντες. Ρεύσει δʼ οὐρανόθεν ποταμὸς πυρὸς ἠδὲ θεείου, Σῆμα δέ τοι τότε πᾶσι βροτοῖς ἀριδείκετον, οἷον Τὸ ξύλον ἐν πιστοῖς, τὸ κέρας τὸ ποθούμενον ἔσται· Ανδρῶν εὐσεβέων ζωή, πρόσκομμά τε κόσμου, Υδασι φωτίζον κλητοὺς ἐν δώδεκα πηγαῖς· Ράβδος ποιμαίνουσα σιδηρείη γε κρατήσει. Οὗτος ὁ νῦν προγραφεὶς ἐν ἀκροστιχίοις θεὸς ἡμῶν Σωτὴρ ἀθάνατος βασιλεὺς ὁ παθὼν ἕνεχʼ ἡμῶν.
Sarx tote pasa nekrōn es eleutherion phaos hēxei, Tous hagious anomous te to pyr aiōsin elenxei, Opposa tis praxas elathen, tote panta lalēsei. Stēthea gar zophoenta theos phōstērsin anoixei, Thrēnos tʼ ek pantōn estai kai brygmos odontōn. Ekleipsei selas ēeliou astrōn te choreiai, Ouranon heilixei, mēnēs de te phengos oleitai. Ypsōsei de pharangas, holei dʼ hypsōmata bounōn. Ygos dʼ ouk eti lygros en anthrōpoisi phaneitai, Isa tʼ orē pediois estai, kai pasa thalassa Ouk eis plou eixei; gē gar phrychtheisa keraunǭ, Syn pēgais potamoi te kachlazontes leipsousin, Salpinx dʼ ouranothen phōnēn polythrēnon aphēsei, Ōryousa mesos meleon kai pēmata kosmou. Tartaroen de chaos deixei tote gaia chanousa, Ēxousin dʼ epi bēma theou basilēes hapantes. Reusei dʼ ouranothen potamos pyros ēde theeiou, Sēma de toi tote pasi brotois arideiketon, hoion To xylon en pistois, to keras to pothoumenon estai; Andrōn eusebeōn zōē, proskomma te kosmou, Ydasi phōtizon klētous en dōdeka pēgais; Rabdos poimainousa sidēreiē ge kratēsei. Houtos ho nyn prographeis en akrostichiois theos hēmōn Sōtēr athanatos basileus ho pathōn henechʼ hēmōn.
"All the flesh of the dead shall then come to the light of freedom; the fire shall test the holy and the lawless for ever; whatever anyone did secretly, he shall then tell it all; for God will open dark hearts with his lights. There shall be lamentation from all, and gnashing of teeth. The brightness of the sun shall fail, and the dances of the stars; he will roll up heaven, and the moon's light will perish. He will raise up the ravines and destroy the heights of the hills; no grievous height shall appear any more among men; mountains shall be equal to plains, and every sea shall no longer yield to voyaging; for the earth, scorched by the thunderbolt, and the rivers with their springs, roaring, shall fail. The trumpet shall send from heaven a sound of much lamentation, howling in the midst the wretchedness and woes of the world. Then the earth, gaping, shall show the chaos of Tartarus, and all kings shall come to the judgment seat of God. A river of fire and brimstone shall flow from heaven. Then there shall be a sign for all mortals, clear to see: the wood among the faithful, the longed-for horn; the life of pious men, and a stumbling-block of the world; enlightening the called with water in twelve springs. An iron rod shepherding shall prevail. This is our God, now set forth in acrostics, Saviour, immortal King, who suffered for our sake."
Matt 8:12 (echo, medium confidence) · Isa 34:4 (echo, medium confidence) · Rev 6:14 (echo, low confidence) · Isa 40:4 (echo, medium confidence) · 1 Thess 4:16 (echo, low confidence) · Ps 2:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rev 2:27 (echo, low confidence) · Exod 15:27 (echo, low confidence) · 1 Cor 1:23 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The acrostic continues with the resurrection, cosmic upheaval and the last judgment, ending with the cross as the sign of salvation and Christ the Saviour who suffered for us.
- Sib. Or. 8.227–250. 'Gnashing of teeth' echoes Matt 8:12; 'roll up heaven', Isa 34:4 and Rev 6:14; 'mountains equal to plains', Isa 40:4; 'iron rod', Ps 2:9 and Rev 2:27; 'twelve springs', Exod 15:27. A line of the acrostic as printed differs slightly from the Sibylline text (e.g. Υγος for Ὕψος).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in breathing): Ισά τʼ ὂρη → Ισά τʼ ὄρη.
Extrabiblical texts: Sib. Or. 8.227-250 (Sibylline Oracles; quotation)
Topics: Eschatology, Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 18.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-18-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
18.5Heikel
Καὶ ταῦτα τῇ παρθένῳ δηλαδὴ θεόθεν ἐπέστη προκηρύξαι. μακαρίαν δʼ αὐτὴν ἔγωγε κρίνω, ἣν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐξελέξατο προφῆτιν τῆς ἑαυτοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν προμηθείας.
Kai tauta tę̄ parthenǭ dēladē theothen epestē prokēryxai. makarian dʼ autēn egōge krinō, hēn ho sōtēr exelexato prophētin tēs heautou peri hēmōn promētheias.
And it was clearly given to the virgin by God to proclaim these things beforehand. I, for my part, judge her blessed, whom the Saviour chose as prophetess of his providence toward us.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine calls the Sibyl blessed, chosen by Christ as a prophetess.
Extrabiblical texts: Sib. Or. 8.217-250 (Sibylline Oracles; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 18.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/18-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-18-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 19
19.1Heikel
Ἀλλʼ οἱ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπιστοῦσιν, καὶ ταῦτα ὁμολογοῦντες Ἐρυθραίαν γεγενῆσθαι Σίβυλλαν μάντιν, ὑποπτεύουσι δέ τινα τῶν τῆς ἡμετέρας θρησκείας ποιητικῆς μούσης οὐκ ἄμοιρον τὰ ἔπη ταῦτα πεποιηκέναι, νοθεύεσθαί τε αὐτὰ καὶ Σιβύλλης θεσπίσματα εἶναι λέγεσθαι, ἔχοντα βιωφελεῖς γνώμας τὴν πολλὴν τῶν ἡδονῶν περικοπτούσας ἐξουσίαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν σώφρονά τε καὶ κόσμιον βίον ὁδηγούσας.
Allʼ hoi polloi tōn anthrōpōn apistousin, kai tauta homologountes Erythraian gegenēsthai Sibyllan mantin, hypopteuousi de tina tōn tēs hēmeteras thrēskeias poiētikēs mousēs ouk amoiron ta epē tauta pepoiēkenai, notheuesthai te auta kai Sibyllēs thespismata einai legesthai, echonta biōpheleis gnōmas tēn pollēn tōn hēdonōn perikoptousas exousian kai epi ton sōphrona te kai kosmion bion hodēgousas.
But most people do not believe, even though they admit that the Erythraean Sibyl was a prophetess; they suspect that someone of our religion, not without a share in the poetic muse, made these verses, and that they are forged and said to be the Sibyl's oracles, having maxims beneficial for life that cut off the great licence of pleasures and lead to a sober and orderly life.
Notes and citation
Summary: Many suspect a Christian poet forged the Sibyl's verses.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip): ὁμολογῦντες → ὁμολογοῦντες; βιβφελεῖς → βιωφελεῖς; ἐξουςίαν → ἐξουσίαν.
Extrabiblical texts: Sib. Or. 8.217-250 (Sibylline Oracles; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.2Heikel
ἐν προφανεῖ δʼ ἀλήθεια, τῆς τῶν ἡμετέρων ἀνδρῶν ἐπιμελείας συλλεξάσης τοὺς χρόνους ἀκριβέστερον, ὡς πρὸς τὸ μηδένα τοπάζειν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ κάθοδον καὶ κρίσιν γεγενῆσθαι τὸ ποίημα καὶ ὡς πάλαι προλεχθέντων ὑπὸ Σιβύλλης τῶν ἐπῶν ψεῦδος διαφημίζεσθαι.
en prophanei dʼ alētheia, tēs tōn hēmeterōn andrōn epimeleias syllexasēs tous chronous akribesteron, hōs pros to mēdena topazein meta tēn tou Christou kathodon kai krisin gegenēsthai to poiēma kai hōs palai prolechthentōn hypo Sibyllēs tōn epōn pseudos diaphēmizesthai.
But the truth is plain, since the diligence of our men has computed the dates more exactly, so that no one may suppose that the poem was made after Christ's descent and judgment, and that the verses are falsely given out as foretold long ago by the Sibyl.
Notes and citation
Summary: Careful chronology shows the Sibyl's verses predate Christ.
- 'Judgment' (κρίσιν) may refer to Christ's trial or to his coming as judge.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in accent): γεγενἠσθαι → γεγενῆσθαι.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.3Heikel
ὡμολόγηται γὰρ Κικέρωνα ἐντετυχηκότα τῷ ποιήματι μετενεγκεῖν τε αὐτὸ εἰς τὴν Ῥωμαίων διάλεκτον καὶ ἐντάξαι αὐτὸ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ συντάγμασιν, τοῦτον δʼ ἀνῃρῆσθαι κρατήσαντος Ἀντωνίου· Ἀντωνίου δʼ αὖ πάλιν Αὔγουστον περιγεγενῆσθαι, ὃς ἕξ καὶ πεντήκοντα ἔτεσιν ἐβασίλευσε. τοῦτον Τιβέριος διεδέξατο, καθʼ ὃν χρόνον ἡ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἐξέλαμψε παρουσία, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἁγιωτάτης θρησκείας ἐπεκράτησε μυστήριον ἥ τε νέα τοῦ δήμου διαδοχὴ συνέστη, περὶ ἧς οἶμαι λέγειν
hōmologētai gar Kikerōna entetychēkota tǭ poiēmati metenenkein te auto eis tēn Rhōmaiōn dialekton kai entaxai auto tois heautou syntagmasin, touton dʼ anę̄rēsthai kratēsantos Antōniou; Antōniou dʼ au palin Augouston perigegenēsthai, hos hex kai pentēkonta etesin ebasileuse. touton Tiberios diedexato, kathʼ hon chronon hē tou sōtēros exelampse parousia, kai to tēs hagiōtatēs thrēskeias epekratēse mystērion hē te nea tou dēmou diadochē synestē, peri hēs oimai legein
For it is agreed that Cicero met with the poem, translated it into the language of the Romans and included it among his own writings; that he was killed when Antony prevailed; that Augustus in turn overcame Antony, and reigned fifty-six years. Tiberius succeeded him, in whose time the presence of the Saviour shone forth, the mystery of the most holy worship prevailed, and the new succession of the people was established, about which I think the most excellent of the poets of Italy speaks:
Notes and citation
Summary: Cicero translated the Sibyl's poem before his death, long before Christ came under Tiberius, and Virgil speaks of the new race that then arose.
- Cicero discusses a Sibylline acrostic in De div. 2.110–112, without translating this poem; the claim is Constantine's. The sentence continues in 19.4.
Extrabiblical texts: Cicero, Div. 2.110-112 (Cicero; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.4Heikel
τὸν ἐξοχώτατον τῶν κατὰ Ἰταλίαν ποιητῶν· Ἔνθεν ἔπειτα νέα πληθὺς ἀνδρῶν ἐφάνθη. καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἑτέρῳ τινὶ τῶν Βουκολικῶν τόπῳ· Σικελίδες Μοῦσαι, μεγάλην φάτιν ὑμνήσωμεν. τί τούτου φανερώτερον; προστίθησι γάρ· Ἤλυθε Κυμαίου μαντεύματος εἰς τέλος ὀμφή, Κυμαίαν αἰνιττόμενος δηλαδὴ τὴν Σίβυλλαν.
ton exochōtaton tōn kata Italian poiētōn; Enthen epeita nea plēthys andrōn ephanthē. kai palin en heterǭ tini tōn Boukolikōn topǭ; Sikelides Mousai, megalēn phatin hymnēsōmen. ti toutou phanerōteron? prostithēsi gar; Ēlythe Kymaiou manteumatos eis telos omphē, Kymaian ainittomenos dēladē tēn Sibyllan.
"Then from there a new multitude of men appeared." And again in another place of the Bucolics: "Sicilian Muses, let us hymn a great report." What could be plainer than this? For he adds: "The voice of the Cumaean oracle has come to its fulfilment," hinting clearly at the Cumaean Sibyl.
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil's Fourth Eclogue announces a new race of men and the fulfilment of the Cumaean Sibyl's prophecy.
- The lines are a Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.7, 4.1, 4.4.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR doubled letter; OCR slip): ἐφάάνθη → ἐφάνθη; Κθμαίου → Κυμαίου.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.1-7 (Virgil; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.5Heikel
καὶ οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τούτοις, ἀλλὰ περαιτέρω προεχώρησεν, ὡς τῆς χρείας τὴν αὐτοῦ μαρτυρίαν ἐπιποθούσης· τί λέγων αὖθις; Αὖθις ἄρʼ αἰώνων ἱερὸς στίχος ὄρνυται ἡμῖν· Ἥκει παρθένος αὖθις ἄγουσʼ ἐρατὸν βασιλῆα.
kai ouk ērkesthē toutois, alla peraiterō proechōrēsen, hōs tēs chreias tēn autou martyrian epipothousēs; ti legōn authis? Authis arʼ aiōnōn hieros stichos ornytai hēmin; Hēkei parthenos authis agousʼ eraton basilēa.
And he was not content with this, but went further, as though need demanded his testimony. What does he say again? "Again, then, a sacred line of ages rises for us; the virgin comes again, bringing a lovely king."
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil foretells the return of the virgin bringing a beloved king.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.5–6 ('iam redit et virgo').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; stray capital): ἠρκέσθη Τούτοις → ἠρκέσθη τούτοις; Μαρτυρίαν → μαρτυρίαν; ἄγουςʼ → ἄγουσʼ.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.5-6 (Virgil; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.6Heikel
τίς οὖν ἂν εἴη παρθένος ἡ ἐπανήκουσα; ἆρʼ οὐχ ἡ πλήρης τε καὶ ἔγκυος γενομένη τοῦ θείου πνεύματος; Καὶ τί τὸ κωλῦον τὴν ἔγκυον τοῦ θείου πνεύματος κόρην εἶναι ἀεὶ καὶ διαμένειν παρθένον; ἐπανήξει δὲ ἐκ δευτέρου, ὅταν καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐκ δευτέρου τὴν οἰκουμένην παραγενόμενος ἐπικουφίσῃ. καὶ προστίθησιν ὁ ποιητής·
tis oun an eiē parthenos hē epanēkousa? arʼ ouch hē plērēs te kai enkyos genomenē tou theiou pneumatos? Kai ti to kōlyon tēn enkyon tou theiou pneumatos korēn einai aei kai diamenein parthenon? epanēxei de ek deuterou, hotan kai ho theos ek deuterou tēn oikoumenēn paragenomenos epikouphisę̄. kai prostithēsin ho poiētēs;
Who, then, would be the virgin who returns? Is it not she who became full of and pregnant with the divine Spirit? And what prevents the girl pregnant with the divine Spirit from being always a virgin and remaining one? She will return a second time when God too comes a second time and relieves the world. And the poet adds:
Luke 1:35 (allusion, medium confidence) · Matt 1:18 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine interprets the virgin as the one who conceived by the Holy Spirit and remains ever a virgin, returning when Christ comes again.
- Constantine's affirmation of Mary's perpetual virginity is translated as written. The poem continues in 19.7.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR inserted letter; line-end hyphenation rejoined): τοῦ θείους πνεύματος → τοῦ θείου πνεύματος; ἐπαν- ήξει → ἐπανήξει.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.6 (Virgil; allusion)
Topics: Christology, Eschatology, Perpetual virginity of Mary
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-6) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.7Heikel
Τὸν δὲ νεωστὶ πάϊν τεχθέντα, φαεσφόρε μήνη, Ἀντὶ σιδηρείης χρυσῆν γενεὴν ὀπάσαντα, Προσκύνει. Τοῦδε γὰρ ἄρχοντος τὰ μὲν ἕλκεα πάντα βρότεια Ἴαται, στοναχαὶ δὲ κατευνάζονται ἀλιτρῶν.
Ton de neōsti païn techthenta, phaesphore mēnē, Anti sidēreiēs chrysēn geneēn opasanta, Proskynei. Toude gar archontos ta men helkea panta broteia Iatai, stonachai de kateunazontai alitrōn.
"And the child newly born, O light-bearing moon, who brings a golden race in place of the iron, worship. For under his rule all mortal wounds are healed, and the groans of sinners are laid to rest."
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil bids the moon worship the newborn child who brings a golden age and heals mortal wounds.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.8–10, 13–14.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip): χρυςῆν → χρυσῆν.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.8-14 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.7 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-7) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.8Heikel
συνίεμεν δὴ φανερῶς τε ἅμα καὶ ἀποκρύφως διʼ ἀλληγοριῶν ταῦτα λεχθέντα, τοῖς μὲν βαθύτερον ἐξετάζουσι τὴν τῶν ἐπῶν δύναμιν ὑπʼ ὄψιν ἀγομένης τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεότητος,
syniemen dē phanerōs te hama kai apokryphōs diʼ allēgoriōn tauta lechthenta, tois men bathyteron exetazousi tēn tōn epōn dynamin hypʼ opsin agomenēs tēs tou Christou theotētos,
We understand that these things are said both openly and at the same time hiddenly through allegories, the deity of Christ being brought before the eyes of those who examine the force of the verses more deeply,
Notes and citation
Summary: The verses speak of Christ's deity both openly and in allegory.
- The sentence continues in 19.9.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slips; split word): ἀποκρύψως διʼ ἀλληγορῶν τα ῦτα Λεχθέντα → ἀποκρύφως διʼ ἀλληγοριῶν ταῦτα λεχθέντα.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.8 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-8) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
19.9Heikel
ὅπως δὲ μή τις τῶν δυναστευόντων ἐν τῇ βασιλευούσῃ πόλει ἐγκαλεῖν ἔχῃ τῷ ποιητῇ, ὡς παρὰ τοὺς πατρῴους νόμους συγγράφοντι ἐκβάλλοντί τε τὰ πάλαι ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων περὶ τῶν θεῶν νομιζόμενα, ἐπικαλύπτεται τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ἠπίστατο γὰρ οἶμαι τὴν μακαρίαν καὶ ἐπώνυμον τοῦ σωτῆρος τελετήν, ἵνα δὲ τὸ ἄγριον τῆς ὠμότητος ἐκκλίνοι, ἤγαγε τὰς διανοίας τῶν ἀκουόντων πρὸς τὴν ἑαυτῶν συνήσειαν, καί φησι χρῆναι βωμοὺς ἱδρύσθαι καὶ νεὼς κατασκευάζειν θυσίας τʼ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι τῷ νεωστὶ τεχθέντι. ἀκολούθως δὲ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπήγαγε τοῖς φρονοῦσι. φησὶ γάρ·
hopōs de mē tis tōn dynasteuontōn en tę̄ basileuousę̄ polei enkalein echę̄ tǭ poiētę̄, hōs para tous patrǭous nomous syngraphonti ekballonti te ta palai hypo tōn progonōn peri tōn theōn nomizomena, epikalyptetai tēn alētheian. ēpistato gar oimai tēn makarian kai epōnymon tou sōtēros teletēn, hina de to agrion tēs ōmotētos ekklinoi, ēgage tas dianoias tōn akouontōn pros tēn heautōn synēseian, kai phēsi chrēnai bōmous hidrysthai kai neōs kataskeuazein thysias tʼ epiteleisthai tǭ neōsti techthenti. akolouthōs de kai ta loipa epēgage tois phronousi. phēsi gar;
and, so that no one of the rulers in the royal city might be able to accuse the poet of writing against the ancestral laws and casting out what had long been held by the forefathers about the gods, he veils the truth. For he knew, I think, the blessed rite named after the Saviour; but to avoid the savagery of cruelty, he led the minds of his hearers to their own habits, and says that altars must be set up and temples built and sacrifices offered to the newborn child. Consistently he added the rest for those who understand. For he says:
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil veiled the truth to avoid persecution, speaking of altars and sacrifices for the child in pagan terms.
- 'The rite named after the Saviour' perhaps means Christian worship; the sense is uncertain. The poem continues in 20.1.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip; stray capital; stray capital; letter-shape slip): ὅτως δὲ μή → ὅπως δὲ μή; τὰ Πάλαι → τὰ πάλαι; ἐπικαλύπτεται Τὴν → ἐπικαλύπτεται τὴν; ἐπώνυμον Τοῦ σωτῆρος → ἐπώνυμον τοῦ σωτῆρος; θυςίας → θυσίας; Φηςὶ γάρ → φησὶ γάρ.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 19.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/19-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-19-9) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 20
20.1Heikel
Λήψεται ἀφθάρτοιο θεοῦ βίοτον καὶ ἀθρήσει Ἥρωας σὺν ἐκείνῳ ἀολλέας· ἀδὲ καὶ αὐτὸς δηλαδὴ τοὺς δικαίους. Πατρίδι καὶ μακάρεσσιν ἐελδομένοισι φανεῖται, Πατροδότοις ἀρετῇσι κυβερνῶν ἡνία κόσμου. Σοὶ δʼ ἄρα, παῖ, πρῶτιστα φύει δωρήματα γαῖα Κριθὴν ἠδὲ κύπειρον, ὁμοῦ κολοκάσσῳ ἀκάνθῳ.
Lēpsetai aphthartoio theou bioton kai athrēsei Hērōas syn ekeinǭ aolleas; ade kai autos dēladē tous dikaious. Patridi kai makaressin eeldomenoisi phaneitai, Patrodotois aretę̄si kybernōn hēnia kosmou. Soi dʼ ara, pai, prōtista phyei dōrēmata gaia Krithēn ēde kypeiron, homou kolokassǭ akanthǭ.
"He shall receive the life of the incorruptible God, and shall see heroes gathered with him" (that is, the righteous), "and he himself shall appear to his fatherland and to the blessed who long for him, steering the reins of the world with his father's virtues. And for you, child, the earth first brings forth gifts, barley and galingale, together with acanthus."
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil's child will share God's life, be seen with the righteous, rule the world with his father's virtues, and receive the earth's first gifts.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.15–20, with Constantine's gloss. The paraphrase differs from Virgil's Latin (e.g. 'barley' for ivy). ἀδὲ is a slip for ἤδη or ὧδε; translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; OCR slip): Αήψεται → Λήψεται; φανετιται → φανεῖται; ἀφετῇσι → ἀρετῇσι; ψύει → φύει; καλακάσςἰ ἀκάνθῳ → κολοκάσσῳ ἀκάνθῳ.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.15-20 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.2Heikel
θαυμαστὸς ἀνὴρ καὶ πάσῃ παιδείᾳ κεκοσμημένος, ὅς ἀκριβῶς ἐπιστάμενος τὴν τῶν τότε παρόντων καιρῶν ὠμότητα· Σοὶ δʼ αἶγες θαλεραί, Φηςίν, Μαστοῖς καταβεβριθυῖαι, Αὐτόματοι γλυκὺ νᾶμα συνεκτελέουσι γάλακτος, Οὐδὲ δέμις ταρβεῖν βλοσυροὺς ἀγέλῃσι λέοντας. ἀληθῆ λέγων· ἡ γὰρ πίστις τῆς βασιλικῆς αὐλῆς τοὺς δυνάστας οὐ φοβηθήσεται. Φύσει δʼ εὐώδη τὰ σπάργανα σεῖό γε ποίην Ὄλλυται ἰοβόλου φύσις ἑφπετοῦ, ὅλλυται... Λοίγιος, Ἀσσύριον δύλλει κατὰ τέμπεʼ ἄμωμον.
thaumastos anēr kai pasę̄ paideią kekosmēmenos, hos akribōs epistamenos tēn tōn tote parontōn kairōn ōmotēta; Soi dʼ aiges thalerai, Phēsin, Mastois katabebrithuiai, Automatoi glyky nama synekteleousi galaktos, Oude demis tarbein blosyrous agelę̄si leontas. alēthē legōn; hē gar pistis tēs basilikēs aulēs tous dynastas ou phobēthēsetai. Physei dʼ euōdē ta spargana seio ge poiēn Ollytai iobolou physis hephpetou, hollytai... Loigios, Assyrion dyllei kata tempeʼ amōmon.
A wonderful man, adorned with all learning, who knew exactly the cruelty of the times then present: "For you," he says, "the flourishing goats, heavy with udders, of their own accord yield a sweet stream of milk; nor is it right to fear grim lions for the flocks." Speaking the truth; for faith will not fear the rulers of the royal court. "Your swaddling clothes produce a fragrant herb; the nature of the venomous serpent perishes, the deadly ... perishes, and Assyrian balsam blooms in the vales."
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Isa 11:6–8 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil foretells goats giving milk, flocks unafraid of lions, the serpent perishing and fragrant balsam blooming; Constantine reads the lions as rulers whom faith does not fear.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.21–25. The digital text marks a gap ('...'). δέμις is a slip for θέμις; ἑφπετοῦ for ἑρπετοῦ; δύλλει for θάλλει.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR stray accent; accent slip; stray capital; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined): κεκοσμήμένος → κεκοσμημένος; ἐπι- Στάμενος → ἐπιστάμενος; τοῦς δυνάστας Οὐ φοβηθήσεται → τοὺς δυνάστας οὐ φοβηθήσεται; Ἀσςύριον → Ἀσσύριον.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.21-25 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.3Heikel
τούτων οὐδὲν ἀληθέστερον οὐδὲ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀρετῆς οἰκειότερον εἴποι τις ἔν· αὐτὰ γὰρ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ σπάργανα, πνεύματος ἁγίου δύναμις, εὐώδη τινὰ ἄνθη νεολαίᾳ ὥπασε γέννᾳ. ὁ δὲ ὄφις ἀπόλλυται, καὶ ὁ ἰὸς τοῦ ὄφεως ἐκείνου, ὅς τοὺς πρωτοπλάστους πρῶτος ἐξηπάτα, παράγων τὰς διανοίας αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐμφύτου σωφροσύνης ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἡδονῶν ἀπόλαυσιν, ὅπως γνοῖεν τὸν ἐπηρτημένον αὐτοῖς ὄλεθρον.
toutōn ouden alēthesteron oude tēs tou sōtēros aretēs oikeioteron eipoi tis en; auta gar ta tou theou spargana, pneumatos hagiou dynamis, euōdē tina anthē neolaią hōpase genną. ho de ophis apollytai, kai ho ios tou opheōs ekeinou, hos tous prōtoplastous prōtos exēpata, paragōn tas dianoias autōn apo tēs emphytou sōphrosynēs epi tēn tōn hēdonōn apolausin, hopōs gnoien ton epērtēmenon autois olethron.
Nothing truer than this, or more fitting to the Saviour's virtue, could one say. For the very swaddling clothes of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, bestowed fragrant flowers on the new offspring. And the serpent perishes, and the venom of that serpent which first deceived the first-formed, leading their minds away from their natural self-control to the enjoyment of pleasures, so that they might know the destruction hanging over them.
Gen 3:1–6 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:15 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The swaddling clothes signify the Spirit's power; the perishing serpent is the one who deceived Adam and Eve.
- The serpent: Gen 3:1–6; its defeat, Gen 3:15.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR misplaced accent; OCR slips; accent slip; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined; stray capital): τῆς τοῦ σωτήρος ἀρετῆς οἰκειό- Τερον → τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀρετῆς οἰκειότερον; τοὺς πρωτοπλάστους Πρῶτος → τοὺς πρωτοπλάστους πρῶτος; διανοιάς → διανοίας; σωφροςύνης ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἠδονῶν → σωφροσύνης ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἡδονῶν.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.23-24 (Virgil; allusion)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.4Heikel
πρὸ γάρ τοι τῆς κατελεύσεως τοῦ σωτῆρος τῆς ἀθανασίας τῶν δικαίων ἀγνοίᾳ τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ μηδεμιᾷ χρηστῇ ἐλπίδι ἐρειδομένας ἔθραυε, παθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸς καιρὸν τοῦ περιτεθέντος σώματος χωρισθέντος ἐκ τῆς κοινωνίας τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος, ἀπεκαλύφθη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὸ δυνατὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως, καὶ εἴ τις ἰλὺς ἀνθρωπίνων ἀδικημάτων κατελείπετο, αὕτη πᾶσα λουτροῖς ἁγίοις ἐσμήχετο. τότε δὴ παρακελεύεται τοῖς ὑπηκόοις θαρρεῖν, καὶ ἐκ τῆς αὐτοῦ σεμνῆς διασήμου τε ἀναστάσεως τὰ ὅμοια ἐλπίζειν ἐκέλευσεν.
pro gar toi tēs kateleuseōs tou sōtēros tēs athanasias tōn dikaiōn agnoią tas psychas tōn anthrōpōn epi mēdemią chrēstę̄ elpidi ereidomenas ethraue, pathontos de autou kai pros kairon tou peritethentos sōmatos chōristhentos ek tēs koinōnias tou hagiou pneumatos, apekalyphthē tois anthrōpois to dynaton tēs anastaseōs, kai ei tis ilys anthrōpinōn adikēmatōn kateleipeto, hautē pasa loutrois hagiois esmēcheto. tote dē parakeleuetai tois hypēkoois tharrein, kai ek tēs autou semnēs diasēmou te anastaseōs ta homoia elpizein ekeleusen.
For before the Saviour's descent it broke the souls of men, which, through ignorance of the immortality of the righteous, rested on no good hope. But when he suffered, and the body he had put on was separated for a time from the communion of the Holy Spirit, the possibility of the resurrection was revealed to men, and whatever mud of human wrongdoings was left was all washed away by holy washings. Then indeed he urges his followers to take courage, and bade them hope for the like from his own venerable and glorious resurrection.
1 Cor 15:20–22 (echo, medium confidence) · Titus 3:5 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Before Christ the serpent crushed human hope; through his passion and resurrection the resurrection was revealed, sins were washed away in baptism, and believers given hope.
- 'Separated for a time from the communion of the Holy Spirit' is Constantine's way of describing Christ's death; translated as written. 'Holy washings' refers to baptism.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slips; hyphenation rejoined; OCR slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; stray capital; OCR slip): ἀθαναςίας → ἀθανασίας; ἀν- θρώπων ἀπὶ μηδεμιᾷ → ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ μηδεμιᾷ; παθόντος Δὲ αʼτοῦ → παθόντος δὲ αὐτοῦ; ἀνθρώ- ποις τὸ δυνατὸν → ἀνθρώποις τὸ δυνατὸν; ἀδι- κημάτων → ἀδικημάτων; Τότε δὴ → τότε δὴ; Διαςήμου τε ἀναστάσεως τὰ ὅμοια ἀλπίζειν → διασήμου τε ἀναστάσεως τὰ ὅμοια ἐλπίζειν.
Topics: Christology, Baptism, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.5Heikel
οὐκοῦν δικαίως ἐτελεύτα πᾶσα ἡ τῶν ἰοβόλων φύσις, ἐτελεύτα δὲ καὶ θάνατος, ἐπεσφραγίσθη δὲ ἡ ἀνάστασις, ἀπώλετο δὲ καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων γένος, ὃ παραίτιον ἐγένετο τῆς πίστεως τοῦ θεοῦ, φύεσθαι δὲ ἀνέδην καὶ πανταχοῦ φάσκων τὸ ἄμωμον πλῆθος τῶν θρησκευόντων προσαγορεύει· οἷον γὰρ ἐκ μιᾶς ῥίζης πλῆθος κλάδων εὐώδεσι θάλλον ἄνθεσιν, ἀρδόμενον συμμετρίᾳ δρόσου, βλαστάνει.
oukoun dikaiōs eteleuta pasa hē tōn iobolōn physis, eteleuta de kai thanatos, epesphragisthē de hē anastasis, apōleto de kai to tōn Assyriōn genos, ho paraition egeneto tēs pisteōs tou theou, phyesthai de anedēn kai pantachou phaskōn to amōmon plēthos tōn thrēskeuontōn prosagoreuei; hoion gar ek mias rhizēs plēthos kladōn euōdesi thallon anthesin, ardomenon symmetrią drosou, blastanei.
Justly, then, the whole nature of venomous creatures came to an end; death too came to an end, and the resurrection was sealed; the race of the Assyrians also perished, which had been the occasion of faith in God; and saying that it springs up freely and everywhere, he addresses the blameless multitude of worshippers. For as from one root a multitude of branches, flourishing with fragrant flowers, watered by a measured dew, sprouts forth.
John 15:5 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Death and the serpent's power ended; the 'Assyrian balsam' blooming everywhere signifies the multitude of believers, branches from one root.
- Constantine reads Virgil's 'Assyrian balsam' (ἄμωμον, 'blameless') as the blameless multitude of Christians. The sense of 'the race of the Assyrians ... the occasion of faith' is obscure (perhaps an allusion to Abraham's origin in Mesopotamia).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip (δ for θ); OCR slips; hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined): δι- Καίως ἐτελεύτα → δικαίως ἐτελεύτα; θάνα- Τος → θάνατος; Γένος, ὃ → γένος, ὃ; πλῆδος τῶν θρηδκευόντων προσ- Αγορεύει → πλῆθος τῶν θρησκευόντων προσαγορεύει; δάλλον → θάλλον.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.25 (Virgil; allusion)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.6Heikel
πεπαιδευμένων δέ, ὦ σοφώτατε ποιητὰ Μάρων, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἅπαντα ἀκολούθως ἔχει· Αὐτίκα δʼ ἡρώων ἀρετὰς πατρὸς τε μεγίστου Ἔργʼ ὑπερηνορίῃσι κεκασμένα πάντα μαθήσῃ. Τοὺς μὲν τῶν ἡρώων ἐπαίνους τὰ τῶν δικαίων ἀνδρῶν ἔργα σημαίνων, τὰς δὲ ἀρετὰς τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν τοῦ κόσμου σύνταξιν καὶ τὴν εἰς αἰώνιον διαμονὴν ἀπεργασίαν λέγων, ἴσως δὲ καὶ τοὺς νόμους, οἷς ἡ θεοφιλὴς ἐκκλησία χρῆται ἐπιτηδεύουσα τὸν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ σωφροσύνης βίον.
pepaideumenōn de, ō sophōtate poiēta Marōn, kai ta hexēs hapanta akolouthōs echei; Autika dʼ hērōōn aretas patros te megistou Ergʼ hyperēnorię̄si kekasmena panta mathēsę̄. Tous men tōn hērōōn epainous ta tōn dikaiōn andrōn erga sēmainōn, tas de aretas tou patros tēn tou kosmou syntaxin kai tēn eis aiōnion diamonēn apergasian legōn, isōs de kai tous nomous, hois hē theophilēs ekklēsia chrētai epitēdeuousa ton meta dikaiosynēs te kai sōphrosynēs bion.
For those who are educated, O most wise poet Maro, all that follows is also consistent: "And at once you will learn the virtues of heroes and the works of your greatest father, all adorned with surpassing valour." By the praises of heroes he means the works of righteous men; by the virtues of the father he means the ordering of the world and its making for eternal duration; and perhaps also the laws which the God-loving church uses in pursuing a life of justice and self-control.
Notes and citation
Summary: The heroes' praises signify the deeds of the righteous, and the father's virtues the creation and the church's laws of righteous living.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.26–27.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (hyphenation rejoined; letter-shape slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined; letter-shape slips; stray capital; letter-shape slip): ἀκολού- θως → ἀκολούθως; ση- Μαίνων → σημαίνων; Τὴν εἰς αἰώνιον διαμονὴν ἀπεργαςίαν → τὴν εἰς αἰώνιον διαμονὴν ἀπεργασίαν; νό- μους, οἷς ἡ θεοφιλὴς ἐκκληςία → νόμους, οἷς ἡ θεοφιλὴς ἐκκλησία; δι- Καιοςύνης τε καὶ σωφροςύνης → δικαιοσύνης τε καὶ σωφροσύνης.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.26-27 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.6 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-6). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-6
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-6) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.7Heikel
θαυμαστὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ τοῦ μεταξὺ τῶν τε ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν κακῶν βίου ἐπὶ τὸ ἀνηγμένον παραύξησις, τὸ ἀθρόον τῆς αἰφνιδίου μεταβολῆς παραιτουμένου· Πρῶτα μὲν ἀνθερίκων ξανθῶν ἤγοντο ἀλωαί· (τουτέστιν, ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ θείου νόμου ἤγετο εἰς χρείαν.) Ἐν δʼ ἐρυθροῖσι βάτοισι παρήορος ἤλδανε βότρυς, (ἅπερ οὐκ ἦν κατὰ τὸν ἄθεσμον βίον, ) Σκληρῶν δʼ ἐκ πεύκης λαγόνων μέλιτος ῥέε νᾶμα·
thaumastē de kai hē tou metaxy tōn te agathōn kai tōn kakōn biou epi to anēgmenon parauxēsis, to athroon tēs aiphnidiou metabolēs paraitoumenou; Prōta men antherikōn xanthōn ēgonto alōai; (toutestin, ho karpos tou theiou nomou ēgeto eis chreian.) En dʼ erythroisi batoisi parēoros ēldane botrys, (haper ouk ēn kata ton athesmon bion, ) Sklērōn dʼ ek peukēs lagonōn melitos rhee nama;
Wonderful too is the gradual advance of the life between good and evil toward the higher, refusing the suddenness of an abrupt change: "First the threshing floors were led with yellow ears" (that is, the fruit of the divine law was brought into use), "and on red brambles the cluster hanging grew" (which did not exist in the lawless life), "and from the hard flanks of the pine flowed a stream of honey,"
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil's gradual golden age, with ripening grain, grapes on brambles and honey from oaks, signifies the gradual growth of the fruits of God's law.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.28–30, with Constantine's glosses in parentheses. The sentence continues in 20.8.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; stray capital): τοῦ μεταξὺ Τῶν τε → τοῦ μεταξὺ τῶν τε; Τὸ ἀθρόον → τὸ ἀθρόον; Ἐ δʼ ἐρυθροῖσι → Ἐν δʼ ἐρυθροῖσι.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.28-30 (Virgil; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.7 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-7
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-7) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.8Heikel
τὴν ἀλιθιότητα τῶν τότε ἀνθρώπων καὶ τὸ κατεσκληκὸς ὑπογράφων ἦθος· ἴσως δὲ καὶ τοὺς τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πόνον ἀσκοῦντας τῆς ἑαυτῶν καρτερίας γλυκύν τινα καρπὸν λήψεσθαι διδάσκων. Παῦρα δʼ ὅμως ἴχνη προτέρας περιλείπεται ἄτης· Πόντον ἐπαΐξαι περὶ τʼ ἄστεα τείχεσι κλεῖσαι, Ῥῆξαί τʼ εἰλιπόδων ἑλκύσμασι τέλσον ἀρούρης· Ἄλλος ἔπειτʼ ἔσται Τῖφυς, καὶ Θεσσαλὶς Ἀργώ, Ἀνδράσιν ἡρώεσσιν ἐγαλλομένη, πολέμου δὲ Τρώων καὶ Δαναῶν πειρήσεται αὖθις Ἀχιλλεύς. εὖγʼ, ὦ σοφώτατε ποιητά· τὴν γὰρ ποιητικὴν ἐξουσίαν μέχρι τοῦ προσήκοντος ἐταμιεύσω. οὐ γὰρ ἦν σοι προκείμενον ἀποθεσπίσαι μὴ ὄντι γε προφήτῃ, ἐκώλυεν δέ τις οἶμαι καὶ κίνδυνος τοῖς ἐλέγχουσι τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων νομισθέντα ἐπηρτημένος.
tēn alithiotēta tōn tote anthrōpōn kai to katesklēkos hypographōn ēthos; isōs de kai tous ton tou theou ponon askountas tēs heautōn karterias glykyn tina karpon lēpsesthai didaskōn. Paura dʼ homōs ichnē proteras perileipetai atēs; Ponton epaïxai peri tʼ astea teichesi kleisai, Rhēxai tʼ eilipodōn helkysmasi telson arourēs; Allos epeitʼ estai Tiphys, kai Thessalis Argō, Andrasin hērōessin egallomenē, polemou de Trōōn kai Danaōn peirēsetai authis Achilleus. eugʼ, ō sophōtate poiēta; tēn gar poiētikēn exousian mechri tou prosēkontos etamieusō. ou gar ēn soi prokeimenon apothespisai mē onti ge prophētę̄, ekōlyen de tis oimai kai kindynos tois elenchousi ta hypo tōn progonōn nomisthenta epērtēmenos.
describing the folly of the men of that time and their hardened character; and perhaps also teaching that those who practise toil for God will receive a sweet fruit of their endurance. "Yet a few traces of former ruin remain: to rush upon the sea, to shut cities around with walls, and to break the furrow of the field with the pulling of oxen. There will be another Tiphys, and a Thessalian Argo exulting in heroic men, and Achilles will again make trial of the war of Trojans and Danaans." Well done, most wise poet! For you used poetic licence within due bounds. It was not your purpose to prophesy, since you were not a prophet; and some danger, I think, also hindered you, impending over those who refuted what the forefathers believed.
Notes and citation
Summary: Traces of the old evils remain, such as seafaring, walls and war; Constantine praises Virgil's discretion, since speaking openly was dangerous.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.31–36. ἀλιθιότητα is a slip for ἠλιθιότητα; ὖθος for ἦθος.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip (φ for ψ); hyphenation rejoined; OCR slips; letter-shape slips; stray capital; stray capital; OCR slip; stray capital; OCR slips): ὑπογρά- φων ὖθος· ἔσως → ὑπογράφων ἦθος· ἴσως; λήφεσθαι → λήψεσθαι; ἐξουςίαν μέχρι τοῦ Προςήκοντος → ἐξουσίαν μέχρι τοῦ προσήκοντος; Οὐ γὰρ ἦν σοί προκείμενον ἀποδεσπίσαι → οὐ γὰρ ἦν σοι προκείμενον ἀποθεσπίσαι; Τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων νομισθέντα ἐπηστημένος → τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων νομισθέντα ἐπηρτημένος.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.31-36 (Virgil; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.8 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-8
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-8) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.9Heikel
πεφραγμένως δὴ καὶ ἀκινδύνως κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν τοῖς συνιέναι δυναμένοις παραστήσας τὴν ἀλήθειαν, πύργους καὶ πόλεμον αἰτιασάμενος, ἅπερ ἀληθῶς ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐξετάζεται κατὰ τὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίον, τὸν μὲν Ἀχιλλέα χαρακτηρίζει τὸν σωτῆρα ὁρμῶντα ἐπὶ τὸν Τρωικὸν πόλεμον, τὴν δὲ Τροίαν τὴν οἰκουμένην πᾶσαν. ἐπολέμησε γοῦν ἄντικρυς τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως πονηρᾶς, πεμφθεὶς ἐξ οἰκείας τε προνοίας καὶ παραγγελίας μεγίστου πατρός.
pephragmenōs dē kai akindynōs kata to dynaton tois synienai dynamenois parastēsas tēn alētheian, pyrgous kai polemon aitiasamenos, haper alēthōs eti kai nyn exetazetai kata ton tōn anthrōpōn bion, ton men Achillea charaktērizei ton sōtēra hormōnta epi ton Trōikon polemon, tēn de Troian tēn oikoumenēn pasan. epolemēse goun antikrys tēs antikeimenēs dynameōs ponēras, pemphtheis ex oikeias te pronoias kai parangelias megistou patros.
Fortified, then, and safely, as far as possible, setting the truth before those able to understand, blaming towers and war, which truly are still found even now in human life, he portrays the Saviour as Achilles setting out for the Trojan war, and Troy as the whole inhabited world. For he made war directly against the opposing evil power, sent by his own providence and by the command of the greatest Father.
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil's Achilles signifies the Saviour, and Troy the world, where Christ fought the power of evil at the Father's command.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slips; stray capital; stray capital; stray capital; OCR slip; stray capital; letter-shape slip): πεφραγμένωνς δὴ Καὶ → πεφραγμένως δὴ καὶ; Τὴν ἀλήθειαν, πύργους καὶ πόλεμον αἰτιαςάμενος → τὴν ἀλήθειαν, πύργους καὶ πόλεμον αἰτιασάμενος; ἔτι Καὶ νῦν ἐξετάξεται → ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἐξετάζεται; τὴν Δὲ Τροίαν → τὴν δὲ Τροίαν.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.36 (Virgil; allusion)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.9 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-9) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
20.10Heikel
τί δὴ μετὰ ταῦτα ὁ ποιητὴς λέγει; Ἀλλʼ ὅταν ἠνορέης ὥρη καὶ καρπὸς ἵκηται, (τουτέστιν, ἐπειδὰν ἀνδρωθεὶς τὰ περιέχοντα τὸν βίον τῶν ἀνθρώπων ῥιζόθεν ἐξέλῃ τήν τε ξύμπασαν γῆς εἰρήνῃ κατακοσμήσῃ, ) Οὐχ ὅσιον ναύτῃσιν ἁλιτρύτοισιν ἀλᾶσθαι, Φυομένων ἄμυδις γαίης ἄπο πίονι μέτρῳ, Αὐτὴ δʼ ἄσπαρτος καὶ ἀνήροτος· οὐδὲ μὲν ἀκμὴν Ὀτραλέου δρεπάνοιο ποθησέμεν ἄμπελον οἶμαι. Οὐδʼ ἐρίου δεύοιτο βροτὸς πόκον, αὐτόματος δὲ Ἀρνειὸς Τυρίῃσι περιπρέφει λίβάλεσσι, Σάνδυκι πορφυρέῳ λάχνην ῥυπόεσσαν ἀμείβων. Ἀλλʼ ἄγε τιμῆεν σκῆπτρον βασιλήϊδος ἀρχῆς Δεξιτερῆς ἀπὸ πατρὸς ἐριβρεμέταο δέδεξο. Κόσμου κητώεντος ὁρῶν εὔπηκτα θέμεθλα, Χαρμοσύνην γαίης τε καὶ οὐρανοῦ ἠδὲ θαλάσσης, Γηθόσυνόν τʼ αἰῶνος ἀπειρεσίου λάσιον κῆρ. Εἴθε με γηραλέον δώῃ πότε νήδυμος ἰσχὺς Σὴν ἀρετὴν κελαδεῖν, ἐφʼ ὅσον δύναμίς γε παρείη· Οὐκ ἄν μʼ ἐκπλήξειεν ὁ Θρᾳκῶν δῖος ἀοιδός, Οὐ Λίνος, οὐ Πὰν αὐτός, ὃν Ἀρκαδίη τέκετο χθών· Ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ αὐτὸς ὁ Πὰν ἀνθέξεται εἵνεκα νίκης. Κόσμου κητώεντος ὅρα, φησί, καὶ τῶν στοιχείων ἁπάντων χαράν.
ti dē meta tauta ho poiētēs legei? Allʼ hotan ēnoreēs hōrē kai karpos hikētai, (toutestin, epeidan andrōtheis ta periechonta ton bion tōn anthrōpōn rhizothen exelę̄ tēn te xympasan gēs eirēnę̄ katakosmēsę̄, ) Ouch hosion nautę̄sin halitrytoisin alasthai, Phyomenōn amydis gaiēs apo pioni metrǭ, Autē dʼ aspartos kai anērotos; oude men akmēn Otraleou drepanoio pothēsemen ampelon oimai. Oudʼ eriou deuoito brotos pokon, automatos de Arneios Tyrię̄si periprephei libalessi, Sandyki porphyreǭ lachnēn rhypoessan ameibōn. Allʼ age timēen skēptron basilēïdos archēs Dexiterēs apo patros eribremetao dedexo. Kosmou kētōentos horōn eupēkta themethla, Charmosynēn gaiēs te kai ouranou ēde thalassēs, Gēthosynon tʼ aiōnos apeiresiou lasion kēr. Eithe me gēraleon dōę̄ pote nēdymos ischys Sēn aretēn keladein, ephʼ hoson dynamis ge pareiē; Ouk an mʼ ekplēxeien ho Thrąkōn dios aoidos, Ou Linos, ou Pan autos, hon Arkadiē teketo chthōn; Allʼ oudʼ autos ho Pan anthexetai heineka nikēs. Kosmou kētōentos hora, phēsi, kai tōn stoicheiōn hapantōn charan.
What then does the poet say after this? "But when the hour of manhood and its fruit has come" (that is, when, having grown to manhood, he roots out what besets human life and adorns the whole earth with peace), "it will not be right for sinful sailors to wander, since all things will grow together from the earth in rich measure, itself unsown and unploughed; nor, I think, will the vine still long for the swift sickle. Nor will man need a fleece of wool, but the ram of himself will shine with Tyrian dyes, changing his rough wool for purple scarlet. But come, receive the honoured sceptre of royal rule from the right hand of your loud-thundering father, beholding the well-fixed foundations of the vast world, the joy of earth and heaven and sea, and the shaggy heart of boundless age rejoicing. Would that the sweet strength of old age might grant me to sing your virtue, as far as my power reaches! The divine singer of the Thracians would not amaze me, nor Linus, nor Pan himself, whom the Arcadian land bore; even Pan himself will not hold out for the victory." "Behold," he says, "the joy of the vast world and of all the elements."
Ps 110:1 (109:1 LXX) (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: When the child comes to manhood, the earth will yield all things without labour; he will receive the sceptre from his father, and all creation will rejoice, a theme the poet longs to sing.
- Greek paraphrase of Virgil, Ecl. 4.37–59, with the father's 'right hand' and 'sceptre' added; 'the divine singer of the Thracians' is Orpheus. The words περιπρέφει λίβάλεσσι are garbled in the digital text; translated by sense ('shine with Tyrian dyes').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR letter-shape slip; OCR stray accent; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined): ποιη- τὴς → ποιητὴς; ἀνθρώ- Πων → ἀνθρώπων; ποθηςέμεν → ποθησέμεν; ἀμέίβων → ἀμείβων; θέμεθλα, Χαρμοςύνην → θέμεθλα, Χαρμοσύνην; Γηθόσυόν → Γηθόσυνόν; ἀπειρεςίου → ἀπειρεσίου; φηςί, καὶ τῶν → φησί, καὶ τῶν.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.37-59 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Christology, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 20.10 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/20-10
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-20-10) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 21
21.1Heikel
Ταῦτα δόξειεν ἄν τις τῶν οὐκ εὖ φρονούντων περὶ γενεᾶς ἀνθρώπου λέγεσθαι. Παιδὸς δὲ τεχθέντος ἀνθρώπου, ποῖον δὴ ἔχει λόγον γῆν ἄσπαρτον καὶ ἀνήροτον καὶ τήν γε ἄμπελον μὴ ἐπιποθεῖν τὴν δρεπάνου ἀκμὴν μηδὲ τὴν ἄλλην ἐπιμέλειαν; πῶς ἂν νοηθείη λεχθὲν ἐπὶ γενεᾶς ἀνθρωπίνης; ἡ γάρ τοι φύσις θείας ἐστὶ προστάξεως διάκονος, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης κελεύσεως ἐργάτις. ἀλλὰ καὶ στοιχείων χαρὰ θεοῦ κάθοδον, οὐκ ἀνθρώπου τινὸς χαρακτηρίζει κύησιν, τό τε εὔχεσθαι τὸν ποιητὴν τοῦ βίου τέλος αὐτῷ μηκύνεσθαι θείας ἐπικλήσεως σύμβολον· παρὰ θεοῦ γὰρ τὸν βίον καὶ τὸ σώζεσθαι ἀξιοῦν εἰθίσμεθα, οὐ πρὸς ἀνθρώπου.
Tauta doxeien an tis tōn ouk eu phronountōn peri geneas anthrōpou legesthai. Paidos de techthentos anthrōpou, poion dē echei logon gēn asparton kai anēroton kai tēn ge ampelon mē epipothein tēn drepanou akmēn mēde tēn allēn epimeleian? pōs an noētheiē lechthen epi geneas anthrōpinēs? hē gar toi physis theias esti prostaxeōs diakonos, ouk anthrōpinēs keleuseōs ergatis. alla kai stoicheiōn chara theou kathodon, ouk anthrōpou tinos charaktērizei kyēsin, to te euchesthai ton poiētēn tou biou telos autǭ mēkynesthai theias epiklēseōs symbolon; para theou gar ton bion kai to sōzesthai axioun eithismetha, ou pros anthrōpou.
One of those who do not think rightly might suppose that these things are said about the birth of a man. But when a human child is born, what reason has the earth to be unsown and unploughed, and the vine not to long for the edge of the sickle or other care? How could this be understood as said of a human birth? For nature is the servant of God's command, not the worker of a human order. And the joy of the elements marks the descent of God, not the conception of some man; and the poet's prayer that the end of his life be lengthened is a sign of calling on the divine; for we are accustomed to ask life and safety from God, not from man.
Notes and citation
Summary: Virgil's prophecy cannot refer to a mere man: nature's response, the elements' joy, and the poet's prayer point to God's coming.
- The poet's prayer is Virgil, Ecl. 4.53–54.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray capital; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined; stray capitals; OCR slip): ἔχει Λόγον → ἔχει λόγον; Τὴν δρεπάνου → τὴν δρεπάνου; Πῶς ἂν νογθείη Λεχθὲν → πῶς ἂν νοηθείη λεχθὲν; προσ- Τάξεως → προστάξεως; Κύησιν → κύησιν; Θείας ἐπικλήσεως → θείας ἐπικλήσεως.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.53-54 (Virgil; allusion)
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 21.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-21-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
21.2Heikel
ἡ γοῦν Ἐρυθραία πρὸς τὸν θεόν· τί δή μοι, φησίν, ὦ δέσποτα, τὴν τῆς μαντείας ἐπισκήπτεις ἀνάγκην, καὶ οὐχὶ μᾶλλον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς μετέωρον ἀρθεῖσαν διαφυλάττεις ἄχρι τῆς μακαριωτάτης σῆς ἐλεύσεως ἡμέρας; ὁ δὲ Μάρων πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπιφέρει καὶ τάδε· Ἄρχεο μειδιόωσαν ὁρῶν τὴν μητέρα κεδνὴν Γνωρίζειν· ἡ γάρ σε φέρεν πολλοὺς λυκάβαντας. Σοὶ δὲ γονεῖς οὐ πάμπαν ἐφημερίῳ γ΄ ἐγέλασσαν, Οὐδʼ ἥψω λεχέων, οὐδ΄ ἔγνως δαῖτα δάλειαν.
hē goun Erythraia pros ton theon; ti dē moi, phēsin, ō despota, tēn tēs manteias episkēpteis anankēn, kai ouchi mallon apo tēs gēs meteōron artheisan diaphylatteis achri tēs makariōtatēs sēs eleuseōs hēmeras? ho de Marōn pros tois eirēmenois epipherei kai tade; Archeo meidioōsan horōn tēn mētera kednēn Gnōrizein; hē gar se pheren pollous lykabantas. Soi de goneis ou pampan ephēmeriǭ g΄ egelassan, Oudʼ hēpsō lecheōn, oud΄ egnōs daita daleian.
So the Erythraean Sibyl says to God: "Why, Master, do you lay on me the compulsion of prophecy, and do not rather lift me from the earth and keep me until the most blessed day of your coming?" And Maro, besides what has been said, adds this: "Begin, little child, to know your noble mother by her smile; for she carried you many months. And your parents did not smile on you as on a mortal, nor did you touch the marriage bed, nor know a festive banquet."
Notes and citation
Summary: The Sibyl longs to be kept until Christ's coming; Virgil's closing lines tell of the child who knew neither marriage bed nor feast.
- The Sibyl's words are not identified in the extant Sibylline Oracles. The Virgil lines paraphrase Ecl. 4.60–63, with Constantine's own reading ('not as on a mortal'). ἐφημερίῳ γ΄ ἐγέλασσαν and δάλειαν are slips; translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip in breathing; OCR slip; hyphenation rejoined; OCR stray accent): φηςίν → φησίν; ἀπὸ τῆς γὴς μετέωρον ἀρθεῖσαν διαφυ- λάττεις → ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς μετέωρον ἀρθεῖσαν διαφυλάττεις; ἠμέρας → ἡμέρας; μήτέρα → μητέρα.
Extrabiblical texts: Virgil, Ecl. 4.60-63 (Virgil; quotation)
Topics: Christology, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 21.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-21-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
21.3Heikel
πῶς γὰρ ἂν πρὸς τοῦτον οἱ γονεῖς ἐμειδίασαν; ὁ μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῦ θεός, ἄποιος δύναμις, καὶ ἀσχημάτιστος μέν, ἐν περιγραφῇ δὲ ἄλλων, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνου δὲ σώματος. λέκτρων δὲ ἄπειρον τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὂν τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα; ποία δὲ ἐπιθυμία ἄφεσίς τε ἐν τῇ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ διαθέσει, οὗ πάντα ἐφίενται; τί δʼ ὅλως κοινὸν σοφίᾳ τε καὶ ἠδονῇ; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐφείσθω λέγειν τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνην τινὰ καὶ ὀχλοχαρῆ παιδείαν μετερχομένοις, παιδείας δὲ θείας ἀπείροις· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδείξεως καὶ δόξης ἕνεκα ἀλαζονεύονται, οἱ δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν καθαρεύειν ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ ἔργου τε καὶ ῥήματος παρασκευάζουσιν.
pōs gar an pros touton hoi goneis emeidiasan? ho men gar autou theos, apoios dynamis, kai aschēmatistos men, en perigraphę̄ de allōn, ouk anthrōpinou de sōmatos. lektrōn de apeiron tis ouk oiden on to hagion pneuma? poia de epithymia aphesis te en tę̄ tou agathou diathesei, hou panta ephientai? ti dʼ holōs koinon sophią te kai ēdonę̄? alla tauta epheisthō legein tois anthrōpinēn tina kai ochlocharē paideian meterchomenois, paideias de theias apeirois; hoi men gar epideixeōs kai doxēs heneka alazoneuontai, hoi de tēn psychēn autōn kathareuein apo pantos kakou ergou te kai rhēmatos paraskeuazousin.
For how could his parents have smiled on him? His Father is God, a power without quality and without shape, encompassing other things, not of a human body. And who does not know that the Holy Spirit has no experience of the marriage bed? What desire, what release is there in the disposition of the Good, which all things desire? What has wisdom at all in common with pleasure? But let these things be left to be said by those who pursue a human and crowd-pleasing learning, but have no experience of divine learning; for they boast for display and reputation, while the others prepare their souls to be pure of every evil deed and word.
Luke 1:35 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The child's Father is the formless God, and the Holy Spirit knows no marriage bed; divine wisdom has nothing to do with pleasure.
- αὐτπῶν is a slip for αὐτοῦ. 'Encompassing other things' renders ἐν περιγραφῇ δὲ ἄλλων (literally 'in the circumscription of others').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR garbled word; stray capital; OCR slip; stray capital; stray capital; stray capital; hyphenation rejoined; stray capital; letter-shape slip; stray capitals): αὐτπῶν Θεός → αὐτοῦ θεός; Οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνου → οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνου; Λέκτρων δὲ ἄπειρον τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὂν Τὸ → λέκτρων δὲ ἄπειρον τίς οὐκ οἶδεν ὂν τὸ; Ποία δὲ ἐπιθυμία ἄφεςίς → ποία δὲ ἐπιθυμία ἄφεσίς; Διαθέσει → διαθέσει; Τί δʼ ὅλως → τί δʼ ὅλως; ἀχλοχαρῆ Παιδείαν → ὀχλοχαρῆ παιδείαν; ἐπι- Δείξεως → ἐπιδείξεως; κα- Θαρεύειν → καθαρεύειν.
Topics: Christology, Trinity
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 21.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-21-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
21.4Heikel
ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ αὐτὴν σύμμαχον τοῖς λεγομένοις, ὦ θεοσέβεια, ἁγνόν τινα νόμον ὑπάρχουσαν, πάντων τε ἀγαθῶν εὐκταιοτάτην ἐλπίδα, ὁσιότητος διδάσκαλον, ἀθανασίας ὑπόσχεσιν ἀκίβδηλον· σὲ μέν, εὐσέβεια καὶ φιλανθρωπία, προσκυνῶ, σαῖς δὲ θεραπείαις χάριν ἀΐδιον ὀφείλομεν οἱ ἰαθέντες. ὁ δὲ ἄπειρος ὄχλος τῆς σῆς ἐπικουρίας διὰ τὴν ἔμφυτον πρὸς σὲ ἀπέχθειαν καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀποστρέφεται, οὐδὲ οἶδεν τὴν αἰτίαν ὅλως τοῦ ζῆν καὶ εἶναι, αὐτόν τε καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς δυσσεβεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖσσον καθήκοντος ἠρτῆσθαι· πᾶς γὰρ ὁ κόσμος ἐκείνου κτῆμα καὶ ὅσα ἐστὶν ἐν κόσμῳ.
epikaloumai de autēn symmachon tois legomenois, ō theosebeia, hagnon tina nomon hyparchousan, pantōn te agathōn euktaiotatēn elpida, hosiotētos didaskalon, athanasias hyposchesin akibdēlon; se men, eusebeia kai philanthrōpia, proskynō, sais de therapeiais charin aïdion opheilomen hoi iathentes. ho de apeiros ochlos tēs sēs epikourias dia tēn emphyton pros se apechtheian kai ton theon apostrephetai, oude oiden tēn aitian holōs tou zēn kai einai, auton te kai tous loipous dyssebeis ek tou pros to kreisson kathēkontos ērtēsthai; pas gar ho kosmos ekeinou ktēma kai hosa estin en kosmǭ.
I call on you, O godliness, as ally for what is said, you who are a pure law, the most desired hope of all good things, teacher of holiness, unadulterated promise of immortality: you, piety and love for humanity, I worship; to your healings we who have been healed owe eternal thanks. But the crowd that has no experience of your help, through its inborn hatred of you, turns away also from God, and does not know at all the cause of living and being, that it and the other impious depend on what is due to the higher. For the whole world and all that is in the world is his possession.
Ps 24:1 (23:1 LXX) (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine invokes Godliness personified, to whom he owes his healing; the impious turn from God, though the whole world is his.
- 'The whole world ... is his possession' echoes Ps 24:1.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip (δ for σ); OCR slips; dittography in the digital text; line-end hyphenation rejoined; stray capital): ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ δὲ αὐτὴν → ἐπικαλοῦμαι δὲ αὐτὴν; θεοςέβεια → θεοσέβεια; ἀθαναςίας ὑπάσχεσιν → ἀθανασίας ὑπόσχεσιν; δὲ μέν, εὐσέβεια → σὲ μέν, εὐσέβεια; ἐπι- κουρίας → ἐπικουρίας; ἀπο- στρέφεται → ἀποστρέφεται; τε Καὶ τοὺς → τε καὶ τοὺς.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 21.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/21-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-21-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 22
22.1Heikel
Ἐγὼ μὲν τῆς εὐτυχίας τῆς ἐμαυτοῦ καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν πάντων αἰτιῶμαι τὴν σὴν εὐμένειαν. μαρτυρεῖ δὲ καὶ ἡ ἔκβασις τῶν κατʼ εὐχὰς ἁπάντων, ἀνδραγαθίαι, νῖκαι, κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων τρόπαια, σύνοιδεν δὲ καὶ μετ´ εὐφημίας ἐπαινεῖ καὶ ἡ μεγάλη πόλις, βούλεται δὲ καὶ ὁ δῆμος τῆς φιλτάτης πόλεως, εἰ καὶ πρὸς ταῖς σφαλεραῖς ἐλπίσιν ἐξαπατηθεὶς ἀνάξιον ἑαυτῆς προείλετο προστάτην, ὃς παραχρῆμα ἑάλω προσηκόντως τε καὶ ἀξίως τοῖς ἑαυτῷ τετολμημένοις, ὧν οὐ θέμις ἀπομνημονεῦσαι, μάλιστα ἐμοὶ τῷ διαλεγομένῳ πρὸς σὲ καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιουμένῳ, πῶς ἂν ἁγναῖς καὶ εὐφήμοις διαλέξεσι προσείποιμί σε.
Egō men tēs eutychias tēs emautou kai tōn emōn pantōn aitiōmai tēn sēn eumeneian. martyrei de kai hē ekbasis tōn katʼ euchas hapantōn, andragathiai, nikai, kata tōn polemiōn tropaia, synoiden de kai met´ euphēmias epainei kai hē megalē polis, bouletai de kai ho dēmos tēs philtatēs poleōs, ei kai pros tais sphalerais elpisin exapatētheis anaxion heautēs proeileto prostatēn, hos parachrēma healō prosēkontōs te kai axiōs tois heautǭ tetolmēmenois, hōn ou themis apomnēmoneusai, malista emoi tǭ dialegomenǭ pros se kai pasan epimeleian poioumenǭ, pōs an hagnais kai euphēmois dialexesi proseipoimi se.
I, for my part, ascribe to your favour the good fortune of myself and of all that is mine. The outcome of all my prayers bears witness: deeds of valour, victories, trophies over enemies. The great city knows it too and praises it with acclamation; and the people of the dearest city wishes it too, even if, deceived by slippery hopes, it chose a protector unworthy of itself, who was at once caught, fittingly and deservedly for what he had dared, which it is not right to recall, especially for me, who am speaking to you and taking every care how I may address you with pure and auspicious words.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine credits his victories to God; Rome, which had wrongly chosen an unworthy ruler (Maxentius), now rejoices with him.
- 'The great city' is Rome; the 'unworthy protector' is Maxentius, defeated in 312.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR slips; stray capital): Εγὼ γὲν → Ἐγὼ μὲν; Αἰτιῶμαι → αἰτιῶμαι; Μαρτυρεῖ → μαρτυρεῖ; πλεμίων → πολεμίων.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 22.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-22-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
22.2Heikel
ἐρῶ δέ τι ἴσως οὐκ ἄσχημον οὐδὲ ἀπρεπές. ὑπερβάλλων μέντοι μανίᾳ καὶ ὠμότητι προκεκήρυκτό σοί ποτε, ὦ θεοσέβεια, καὶ πάσαις ταῖς ἁγιωτάταις σου ἐκκλησίαις ὑπὸ τυράννων πόλεμος ἄσπονδος, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέλειψάν τινες τῶν ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ τηλικούτοις ἐπιχαίροντες δημοσίοις κακοῖς, παρεσκεύαστο δὲ καὶ πεδίον τῇ μάχῃ. σὺ δὲ προσελθοῦσα ἐπέδωκας σεαυτὴν ἐπερειδομένη τῇ πρὸς θεὸν πίστει· θνητῶν δὲ δυσσεβῶν ὠμότης δίκην πυρὸς ἀκαταπαύστως ἐπινεμησαμένη θαυμαστὴν καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἀοίδιμον εὐδοξίαν προσῆψέ σοι· σέβας γὰρ διὰ ταῦτα εἶχε τοὺς θεωμένους,
erō de ti isōs ouk aschēmon oude aprepes. hyperballōn mentoi manią kai ōmotēti prokekērykto soi pote, ō theosebeia, kai pasais tais hagiōtatais sou ekklēsiais hypo tyrannōn polemos aspondos, kai ouk epeleipsan tines tōn en tę̄ Rhōmę̄ tēlikoutois epichairontes dēmosiois kakois, pareskeuasto de kai pedion tę̄ machę̄. sy de proselthousa epedōkas seautēn epereidomenē tę̄ pros theon pistei; thnētōn de dyssebōn ōmotēs dikēn pyros akatapaustōs epinemēsamenē thaumastēn kai dia pantos aoidimon eudoxian prosēpse soi; sebas gar dia tauta eiche tous theōmenous,
I shall say something perhaps not unseemly or unfitting. Once, O godliness, an implacable war, surpassing in madness and cruelty, was proclaimed by tyrants against you and all your most holy churches; and there were some in Rome who rejoiced at such great public evils, and a field was even prepared for the battle. But you came forward and gave yourself up, relying on faith in God; and the cruelty of impious mortals, spreading like fire without ceasing, attached to you a wonderful and ever-celebrated glory; for awe seized those who watched,
Notes and citation
Summary: When the tyrants made war on the churches, godliness faced it with faith, and the persecutors' cruelty only won it glory.
- The sentence continues in 22.3.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip in accent; OCR stray breathing): ἐκκληςίαις → ἐκκλησίαις; δημοςίοις → δημοσίοις; θνητὼν → θνητῶν; ἀοἰδιμον → ἀοίδιμον.
Topics: Persecution, Martyrdom
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 22.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-22-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
22.3Heikel
τοὺς μὲν αὐτοὺς οὖν δημίους καὶ στρεβλοῦντας τὰ τῶν εὐσεβῶν σώματα κάμνοντας καὶ δυσπετοῦντας πρὸς τὰ δεινά, παρειμένους δὲ τοὺς δεσμοὺς καὶ τάς γε βασάνους αὐτὰς ἐκλύτους καὶ τὰς προσφερομένας καύσεις ἀμαυρουμένας, τῶν δὲ ὀπαδῶν τοῦ θεοῦ δυστρέπτων μὲν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πόνους στερρότητα καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς ὀλίγον ὀκλαζόντων τὴν παρρησίαν.
tous men autous oun dēmious kai streblountas ta tōn eusebōn sōmata kamnontas kai dyspetountas pros ta deina, pareimenous de tous desmous kai tas ge basanous autas eklytous kai tas prospheromenas kauseis amauroumenas, tōn de opadōn tou theou dystreptōn men tēn pros tous ponous sterrotēta kai oude pros oligon oklazontōn tēn parrēsian.
seeing the executioners themselves and those who racked the bodies of the godly growing weary and faltering before the terrors, the bonds slackened, the tortures themselves weakened and the burnings applied dimmed, while the followers of God remained unbending in their firmness under pain and did not flinch for a moment in their boldness.
Notes and citation
Summary: The torturers grew weary, while the Christians stood firm and bold.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip): παρρηςίαν → παρρησίαν.
Topics: Martyrdom, Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 22.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-22-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
22.4Heikel
τί οὖν ταῦτα τολμῶν ὤνησας, ὦ δυσσεβέστατε; τί δὲ τὸ αἴτιον τῆς ἐκστάσεως τῶν φρενῶν; ἐρεῖς ὅτι διὰ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς τιμήν· τίνας τούτους; ἢ ποίαν τινὰ ἀξίαν τῆς θείας φύσεως λαμβάνεις ἔννοιαν; ὀργίλους ἡγῇ κατὰ σὲ τοὺς θεοὺς εἶναι; εἰ δ´ οὖν ἦσαν τοιοῦτοι, ἐχρῆν θαυμάζειν αὐτῶν τὴν προαίρεσιν, οὐ πειθαρχεῖν τοῖς ἀναιδέσι προστάγμασι, δικαίων ἀνδρῶν σφαγὰς ἀδίκως ἐπαράντων.
ti oun tauta tolmōn ōnēsas, ō dyssebestate? ti de to aition tēs ekstaseōs tōn phrenōn? ereis hoti dia tēn pros tous theous timēn; tinas toutous? ē poian tina axian tēs theias physeōs lambaneis ennoian? orgilous hēgę̄ kata se tous theous einai? ei d´ oun ēsan toioutoi, echrēn thaumazein autōn tēn proairesin, ou peitharchein tois anaidesi prostagmasi, dikaiōn andrōn sphagas adikōs eparantōn.
What profit did you gain by daring these things, most impious man? What is the cause of the derangement of your mind? You will say: the honour of the gods. Which gods? Or what notion do you take of the worth of the divine nature? Do you think the gods are wrathful like you? Even if they were such, you ought to have been amazed at their choice, not to obey shameless commands demanding unjustly the slaughter of righteous men.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine addresses the persecutor: honouring the gods could not justify slaughtering the righteous.
- The persecutor addressed is not named; probably Diocletian or Galerius.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray capital; OCR inserted letter): Προαίρεσιν, οὐ πειλθαρχεῖν → προαίρεσιν, οὐ πειθαρχεῖν.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 22.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-22-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
22.5Heikel
ἐρεῖς ἴσως διὰ τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν προγόνων νομισθέντα καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑπόληψιν· συγχωρῶ. καὶ γάρ ἐστι παραπλήσια τοῖς δρωμένοις τὰ νομιζόμενα μιᾶς τε καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς ἀφροσύνης· ᾠήθης ἴσως εἶναι τινὰ δύναμιν ἐξαίρετον ἐν τοῖς ὑπὸ τεκτόνων καὶ δημιουργῶν ἐσκευασμένοις ἀνθρωπομόρφοις· τοιγάρτοι περιεῖπες αὐτὰ πᾶσαν ποιούμενος ἐπιμέλειαν, ὅπως μή ποτε ῥυπωθεῖεν, μεγίστων καὶ ἐξαιρέτων θεῶν ἀνθρωπίνης δεομένων ἐπιμελείας
ereis isōs dia ta hypo tōn progonōn nomisthenta kai tēn tōn anthrōpōn hypolēpsin; synchōrō. kai gar esti paraplēsia tois drōmenois ta nomizomena mias te kai tēs autēs aphrosynēs; ǭēthēs isōs einai tina dynamin exaireton en tois hypo tektonōn kai dēmiourgōn eskeuasmenois anthrōpomorphois; toigartoi perieipes auta pasan poioumenos epimeleian, hopōs mē pote rhypōtheien, megistōn kai exairetōn theōn anthrōpinēs deomenōn epimeleias
You will say perhaps: because of what the forefathers held, and the opinion of men. I grant it. For what is believed is like what is done, of one and the same folly. You thought perhaps that there is some exceptional power in the human-shaped things made by carpenters and craftsmen; so you tended them with every care, that they might never be soiled, the greatest and most exceptional gods needing human care.
Acts 17:25 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The persecutor's appeal to tradition rests on the folly of thinking man-made images powerful, gods that need human care.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip): ἀφρπσύνης → ἀφροσύνης.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 22.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/22-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-22-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 23
23.1Heikel
Ἀντεξέταζε τὴν ἡμετέραν θρησκείαν πρὸς τὰ ὑμέτερα. οὐκ ἐνταῦθα μὲν ὁμόνοια γνησία καὶ διαρκὴς φιλανθρωπία, ἔλεγχος δὲ πταίσματος νουθεσίαν οὐκ ὄλεθρον φέρων, θεραπεία δὲ οὐκ ὠμότητος ἀλλὰ σωτηρίας, καὶ πίστις εἰλικρινὴς πρῶτον μὲν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν φυσικὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων κοινωνίαν, ἔλεος δὲ τῶν οὓς ἐπολέμησεν ἡ τύχη, ἁπλοῦς δὲ βίος καὶ οὐ ποικίλῃ τινὶ πανουργίᾳ τὴν πονηρίαν ἐπικαλυπτόμενος, τοῦ τε ὄντως θεοῦ καὶ τῆς μοναρχίας γνῶσις;
Antexetaze tēn hēmeteran thrēskeian pros ta hymetera. ouk entautha men homonoia gnēsia kai diarkēs philanthrōpia, elenchos de ptaismatos nouthesian ouk olethron pherōn, therapeia de ouk ōmotētos alla sōtērias, kai pistis eilikrinēs prōton men pros ton theon, epeita de kai pros tēn physikēn tōn anthrōpōn koinōnian, eleos de tōn hous epolemēsen hē tychē, haplous de bios kai ou poikilę̄ tini panourgią tēn ponērian epikalyptomenos, tou te ontōs theou kai tēs monarchias gnōsis?
Compare our religion with yours. Is there not here genuine concord and lasting love for humanity; rebuke of a fault that brings admonition, not destruction; care not of cruelty but of salvation; sincere faith, first toward God and then toward the natural fellowship of men; mercy on those whom fortune has warred against; a simple life, not covering wickedness with varied cunning; and the knowledge of the true God and of his sole rule?
Notes and citation
Summary: Christianity offers concord, loving correction, faith, mercy, simplicity, and knowledge of the one true God.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in accent): τῶν οὕς ἐπολέμησεν → τῶν οὓς ἐπολέμησεν.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 23.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-23-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
23.2Heikel
ἥδε ἐστὶν ἀληθῶς θεοσέβεια, ἥδε εἰλικρινὴς θρησκεία ἡ παντελῶς ἄχραντος, οὗτος ἔμφρων βίος, ὃν οἱ μετιόντες ὡς διὰ λεωφόρου σεμνῆς τινος ἐπὶ τὸν ἀέναον πορεύονται βίον· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὅλως τελευτᾷ ὁ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐνστησάμενος βίον καθαρεύων τε τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος, πληροῖ δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν προσταχθεῖσαν αὐτῷ θεόθεν λειτουργίαν ἢ ἀποθνήσκει· ὁ γάρ τοι τὸν θεὸν ὁμολογήσας οὐ γίνεται πάρεργον ὕβρεως οὐδὲ θυμοῦ, ἀλλ´ εὐγενῶς τὴν ἀνάγκην ὑποστὰς τὴν τῆς καρτερίας πεῖραν ἐφόδιον ἔχει τῆς πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ εὐμενείας.
hēde estin alēthōs theosebeia, hēde eilikrinēs thrēskeia hē pantelōs achrantos, houtos emphrōn bios, hon hoi metiontes hōs dia leōphorou semnēs tinos epi ton aenaon poreuontai bion; oudeis gar holōs teleutą ho ton toiouton enstēsamenos bion kathareuōn te tēn psychēn apo tou sōmatos, plēroi de mallon tēn prostachtheisan autǭ theothen leitourgian ē apothnēskei; ho gar toi ton theon homologēsas ou ginetai parergon hybreōs oude thymou, all´ eugenōs tēn anankēn hypostas tēn tēs karterias peiran ephodion echei tēs pros tou theou eumeneias.
This is truly godliness, this the sincere and wholly undefiled religion, this the sensible life, by which those who pursue it travel as by a venerable highway to everlasting life. For no one at all who has entered on such a life, keeping his soul pure of the body, dies; rather he fulfils the service assigned him by God. For he who has confessed God does not become the plaything of outrage or anger, but, bearing necessity nobly, has the trial of endurance as provision for God's favour.
Jas 1:27 (echo, medium confidence) · John 11:26 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: True religion leads to eternal life; the one who confesses God does not die but completes his service, and his endurance wins God's favour.
- 'Pure and undefiled religion' echoes Jas 1:27. θεμοῦ is a slip for θυμοῦ ('anger').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; stray capital): σεμνῆν τινος → σεμνῆς τινος; οὐδὲ θεμοῦ → οὐδὲ θυμοῦ; Πεῖραν → πεῖραν.
Topics: Martyrdom, Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 23.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-23-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
23.3Heikel
οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀμφίβολον τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀρετὴν ἀσπάζεσθαι τὸ θεῖον· καὶ γὰρ ἄν εἴη τῶν ἀτοπωτάτων τοὺς μὲν ἀνθρώπους, ὅταν τυγχάνωσιν εὐεργετούμενοι, ἤτοι ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς αὐτῆς ἐξουσίας ἐπειλημμένων ἢ καὶ ὑποδεεστέρων, ἃ θεραπεύοντες τυγχάνοιεν οἱ εὐεργετοῦντες αὐτούς εὐχαρίστως κατατίθεσθαι καὶ ἀντευεργετεῖν, τὸν δὲ ὑπὲρ πάντας ἀρχηγόν τε τῶν πάντων καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν αὐτὸ καταμελεῖν τῆς ἀμοιβῆς, ὃ συμπαρομαρτεῖ μὲν ἡμῶν τῷ παντὶ βίῳ καὶ πάρεστιν ἡμῖν τηνικαῦτα, ὁσάκις ἀγαθόν τι ποιῶμεν, καὶ παραχρῆμα μὲν ἀποδεχόμενον τῆς ἀνδρείας καὶ εὐδικίας εὐεργετεῖ, τὴν δὲ συμπλήρωσιν τῆς ἀμοιβῆς εἰς τὴν τοῦ βίου συμπλήρωσιν ἡμῶν ὑπερτίθεται· πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ τοῦ βίου ψῆφος τηνικαῦτα λογοθετεῖται, ἐν ᾧ χρόνῳ τὸ σῶμα ὑπὸ τῆς ψυχῆς καταλείπεται, αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ καθαρὰ καὶ ἄχραντος καθαρῷ καὶ ἀχράντῳ τῷ θείῳ πελάζει. ἥδε μὲν οὖν ἡ τοῦ θείου δικαιοσύνη, καὶ οὗτος μὲν ὁ τῶν δικαίων ἐξετασμός, πείρας γενομένης κατὰ τὸν βίον πίστεως τε καὶ ἐγκρατείας, καὶ ἐπειδὰν ταῦτα καλῶς ἔχῃ, ὁ μισθὸς ἐπακολουθεῖ τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, μετέρχεται δὲ καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς ἡ προσήκουσα τιμωρία.
ouden gar amphibolon tēn tōn anthrōpōn aretēn aspazesthai to theion; kai gar an eiē tōn atopōtatōn tous men anthrōpous, hotan tynchanōsin euergetoumenoi, ētoi hypo tōn tēs autēs exousias epeilēmmenōn ē kai hypodeesterōn, ha therapeuontes tynchanoien hoi euergetountes autous eucharistōs katatithesthai kai anteuergetein, ton de hyper pantas archēgon te tōn pantōn kai to agathon auto katamelein tēs amoibēs, ho symparomartei men hēmōn tǭ panti biǭ kai parestin hēmin tēnikauta, hosakis agathon ti poiōmen, kai parachrēma men apodechomenon tēs andreias kai eudikias euergetei, tēn de symplērōsin tēs amoibēs eis tēn tou biou symplērōsin hēmōn hypertithetai; pasa gar hē tou biou psēphos tēnikauta logotheteitai, en hǭ chronǭ to sōma hypo tēs psychēs kataleipetai, autē de hē psychē kathara kai achrantos katharǭ kai achrantǭ tǭ theiǭ pelazei. hēde men oun hē tou theiou dikaiosynē, kai houtos men ho tōn dikaiōn exetasmos, peiras genomenēs kata ton bion pisteōs te kai enkrateias, kai epeidan tauta kalōs echę̄, ho misthos epakolouthei tēs aiōniou zōēs, meterchetai de kai tous ponērous hē prosēkousa timōria.
For there is no doubt that the divine welcomes human virtue. It would be most absurd that men, when they receive benefits, whether from those who hold the same authority or even from inferiors, should gratefully lay up and return the benefits that their benefactors happened to show them, while the One who is above all, the ruler of all and the Good itself, should neglect repayment. He accompanies our whole life and is present whenever we do some good; he receives our courage and justice and benefits us at once, but postpones the completion of the reward to the completion of our life. For the whole vote on life is reckoned at the time when the body is left by the soul, and the soul itself, pure and undefiled, draws near to the pure and undefiled divine. This, then, is the justice of God, and this the examination of the righteous: when trial of faith and continence has been made during life, and these are well, the reward of eternal life follows, while the fitting punishment overtakes the wicked.
Heb 11:6 (echo, low confidence) · Rom 2:6–8 (echo, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God, more than any human benefactor, rewards virtue, partly now and fully at death, when the soul is judged: eternal life for the righteous, punishment for the wicked.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR dropped letter; OCR letter-shape slip; line-end hyphenation rejoined): ἐξουςίας → ἐξουσίας; καταμελῖν → καταμελεῖν; γενο- μένης → γενομένης.
Topics: Eschatology, Ethics
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 23.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/23-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-23-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 24
24.1Heikel
Σὲ δὲ νῦν τὸν Δέκιον ἐρωτῶ, τὸν ἐπεμβαίνοντά ποτε τοῖς τῶν δικαίων πόνοις, τὸν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν μισήσαντα, τὸν ἐπιθέντα τιμωρίαν τοῖς ὁσίως βεβιωκόσι· τί δὴ νῦν πράσσεις μετὰ τὸν βίον; ποίαις δὲ καὶ πῶς δυστραπέλοις συνέχῃ περιστάσεσιν; ἔδειξε δὲ καὶ ὁ μεταξὺ τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς τελευτῆς χρόνος τὴν σὴν εὐτυχίαν, ἡνίκα ἐν τοῖς Σκυθικοῖς πεδίοις πανστρατιᾷ πεσὼν τὸ περιβόητον Ῥωμαίων κράτος ἦγες τοῖς Γέταις εἰς καταφρόνησιν.
Se de nyn ton Dekion erōtō, ton epembainonta pote tois tōn dikaiōn ponois, ton tēn ekklēsian misēsanta, ton epithenta timōrian tois hosiōs bebiōkosi; ti dē nyn prasseis meta ton bion? poiais de kai pōs dystrapelois synechę̄ peristasesin? edeixe de kai ho metaxy tou biou kai tēs teleutēs chronos tēn sēn eutychian, hēnika en tois Skythikois pediois panstratią pesōn to periboēton Rhōmaiōn kratos ēges tois Getais eis kataphronēsin.
And now I ask you, Decius, who once trampled on the labours of the righteous, who hated the church, who inflicted punishment on those who lived holily: what are you doing now after this life? In what and how grievous circumstances are you held? The time between your life and your death showed your good fortune, when, falling with your whole army in the Scythian plains, you brought the famous power of the Romans into contempt before the Getae.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine taunts the persecutor Decius, who fell with his army against the Goths.
- Decius died at Abritus in 251, fighting the Goths ('Getae', 'Scythian plains').
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word rejoined; stray capital): Τιμωρίαν → τιμωρίαν; πανστρατι ᾷ → πανστρατιᾷ.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 24.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-24-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
24.2Heikel
ἀλλὰ σύγε, Οὐαλεριανέ, τὴν αὐτὴν μιαιφονίαν ἐνδειξάμενος τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τοῦ θεοῦ, τὴν ὁσίαν κρίσιν ἐξέφηνας ἁλοὺς αἰχμάλωτός τε καὶ δέσμιος ἀχθεὶς σὺν αὐτῇ πορφυρίδι καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ βασιλικῷ κόσμῳ, τέλος δὲ ὑπὸ Σαπώρου τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως ἐκδαρῆναι κελευσθεὶς καὶ ταριχευθεὶς τρόπαιον τῆς σαυτοῦ δυστυχίας ἔστησας αἰώνιον.
alla syge, Oualeriane, tēn autēn miaiphonian endeixamenos tois hypēkoois tou theou, tēn hosian krisin exephēnas halous aichmalōtos te kai desmios achtheis syn autę̄ porphyridi kai tǭ loipǭ basilikǭ kosmǭ, telos de hypo Sapōrou tou Persōn basileōs ekdarēnai keleustheis kai taricheutheis tropaion tēs sautou dystychias estēsas aiōnion.
And you, Valerian, who showed the same bloodthirstiness toward the subjects of God, revealed the holy judgment: captured and led away a prisoner in chains with your very purple and the rest of the royal adornment, and finally, ordered by Sapor, king of the Persians, to be flayed and preserved, you set up an eternal trophy of your own misfortune.
Notes and citation
Summary: Valerian, another persecutor, was captured by the Persian king Sapor, flayed and preserved as a trophy.
- Valerian was captured by Shapur I in 260; the story of his flaying is reported also by Lactantius, Mort. 5.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR lost accent; split words rejoined): ὁσιαν → ὁσίαν; σὺν αὐτ ῇ πορφυρίδι καὶ τ ῷ λοιπ ῷ βασιλικ ῷ κόσμῳ → σὺν αὐτῇ πορφυρίδι καὶ τῷ λοιπῷ βασιλικῷ κόσμῳ.
Extrabiblical texts: Lactantius, Mort. 5 (On the Deaths of the Persecutors; echo)
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 24.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-24-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
24.3Heikel
καὶ σὺ δέ, Αὐρηλιανέ, φλὸξ πάντων ἀδικημάτων, πῶς ἐπιφανῶς, διατρέχων ἐμμανῶς τὴν Θρᾴκην, κοπεὶς ἐν μέσῃ λεωφόρῳ τοὺς αὔλακας τῆς ὁδοῦ ἀσεβεῖ αἵματι ἐπλήρωσας.
kai sy de, Aurēliane, phlox pantōn adikēmatōn, pōs epiphanōs, diatrechōn emmanōs tēn Thrąkēn, kopeis en mesę̄ leōphorǭ tous aulakas tēs hodou asebei haimati eplērōsas.
And you, Aurelian, firebrand of all wrongs, how conspicuously, as you rushed madly through Thrace, you were cut down in the middle of the highway and filled the ruts of the road with your impious blood!
Notes and citation
Summary: Aurelian, who planned persecution, was murdered on the road in Thrace.
- Aurelian was killed near Caenophrurium in Thrace in 275.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word rejoined): τὴν Θρ ᾴκην → τὴν Θρᾴκην.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 24.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/24-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-24-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 25
25.1Heikel
Διοκλητιανὸς δὲ μετὰ τὴν μιαιφονίαν τοῦ διωγμοῦ αὐτὸς ἑαυτοῦ καταψηφισάμενος, λέληθεν ἀποκηρύξας μὲν ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς ὡς ἄχρηστον, ὁμολογήσας δὲ τὴν τῆς ἀφροσύνης βλάβην μιᾶς εὐκαταφρονήτου οἰκήσεως καθειργμῷ.
Dioklētianos de meta tēn miaiphonian tou diōgmou autos heautou katapsēphisamenos, lelēthen apokēryxas men heauton tēs archēs hōs achrēston, homologēsas de tēn tēs aphrosynēs blabēn mias eukataphronētou oikēseōs katheirgmǭ.
Diocletian, after the bloodshed of the persecution, condemned himself, and without being noticed renounced the rule as useless and confessed the harm of his folly by confinement in a single despised dwelling.
Notes and citation
Summary: Diocletian, after persecuting, abdicated and confessed his folly by retiring into obscurity.
- Diocletian abdicated in 305 and retired to Salona.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (split word rejoined): καθειργμ ῷ → καθειργμῷ.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 25.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-25-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
25.2Heikel
τί δὴ τούτῳ συνήνεγκε πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν τὸν πόλεμον ἐνστήσασθαι; ἵν´ οἶμαι τὴν τοῦ κεραυνοῦ βολὴν δεδιὼς διαγάγοι τὸν ἐπίλοιπον βίον. λαλεῖ Νικομήδεια, οὐ σιωπῶσι δὲ καὶ οἱ ἱστορήσαντες, ὧν καὶ αὐτὸς ὢν τυγχάνω. εἶδον γάρ, ἡνίκα εὐτελὴς τὸ φρόνημα καὶ πᾶσαν μὲν πρόσοψιν παντοῖον δὲ ψόφον δεδιὼς ἐποτνιᾶτο τῶν περιεστώτων κακῶν αἰτίαν γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἀφροσύνην ἑαυτοῦ προκαλεσαμένου καθ´ ἑαυτοῦ τὴν θείαν τοῖς δικαίοις ἐπικουρίαν. ἐδῃοῦτο μέντοι τὰ βασίλεια καὶ ὁ οἶκος αὐτοῦ, ἐπινεμομένου σκηπτοῦ νεμομένης τε οὐρανίας φλογός. καὶ προείρητό γε ἡ τούτων ἔκβασις ὑπὸ τῶν εὖ φρονούντων· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐσιώπων οὐδὲ τὴν οἰμωγὴν τῶν ἀναξίως γιγνομένων ἐπεκαλύπτοντο, φανερῶς δὲ καὶ δημοσίᾳ παρρησιαζόμενοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους διελέγοντο.
ti dē toutǭ synēnenke pros ton theon hēmōn ton polemon enstēsasthai? hin´ oimai tēn tou keraunou bolēn dediōs diagagoi ton epiloipon bion. lalei Nikomēdeia, ou siōpōsi de kai hoi historēsantes, hōn kai autos ōn tynchanō. eidon gar, hēnika eutelēs to phronēma kai pasan men prosopsin pantoion de psophon dediōs epotniato tōn periestōtōn kakōn aitian gegenēsthai tēn aphrosynēn heautou prokalesamenou kath´ heautou tēn theian tois dikaiois epikourian. edę̄outo mentoi ta basileia kai ho oikos autou, epinemomenou skēptou nemomenēs te ouranias phlogos. kai proeirēto ge hē toutōn ekbasis hypo tōn eu phronountōn; oude gar esiōpōn oude tēn oimōgēn tōn anaxiōs gignomenōn epekalyptonto, phanerōs de kai dēmosią parrēsiazomenoi pros allēlous dielegonto.
What good did it do him to undertake war against our God? That, I think, he might spend the rest of his life in fear of the thunderbolt. Nicomedia speaks of it, and those who saw it are not silent, of whom I myself happen to be one. For I saw when, abject in spirit and fearing every sight and every sound, he lamented that his own folly had been the cause of the evils around him, since he had called down upon himself the divine help given to the righteous. Indeed his palace and his house were ravaged, as lightning spread and heavenly flame consumed them. And the outcome of these things had been foretold by men of sense; for they did not keep silent nor hide their lament at what was undeservedly done, but spoke openly and publicly to one another:
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine witnessed at Nicomedia Diocletian's terror and the lightning fire in his palace, which sensible people had foretold.
- The palace fire at Nicomedia (303) is described by Lactantius, Mort. 14, and Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.6.6. Constantine, then at Diocletian's court, claims to have been an eyewitness.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip in accent): ὤν τυγχάνω → ὢν τυγχάνω; βαςίλεια → βασίλεια.
Extrabiblical texts: Lactantius, Mort. 14 (On the Deaths of the Persecutors; allusion); Eusebius, Hist. eccl. 8.6.6 (Church History; allusion)
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 25.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-25-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
25.3Heikel
„τίς ἡ τοσαύτη μανία; πόση δὲ ἡ τῆς δυναστείας ἀλαζονεία τὸ τολμᾶν πολεμεῖν θεῷ ὄντας ἀνθρώπους, ἁγνοτάτῃ δὲ καὶ δικαιοτάτῃ θρησκείᾳ θέλειν ἐμπαροινεῖν, τοσούτου δὲ δήμου καὶ ἀνθρώπων δικαίων ὄλεθρον μηδεμιᾶς προϋπαρχούσης πλημμελείας μηχανήσασθαι, καὶ ταῦτα εὐκαιρίας τε οὔσης ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ δημοσίᾳ, δεξιῶς φερομένων πάντων πραγμάτων, ὁμονοίας τε τῶν δυναστευόντων βεβαίας μενούσης. ἔσται τούτων τίσις, ἔσται τοῦ ἀδίκως αἵματος ἐκχυθέντος ἐκδικία, καὶ ἴσως γε τούς τε αἰτίους καὶ τοὺς ἀναιτίους ἡ αὐτὴ περιλήψεται συμφορά. νεμεσᾴ γὰρ δικαίως πρὸς τοὺς πονηροὺς τὸ θεῖον”. καὶ ταῦτα ἔλεγον οὐκ ἀπεικότως τεκμαιρόμενοι· ἑώρων γὰρ μεγίστην τινὰ καὶ ὑπερορίαν ὠμότητα. πάντων γὰρ ἀναλωθέντων ὅσα πέφυκεν ἐπινοεῖν ὠμότης, ἐπὶ ἀσχήμονας τιμωρίας μετῆλθεν ἡ δυσσέβεια. ἁγνὰς γὰρ παρθένους καὶ σώφρονας γυναῖκας ὁ προειρημένος βασιλεὺς εἰς λύμην ἀσελγείας κατέκρινεν, αἰσχροῖς ψηφίσμασιν ἐπὶ τὰς ἡδονὰς παρακαλῶν τοὺς νέους· ἐν ᾧ κρείσσων εὑρέθη τῶν χυδαίων ἡ ἐγκράτεια τῆς ἀκολασίας τοῦ τυράννου. οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἑαυτὸν καθῆκεν εἰς ἀνόσιον θυμηδίαν, καὶ τὸ ψήφισμα τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν τοῦ δήμου σωφροσύνην οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἀναχαιτίσαι. ὢ νόμων ἐπιμελητὴν ἄριστον, ὢ τῆς τῶν πάντων ὑπηκόων σωφροσύνης διδάσκαλον, ὢ κηδεμονίας στρατοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἑαυτῶν πολίτας. ἐτίτρωσκον τὰ στέρνα τῶν ὁμοφύλων οἱ μηδέποτε τὰ τῶν πολεμίων ἐν παρατάξει μετάφρενα θεασάμενοι.
„tis hē tosautē mania? posē de hē tēs dynasteias alazoneia to tolman polemein theǭ ontas anthrōpous, hagnotatę̄ de kai dikaiotatę̄ thrēskeią thelein emparoinein, tosoutou de dēmou kai anthrōpōn dikaiōn olethron mēdemias proÿparchousēs plēmmeleias mēchanēsasthai, kai tauta eukairias te ousēs idią te kai dēmosią, dexiōs pheromenōn pantōn pragmatōn, homonoias te tōn dynasteuontōn bebaias menousēs. estai toutōn tisis, estai tou adikōs haimatos ekchythentos ekdikia, kai isōs ge tous te aitious kai tous anaitious hē autē perilēpsetai symphora. nemesą gar dikaiōs pros tous ponērous to theion”. kai tauta elegon ouk apeikotōs tekmairomenoi; heōrōn gar megistēn tina kai hyperorian ōmotēta. pantōn gar analōthentōn hosa pephyken epinoein ōmotēs, epi aschēmonas timōrias metēlthen hē dyssebeia. hagnas gar parthenous kai sōphronas gynaikas ho proeirēmenos basileus eis lymēn aselgeias katekrinen, aischrois psēphismasin epi tas hēdonas parakalōn tous neous; en hǭ kreissōn heurethē tōn chydaiōn hē enkrateia tēs akolasias tou tyrannou. oudeis gar heauton kathēken eis anosion thymēdian, kai to psēphisma tou basileōs tēn tou dēmou sōphrosynēn ouk ischysen anachaitisai. ō nomōn epimelētēn ariston, ō tēs tōn pantōn hypēkoōn sōphrosynēs didaskalon, ō kēdemonias stratou pros tous heautōn politas. etitrōskon ta sterna tōn homophylōn hoi mēdepote ta tōn polemiōn en parataxei metaphrena theasamenoi.
"What madness is this? How great the arrogance of power, that men dare to war against God, to wish to outrage the purest and most just religion, and to devise the destruction of so great a people of righteous men when no offence existed before; and this when there was prosperity in private and public, all affairs going well, and concord among the rulers remaining firm! There will be a reckoning for this, there will be vengeance for the blood unjustly shed, and perhaps the same calamity will overtake both the guilty and the innocent. For the divine is justly indignant at the wicked." And they said this, reasoning not unreasonably; for they saw a very great and excessive cruelty. When everything that cruelty can devise had been used up, impiety went on to shameful punishments. For the emperor mentioned before condemned pure virgins and chaste women to the outrage of licentiousness, inviting the young to pleasures by shameful decrees; in which the self-control of the common people proved stronger than the tyrant's licentiousness. For no one gave himself to the unholy enjoyment, and the emperor's decree could not overthrow the people's self-control. O best guardian of the laws, O teacher of self-control for all his subjects, O the army's care for their own fellow citizens! They wounded the breasts of their own people, they who had never seen the backs of enemies in battle.
Notes and citation
Summary: People foresaw God's vengeance on the persecution; the emperor even condemned Christian virgins and wives to violation, but the people refused, and the army turned its swords on its own citizens.
- 'The emperor mentioned before' is apparently Diocletian, though the condemnation of virgins to brothels is elsewhere ascribed to Maximin or Maxentius; translated as written. 'Self-control' renders σωφροσύνη; 'licentiousness' ἀκολασία.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter-shape slip; OCR slip; split word rejoined): ἀνθ ρώπων → ἀνθρώπων; πέρυκεν → πέφυκεν; ἀκολαςίας → ἀκολασίας.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 25.3 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-25-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
25.4Heikel
τέλος γοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀνοσίων ἔργων ἐκδικίαν ἡ θεία πρόνοια μετῆλθεν, οὐ μὴν ἄνευ δημοσίας βλάβης. τοσαῦται γοῦν ἐγένοντο σφαγαί, ὅσαι εἰ κατὰ βαρβάρων ἐγένοντο, ἱκανὰς εἶναι πρὸς αἰωνίαν εἰρήνην. πᾶν γὰρ τὸ τοῦ προειρημένου βασιλέως στράτευμα, ὑποταχθὲν ἐξουσίᾳ τινὸς ἀχρήστου βίᾳ τε τὴν Ῥωμαίων ἀρχὴν ἁρπάσαντος, προνοίας θεοῦ τὴν μεγάλην πόλιν ἐλευθερούσης, πολλοῖς καὶ παντοδαποῖς πολέμοις ἀνήλωται.
telos goun tēn tōn anosiōn ergōn ekdikian hē theia pronoia metēlthen, ou mēn aneu dēmosias blabēs. tosautai goun egenonto sphagai, hosai ei kata barbarōn egenonto, hikanas einai pros aiōnian eirēnēn. pan gar to tou proeirēmenou basileōs strateuma, hypotachthen exousią tinos achrēstou bią te tēn Rhōmaiōn archēn harpasantos, pronoias theou tēn megalēn polin eleutherousēs, pollois kai pantodapois polemois anēlōtai.
At last divine providence pursued the vengeance for the unholy deeds, though not without public harm. So many slaughters took place that, had they been against barbarians, they would have sufficed for eternal peace. For the whole army of the emperor mentioned, subjected to the authority of a useless man who had seized the Roman rule by force, was consumed in many wars of every kind, when God's providence freed the great city.
Notes and citation
Summary: God avenged the persecution through civil wars, in which the army of the usurper at Rome was destroyed when Rome was freed.
- The 'useless man' who seized Rome is Maxentius; the liberation of Rome is Constantine's victory of 312.
Topics: Persecution
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 25.4 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-4
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-25-4) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
25.5Heikel
ἀλλὰ τίς ἄν προκομισθείη σαφεστέρα καὶ ἐναργεστέρα τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσεως ἀπόδειξις; βοᾷ μὲν ὁ κόσμος αὐτός, λαμπροτέρα δὲ καὶ ἐναργεστέρα ἡ τῶν ἄστρων πομπὴ καταφαίνεται, γεγηθότων οἶμαι διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνοσίων ἔργων προσήκουσαν ἐκδικίαν, καὶ αὐτοὶ δὲ οἱ διαδεξάμενοι τὸν ἄγριον καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον βίον καιροὶ χαίρειν ἐπὶ τῇ σφῶν αὐτῶν εὐμοιρίᾳ νομίζονται τὴν τε τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους δηλοῦσιν εὐμένειαν. ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ αἱ πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἐκφωνήσεις τῶν πιεζομένων καὶ τὴν ἔμφυτον ἐλευθερίαν ποθούντων, καὶ οἱ μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κακῶν τῆς εὐχαριστίας πρὸς τὸν θεὸν ἔπαινοι, ἀποδοθείσης τῆς ἐλευθερίας αὐτοῖς καὶ τῶν μετὰ δικαιοσύνης συμβολαίων, πῶς οὐ παντὶ τρόπῳ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ πρόνοιαν καὶ τὴν πρὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους στοργὴν χαρακτηρίζουσιν;
alla tis an prokomistheiē saphestera kai enargestera tēs tou theou kriseōs apodeixis? boą men ho kosmos autos, lamprotera de kai enargestera hē tōn astrōn pompē kataphainetai, gegēthotōn oimai dia tēn tōn anosiōn ergōn prosēkousan ekdikian, kai autoi de hoi diadexamenoi ton agrion kai apanthrōpon bion kairoi chairein epi tę̄ sphōn autōn eumoirią nomizontai tēn te tou theou pros tous anthrōpous dēlousin eumeneian. alla mēn kai hai pros ton theon ekphōnēseis tōn piezomenōn kai tēn emphyton eleutherian pothountōn, kai hoi meta tēn apallagēn tōn kakōn tēs eucharistias pros ton theon epainoi, apodotheisēs tēs eleutherias autois kai tōn meta dikaiosynēs symbolaiōn, pōs ou panti tropǭ tēn tou theou pronoian kai tēn pros tous anthrōpous storgēn charaktērizousin?
What clearer and plainer proof of God's judgment could be brought forward? The world itself cries out, and the procession of the stars appears brighter and clearer, rejoicing, I think, at the fitting vengeance for the unholy deeds; and the very times that succeeded that savage and inhuman life are thought to rejoice in their own good fortune and show God's kindness toward men. And the cries to God of those who were oppressed and longed for their native freedom, and the praises of thanksgiving to God after deliverance from evils, when freedom and just contracts had been restored to them: how do they not in every way show the providence of God and his love toward men?
Notes and citation
Summary: The world, the stars, the new age, and the thanksgiving of the liberated all testify to God's judgment and love.
Topics: Prayer
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 25.5 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-5). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/25-5
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-25-5) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
Chapter 26
26.1Heikel
Ὅταν δὲ τὴν ἐμὴν ὑπηρεσίαν ἐπαινῶσιν, ἐξ ἐπιπνοίας θεοῦ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔχουσαν, ἀφ´ οὗ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀνδραγαθίας τὸν θεὸν αἴτιον εἶναι διαβεβαιοῦνται; πάντων γε μάλιστα· ἔστι γὰρ θεοῦ ἴδιον τὸ τὰ ἄριστα προστάττειν, ἀνθρώπων δὲ τὸ τῷ θεῷ πείθεσθαι. ἔστι δὲ οἶμαι διακονία καλλίστη τε καὶ ἀρίστη, εἴ τις πρὸ τῆς ἐγχειρήσεως προκατασκευάζει τὴν τῶν πραχθησομένων ἀσφάλειαν.
Hotan de tēn emēn hypēresian epainōsin, ex epipnoias theou tēn archēn echousan, aph´ hou tēs emēs andragathias ton theon aition einai diabebaiountai? pantōn ge malista; esti gar theou idion to ta arista prostattein, anthrōpōn de to tǭ theǭ peithesthai. esti de oimai diakonia kallistē te kai aristē, ei tis pro tēs encheirēseōs prokataskeuazei tēn tōn prachthēsomenōn asphaleian.
And when they praise my service, which had its beginning from God's inspiration, do they not affirm thereby that God is the cause of my valour? Most of all; for it is proper to God to command the best things, and to men to obey God. And I think that the most beautiful and best service is when one prepares beforehand, before the undertaking, the safety of what is to be done.
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine credits his achievements to God, whose inspiration began his service.
- The text reads ἔδιον for ἴδιον and ἀφʼ οὐ for ἀφʼ οὗ.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip; OCR slip in accent): ἀφ´ οὐ → ἀφ´ οὗ; θεοῦ ἔδιον → θεοῦ ἴδιον.
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 26.1 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/26-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/26-1
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-26-1) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.
26.2Heikel
καὶ ἐπίστανταί γε πάντες ἄνθρωποι τὴν τῶνδε τῶν χειρῶν ἁγιωτάτην λατρείαν ὀφείλεσθαι τῷ θεῷ πίστει καθαρᾷ καὶ εἰλικρινεστάτῃ, καὶ σύν γε ταῖς χερσὶν εὐχαῖς τε καὶ λιτανείας πᾶν, ὅσον ἤνυσται ὑπὲρ συμφέροντος, κατορθοῦσθαι, προσγενομένης ὠφελείας ἰδίᾳ τε καὶ δημοσίᾳ τοσαύτης, ὅσην ἄν ἕκαστος αὐτῷ τε καὶ τοῖς φιλτάτοις ηὔξατο. ἱστόρησαν δὲ καὶ τὰς μάχας, καὶ ἐθεάσαντο καὶ τὸν πόλεμον, τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ προνοίας τὴν νίκην τῷ δήμῳ βραβευούσης, καὶ εἶδον τὸν θεὸν ταῖς ἡμετέραις εὐχαῖς συναιρόμενον· ἀνίκητον γὰρ χρῆμα ἡ δικαία προσευχή, καὶ οὐδεὶς ὁσίως λιτανεύων ἀποτυγχάνει τοῦ σκοποῦ· οὐδὲ γὰρ περιλείπεται τόπος ἀποτεύγματι, εἰ μὴ μόνον ἔνθα ἄν τὸ τῆς πίστεως ὀκλάζῃ· ὁ γάρ τοι θεὸς ἀεὶ πάρεστιν εὐμενὴς τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων προσδεχόμενος καλοκἀγαθίαν· διὸ ἀνθρώπινον μὲν πταῖσαί ποτε, ὁ δὲ θεὸς ἀναίτιος τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πταισμάτων· χρὴ τοίνυν πάντας τοὺς τὴν εὐσέβειαν καταδιώκοντας χάριν ὁμολογεῖν τῷ σωτῆρι τῶν πάντων ἕνεκεν τῆς ἡμετέρας αὐτῶν σωτηρίας καὶ τῆς τῶν δημοσίων πραγμάτων εὐμοιρίας, ὁσίαις τε εὐχαῖς καὶ λιτανείαις ἐπαλλήλοις ἐξιλεοῦσθαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἡμῖν, ὅπως τὰς εὐεργεσίας αὐτοῦ διαφυλάττοι· οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ἀήττητος σύμμαχος καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς τῶν δικαίων, ὁ δὲ αὐτὸς κριτὴς ἄριστος, ἀθανασίας ἡγεμών, ἀιδίου ζωῆς χορηγός.
kai epistantai ge pantes anthrōpoi tēn tōnde tōn cheirōn hagiōtatēn latreian opheilesthai tǭ theǭ pistei katharą kai eilikrinestatę̄, kai syn ge tais chersin euchais te kai litaneias pan, hoson ēnystai hyper sympherontos, katorthousthai, prosgenomenēs ōpheleias idią te kai dēmosią tosautēs, hosēn an hekastos autǭ te kai tois philtatois ēuxato. historēsan de kai tas machas, kai etheasanto kai ton polemon, tēs tou theou pronoias tēn nikēn tǭ dēmǭ brabeuousēs, kai eidon ton theon tais hēmeterais euchais synairomenon; anikēton gar chrēma hē dikaia proseuchē, kai oudeis hosiōs litaneuōn apotynchanei tou skopou; oude gar perileipetai topos apoteugmati, ei mē monon entha an to tēs pisteōs oklazę̄; ho gar toi theos aei parestin eumenēs tēn tōn anthrōpōn prosdechomenos kalokagathian; dio anthrōpinon men ptaisai pote, ho de theos anaitios tōn anthrōpinōn ptaismatōn; chrē toinyn pantas tous tēn eusebeian katadiōkontas charin homologein tǭ sōtēri tōn pantōn heneken tēs hēmeteras autōn sōtērias kai tēs tōn dēmosiōn pragmatōn eumoirias, hosiais te euchais kai litaneiais epallēlois exileousthai ton Christon hēmin, hopōs tas euergesias autou diaphylattoi; houtos gar estin aēttētos symmachos kai hyperaspistēs tōn dikaiōn, ho de autos kritēs aristos, athanasias hēgemōn, aidiou zōēs chorēgos.
And all men know that the most holy worship of these hands is owed to God with pure and most sincere faith, and that, together with the hands, by prayers and supplications everything accomplished for the common good has succeeded, with as much benefit in private and public as each would have prayed for himself and his dearest. They have seen the battles and beheld the war, God's providence awarding the victory to the people, and they saw God helping our prayers. For righteous prayer is an invincible thing, and no one who supplicates holily fails of his aim; nor is there any room left for failure, except where faith falters. For God is always present and gracious, accepting the goodness of men. So it is human to stumble sometimes, but God is not the cause of human stumbles. All, then, who pursue piety ought to confess their thanks to the Saviour of all for our own salvation and the good fortune of public affairs, and with holy prayers and repeated supplications to make Christ gracious to us, so that he may keep his benefits. For he is the invincible ally and protector of the righteous, and the same is the best judge, leader to immortality, giver of eternal life.
Jas 5:16 (echo, medium confidence) · Jas 1:6 (echo, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Constantine's victories came through prayer, which never fails where faith is firm; all should thank Christ and pray to him, the invincible ally, judge and giver of eternal life.
- The digital text has λιτανείας πᾶν (for λιτανείαις) and ἀνθρπωπίνω (for ἀνθρωπίνων); translated by sense.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in accent; OCR slips; stray capital): Συμφέροντος → συμφέροντος; τῆν νίκην → τὴν νίκην; ταῖς ἡμετέρας εὐχαῖς συναρόμενον → ταῖς ἡμετέραις εὐχαῖς συναιρόμενον; ἀνθρπωπίνω → ἀνθρωπίνων; χρὴ Τοίνυν → χρὴ τοίνυν.
Topics: Prayer, Christology
Cite (SBL): Constantine, Or. sanct. coet. 26.2 (Heikel; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/26-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum/26-2
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-constantine-oratio-sanctorum-coetum-26-2) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from Heikel's Greek (GCS 7, 1902; noisy digital text, OCR slips corrected and logged); compared afterwards with the public-domain English of NPNF² 1 (Richardson, 1890), which condenses some passages; those were checked against the Greek only.