Gregory of Nazianzus, Epigrams

Sinners; make not war on the dead. I, Martinianus, command these things to all living creatures. It is not right to begrudge the dead a few stones. 8.110 O Themis, I who distributed talents to many; O fearful scourges of unholy souls; this man brings groaning iron against my stones; this man against me. Alas, alas, where is the stone of Sisyphus? 8.111 Rich, in good old age, without sickness I died, holding the first place in the emperor's court, possessing the height of sacred wisdom. If you hear of any Martinianus, but from the tomb, do not bring hostile hands against me. 8.112 Withdraw, withdraw afar; you are stirring up an evil contest by heaving up the stone and our tomb; withdraw; I am Martinianus, and a help to the living, and as a corpse I have no small power here. 8.113 Great song of the Cappadocians, most illustrious Martinianus, of you, race of mortals, and we revere your tomb; you who once were the power in the emperor's courts, and by the spear acquired Sicily and Libya. 8.114 We swear by the power of immortal God who rules on high and by the souls of the dead, glorious one, and by your dust that never, Martinianus, will we lay hands upon your stele and tomb; for not even upon holy things. 8.115 Rome and emperors and the ends of the earth are steles for me, Martinianus, which time will not subdue; but nevertheless I greatly fear for the small thing, lest this tomb suffer anything; unholy are the hands of many. 8.116 The tomb of the renowned Martinianus, if you hear of any of the Cappadocians, foremost among the nobles of Rome, adorned with all kinds of virtues; but revering his very dust tend his stele and tomb. 8.117 I never attacked the dead nor made work from tombs, I swear by Justice and the dead; for that reason do not bring iron against my stones; but if you should bring it, may it fall upon your own head. I, Martinianus, beseech these things; if there is any grace for my glory, may the tomb remain forever. 8.118 One house, but below a grave, and above a shrine; a tomb for the departed, a shrine for the prize-winners; and some have already put on the sweet dust like you, blessed wife of Amphilochus, Libya, and most beautiful of sons, Euphemius; but receive, O martyrs of truth, those who still remain. 8.119 Would that you, O Libya, were living for your dear children; would that you had approached the gate of old age. But now fate has subdued you untimely, while still beautiful, while still shining with the flowers of youth. Alas, and Amphilochus your husband instead of a good and prudent wife has a wretched tomb. 8.120 Alas, dust holds Libya too. I never thought her to be mortal when I looked upon the form, gentleness, and prudence of the woman, by which she surpassed the whole tribe of women. For this reason also they honored you in death with such a tomb, both your trio of children and your husband Amphilochus. 8.121 There was a sacred pair, one soul, two bodies, brothers in all things, in blood, glory, wisdom, sons of Amphilochus, Euphemius and Amphilochus, conspicuous stars to all Cappadocians. But dread Envy gazed on them both; one he deprived of life, and the other, Amphilochus, he left a half. 8.122 An orator among orators, and a poet among poets, the glory of his fatherland, the glory of his parents, Euphemius, just growing a beard, and just calling the Loves to the marriage chamber, perished, alas the sorrows; and instead of a maiden he obtained a tomb, and instead of the days of bridal hymns the day of lamentations came. 8.123 Twenty years old, Euphemius, as no one else, flying over the whole Greek and Ausonian muse, shining with splendor and character went beneath the earth. Alas, how much swifter is the fate of the good. 8.124 Euphemius was still a small remnant of the golden race, noble in character and mind, gentle, sweet-spoken, in form like the Graces; for that reason also he did not mingle with mortals for long. 8.125 Euphemius flashed greatly for men, but for a little while; for indeed the flash of lightning is not long; he flashed at once with wisdom and form and mind; what before was glory for the Cappadocians, is now lamentation. 8.126 Who? Whose son? - "Euphemius, son of Amphilochus, lies here, this one who is on the lips of all Cappadocians, this one, whom the Graces gave to the Muses; and the wedding hymns were at the doors; but Envy came more swiftly." 8.127 A blameless shoot, child of the Muses, springtime of his comrades and golden wreath of the violet-crowned Graces, Euphemius is gone from mortals, nor did he endure, alas,

ἀλιτροί· μὴ πόλεμον φθιμένοις. Μαρτινιανὸς ἐγὼ ταῦτα πάσιν ζῴοις ἐπιτέλλομαι. οὐ θέμις ἐστὶν τῶν ὀλίγων φθονέειν τοῖς φθιμένοισι λίθων. 8.110 Ὦ Θέμι, τῆς πολλοῖσιν ἐγὼ νώμησα τάλαντα· ὦ φοβεραὶ ψυχῶν μάστιγες οὐχ ὁσίων· οὗτος ἐμοῖσι λίθοισι φέρει στονόεντα σίδηρον· οὗτος ἐμοί. φεῦ φεῦ, ποῦ δὲ λίθος Σισύφου; 8.111 Ὄλβιος, εὐγήρως, ἄνοσος θάνον ἐν βασιλῆος πρῶτα φέρων, ἱερῆς ἄκρον ἔχων σοφίης. εἴ τινα Μαρτινιανὸν ἀκούετε, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τύμβου, μηδὲ φέρειν ἐπ' ἐμοὶ δυσμενέας παλάμας. 8.112 Χάζεο, χάζεο τῆλε· κακὸν τὸν ἄεθλον ἐγείρεις λᾶας ἀνοχλίζων καὶ τάφον ἡμέτερον· χάζεο· Μαρτινιανὸς ἐγώ, καὶ ζῶσιν ὄνειαρ, καὶ νέκυς οὐκ ὀλίγον ἐνθάδε κάρτος ἔχω. 8.113 Καππαδοκῶν μέγ' ἄεισμα, φαάντατε Μαρτινιανέ, σεῖο, βροτῶν γενεή, καὶ τάφον αἰδόμεθα· ὅς ποτ' ἔης βασιλῆος ἐν ἕρκεσι κάρτος ὑπάρχων, δουρὶ δὲ Σικανίην κτήσαο καὶ Λιβύην. 8.114 Ὄμνυμεν ἀθανάτοιο Θεοῦ κράτος ὑψιμέδοντος καὶ ψυχὰς νεκύων, κύδιμε, σήν τε κόνιν μή ποτε, Μαρτινιανέ, τεοῖς ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἐνέγκαι στήλῃ καὶ τύμβῳ· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' ἱεροῖς. 8.115 Ῥώμη καὶ βασιλῆες ἐμοὶ καὶ πείρατα γαίης στῆλαι Μαρτινιανῷ, τὰς χρόνος οὐ δαμάσει· ἀλλ' ἔμπης ὀλίγῳ περιδείδια, μή τι πάθῃσι, τῷδε τάφῳ· πολλῶν οὐχ ὁσίαι παλάμαι. 8.116 Μαρτινιανοῦ σῆμα μεγακλέος, εἴ τιν' ἀκούεις Καππαδοκῶν Ῥώμης πρόθρονον εὐγενέων, παντοίαις ἀρετῇσι κεκασμένον· ἀλλὰ κόνιν περ ἁζόμενοι στήλην καὶ τάφον ἀμφιέπειν. 8.117 Οὔποτ' ἐγὼ φθιμένοισιν ἐπέχραον οὐδ' ἀπὸ τύμβων ἔργον ἔγειρα, ∆ίκην ὄμνυμι καὶ φθιμένους· τοὔνεκα μηδ' ἐπ' ἐμοῖσι φέρειν λάεσσι σίδηρον· εἰ δὲ φέροις, τὴν σὴν ἐς κεφαλὴν πεσέτω. Μαρτινιανὸς ἐγὼ τάδε λίσσομαι· εἴ τις ἐμεῖο κύδεός ἐστι χάρις, τύμβος ἀεὶ μενέτω. 8.118 Εἷς δόμος, ἀλλ' ὑπένερθε τάφος, καθύπερθε δὲ σηκός· τύμβος δειμαμένοις, σηκὸς ἀεθλοφόροις· καί ῥ' οἱ μὲν γλυκερὴν ἤδη κόνιν ἀμφεβάλοντο ὡς σύ, μάκαιρα δάμαρ Ἀμφιλόχου Λιβίη, κάλλιμέ θ' υἱήων, Εὐφήμιε· τοὺς δ' ὑπόδεχθε, μάρτυρες ἀτρεκίης, τοὺς ἔτι λειπομένους. 8.119 Ὤφελες, ὦ Λιβία, ζώειν τεκέεσσι φίλοισιν· ὤφελες ἄχρι πύλης γήραος ἐμπελάσαι. νῦν δέ σε μοῖρ' ἐδάμασσεν ἀώριον, εἰσέτι καλήν, εἰσέτι κουριδίοις ἄνθεσι λαμπομένην. αἰαῖ, Ἀμφίλοχος δὲ τεὸς πόσις ἀντὶ δάμαρτος ἐσθλῆς καὶ πινυτῆς τλήμονα τύμβον ἔχει. 8.120 Αἰαῖ, καὶ Λιβίαν κατέχει κόνις. οὔποτ' ἔγωγε ὠισάμην θνητὴν ἔμμεναι εἰσορόων εἶδος μειλιχίην τε σαοφροσύνην τε γυναικός, τοῖς φῦλον πασέων καίνυτο θηλυτέρων. τοὔνεκα καὶ τοίῳ σε τάφῳ κύδηνε θανοῦσαν σῶν τε τριὰς τεκέων καὶ πόσις Ἀμφίλοχος. 8.121 Ἦν δυὰς ἦν ἱερή, ψυχὴ μία, σώματα δισσά, πάντα κασιγνήτω, αἷμα, κλέος, σοφίην, υἱέες Ἀμφιλόχου, Εὐφήμιος Ἀμφίλοχός τε, πᾶσιν Καππαδόκαις ἀστέρες ἐκφανέες. δεινὸν δ' ἀμφοτέρους Φθόνος ἔδρακε· τὸν μὲν ἄμερσε ζωῆς, τὸν δ' ἔλιπεν ἥμισυν Ἀμφίλοχον. 8.122 Ῥήτωρ ἐν ῥητῆρσιν, ἀοιδοπόλος δ' ἐν ἀοιδοῖς, κῦδος ἑῆς πάτρης, κῦδος ἑῶν τοκέων, ἄρτι γενειάσκων Εὐφήμιος, ἄρτι δ' ἔρωτας ἐς θαλάμους καλέων ὤλετο, φεῦ παθέων· ἀντὶ δὲ παρθενικῆς τύμβον λάχεν, ἠδ' ὑμεναίων ἤματα νυμφιδίων ἦμαρ ἐπῆλθε γόων. 8.123 Εἰκοσέτης πᾶσαν Εὐφήμιος, ὡς μίαν οὔτις, Ἑλλάδα καὐσονίην μοῦσαν ἐφιπτάμενος, στράπτων ἀγλαΐῃ τε καὶ ἤθεσιν ἦλθ' ὑπὸ γαῖαν. αἰαῖ, τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὡς μόρος ὠκύτερος. 8.124 Χρυσείης γενεῆς Εὐφήμιος ἦν ἔτι τυτθὸν λείψανον, εὐγενέτης ἤθεα καὶ πραπίδας, μείλιχος, ἡδυεπής, εἶδος Χαρίτεσσιν ὁμοῖος· τοὔνεκα καὶ θνητοῖς οὐκ ἐπὶ δὴν ἐμίγη. 8.125 Στράψε μέγ' ἀνθρώποις Εὐφήμιος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τυτθόν· καὶ γὰρ καὶ στεροπῆς οὐ μακρόν ἐστι σέλας· στράψεν ὁμοῦ σοφίῃ τε καὶ εἴδεϊ καὶ πραπίδεσσιν· τὰ πρὶν Καππαδόκαις ἦν κλέα, νῦν δὲ γόος. 8.126 Τίς τίνος; - «Ἀμφιλόχου Εὐφήμιος ἐνθάδε κεῖται, οὗτος ὁ Καππαδόκαις πᾶσι διὰ στόματος, οὗτος, ὃν αἱ Χάριτες Μούσαις δόσαν· οἱ δ' ὑμέναιοι ἀμφὶ θύρας· ἦλθεν δ' ὁ Φθόνος ὠκύτερος.» 8.127 Ἔρνος ἀμώμητον, Μουσῶν τέκος, εἶαρ ἑταίρων καὶ χρύσεον Χαρίτων πλέγμα ἰοστεφάνων, ᾤχετο ἐκ μερόπων Εὐφήμιος, οὐδέ τ' ἀνέσχεν, αἰαῖ,