Gregory Thaumaturgus, Panegyric Oration on Origen

Panegyric Oration on Origen

This subject, on account of which I was eager to speak, but delay and hesitate, rather holds me back and simply commands me to keep silent. For I inte

to the one who initiated the good things, this one is idle and ungrateful and impious, sinning in a way not pardonable either for a great man or a sma

and power, and being in Him and simply united to Him, it is not possible that either through forgetfulness or unwisely or through some weakness, like

it began immediately, as the common reason of all men was just then being fulfilled, but it visited then for the first time. Which indeed is no small

and separated against my will, and drawing us along with her. At any rate, suddenly, I know not how, while we were intending to travel, but to travel

not yet entirely convinced, but unable, I know not how, to withdraw again, and always as if by some greater necessities drawn to him by his words. For

that which remains by itself should suffer no harm from communion with the worse, but the disorderly, bound by it and joined to the better, having har

uncritical and rash, and of those assenting to whatever they encounter, whatever it may be, even if it happens to be false, and of those often contrad

and He was about to make us truly godlike and blessed. And these things He labored at with His own words, both gentle and wise, and not least, most ne

I was being taught to praise and speak a eulogy about someone, which was not true, I willingly submitted. Therefore, not even now, setting out to prai

12 And indeed, he still intends to make us just and prudent and temperate or brave, because of our own sluggishness and sloth, even though he is very

itself, grown weary from the subtlety of the argument against the precision of the examination, often surrendering rather indifferently to false argum

an all-wise construction, made intricate with many passages and continuous entrances and exits, yet wishing to exit, he would no longer be able, havin

preparation and power. And to put it concisely, this was truly a paradise for us, an imitator of the great paradise of God, in which it was not possib

nor when bidden by their conquerors to be willing to hymn the divine, nor to sing in a profane land but to hang their musical instruments on the will

nor when bidden by their conquerors to be willing to hymn the divine, nor to sing in a profane land; but to hang their musical instruments on the willows, and themselves to weep by the rivers of Babylon. I seem to be one of them, driven out from this my city and fatherland, a holy one; where by day and night the sacred laws are proclaimed, and hymns and odes and mystic discourses, and the light of the sun and the perpetual light, by day as we engage in the divine mysteries, and by night when the soul is held by the phantoms of what it saw and did in the day; and to speak concisely, where the divine possession is through all things, from this I am driven out, carried as a captive into a foreign land, where it will not be possible for me to play, having hung up my instrument, as they did, upon the willows; but I shall be by the rivers, and I shall work with clay and I shall not be willing to speak hymns, remembering; but perhaps because of the other evil work I shall also forget, being robbed of my memories. But if in departing I go not only unwillingly, as a captive, but also willingly, not warred against by another, but by myself, though it is possible to remain, perhaps in departing from here I shall not journey safely, as one who has come out from a safe and peaceful city; and it is likely that as I travel I will both encounter robbers and be captured, and having been stripped I will be wounded with many wounds, and will lie somewhere cast aside half-dead.

17 But why do I lament these things? There is a savior of all, of the half-dead and of all the robbed a guardian and physician, the Word, the sleepless guardian of all men; we have also seeds, both those you showed us to have and as many as we have received from you, the good counsels; with which we depart, weeping as we journey, but carrying with ourselves nevertheless these seeds. Perhaps, then, the guardian will appear and save us; and perhaps we will return to you again, bearing from the seeds both the fruits and the sheaves, not indeed perfect ones (for how could we?) but such as are possible for us from the actions in the commonwealth, corrupted indeed by some unfruitful or evil-bearing power, but not to be further corrupted by us, if God should grant it.

18 For my part, then, let the discourse cease here, having been bold where it least ought, and having given thanks wisely, I think, according to our ability, saying nothing worthy, yet not being completely silent; and having also lamented, as friends who are going abroad are accustomed to do, in a boyish way, containing nothing of flattery nor anything more archaic or overwrought, I know not; yet there is in it also that which is not fabricated, this I know clearly, but is true in every way, with a sound mind and a sincere and complete purpose.

19 But you, arise, O dear head, and having prayed, now send us on our way, having saved us while present with your sacred teachings, and saving us with your prayers even when we have departed; and indeed deliver us up and commit us, or rather, deliver us up to the God who brought us to you; giving thanks for what has gone before on our behalf, and beseeching him to lead us by the hand also in the future, standing by us always, whispering his commands to our mind, instilling in us his divine fear, which will be the best guide; for not only in the freedom of being with you, but also when we have departed, we will obey him. Ask also that some comfort may come to us from him for our separation from you, that he may send forth a good escort, an angel to journey with us. And ask that he may turn us back and bring us to you again; and this indeed, most of all, alone will comfort us.

μηδ' ἀξιουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν κρατούντων ὑμνεῖν ἐθέλειν τὸ θεῖον, μηδὲ ψάλλειν ἐν γῇ βεβήλῳ· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν ὄργανα τὰ μουσικὰ κρεμάσαι ἐπὶ τῶν ἰτεῶν ἀρτήσαντας, αὐτοὺς δὲ κλαίειν ἐπὶ τῶν ποταμῶν Βαβυλῶνος. Ἐκείνων τις εἶναι δοκῶ, ἐξελαυνόμενος ἀπὸ πόλεως καὶ πατρίδος ἐμῆς ταύτης καὶ ἱερᾶς· ἔνθα μεθ' ἡμέραν τε καὶ νύκτα οἱ ἱεροὶ ἀπαγγέλλονται νόμοι ὕμνοι τε καὶ ᾠδαὶ καὶ λόγοι μυστικοί, καὶ φῶς τὸ ἡλιακὸν καὶ τὸ διηνεκές, ἡμέρας ὕπερ ἡμῶν προσομιλούντων τοῖς θείοις μυστηρίοις, καὶ νυκτὸς ὧν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εἶδέ τε καὶ ἔπραξεν ἡ ψυχὴ ταῖς φαντασίαις κατεχομένων· καὶ ὅλως συνελόντα εἰπεῖν ἔνθα ἡ ἔνθεος διὰ παντὸς κατακωχή, ταύτης ἐξελαύνομαι, αἰχμάλωτος φερόμενος εἰς τὴν ἀλλοτρίαν γῆν, ἔνθα μοι οὔτε αὐλεῖν ἐξέσται κρεμασαμένῳ τὸ ὄργανόν μου, ὥσπερ κἀκείνοις, ἀπὸ τῶν ἰτεῶν· ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τοῖς ποταμοῖς ἔσομαι, πηλὸν δὲ ἐργάσομαι καὶ ὕμνους λέγειν οὐκ ἐθελήσω, μεμνημένος· ἀλλ' ἴσως ὑπὸ κακοεργίας τῆς ἄλλης καὶ ἐπιλήσομαι συληθεὶς κατὰ τὰς μνήμας. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ἀπιὼν οὐκ ἄκων μόνον, ὥσπερ αἰχμάλωτος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑκὼν ἄπειμι, οὐχ ὑπ' ἄλλου του, ὑπὸ δὲ ἐμαυτοῦ ἐκπεπολεμημένος, ἐξὸν μένειν, τάχα καὶ ἀπιὼν ἐντεῦθεν οὐκ ἀσφαλῶς πορεύσομαι, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀσφαλοῦς καὶ εἰρηνευομένης τινὸς πόλεως ἐξελθών· εἰκὸς δὲ ὡς ἄρα ὁδοιπορῶν καὶ λῃσταῖς συντεύξομαι καὶ συλ ληφθήσομαι, καὶ γυμνωθεὶς τρωθήσομαι τραύμασι πολλοῖς, καὶ κείσομαί που ἡμιθνὴς ἐρριμμένος.

17 Ἀλλὰ τί ταῦτα θρηνῶ; Ἔστιν ὁ σωτὴρ πάντων, καὶ τῶν ἡμιθανῶν καὶ τῶν λελῃστευμένων πάντων κηδεμὼν καὶ ἰατρός, λόγος, ὁ ἄγρυπνος φύλαξ πάντων ἀνθρώπων· ἔστιν ἡμῖν καὶ σπέρματα, ἅ τε ἔχοντας ἡμᾶς ἀνέδειξας καὶ ὅσα παρὰ σοῦ εἰλήφαμεν, τὰς καλὰς ὑποθήκας· σὺν οἷς ἄπιμεν, κλᾴοντες μὲν ὡς πορευόμενοι, φέροντες δὲ σὺν αὑτοῖς ὅμως τὰ σπέρματα ταῦτα. Ἴσως μὲν οὖν διασώσεται ἡμᾶς ὁ φύλαξ ἐπιστάς· ἴσως δὲ ὑποστρέψομεν πρὸς σὲ πάλιν, φέροντες ἐκ τῶν σπερμάτων καὶ τοὺς καρποὺς καὶ τὰς δραγμίδας, τελείας μὲν οὐχί (πῶς γὰρ ἄν;) οἵας δὲ δυνατὸν ἡμῖν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν πολιτείᾳ πράξεων, διεφθαρμένας μὲν τῇ δυνάμει ἢ ἀκάρπῳ ἢ κακοκάρπῳ τινί, μὴ καὶ προσδιαφθαρησομένῃ δὲ παρ' ἡμῖν, εἰ ὁ θεὸς ἐπινεύοι.

18 Ἐμοὶ μὲν οὖν ἐνταῦθα παυέσθω ὁ λόγος, θρασυνόμενος μὲν ἐφ' οὗ ἥκιστα ἐχρῆν, εὐγνωμόνως δὲ καὶ εὐχαριστήσας που οἶμαι κατὰ δύναμιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, ἄξιον μὲν οὐδὲν λεγόντων, οὐ μὴν σιωπησάντων παντελῶς· καὶ ἔτι καὶ ἀποκλαυσάμενος, οἷον οἱ ἀποδημοῦντες τῶν φίλων εἰώθασι, μειρακιῶδες, μὴ θωπείας ἐχόμενον οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἀρχαιότερον ἢ περιεργότερον, οὐκ οἶδα· πρόσεστι μέντοι αὐτῷ καὶ τὸ μὴ πεπλασμένον, τοῦτο σαφῶς γινώσκω, ἀληθὲς δὲ πάντη, γνώμῃ ὑγιεῖ καὶ προαιρέσει εἰλικρινεῖ καὶ ὁλοκλήρῳ.

19 Σὺ δὲ ἀναστάς, ὦ φίλη κεφαλή, καὶ εὐξά-μενος ἤδη πέμπε ἡμᾶς, σώσας μὲν παρόντας τοῖς ἱεροῖς σου μαθήμασι, σώζων δὲ ταῖς εὐχαῖς καὶ ἀποδημήσαντας· καὶ δὴ παραδίδου καὶ παρατίθεσο, μᾶλλον δὲ παρα-δίδου τῷ ἀγαγόντι ἡμᾶς πρὸς σὲ θεῷ· εὐχαριστῶν μὲν ἐπὶ τοῖς φθάνουσιν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, παρακαλῶν δὲ χειραγωγεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσι, διὰ παντὸς ἐφεστῶτα, ὑπηχοῦντα τῷ νῷ ἡμῶν τὰ αὐτοῦ προστάγματα, ἐμβάλλοντα ἡμῖν τὸν θεῖον φόβον αὐτοῦ, παιδαγωγὸν ἄριστον ἐσόμενον· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τῇ μετὰ σοῦ ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ ἀπελθόντες ὑπακούσομεν αὐτῷ. Παρακάλεσον καὶ παραμυθίαν τινὰ ἡμῖν γενέσθαι παρ' αὐτοῦ τῆς ἀπολείψεώς σου, πομπὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐξαποστεῖλαι συνοδοιπόρον ἄγγελον. Αἴτησον δὲ καὶ ἵνα ἐπιστρέψας ἡμᾶς ἀγάγῃ πρὸς σὲ πάλιν· καὶ τοῦτό γε μάλιστα πάντων μόνον ἡμᾶς παραμυθήσεται.