THE ALL-NIGHT VIGIL: A CROWD OF VISITORS ARRIVES

But while we were thus employed and the virgins' voices singing psalms mingled with the lamentations were filling the place, somehow the news had quickly spread throughout the whole neighbourhood, and all the people that lived near were streaming towards the place, so that the entrance hall could no longer hold the concourse.

When the all-night vigil for her, accompanied by hymn-singing, as in the case of martyrs' festivals, was finished, and the dawn came, the multitude of men and women that had flocked in from all the neighbouring country were interrupting the psalms with wailings. But I, sick at heart though I was owing to the calamity, was yet contriving, so far as was possible with what we had, that no suitable [994A] accompaniment of such a funeral should be omitted. I divided the visitors according to sex, and put the crowds of women with the band of virgins, while the men folk I put in the ranks of the monks. I arranged that the psalms should be sung by both sexes in rhythmical and harmonious fashion, as in chorus singing, so that all the voices should blend suitably. But since the day was progressing, and the entire space of the retreat was getting crowded with the multitude of arrivals, the bishop of that district (Araxius by name, who had come with the entire complement of his priests) ordered the funeral procession to start slowly; [994B] for there was a long way to go, and the crowd seemed likely to impede brisk movement. At the same time as he gave this order he summoned to him all present who shared with him in the priesthood, that the body might be borne by them.

When this had been settled and his directions were being carried out, I got under the bed and called Araxius to the other side; two other distinguished priests took the hinder part of the bed. Then I went forward, slowly as was to be expected, our progress being but gradual. For the people thronged round the bed and all were insatiable to see that holy sight, so that it was not easy for us to complete our journey. On either side we were flanked by a considerable number of [994C] deacons and servants, escorting the bier in order, all holding wax tapers.

The whole thing resembled a mystic procession, and from beginning to end the voices blended in singing psalms, that, for example, that comes in the Hymn of the Three Children.  

Seven or eight stades intervened between the Retreat and the abode of the Holy Martyrs, in which also the bodies of our parents were laid. With difficulty did we accomplish the journey in the best part of a day, for the crowds that came with us and those that were constantly joining us did not allow our progress to be what we wished.

Ὡς δὲ ἡμεῖς ἐν τούτοις ἦμεν καὶ αἱ ψαλμῳδίαι τῶν παρθένων τοῖς θρήνοις καταμιχθεῖσαι περιήχουν τὸν τόπον, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως ἐν κύκλῳ πανταχόθεν ἀθρόως τῆς φήμης διαχεθείσης πάντες οἱ περιοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τὸ πάθος συνέρρεον, ὡς μηκέτι τὸ προαύλιον ἱκανὸν εἶναι χωρεῖν τοὺς συντρέχοντας. Τῆς οὖν παννυχίδος περὶ αὐτὴν ἐν ὑμνῳδίαις καθάπερ ἐπὶ μαρτύρων πανηγύρεως τελεσθείσης, ἐπειδὴ ὄρθρος ἐγένετο, τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τῶν ἐκ πάσης τῆς περιοικίδος συρρυέντων ἀνδρῶν ἅμα καὶ γυναικῶν ἐπεθορύβει ταῖς οἰμωγαῖς τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν: ἐγὼ δὲ καίτοι γε κακῶς τὴν ψυχὴν ὑπὸ τῆς συμφορᾶς διακείμενος ὅμως ἐκ τῶν ἐνόντων ἐπενόουν, ὡς ἦν δυνατόν, μηδὲν τῶν ἐπὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ κηδείᾳ πρεπόντων παραλειφθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διαστήσας κατὰ γένος τὸν συρρυέντα λαὸν καὶ τὸ ἐν γυναιξὶ πλῆθος τῷ τῶν παρθένων συγκαταμίξας χορῷ, τὸν δὲ τῶν ἀνδρῶν δῆμον τῷ τῶν μοναζόντων τάγματι, μίαν ἐξ ἑκατέρων εὔρυθμόν τε καὶ ἐναρμόνιον καθάπερ ἐν χοροστασίᾳ τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν γίνεσθαι παρεσκεύασα διὰ τῆς κοινῆς πάντων συνῳδίας εὐκόσμως συγκεκραμένην. Ὡς δὲ προῄει κατ' ὀλίγον ἡ ἡμέρα καὶ ἐστενοχωρεῖτο πᾶς ὁ περὶ τὴν ἐσχατιὰν τόπος τῷ πλήθει τῶν συρρυέντων, παραστὰς ὁ τῶν τόπων ἐκείνων διὰ τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς προεστώς,
Ἀράξιος ὄνομα αὐτῷ (παρῆν γὰρ σὺν παντὶ τῷ τῆς ἱερωσύνης πληρώματι), προάγειν ἠρέμα παρεκάλει τὸ σκήνωμα ὡς πολλοῦ τε ὄντος τοῦ μεταξὺ διαστήματος καὶ τοῦ πλήθους πρὸς τὴν ὀξυτέραν κίνησιν ἐμποδὼν γενησομένου, καὶ ἅμα ταῦτα λέγων προσεκαλεῖτο πάντας τοὺς τῆς ἱερωσύνης αὐτῷ συμμετέχοντας, ὡς ἂν δι' ἐκείνων κομισθείη τὸ σκήνωμα.
Ἐπεὶ δὲ τοῦτο ἐδέδοκτο καὶ ἐν χερσὶν ἦν ἡ σπουδή, ὑποβὰς τὴν κλίνην ἐγὼ κἀκεῖνον ἐπὶ τὸ ἕτερον μέρος προσκαλεσάμενος, ἄλλων τε δύο τῶν ἐν τῷ κλήρῳ τετιμημένων τὸ ὀπίσθιον τῆς κλίνης μέρος ὑπολαβόντων, ᾔειν τοῦ πρόσω ἐχόμενος βάδην, ὡς εἰκός, καὶ κατ' ὀλίγον ἡμῖν γινομένης τῆς κινήσεως. Τοῦ γὰρ λαοῦ περὶ τὴν κλίνην πεπυκνωμένου καὶ πάντων ἀπλήστως ἐχόντων τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἐκείνου θεάματος οὐκ ἦν εὔπορον ἐν εὐκολίᾳ τὴν πορείαν ἡμῖν διανύεσθαι: προηγεῖτο δὲ καθ' ἑκάτερον μέρος διακόνων τε καὶ ὑπηρετῶν πλῆθος οὐκ ὀλίγον στοιχηδὸν τοῦ σκηνώματος προπομπεύοντες, ἐκ κηροῦ λαμπάδας διὰ χειρὸς ἔχοντες πάντες, καὶ ἦν τις μυστικὴ πομπὴ τὸ γινόμενον, ὁμοφώνως τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ἀπ' ἄκρων ἐπὶ ἐσχάτους καθάπερ ἐν τῇ τῶν τριῶν παίδων ὑμνῳδίᾳ μελῳδουμένης. Ἑπτὰ δὲ ὄντων ἢ ὀκτὼ τῶν διὰ μέσου σταδίων ἀπὸ τῆς ἐσχατιᾶς ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων οἶκον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ τῶν γονέων ἀπέκειτο σώματα, διὰ πάσης σχεδὸν τῆς ἡμέρας μόλις τὴν ὁδὸν διηνύσαμεν. Οὐ γὰρ εἴα τὸ πλῆθος τό τε συνερχόμενον καὶ τὸ ἀεὶ προσγινόμενον κατὰ γνώμην τὴν πρόοδον γίνεσθαι.