Arethas Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Epigrams

Fragmenta in epistulam ad Romanos

ARETHAS THE DEACON

Although for me a swift fate extinguished the lamp of life, snatching away the light of our torch, yet the demon was sated with the rage of his evil to complete my entire grievous life; he made me a widow near the time my breast was swelling, nor did I look upon a beautiful child at play, a sweet delight for its parents in their arms; wherefore unbearable grief subdued me with the fierce torch of consumption; having reached twenty-three years, this tomb, a receiver of strangers, holds me of our family; where all my aged parents wove a lament, tearing their grey hair, and a chorus of noble, groaning brothers, lovingly remembering Anna of the splendid form.

15.33 OF THE SAME The venerable character, the philanthropic grace, the obedience of manner toward her parents—for reverence, present like a great teacher, guided her—the bright marks of her lineage and her loving devotion to her husband against nature, which unstably agitates by the force of widowhood, but which is overcome by the intertwining of better things, from which the bright garlands according to her worth, shining forth for her devotion to one husband, the tomb will not be able to obscure the confidence of Anna; for of all things her mouth would in no way be forgotten, as she brought a fine admonition to life; but if so, this inscription, placed beside the tomb itself, will speak more than all.

15.34 OF THE SAME Surely Febronia performed also among the spirits of men below tokens of her sympathy, if there is any need here of the rich for the poor; for not even there do the souls of the great-hearted entirely forget their own beneficence; but yet may the time of our life be sufficient to send her forth to the divine bridal chamber of Christ, whom she took as her venerable bridegroom of incorruptibility, making her lamp bright with the oil of love for the poor; of whom, know this to be the sign of her long sleep.

Fragmenta in epistulam ad Romanos

ΑΡΕΘΑ ∆ΙΑΚΟΝΟΥ

Εἰ καί μοι λύχνον αἰῶνος ταχὺς ἔσβεσεν οἶτος λαμπάδος ἡμετέρης φέγγος ἀμερσάμενος, ἀλλά γ' ἄρ' ἤρκεσε λύσσῃ ἑῆς κακότητος ὁ δαίμων πᾶσαν ἐμὴν τελέσαι στυγναλέην βιοτήν· θῆκέ με χήρην ἐγγὺς ἀειρομένου μοι μαζοῦ, οὐδ' ἐπὶ τέκνον ἴδον καλὸν ἀθυρόμενον, ἡδὺ τοκεῦσιν ἄγαλμα παραγκάς· τῷ γέ με πένθος ἄτλητον μαλερῷ τηκεδόνος δάμασε πυρσῷ· τρεῖς πρὸς ἐείκοσ' ἐποιχομένην ἐνιαυτοὺς ἔσχεν τύμβος ὅδε ξεινοδόκος γενέθλης ἡμετέρης· ἔνθ' ὕφηνον γενετῆρες ἅπασι γηραλέοι θρῆνον τιλλόμενοι πολιὴν καὶ χορὸς εὐγενέων στενάχοντες ἀδελφῶν Ἄννης μνώμενοι ἀσπασίως εἴδεος ἀγλαΐης.

15.33 ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ Τὸ σεμνὸν ἦθος, τὴν φιλάνθρωπον χάριν, τὸ πρὸς τεκόντας τοῦ τρόπου πειθήνιον αἰδὼς γὰρ ἦγεν ὡς διδάσκαλος μέγας παρών, τὰ λαμπρὰ τοῦ γένους γνωρίσματα καὶ τὰς φιλάνδρους ἐνστάσεις πρὸς τὴν φύσιν κλονοῦσαν ἀστήρικτα χηρείας βίᾳ, ἀντεμπλοκῇ δὲ κρειττόνων ἡττωμένην ἀφ' ὧν τὰ φαιδρὰ στέμματα πρὸς ἀξίαν μόνανδρον ἐκλάμποντα, τὴν παρρησίαν Ἄννης ἀμαυροῦν οὐ δυνήσεται τάφος· πάντων γὰρ αὐτῆς οὐδαμῶς λάθοι στόμα καλὸν φερούσης νουθέτημα τῷ βίῳ· εἰ δ' οὖν, λαλήσει καὶ γραφὴ πάντων πλέον αὕτη παρ' αὐτὸν τὸν τάφον τεθειμένη.

15.34 ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ ∆ρᾶσέ τί που καὶ νερτερίοις μετὰ πνεύμασιν ἀνδρῶν Φεβρωνία ἑῆς σύμβολα συμπαθίης, εἴ τις κἀνθάδε χρειὼ ἀφνειῶν ἦε πένησιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὐδ' αὐτοῦ τῆς σφετέρης ἐς ἅπαν ψυχαὶ λήθονται μεγαθύμων εὐεργείης· ἔμπα γε μὴν αἰὼν ἡμετέρου βιότου ἄρκιος εἴη θεῖον ἐπὶ προέμεν θάλαμόν μιν Χριστοῦ, τόν ῥα νυὸν σεμνὸν ἕλ' ἀφθορίης λαμπάδ' ἐλαίῳ φαιδρύνουσα φιλοπτωχείης· ἧς τόδε σῆμ' ὕπνου γνῶθι πολυχρονίου.