Gregory of Nazianzus, Testament

Testamentum

Of Saint Gregory the Theologian, a copy of the testament, transcribed from the original legal document, in which also the autograph signatures are preserved of himself and of the subscribing witnesses. In the consulship of Flavius Eucherius and Flavius Euagrius, the most illustrious, on the day before the

Calends of January. I, Gregory, bishop of the catholic church in the city of Constantinople, being alive and of sound mind, and with healthy understanding, and with vigorous reasoning, have made this my testament; which I order and wish to be valid and firm before every court and every authority. For I have already made my intention manifest, and have dedicated all my property to the catholic church at Nazianzus, for the service of the poor, who are under the aforesaid church. Therefore I also appointed three to be guardians of the poor, according to this my choice: Marcellus the deacon and monk, and Gregory the deacon, who was from my household, and Eustathius the monk, who was also himself from my household. And now, keeping the same conscience towards the holy church at Nazianzus, I hold to the same intention.

If, therefore, it should befall me to reach the end of my life, let my heir be the aforementioned Gregory the deacon and monk, who was from my household, whom I long ago set free, of my entire substance, both movable and immovable, existing for me everywhere; and let all others be disinherited by me. On this condition, however, that he restore all my substance, 156 both movable and immovable, to the holy catholic church in Nazianzus, taking out absolutely nothing, except what I might specifically leave to certain persons in this my testament, by way of legacy or trust; but that he, as I have said before, accurately preserve everything for the church, having the fear of God before his eyes, and knowing that for the service of the poor of the same church I have ordered all my substance to be conveyed, and for this purpose I have instituted him as heir, so that through him all things may be unfailingly preserved for the church. Therefore, the household slaves, whom I have set free, whether by my own choice, or by the commands of my most blessed parents, I wish all these to remain in freedom now also, and all their peculia to remain to them securely and unmolested. Furthermore, I wish my heir Gregory the deacon, together with Eustathius the monk, who were once from my household, to possess the estate in Arianzus which came down to us from the property of Reginus. And the pastures and the sheep, which I, being present, already ordered to be given to them, of which I also handed over to them the pasturage and the ownership, these I wish to remain to them unmolested by right of ownership. Moreover, especially Gregory the deacon and my heir, who has served me genuinely, I wish him to possess by his own right of ownership fifty gold pieces in number. To the most revered virgin Russiane, my kinswoman, I ordered a stated amount to be given each year so that she may live freely; which all I wish and command to be given to her each year without delay, according to the form which I prescribed.

But concerning her dwelling, at that time I arranged nothing, not knowing where it is more pleasing for her to live; but now I also wish this, that in whatever place she may choose

Testamentum

Τοῦ ἁγίου Γρηγορίου τοῦ Θεολόγου ἴσον τῆς διαθήκης, μεταγραφὲν ἐκ τοῦ ἀρχετύπου δικαιώματος, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἰδιόχειροι ὑπογραφαὶ σώζονται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ τῶν ὑπογραψάντων μαρτύρων. Ὑπατείᾳ Φλαβίου Εὐχερίου, καὶ Φλαβίου Εὐαγρίου, τῶν λαμπροτάτων, πρὸ μιᾶς

Καλανδῶν Ἰανουαρίων. Γρηγόριος ἐπίσκοπος τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κωνσταντίνου πόλει, ζῶν καὶ φρονῶν, καὶ ὑγιεῖ γνώσει, καὶ ἐῤῥωμένοις τοῖς λογισμοῖς, διεθέμην τὴν διαθήκην μου ταύτην· ἣν κε λεύω καὶ βούλομαι εἶναι κυρίαν καὶ βεβαίαν ἐπὶ παντὸς δικαστηρίου καὶ πάσης ἐξουσίας. Ἤδη μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ γνώμην κατέστησα φανερὰν, καὶ πᾶσάν μου τὴν οὐσίαν καθιέρωσα τῇ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ κατὰ Ναζιανζὸν, εἰς τὴν τῶν πτωχῶν διακονίαν, τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν προειρημένην ἐκκλησίαν. ∆ιόπερ καὶ τρεῖς προεστησάμην πτωχοτρόφους εἶναι, κατὰ ταύτην μου τὴν προαίρε σιν, Μάρκελλον τὸν διάκονον καὶ μονάζοντα, καὶ Γρηγόριον τὸν διάκονον, τὸν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μου γενόμενον, καὶ Εὐστάθιον τὸν μονάζοντα, τὸν καὶ αὐτὸν ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μου γενόμενον. Καὶ νῦν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν συνείδησιν τῇ ἁγίᾳ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ κατὰ Ναζιανζὸν φυλάττων, ἔχομαι τῆς αὐτῆς προαιρέσεως.

Ἐὰν οὖν συμβῇ με τέλει τοῦ βίου χρήσασθαι, ἔστω μου κληρονόμος ὁ προειρημένος Γρηγόριος ὁ διάκονος καὶ μονάζων, ὁ γενόμενος ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μου, ὃν πάλαι ἠλευθέρωσα, ἐξ ὁλοκλήρου πάσης μου τῆς οὐσίας, κινητῆς τε καὶ ἀκινήτου, τῆς πανταχοῦ μοι ὑπαρχούσης· οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ πάντες ἔστωσάν μου ἀποκληρονόμοι. Οὕτω μέν τοι, ὥστε αὐτὸν πᾶσάν μου τὴν οὐσίαν, 156 κινητήν τε καὶ ἀκίνητον, ἀποκαταστῆσαι τῇ ἁγίᾳ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τῇ ἐν Ναζιανζῷ, μηδὲν τὸ παράπαν ὑπεξελόμενον, πλὴν ὧν ἂν ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ διαθήκῃ μού τισιν ἰδικῶς καταλίπω, λεγάτου ἢ φιδεκομμίσσου χάριν· ἀλλὰ πάντα, ὡς προεῖπον, ἀκριβῶς ἀποσῶσαι τῇ ἐκκλησία, ἔχοντα τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ εἰδότα ὄτι εἰς διακονίαν τῶν πτωχῶν τῆς αὐτῆς ἐκκλησίας προσέταξα πᾶσάν μου τὴν οὐσίαν προσχωρῆσαι, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ αὐτὸν ἐνεστησάμην κληρονόμον, ὥστε δι' αὐτοῦ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πάντα ἀπαραλείπτως ἀποσωθῆναι. Τοὺς οὖν οἰκέτας, οὒς ἠλευθέρωσα, εἴτε ἐξ ἐμῆς προαιρέσεως, εἴτε ἐξ ἐντολῶν τῶν μακαριωτάτων γονέων μου, τούτους πάντας βούλομαι καὶ νῦν ἐπ' ἐλευθερίας μένειν, καὶ τὰ πεκούλια αὐτοῖς πάντα μένειν βεβαίως καὶ ἀνενόχλητα. Ἔτι βούλομαι κατασχεῖν τὸν κληρονόμον μου Γρηγόριον τὸν διάκονον, ἅμα τῷ μονάζοντι Εὐσταθίῳ, τοὺς γενομένους ἐκ τῆς οἰκίας μού ποτε, κτῆμα ἐν Ἀριανζοῖς τὸ ἐκ τῶν Ῥηγίνου κατελθὸν εἰς ἡμᾶς. Τὰ δὲ φορβάδια καὶ τὰ πρόβατα, ὅσα ἤδη αὐτοῖς παρὼν ἐκέλευσα δοθῆναι, ὧν καὶ τὴν νομὴν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν παρέδωκα, ταῦτα μένειν αὐτοῖς ἀνενόχλητα βούλομαι δεσποτείας δικαίῳ. Ἔτι δὲ ἐξαιρέτως Γρηγόριον τὸν διάκονον καὶ κληρονόμον μου, γνησίως ὑπηρετήσαντά μοι, βούλομαι κατασχεῖν ἰδίῳ δεσποτείας δικαίῳ χρυσίνους τὸν ἀριθμὸν πεντήκοντα. Τῇ αἰδεσιμωτάτῃ παρθένῳ Ῥουσσιανῇ, τῇ συγγεννίδι μου, ῥητὰ ἐκέλευσα καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος δίδοσθαι πρὸς τὸ ἐλευθερίως αὐτὴν διάγειν· ἅπερ βούλομαι καὶ κελεύω πάντα κατὰ τὸν τύπον, ὃν προσέταξα, ἀνυπερθέτως αὐτῇ δίδοσθαι καθ' ἔτος.

Περὶ δὲ οἰκήσεως αὐτῆς, τότε μὲν οὐδὲν διεταξάμην, μὴ εἰδὼς ποῦ μᾶλλον ἀρεστόν ἐστιν αὐτῇ διάγειν· νῦν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο βούλομαι, ὥστε, ἐν οἵῳ ἂν ἐπιλέξηται