Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/208
Context
The hagiography of Melania the Younger gives one of the fullest and
most colorful accounts of personal religious fervor that survives from the ancient
world. Melania belonged to a senatorial family of profound wealth and deep ancestry at
Rome, with close connections to the highest levels of the Empire. At the beginning of
the 5th century she rejected the life of luxury and prestige to embrace poverty, promote
charity, and pursue asceticism, eventually settling in Palestine in 417 C.E. Melania’s
companion Gerontius wrote the Life in the years after her death (439),
when he had become a monastic leader in Jerusalem. Two distinct versions survive, one
Latin and one Greek, which most scholars agree derive from a now lost Greek original by
Gerontius, presumably not far removed in content or time (see Clark 1984 and Laurence
2002). In this passage from the Greek text, Melania greeted and hosted Eudocia during
her pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 438 C.E. At the end, the empress departed for
Constantinople from Caesarea.
Text
(58) … Ἤμελλεν δὲ γίνεσθαι ἡ κατάθεσις τῶν ἁγίων λειψάνων ἐν τῷ νεωστὶ
ὑπ’ αὐτῆς κτισθέντι μαρτυρίῳ, ὡς ἀνωτέρω εἰρήκαμεν. Καὶ παρακαλεῖ ἡ βασίλισσα, ἵνα
παρούσης αὐτῆς γένηται ἡ ἑορτή. (59) Ὁ δὲ μισόκαλος πάλιν φθονήσας τῇ τοσαύτῃ πνευματικῇ
ἀγάπῃ, παρεσκεύασεν ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ καταθέσει τῶν ἁγίων λειψάνων ὀκλάσαι τὸν πόδα τῆς
βασιλίδος καὶ γενέσθαι ἐκ τούτου θόρυβον οὐ τὸν τυχόντα. Ἴσως δὲ τοῦτο συνέβη εἰς
γυμνάσιον τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἁγίας· ἥτις κατ’ αὐτὴν τὴν ὥραν προπέμψασα αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ
Ἀναστάσει, παρακαθεσθεῖσα εἰς τὰ λείψανα τῶν ἁγίων μαρτύρων οὐ πρότερον ἀπέστη αὐτῶν
δεομένη ἐκτενῶς ἐν πολλῷ πένθει καὶ νηστείᾳ σὺν ταῖς παρθένοις, ἕως οὗ μετεστείλατο
αὐτὴν ἡ βασίλισσα παυσαμένης τῆς ἀλγηδόνος. Βελτιωθείσης δὲ αὐτῆς τοῦ πόνου, ἡ μακαρία
οὐκ ἐπαύετο μαχομένη πρὸς τὸν διάβολον τὸν βουληθέντα τοιοῦτον σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐταῖς
ποιῆσαι. Διατρίψασα δὲ σὺν αὐτῇ ἡμέρας ὀλίγας καὶ ὠφελήσασα αὐτὴν οὐ μετρίως, προέπεμψεν
αὐτὴν ἕως Καισαρείας· καὶ μόλις ἴσχυσαν ἀποσπασθῆναι ἀπ’ ἀλλήλων·
ἦσαν γὰρ τῇ πνευματικῇ ἀγάπῃ σφόδρα συγκεκολλημέναι. Ὑποστρέψασα δὲ ἡ ἁγία ἔδωκεν πάλιν
ἑαυτὴν εἰς ἄσκησιν, δεομένη ὅπως μέχρι τέλους ἀποκατασταθῇ ἡ εὐσεβὴς βασίλισσα ἐρρωμένη
τῷ ἑαυτῆς συζύγῳ· ὅπερ αὐτῇ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐχαρίσατο.1
Textual Note
Ed. Gorce 1962Translation
(58) … The deposition of the holy relics was about to happen in the
martyrium recently established by (Eudocia), as we said above. And the empress requested
that there be a festival in her presence. (59) And the Hater of Good, again envious of
such great spiritual love, arranged to twist the empress’ foot at the very deposition of
the holy relics. An extraordinary commotion arose from this incident. This probably
occurred as a contest over the faith of the holy woman. For at that very time, (Melania)
had escorted (Eudocia) to the Church of the Holy Resurrection. (Melania) sat next to the
relics of the holy martyrs, and, not leaving their side, she prayed intensely in much
sorrow and fasting along with the virgins until the pain had subsided and the empress
summoned her. When her pain had improved, the blessed woman did not stop fighting
against the Devil, who had wished to create such an obstacle between the women. After
she had spent a few days with the empress and had helped her immeasurably, Melania
escorted her as far as Caesarea. They were scarcely able to be
separated from one another, for they were strongly bonded together by spiritual love.
When she had returned (to Jerusalem), the holy woman (Melania) dedicated herself to
ascetic discipline, praying up to the end that the pious empress would be returned to
her husband in good health. And the God of all things granted her this.2
Translation Note
Revised from Clark 2021Works Cited
- 1 Gerontius, Vie de sainte Mélanie, ed. Denys Gorce, Sources chrétiennes 90 (Paris: Les Éditions du Cerf, 1962), ch: 58-59, p: 244-245.
- 2 Gerontius and Elizabeth A. Clark, Melania the Younger: From Rome to Jerusalem, Studies in Women and Religion (New York: Oxford University Press, 2021), p: 231.
Additional Bibliography
- Gerontius, The Life of Melania, the Younger: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, ed. Elizabeth A. Clark (New York: E. Mellen Press, 1984)
- [Gerontius], La Vie latine de Saint Mélanie: édition critique, ed. Patrick Laurence, Collectio minor (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum) (Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 2002)
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/208.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59.” In Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, edited by Joseph L. Rife., edited by Joseph L. Rife. Caesarea City and Port Exploration Project, 2023. Entry published June 30, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/208.About this Entry
Entry Title: Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59
Authorial and Editorial Responsibility:
- Joseph L. Rife, general editor, Vanderbilt University
- Joseph L. Rife, editor, Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia
- David A. Michelson, Daniel L. Schwartz, and William L. Potter, technical editor, “Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Gerontius, Life of Melania the Younger 58-59”
Additional Credit:
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium edited by Joseph L. Rife
- TEI record created by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium translated by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium transcribed by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonium identified by Joseph L. Rife
- Editorial review by Joseph L. Rife