Evagrius Scholasticus, Church History 4.7c
created: This entry is taken from Church History 4.7c written by Evagrius Scholasticus in
edition published: 2023-06-30-05:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/231

τὴν Καίσαρος

,

τῆς Καίσαρος

, and

city of Caesar

are directly attested at Evagrius Scholasticus, Church History 4.7c. This passage was written ca. 593-598 CE possibly in Antioch on the Orontes. Evagrius Scholasticus came from a background of wealth and education in Syria and rose to prominence in the circles of power in the early Byzantine empire and church, as legal advisor of the Patriarchate of Antioch and honorary officeholder under Maurice and Tiberius II. His Church History covering the First Council of Ephesus to the middle reign of Maurice (431-593/4 C.E.) provides especially rich evidence for the history of Late Antique Syria. His famous portrait of Zosimas of Synda reveals the holy man’s close connection to Caesarea (4.7), in particular his association with the otherwise unknown grandee Arcesilaus, who became the venerable monk’s discussant and likely patron. In this passage, which adopts the form of a parable or folktale, retells Zosimas’ journey to Caesarea on a donkey and his supernatural exchange with a lion.

Τούτῳ τῷ Ζωσιμᾷ καί ποτε ἐπὶ τὴν Καίσαρος ἰόντι ὀνάριόν τε παρασυρομένῳ ἐν ᾧ τῶν τινά οἱ ἐπιτηδείων ἐπεβέβλητο, λέων ἔπεισι καὶ τὸν ὄνον ἁρπάσας ἀπῄει. Ὁ δὲ Ζωσιμᾶς ἀνὰ τὴν ὕλην εἵπετο μέχρις ὅτου διακορὴσὁ λέων ἐκ τῆς θοίνης τοῦ ζῴου γέγονε· πρὸς ὃν ἐπιγελάσας ὁ Ζωσιμᾶς φησιν· Ἀλλὰ γάρ, ὦ ἑταῖρε, τὰ τῆς πορείας ἐμοὶ διακέκοπται πάχητί τε ὄντι πόρρω τε τῆς ἡλικίας ἀφιγμένῳ, καὶ μὴ δυναμένῳ νωτοφορεῖν τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ ζῴου σεσαγμένα. Ἀχθοφορεῖν οὖν ἀνάγκη σεπαρὰ τὸν θεσμὸν τῆς φύσεως, εἴπερ ἐθέλεις τῶν ἐντεῦθεν τὸν Ζωσιμᾶν ἀπαλλάττεσθαι καὶ θηρίον αὖθις εἶναι. Ὁ δὲ τοῦ θυμοῦ καθάπαξ ἐπιλελησμένος ὑπέσαινε καὶ τῷ Ζωσιμᾷ προσέτρεχε πράως εὐθύς, καὶ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος ἐβόα τὸ πειθήνιον. Ὧι περιθεὶς ὁ Ζωσιμᾶς τοῦ ὄνου τὸ φορτίον μέχρι τῶν πυλῶν τῆς Καίσαρος ἤγαγε, δεικνὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν δύναμιν καὶ ὡς ἅπαντα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δοῦλά τε καὶ πειθήνια, ὅταν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν καὶ τὴν δεδομένην ἡμῖν χάριν οὐ παραχαράττομεν.

[Ed. Bidez and Parmentier 1898]

Once when this Zosimas was going to the city of Caesar and was leading along an ass on which he had loaded some of his necessities, a lion came up, seized the ass, and departed. Zosimas followed him into the wood until the lion became satiated from his feast on the animal. Zosimas smiled at it and said, “Look here, my friend, my journey has been interrupted. While I am stout, I have reached an advanced age, and am incapable of carrying on my back what was loaded onto the animal. Therefore it is necessary for you, contrary to the law of nature, to carry the burden, if indeed you wish Zosimas to leave these parts and you to become a wild animal again.” And the lion, forgetting its ferocity, fawned and at once ran gently up to Zosimas, and through its demeanor proclaimed obedience. Zosimas put on him the ass’s burden and led him as far as the gates of the city of Caesar, showing God’s power, and how all things are obedient slaves to men when we live for Him and do not debase the grace given to us.

[Rev. Whitby 2000]

Works Cited

[...] 4.7c 158-159
[...] 4.7c 207

[Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos 17.4]

[Zosimas of Synda, monk]

[Christianity

Natural Environment

Travel]