Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/329
Context
During an era of revolutionary religious practice and intense
theological debate, Palladius wrote one of the most influential works of Late Antiquity:
a collection of biographies of holy persons, his History for Lausus.
Palladius of Galatia entered the monastic life in the late 4th century, travelled to
Alexandria and Nitria (where he stayed for nine years among the Desert Fathers), and,
after a sojourn in Palestine, returned to Asia Minor in 400 C.E. as bishop of Bithynian
Helenopolis. He wrote his religious history for Lausus, chamberlain in the court of
Theodosius II (historia Lausiaca), later in his career, after a period of
controversy and further stays in Egypt and Palestine. This short passage is among his
vitae of holy women near the end of the collection. Palladius
describes finding an ancient book in which Origen wrote that he discovered it while
hiding with one Juliana of Caesarea, who claimed to have received it from the Ebionite
scholar Symmachus. McGuckin’s (2004) interpretation of the passage, contra Crouzel
(1989), that Juliana lived in Palestinian Caesarea and not Cappadocian Caesarea is most
likely correct, if one considers Eusebius’s mention of Juliana’s ownership of the book,
and Palladius confused the two Caesareas. If this interpretation is correct, then we
should conclude the following:1) Origen remained in Caesarea Maritima, just as did the
bishop Theoctistus, during the hard years of purges by Maximinus Thrax in ca. 235-238.
2) During the same period, Origen did not, as many have speculated, remove himself to
Cappadocia to stay with his former student Firmilian, bishop of Caesarea Mazaca, who
merely extended an invitation to him. 3) Origen collected the book during his
preparation of the Hexapla, and quite possibly used it in his
research.
Text
Ἰουλιανή τις πάλιν
παρθένος ἐν Καισαρείᾳ τῆς Καππαδοκίας λογιωτάτη ἐλέγετο καὶ πιστοτάτη· ἥτις Ὠριγένην τὸν
συγγραφέα φεύγοντα τὴν ἐπανάστασιν τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἐδέξατο ἐπὶ δύο ἔτη ἰδίοις ἀναλώμασι καὶ
ὑπηρεσίᾳ ἀναπαύσασα τὸν ἄνδρα. Εὗρον δὲ ταῦτα ἐγὼ γεγραμμένα ἐν παλαιοτάτῳ βιβλίῳ
στιχηρῷ, ἐν ᾧ ἐγέγραπτο χειρὶ Ὠριγένους· “Τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον εὗρον ἐγὼ παρὰ Ἰουλιανῇ τῇ
παρθένῳ ἐν Καισαρείᾳ, κρυπτόμενος παρ’ αὐτῇ· ἥτις ἔλεγε παρ’ αὐτοῦ Συμμάχου τοῦ ἑρμηνέως
τῶν Ἰουδαίων αὐτὸ εἰληφέναι.”Οὐ παρέργως δὲ τέθεικα καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς τούτων τῶν
γυναικῶν, ἵνα μάθωμεν ὅτι πολυτρόπως ἔνεστι κερδαίνειν ἐὰν ἐθέλωμεν.
1
Textual Note
Ed. Bartelink 1974Textual Note
Minor corr.Translation
Again there was a certain Juliana, a virgin of Caesarea in
Cappadocia, said to be very learned and most faithful. When Origen the writer fled from
the uprising of the pagans, she is the one who received him, and she sustained him for
two years at her own cost with supportive attendance. I found this written in a very old
book of verse, in which had been written by Origen’s hand: “I found this book at the
house of Juliana the virgin at Caesarea, when I was hidden by her. She used to say that
she had received it from Symmachus himself, the Jewish translator.”I have inserted
the virtuous acts of these women as part of my plan, that we may know that it is
possible to gain excellence in many ways, if we desire.
2
Translation Note
Rev. Clarke 1918Works Cited
- 1 Palladius of Galatia, Palladio. La storia Lausiaca, ed. G. J. M. Bartelink, 6th ed.: Mondadora, 2001, Vite dei santi; Scrittori greci e latini 2 (Verona: Fondazione Lorenzo Valla, 1974), ch: 64.
- 2 Palladius of Galatia, The Lausiac History of Palladius, trans. W. K. Lowther Clarke, Translations of Christian Literature: Greek Series (London and New York: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ; Macmillan Company, 1918), p: 171.
Additional Bibliography
- John Anthony McGuckin, The Life of Origen, in The Westminster Handbook to Origen, The Westminster Handbooks to Christian Theology (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 1–23, p: 19-20.
- Henri Crouzel, Origen, trans. A. S. Worrall (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1989), p: 16-17.
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/329.
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Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64.” 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/329.About this Entry
Entry Title: Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64
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, “Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History 64”
Additional Credit:
- TEI encoding by William L. Potter
- Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
- Testimonia identified by Joseph L. Rife