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Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49

   https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/435

Context

Following his teacher Procopius, Choricius was the leading figure of the rhetorical flowering at Late Antique Gaza. Although we know nothing of his career, his evident professional success, references within his writings, and his reputation for stylistic sophistication among Byzantine scholars all point to the status and influence of Choricius among classicizing intellectuals of the Near East during roughly the second quarter of the 6th century. He apparently had personal experience with Alexandria and Caesarea, but his teaching and lecturing was chiefly based in Gaza. Among his surviving works are declamations, laudatory and apologetic speeches, funeral oratory, and treatises. This passage comes from his encomium to Aratius, dux of Palaestina Prima, and Stephanus, ἄρχων, possibly delivered at Caesarea on the occasion of Stephanus’s accession to the proconsulship in 534/5 C.E. Choricius here recounts problems with the water supply to Caesarea and Stephanus's generous contribution to its maintenance.

Text

(44) Ἑτέραν τοίνυν εὐεργεσίαν τῆς εἰρημένης ἀντίρροπον ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ἥκω σοι πόλεως φέρων. Σταδίους, οἶμαι, πεντήκοντα πρὸς ἕω τῆς πόλεως ἐξιόντι πηγαὶ συναντῶσι διαφανῆ καὶ ἄλυπα νάματα ἔχουσαι. ἐντεῦθεν ὁδὸς μεμηχάνηται τὰ τῶν πηγῶν εἰσάγουσα δῶρα τῇ πόλει κρήναις πεποιημέναις εἰς ὑδάτων ὑποδοχήν. (45) φιλεῖ δὲ τὰ τοιαῦτα πυκνοτέρας τυγχάνειν ἐπιμελείας. ῥᾳθυμίας οὖν γενομένης οὐκέτι τοῖς ῥεύμασιν ὁ πόρος ὁμοίως ἀκώλυτος ἦν, ἀλλὰ πολλαχῇ τε προσέπταιεν ἡ τῶν ὑδάτων φορὰ καὶ σχολαιότερον τοῦ συνήθους ἐβάδιζεν, ὥστε τὰς κρήνας ἐντεῦθεν τὰς μὲν ἀπράκτους παριέναι συνέβαινεν ἐρήμους οὔσας ὑδάτων, παρὰ δὲ τῶν ἔλαττον τῆς χρείας ὑδρεύεσθαι καὶ τοῦτο τοὺς ἐν ἡλικίας ἀκμῇ μετὰ πλείστης ἅμα φιλονεικίας τῶν ἀρύεσθαι βουλομένων συνωθουμένων ἀλλήλοις. (46) γύναια γοῦν καὶ πρεσβύται καὶ παῖδες ἔνιοι μὲν σὺν κενοῖς ἐπανήρχοντο τοῖς ἀγγείοις, ἐνίοις δὲ μέγας ὑπῆρχεν ἀγὼν ἡμιπλήρη ταῦτα κομίζειν, πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν παίδων κατεαγότων αὐτοῖς τῶν σκευῶν ἀπῄεσαν ὀδυρόμενοι. (47) τῆς οὖν τῶν ὑδάτων ἐνδείας τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐξούσης, τῆς ἐπιθυμίας δὲ μείζω ποιούσης τὴν σπάνιν καὶ συναυξανομένων ἀμφοτέρων ἀλλήλαις πανταχόθεν ἀφόρητον ἦν τὸ κακόν. (48) καί τις τότε ποιητικὸς εἰκότως ἂν ἔφη τὴν Καίσαρος πολυδίψιον ἄστυ, μᾶλλον δέ, τὸ μὲν Ἄργος—οὕτω γὰρ ἐκεῖνο καλοῦσιν οἱ ποιηταί—τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἀμέμπτους ἐποίει τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν ἀπορίαν ἔμφυτον ἔχον· Καισαρεῦσι δὲ πρὸς ὄνειδος τῆς ῥᾳθυμίας ἔρρεον αἱ πηγαὶ καὶ πικροτέραν αὐτοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ἀθυμίαν εἰσῆγον. οὐ γὰρ οὕτω λυπεῖ τὰ τερπνὰ διεστηκότα τῆς θέας, ὅσον φαινόμενα τοὺς ἀπολαύειν οὐ δυναμένους. (49) τίς οὖν ὁ ταύτην λύσας τὴν συμφοράν; τίς ὁ τοῖς ῥεύμασιν ὁδὸν ἐλευθέραν ἀνοίξας καὶ τὰ πάλαι κωλύματα τεχνίταις ἀποτεμὼν τὰ τοιαῦτα δεινοῖς; τίς ὁ ταῖς κρήναις ἑτέρας ἔτι προσθείς, ὡς τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων ῥύμης νικώσης τῶν προτέρων τὸ πλῆθος; ἴσασιν οἱ πεπειραμένοι.1

Textual Note

Ed. Foerster and Richsteig 1929

Translation

(44) Also I will present to you another benefaction (of Stephanos) from the same city (sc. Caesarea), balancing the one already mentioned. Approximately fifty stades east of the city the flow of springs with transparent and clear waters meets. From this point the path (of the aqueduct) has been engineered to bring the springs’ gifts to the city, to fountains which have been made to receive the waters. (45) Such facilities require frequent maintenance. Thus, when there was negligence, the channel was no longer completely unobstructed for the flow, but in many places the supply of water faltered and moved much more slowly than usual. As a result, from then on, since the fountains that were out of service were unused, it was necessary to draw water from others giving less water than needed; and because of this, even the adults who came to fetch water desired strongly to win the prize and fell into shoving matches. (46) Of course, women and old men and some children came back with their jugs empty, and a great struggle left some of them with half-filled jugs, while many children left crying over their broken vessels. (47) So the shortage of water increased the desire for it, while the desire made the shortage greater, and, since both trends were increasing relative to each other, the bad situation became intolerable in every way. (48) At that time someone writing poetry would probably call the city of Caesarea a “very thirsty city”; but I would rather say that Argos—for so the poets call the city—made its citizens content because it had a natural shortage of water sources. For the inhabitants of Caesarea, however, the springs were flowing before the shamefulness of neglect, and hence introduced them to a more bitter despondency. For delightful things do not distress so much when they have been placed out of sight, as when, although they are visible, people are unable to enjoy them. (49) So, who is the one who ended this calamity? Who is the one who opened a free path for the flow, and cut out the old obstructions with technicians skilled in such work? Who is the one who has added still more fountains, because the rush of water exceeded the former volume? Those with experience (in this situation) know (who he is).2

Translation Note

Rev. Litsas 1980

Discussion Note

Choricius quotes “very thirsty city” (πολυδίψιον ἄστυ, 48) from Homer, Iliad 4.171. For his reference to the lack of natural water sources at Argos, see Xenophon, Education of Cyrus 4.5.52, 8.4.28.

Works Cited

  • 1 Choricius of Gaza, Choricii Gazaei opera, ed. Eberhard Richtsteig and Richard Foerster, Bibliotheca scriptorum graecorum et latinorum Teubneriana (Leipzig: B. G. Teubner, 1929), section: 3.44-3.49, p: 60.22-62.5.Link to Zotero Bibliographic RecordLink to HathiTrust Bibliographic record
  • 2 Choricius of Gaza and Fotios K. Litsas, Choricius of Gaza: An Approach to His Work. Introduction, Translation, Commentary (Ph.D., Chicago, University of Chicago, 1980), p: 166-167.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record

Additional Bibliography

  • Robert J. Penella, Introduction, in Rhetorical Exercises from Late Antiquity: A Translation of Choricius of Gaza’s Preliminary Talks and Declamations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Pres, 2009), xii + 323 ppLink to Zotero Bibliographic RecordLink to Worldcat Bibliographic record
  • Philip Mayerson, Choricius of Gaza on the Water Supply System of Caesarea, Israel Exploration Journal 36 (1986): 269–72Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
About This Text

 

How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published January 20, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/435.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49.” 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 January 20, 2023. https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/435.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49

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, “Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49”
  • Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.44-3.49”

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  • TEI encoding by Joseph L. Rife
  • URNs and other metadata added by Joseph L. Rife
  • Electronic text added by Joseph L. Rife
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