Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.61-3.65
created: This entry is taken from Speeches 3.61-3.65 written by Choricius of Gaza in 534-
edition published: 2023-01-20-06:00
language: grc; grc
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https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/436

ἡ Καίσαρος

, and

Caesarea

are directly attested at Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 3.61-3.65. This passage was written ca. 534-535 CE possibly in Caesarea. 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 how Stephanus and dignitaries from Caesarea attended the public festival in celebration of the founding of the Church of St. Stephan at Gaza.

(61) περὶ οὗ τί ἂν μακρολογοίην εὐρυχωρίαν ἢ κάλλος ἢ πλακῶν ἀγλαΐαν ἢ γραφικὴν ποικιλίαν ἢ ὡς ἐν καλῷ τοῦ ἄστεος ἵδρυται ἢ ὅτι τοῖς γείσοις ἐπὶ μέγα χωρήσας τοὺς δεῦρο πορευομένους ψυχαγωγεῖ πόρρωθεν ἐμφαίνων τὴν πόλιν. τί ἂν ταῦτα μηκύνοιμι λέγων οὐχ ὡς ἅπαντα πρώην εἰπών, ἡνίκα τὸν ἱερέα σκοπὸν ἔστησά μου τοῖς λόγοις; (62) ἀλλὰ τῇ γλώττῃ μετρήσας τὴν εὐφημίαν ἐκεῖνο δ’ οὖν εἰς μέσον ἄγειν ἐθέλω. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶχέ σοι πέρας τὸ τέμενος, ἑορτὴν ἀξίαν τῶν ἔργων ἐποίεις, εἰς δὲ τὴν πανήγυριν ταύτην πάντας τοὺς ἐν τέλει συνήγαγες πολίτας τε ἅμα καὶ ἀστυγείτονας καὶ οἷς ἡ Καίσαρος ἐναβρύνεται. (63) ἑστιῶν δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ φιλοτησίας προπίνων καλὴν ἐνεδείξω πρὸς ἅπαντας δεξιότητα μὴ ζηλώσας ἐκεῖνον τὸν κατηφῆ καὶ σύννουν Ἐπαμεινώνδαν. λέγεται γὰρ Θηβαίων ἀγόντων πάνδημον ἑορτὴν καὶ διημερευόντων οἷον εἰκὸς ἐν εὐωχίαις καὶ κώμοις ἐρομένου τινός τί δὴ μόνος οὐ μετέχει τῆς ἡδονῆς καὶ τί ποτε εἴη πεφροντικώς, ἀποκρίνασθαι, ὅτι τῶν κοινῶν ἐπιμελοῖτο πραγμάτων. οὗτος ὁ λόγος ἀγνοοῦντα τὸν Θηβαῖον ἐλέγχει τὴν πρὸς τὸ Ἱππονίκου μειράκιον συμβουλήν, ὡς ἀπειρόκαλον παρὰ τὰ γελοῖα σπουδάζειν. (64) οὐ μὴν τὸ σκυθρωπὸν Ἐπαμεινώνδου φυγὼν τὴν ἀνελεύθερον Ἀλεξάνδρου τρυφὴν ἐμιμήσω, ὃς ἐν πότῳ τινὶ τὴν λύραν ἀναλαβὼν συνῇδε τοῖς κρούσμασιν, ὥστε καὶ ἀπέσκωψεν εἰς αὐτὸν ὁ πατήρ, εἰ μὴ καταδύοιτο κιθαρίζων. (65) σὺ δὲ τοῦ μὲν τὴν ἄκαιρον σεμνότητα καταγνούς, τοῦ δὲ τὸ περιττῶς ἁβροδίαιτον ἀστειοσύνην τινὰ σεμνότητι συνεκέρασας ἀμφότερα τῷ καιρῷ συμβαίνοντα πράττων τοῦ μὲν ὁσίου τῆς ἑορτῆς τὸ σεμνὸν βουλομένου, τοῦ δὲ λαμπροῦ καὶ φαιδρόν τι προσαπαιτοῦντος.

[Ed. Foerster and Richsteig 1929]

(61) Regarding (the Church of St. Stephan at Gaza), why should I speak at length about its spaciousness or its beauty or the splendor of its pavement or the variety of its paintings or the fact that it is located in the best part of the city, or the fact that it extends to a considerable length with its cornice and attracts travelers to it, making the city visible from afar? Why should I talk at length about these things? Have I perhaps not described them all before, when the priest (sc. Marcian the bishop) was the subject of my oration? (62) Measuring, however, the praise with the oration I want to bring to the audience’s attention to the following: When the church was finished, you organized a celebration worthy of the work, and in this festival you brought together all civic officials as well as the citizens and neighbors and those who are the pride of Caesarea. (63) Offering to them hospitality and making a toast for friendship, you displayed to all a charming courtesy and did not imitate the downcast and gloomy Epameinondas. For it is said that when the Thebans held a popular festival and spent the day, according to the custom, in good cheer and festivities, and someone asked why he alone did not participate in the pleasure and what was on his mind, he answered that he was concerned about public affairs. This remark proves that the Theban (Epameinondas) was ignorant of the advice given to the son of Hipponicus, that it is graceless to be serious in the face of foolishness. (64) Although you avoided the sullenness of Epameinondas, you did not imitate the servile wantonness of Alexander, who, seizing the lyre in some carousal, sang along with the music so that even his father jeered at him unless he put down the lyre-playing. (65) And you, considering the inopportune piety of the former as well as the exceeding luxuriousness of the latter, intermingled a certain gracefulness with piety, since both corresponded with the occasion. You did this since on the one hand the sacred character of the feast required piety, while its splendor demanded something joyous.

[Rev. Litsas 1980][^1]

[^1: For Choricius’s discussion of Epameinondas of Thebes (63), see also Plutarch, Pelopidas 3.3, Sayings of Kings and Emperors: Epaminondas 6.192E, and To the Uneducated Ruler 781E. For his discussion of Alexander (64), see Pericles 1.]

Works Cited

[...] 3.61-3.65 64.11-65.18
[...] 170-171

Additional Bibliography

[...]

[Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 1

Choricius of Gaza, Speeches 2]

[Gaza

Thebes (Boeotia)]

[Epameinondas

St. Stephan

Stephanos]

[Entertainment

Art and Architecture

Byzantine History

Christianity

Culture and Society

Urban Topograpjy]