Unknown, Latin Life of Melania the Younger 58-59
https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/472
Context
The hagiography of Melania the Younger furnishes 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 Latin 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) … Deinde vadit et in virorum monasterium, et ingressa audit
aedificari praedictum martyrium iubetque celerius opus consummari, et rogat sanctam ut,
dum ibidem esset, dedicatio celebraretur. Quod et factum est, annuente Domino. (59) Sed
bonorum invidus inimicus excitat tristitiam beatissimae. Dum enim post haec ingrederetur
in monasterium regina, lapsum fecit et pedis articulum vitiavit, a cuius dolore ipso die
taediare coepit. Ob quam rem non modice contristata haec beata una cum virginibus
ingreditur in Martyrium et pernoctans perseverat cum lacrimis in oratione, exigens a
Domino reginae sanitatem. Nec enim ante recessit de loco donec petitio praestaretur.
Confidenter enim petebat ab eo, quem semper suis obsequiis placatum habebat. Adest enim
continuo ancillae suae postulanti Dominus, et prius quam illa ab oratione surgeret,
reginae restituta est sanitas. Et recedenti omni dolore, incolumis reversa in sanctam
Anastasim, et in martyrium ubi dedicatio facta est ingressa Dominum adoravit, dicens:
Gratias tibi ago, Domine, quia non secundum meritum, sed secundum tuam benivolentiam et
sanctorum tuorum martyrum interventum et ancillae tuae Melaniae me visitare dignatus es.
Et cum melius habuisset regina, sancta Dei increpat diabolum dicens: O diabole, quo
usque non cessas contristare animam meam et varias temtationes inferre? Aderit enim mihi
Dominus et ipse tuas funditus destruet vires. Omnibus igitur rite peractis. Augusta
opportuno tempore Constantinopolim redit. Deducit etian eam haec beatissima usque ad
Caesaream, et cum valedicens regredetur regina, prae desiderio
eius lacrimas fudit. Erat enim ingens et individua eius caritas inserta in pectore eius.
Et cum post paucos dies audisset eam incolumen pervenisse, gratias agit Domino, quia
multa per eam Dominus bona opera demonstraverat.1
Textual Note
Ed. Rampolla 1905 and Laurence 2002Translation
(58) … Then (the empress Eudocia) went into the monastery of men,
and after entering she dared to construct the aforementioned Martyrium and ordered the
work to be finished quickly. And she asked the holy woman (Melania) to celebrate the
dedication while she was there. And that was done with the Lord’s assent. (59) But the
hateful enemy of the Good stirred up sadness for the most blessed woman (Melania). For
after this, when the empress had entered the monastery, she slipped and injured her
ankle, and on that very day she began to delay her (journey) because of the pain. Not
moderately saddened over this, the blessed woman together with the virgins entered the
Martyrium and endured through the whole night with tears in prayer, requesting from the
Lord the empress’ health. For she did not leave the place until her petition had been
granted. For she was making a request of him whom she always considered pleased by her
requests. For the Lord was always there for his servant when she made requests, and,
before she had gotten up from prayer, the empress’ health had been restored. As all pain
was receding, she returned healthy to the Holy Resurrection, and, after entering the
Martyrium where the dedication was made, she venerated the Lord, saying: “I thank you,
Lord, because you deigned to visit me, not according to my deserving it, but according
to your good will and to the intervention of your holy martyrs and your servant
Melania.” And when the empress was feeling better, the holy woman of God cried out to
the Devil, saying, “O Devil, how long will you not cease from saddening my spirit and
imposing various temptations? May the Lord be here for me and may he destroy your powers
from the ground up.” Therefore all things were carried out devotedly. At the appropriate
time the empress returned to Constantinople. This most blessed woman escorted her to
Caesarea, and when the queen said farewell and departed, out
of desire she poured out her tears, for great and undivided was the caring for (the
empress) embedded in (Melania’s) heart. And when after a few days (Melania) heard that
(Eudocia) had arrived safely, she thanked God, because God had displayed many good works
through her.2
Translation Note
Trans. J. L. RifeWorks Cited
- 1 Gerontius, Santa Melania giuniore, senatrice romana: Documenti contemporanei e note, ed. Mariano Rampolla del Tindaro (Rome: Tipografia vaticana, 1905), lxxix + 306 pages, ch: 58-59, p: 33-34.
- 2 [Gerontius], La Vie latine de Saint Mélanie: édition critique, ed. Patrick Laurence, Collectio minor (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum) (Jerusalem: Franciscan Printing Press, 2002), ch: 58-59.
Additional Bibliography
- Gerontius, The Life of Melania, the Younger: Introduction, Translation, and Commentary, ed. Elizabeth A. Clark (New York: E. Mellen Press, 1984)
How to Cite This Entry
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Latin Life of Melania the Younger 58-59,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/472.
Show full citation information...
Bibliography:
Joseph L. Rife, “Unknown, Latin 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/472.About this Entry
Entry Title: Unknown, Latin 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, “Unknown, Latin Life of Melania the Younger 58-59”
- Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Unknown, Latin 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