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Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3

   https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/491

Context

Cyril from Scythopolis (ca. 525-559 C.E.) was a monk who wrote detailed hagiographies of seven roughly contemporary monks. His works are essential historical sources for Palestinian monasticism, theology, and political relationships during roughly the first half of the 6th century. He wrote one of his two major works about the Cappadocian Saint Sabas, at whose lavra he served from 555 C.E. until his death. In this important passage, Cyril recounts the mass gathering of monks in 516 C.E. at Jerusalem amid grave tension between the emperor Anastasius I and supporters of Alexandrian miaphysitism, including the newly installed Patriarch of Antioch, Severus, a Eutychian, and staunch defenders of Chalcedonian dyophysitism, including St. Sabas and, unexpectedly, the newly installed archbishop and patriarch of Jerusalem, John III. The Imperial officials in attendance at a mass gathering of holy men in support of Chalcedon in Jerusalem fled in fear, including the governor and the dux, who had come from Caesarea. The provincial capital and premier port is again depicted as a base of Imperial authority and thus implicated in the delicate negotiation between Church and State as regards policy and belief.

Text

ὁ οὖν ἀρχιεπίσκοπος ἀπολυθεὶς διὰ τῆς νυκτὸς ἅπαν τὸ μοναχικὸν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν μετεπέμψατο πόλιν, τοῦτο πάντοθεν ἐπισυνάξας· ὡς δὲ τινὲς ἀριθμήσαντες τὸ πλῆθος ἀπήγγειλαν, ὅτι εἶχεν τὸ ἄθροισμα δέκα χιλιάδας μοναχῶν. καὶ ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα ἐκκλησία τὸν τοσοῦτον οὐκ ἐχώρει λαόν, ἔδοξεν συνελθεῖν ἅπαντας εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἁγίου πρωτομάρτυρος Στεφάνου ἱκανὸν ὄντα εἰς ὑποδοχὴν πλήθους, ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑπαντῆσαι βουλόμενοι Ὑπατίωι τῶι ἀνεψιῶι τοῦ βασιλέως τότε ἐκ τῆς Βιταλιανοῦ ἀπολυθέντι αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα εὐχῆς ἕνεκεν ἐλθόντι. συνελθόντες οὖν ἅπαντες οἵ τε μοναχοὶ καὶ οἱ πολῖται ἐν τῷ μνημονευθέντι σεβασμίωι οἴκωι, συνῆλθεν ὅ τε Ἀναστάσιος ὁ δοὺξ καὶ Ζαχαρίας ὁ ὑπατικός· παραγενομένου δὲ τοῦ Ὑπατίου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ πλήθους εἰς τὸν τοῦ πρωτομάρτυρος Στεφάνου εἰσεληλυθότος οἶκον, προσδοκῶντος τοῦ δουκὸς τὸ θέλημα τοῦ βασιλέως γενέσθαι, ἀνέρχεται ἐπὶ ἄμβωνος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος ἔχων μεθ’ ἑαυτοῦ Θεοδόσιον καὶ Σάβαν τοὺς τῶν μοναχῶν κορυφαίους καὶ ἡγεμόνας καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐπὶ πολλὰς τὰς ὥρας ἔκραζεν λέγων· τοὺς αἱρετικοὺς ἀναθεμάτισον καὶ τὴν σύνοδον βεβαίωσον. ἀμελλητὶ οὖν οἱ τρεῖς ἐκ συμφώνου ἀναθεματίζουσιν Νεστόριον καὶ Εὐτυχέα καὶ Σευῆρον καὶ Σωτήριχον τὸν Καισαρείας Καππαδοκίας καὶ πάντα τὸν μὴ δεχόμενον τὴν σύνοδον Χαλκηδόνος. καὶ τῶν τριῶν ταῦτα κηρυξάντων καὶ κατελθόντων ὑποστρέψας ὁ ἀββᾶς Θεοδόσιος ἀφίησιν τοιαύτην φωνὴν τῶι λαῶι λέγων· εἴ τις οὐ δέχεται τὰς τέσσαρας συνόδους ὡς τὰ τέσσαρα εὐαγγέλια, ἔστω ἀνάθεμα. τούτων οὕτως γεγονότων ὁ μὲν δοὺξ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν μοναχῶν φοβηθεὶς ἔφυγεν εἰς Καισάρειαν· ὁ δὲ Ὑπάτιος ὅρκοις ἔπεισεν τοὺς πατέρας ὅτι ἦλθον ἐνταῦθα μὴ κοινωνήσας Σευήρῳ, ἀλλ’ ἔσπευσα τῆς ὑμῶν ἀξιωθῆναι κοινωνίας, καὶ προσφέρει ἀνὰ χρυσίου λίτρας ἑκατὸν τῇ τε ἁγίᾳ Ἀναστάσει καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Κρανίῳ καὶ τῷ τιμίῳ Σταύρῳ καὶ δίδωσιν Θεοδοσίῳ καὶ Σάβαι χρυσίου λίτρας ἑκατὸν πρὸς τὸ διανεῖμαι τοῖς κατὰ τὴν χώραν μοναχοῖς. ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς Ἀναστάσιος γνοὺς τὰ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις γεγονότα παρεσκευάζετο δυνάμει τόν τε ἀρχιεπίσκοπον Ἰωάννην καὶ Θεοδόσιον καὶ Σάβαν τοὺς τῷ ἀρχιεπισκόπῳ εἰς τὸν ἄμβωνα συναναβάντας ὑπερορίαις καταδικάσαι.1

Textual Note

Ed. Schwatrz 1939

Translation

The archbishop (of Jerusalem, John III), once he had been released, summoned all the monks to the Holy City over night, gathering them together from everywhere. Those who counted the multitude said that the total came to 10,000 monks. Since no church could hold so great a congregation, it was decided that all should assemble at the church of the holy protomartyr Stephen, which had enough space to receive the multitude. In addition, they wanted to meet the emperor’s nephew Hypatius, who had at that time been released from captivity by Vitalian and come to Jerusalem because of a vow. When all the monks and citizens had gathered together in the venerable church just mentioned, the dux Anastasius and the governor Zacharias joined them. When Hypatius arrived and went with the crowd into the church of the protomartyr Stephen, and the dux was expecting that the will of the emperor would be done, the archbishop ascended the pulpit, accompanied by Theodosius and Sabas, the chiefs and leaders of the monks, and the whole congregation shouted out many times, “Anathematize the heretics and confirm the Council!” Without delay the three with one voice anathematized Nestorius, Eutyches, Severus, Soteriochus of Caesarea in Cappadocia, and anyone who did not accept the Council of Chalcedon. When the three proclaimed this, they descended, but Abba Theodosius came back and spoke the following declaration to the congregation: “If anyone does not accept the four Councils like the four Gospels, let him be anathema!” After this outcome, the dux in fear of the multitude of monks fled to Caesarea. Hypatius assured the fathers with oaths, “I came here not in communion with Severus but out of desire for the honor of your communion.” And he made an offering of 100 pounds of gold coin to the Holy Resurrection, the Holy Calvary, and the Venerable Cross, and gave Sabas and Theodosius 100 pounds of gold coin to distribute to the monks of the region. When the emperor Anastasius learned what had happened at Jerusalem, he prepared by force to condem to exile both Archbishop John [III] and Theodosius and Sabas, who had ascended the pulpit with the archbishop.2

Translation Note

Revised from Price and Binns 1990

Works Cited

  • 1 Cyril of Scythopolis, Kyrillos von Skythopolis, ed. Eduard Schwartz, Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur, 49.2 (Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs, 1939), ch: 56, p: 151.7-152.15.Link to Zotero Bibliographic Record
  • 2 Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Our Father Saint Euthymius, in Cyril of Scythopolis: The Lives of the Monks of Palestine, trans. R. M. Price, Cistercian Studies 114 (Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1990), lii + 306 pp, p: 160-162.Link to Zotero Bibliographic RecordLink to Worldcat Bibliographic record
About This Text

 

How to Cite This Entry

Joseph L. Rife, “Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3,” in Caesarea Maritima: A Collection of Testimonia, entry published June 30, 2023, https://caesarea-maritima.org/testimonia/491.

Bibliography:

Joseph L. Rife, “Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3.” 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/491.

About this Entry

Entry Title: Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3

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, “Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3”
  • Joseph L. Rife, entry contributor, “Cyril of Scythopolis, Life of Sabas 56.149.27-56.151.3”

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
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