'Let us die that we may live': Greek homilies on Christian Martyrs from Asia Minor, Palestine and Syria c.350-c.450 AD

by Allen,Pauline

• ISBN13: 9780415240420
• ISBN10: 0415240425
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2003-08-04
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book presents fresh, lively translations of fourteen such homilies, the majority for the first time in English. The homilies were delivered in some of the main cities of the Greek East of the later Roman Empire, by well-known figures such as Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa and John Chrysostom, as well as the equally gifted preachers Asterius of Amasea and Hesychius of Jerusalem. Let us die that we may liveoffers an approachable, surprising, and not always reverent insight into the life of the Early Church. It reveals the full importance of the martyr homily in terms of style, treatment of its subject, and social and liturgical issues, in a way that will be useful across disciplines such as theology, classical studies and religion.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
Abbreviations	x
GENERAL INTRODUCTION (J. Leemans)
Introduction	3	(2)
Martyrium and Relics: the Centre of the Martyr Cult	5	(10)
The Yearly Panèguris	15	(7)
Martyr Homilies	22	(16)
Approaching the Homilies: Possibilities and Limits	38	(9)
Notes	47	(8)
TEXTS
I BASIL OF CAESAREA (P. Allen)	55	(23)
General Introduction	55	(1)
Texts	56	(20)
A homily on the Martyr Gordius	56	(11)
A homily on the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste	67	(9)
Notes	76	(2)
II GREGORY OF NYSSA (J. Leemans)	78	(33)
General Introduction	78	(4)
Texts	82	(25)
A homily on Theodore the Recruit	82	(9)
First homily on the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (Ia and Ib)	91	(16)
Notes	107	(4)
III JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (W. Mayer)	111	(51)
General Introduction	111	(4)
Texts	115	(42)
A homily on the Holy Martyrs	115	(11)
A homily on Julian the Martyr	126	(14)
A homily on the Martyr Babylas	140	(8)
A homily on Pelagic, Virgin and Martyr	148	(9)
Notes	157	(5)
IV ASTERIUS OF AMASEA (B. Dehandschutter)	162	(32)
General Introduction	162	(5)
Texts	167	(17)
A homily on Phocas	167	(6)
Ecphrasis on the Holy Martyr Euphemia	173	(3)
A homily on Stephen the First Martyr	176	(8)
Notes	184	(10)
V HESYCHIUS OF JERUSALEM (P. Allen)	194	(21)
General Introduction	194	(1)
Texts	195	(18)
A homily in praise of Stephen the First Martyr	195	(9)
A homily in praise of Saint Procopius	204	(9)
Notes	213	(2)
Bibliography	215	(13)
Scriptural Index	228	(5)
Thematic Index	233