Database of Byzantine Book Epigrams

Poet

Theodore Prodromos (12th c.) - PBW: Theodoros/25001/

• Arius of Libya (250 - 336)
• Gregorios of Nazianzos < Cappadocia (329 - 25/01/390) - PBW: Gregorios/128/
• Holy Trinity
• Konstantinoupolis
• Makedonios I (4th c.) (archiepiskopos of Konstantinoupolis < Turkey)
• Rhetoric
• Sabellios (3rd c.)

• Address to the author
• Polemic
• Praise of the author

• I shall sing of the great strength of theology, the chaste minister
  Gregory, shepherd of the younger Rome,
  brave glory of oratory, force of Attic fire,
  breathing out the pride of the powerful epic poetry,
  going around the endless circle of our manifold wisdom,
  both new and old.
  A mighty hail to the beloved groom of the bride Virginity,
  who first mingles with the Trinity, then with the immaterial minds
  and thirdly with the purest of human souls,
  but rejoices most taking care of your bed.
  Hail, leader of the flock of Christians, supporter of the faith,
  loud Stentor of the almighty Trinity,
  destructive bane of the madness of vehement heretics,
  bane of Sabellius, bane of Macedonius,
  bane of the insane man who divided God, Arius,
  who divided the divinity, you cut him off with your orations.
  Hail, care of words, speaking image of wisdom,
  living statue of epic poetry and prose.
  Leaper, mourner, leader of all in every circumstance,
  you breathe the Trinity, you divulge the Trinity,
  you live for the Trinity, you die in the name of the Trinity,
  you are now sitting next to her [i.e. the Trinity] in the vault of heaven as a coadjutor.
  And, like a bee, you left so much sweet honey to us,
  your other orations, especially the “ἔμελλεν ἄρα.”

  Language

  English

  Source(s)

  R. Ricceri 2022, A Laudatory Epigram on Gregory of Nazianzos, in F. Spingou (ed.), The Visual Culture of Later Byzantium (vol. 2), Cambridge / New York, 1408-1415: 1411

• I shall praise the great force of theology, the chaste priest Gregory, shepherd of the younger Rome, glory of eloquence and potency of Attic fire, breathing boast of the stalwart epic poetry, [5] circling round in boundless circles of all kinds of our wisdom, [both] new and old. Hail great [and] beloved groom of the bride Chastity, who mingles together with the Trinity, the incorporeal intellects, and the untainted souls of men - third in order -. [10] [Chastity] rejoiced much in tending your couch! Hail foremost lot of the Christians, stay of the faith, vociferous Stentor of the omnipotent Holy Trinity, destructive bane to the madness of vehement heresies, curse of Sabellianism, blight to Macedonianism, [15] bane to Arius of cursed mind that severed God from God. He severed the godhead, [you] cut him off through your orations. Hail care of the orations, image of a wisdom that speaks, vivid image of epic poetry and prose writing, leaping, mourning, you are without exception the lord of all. [20] You breathe out the Trinity, you disclose the Trinity, you live for the Trinity, you lose your life for the Trinity, you are now its co-juror in the vault of heaven, while you, like a bee, bequeathed to us so much good honey, your other orations, and the ‘ἔμελλεν ἄρα’.

  Language

  English

  Source(s)

  N. Zagklas 2014, Theodore Prodromos: The Neglected Poems and Epigrams (Edition, Commentary and Translation), Vienna: 188

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