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E00568: Two Greek epigrams by George Pisides in the shrine of the Blachernae at Constantinople, celebrating the miraculous raising of the 626 siege of Constantinople with the help of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033). Recorded in the 10th c. Greek Anthology.
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posted on 2015-05-27, 00:00 authored by pnowakowskiGreek Anthology, Book 1 (Christian Epigrams), 120-121
120.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ ΠΙΣΙΔΟΥ
ἐν Βλαχέρναις. ἴαμβοι
Εἰ φρικτὸν ἐν γῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητεῖς θρόνον,
ἰδὼν τὸν οἶκον θαύμασον τῆς Παρθένου·
ἡ γὰρ φέρουσα τὸν Θεὸν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις
φέρει τὸν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ τοῦ τόπου σέβας.
ἐνταῦθα τῆς γῆς οἱ κρατεῖν τεταγμένοι
τὰ σκῆπτρα πιστεύουσι τῆς νίκης ἔχειν·
ἐνταῦθα πολλὰς κοσμικὰς περιστάσεις
ὁ πατριάρχης ἀγρυπνῶν ἀνατρέπει.
οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ προσβαλόντες τῇ πόλει,
αὐτὴν στρατηγήσασαν ὡς εἶδον μόνην,
ἔκαμψαν εὐθὺς τοὺς ἀκαμπεῖς αὐχένας.
'George Pisides
In Blachernae; iambs
If you seek the dread throne of God on the earth, marvel as you look at the house of the Virgin; for she who carries God in her arms carries him to the majesty of this place. Here those appointed to rule the earth believe that their scepters are made victorious; here the vigilant patriarch averts many catastrophes in the world. The barbarians, attacking the city, on seeing her alone at the head of the army, at once bent their unbending necks.'
121.
ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ
εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν ναόν
Ἔδει γενέσθαι δευτέραν Θεοῦ πύλην
τῆς Παρθένου τὸν οἶκον, ὡς καὶ τὸν τόκον·
κιβωτὸς ὤφθη τῆς πρὶν ἐνθεεστέρα,
οὐ τὰς πλάκας φέρουσα τὰς θεογράφους,
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔνδον τὸν Θεὸν δεδεγμένη.
ἐνταῦθα κρουνοὶ σαρκικῶν καθαρσίων
καὶ ψυχικῶν λύτρωσις ἀγνοημάτων·
ὅσαι γάρ εἰσι τῶν παθῶν περιστάσεις,
βλύζει τοσαύτας δωρεὰς τῶν θαυμάτων.
ἐνταῦθα νικήσασα τοὺς ἐναντίους
ἀνεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ λόγχης εἷσ᾽ ὕδωρ·
τροπῆς γὰρ ἀλλοίωσιν οὐκ ἔχει μόνην,
Χριστὸν τεκοῦσα καὶ κλονοῦσα βαρβάρους.
'By the same author, on the same church
God needed to have a second gate, the house of the Virgin, as well as his birth from her. She appeared as an ark more filled with the divine than that of old, not bearing tablets inscribed by God, but holding God himself within it. Here are fountains of purification of the flesh; here is a redemption of errors of the spirit; there is no evil circumstance but from her gushes forth a miraculous gift to cure it. Here, when she overthrew the foe, she destroyed them with a cast of water rather than a spear. Not only once did she alter the course of history: she gave birth to Christ and put the barbarians to flight.'
Text and translation: Paton and Tueller 2014.
120.
ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΥ ΠΙΣΙΔΟΥ
ἐν Βλαχέρναις. ἴαμβοι
Εἰ φρικτὸν ἐν γῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ζητεῖς θρόνον,
ἰδὼν τὸν οἶκον θαύμασον τῆς Παρθένου·
ἡ γὰρ φέρουσα τὸν Θεὸν ταῖς ἀγκάλαις
φέρει τὸν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ τοῦ τόπου σέβας.
ἐνταῦθα τῆς γῆς οἱ κρατεῖν τεταγμένοι
τὰ σκῆπτρα πιστεύουσι τῆς νίκης ἔχειν·
ἐνταῦθα πολλὰς κοσμικὰς περιστάσεις
ὁ πατριάρχης ἀγρυπνῶν ἀνατρέπει.
οἱ βάρβαροι δὲ προσβαλόντες τῇ πόλει,
αὐτὴν στρατηγήσασαν ὡς εἶδον μόνην,
ἔκαμψαν εὐθὺς τοὺς ἀκαμπεῖς αὐχένας.
'George Pisides
In Blachernae; iambs
If you seek the dread throne of God on the earth, marvel as you look at the house of the Virgin; for she who carries God in her arms carries him to the majesty of this place. Here those appointed to rule the earth believe that their scepters are made victorious; here the vigilant patriarch averts many catastrophes in the world. The barbarians, attacking the city, on seeing her alone at the head of the army, at once bent their unbending necks.'
121.
ΤΟΥ ΑΥΤΟΥ
εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν ναόν
Ἔδει γενέσθαι δευτέραν Θεοῦ πύλην
τῆς Παρθένου τὸν οἶκον, ὡς καὶ τὸν τόκον·
κιβωτὸς ὤφθη τῆς πρὶν ἐνθεεστέρα,
οὐ τὰς πλάκας φέρουσα τὰς θεογράφους,
ἀλλ᾽ αὐτὸν ἔνδον τὸν Θεὸν δεδεγμένη.
ἐνταῦθα κρουνοὶ σαρκικῶν καθαρσίων
καὶ ψυχικῶν λύτρωσις ἀγνοημάτων·
ὅσαι γάρ εἰσι τῶν παθῶν περιστάσεις,
βλύζει τοσαύτας δωρεὰς τῶν θαυμάτων.
ἐνταῦθα νικήσασα τοὺς ἐναντίους
ἀνεῖλεν αὐτοὺς ἀντὶ λόγχης εἷσ᾽ ὕδωρ·
τροπῆς γὰρ ἀλλοίωσιν οὐκ ἔχει μόνην,
Χριστὸν τεκοῦσα καὶ κλονοῦσα βαρβάρους.
'By the same author, on the same church
God needed to have a second gate, the house of the Virgin, as well as his birth from her. She appeared as an ark more filled with the divine than that of old, not bearing tablets inscribed by God, but holding God himself within it. Here are fountains of purification of the flesh; here is a redemption of errors of the spirit; there is no evil circumstance but from her gushes forth a miraculous gift to cure it. Here, when she overthrew the foe, she destroyed them with a cast of water rather than a spear. Not only once did she alter the course of history: she gave birth to Christ and put the barbarians to flight.'
Text and translation: Paton and Tueller 2014.
History
Evidence ID
E00568Saint Name
Mary, Mother of Christ : S00033Related Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Poems InscriptionsLanguage
- Greek