E00553: Greek epigram, inscribed in the church and recovered in part through excavation, commemorating the rebuilding of the church of *Polyeuktos (soldier and martyr of Melitene, S00325) in Constantinople, by Anicia Juliana, 500/527; the church had originally been built by the empress Aelia Eudocia (r. 421-460). The epigram records that Anicia Juliana also built several churches of martyrs in the provinces. Recorded in the 10th c. Greek Anthology.

Greek Anthology, Book 1 (Christian Epigrams), 10

Εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ ἁγίου μάρτυρος Πολυεύκτου

ταῦτα μὲν ἐν τῷ ναῷ ἔνδοθεν κύκλῳ περιγράφονται
Εὐδοκίη μὲν ἄνασσα, Θεὸν σπεύδουσα γεραίρειν,
πρώτη νηὸν ἔτευξε θεοφραδέος Πολυεύκτου·
ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τοῖον ἔτευξε καὶ οὐ τόσον· οὔ τινι φειδοῖ,
οὐ κτεάτων χατέουσα (τίνος βασίλεια χατίζει;)
ἀλλ᾽ ὡς θυμὸν ἔχουσα θεοπρόπον, ὅττι γενέθλην
καλλείψει δεδαυῖαν ἀμείνονα κόσμον ὀπάζειν.
ἔνθεν Ἰουλιανή, ζαθέων ἀμάρυγμα τοκήων,
τέτρατον ἐκ κείνων βασιλήϊον αἷμα λαχοῦσα,
ἐλπίδας οὐκ ἔψευσεν ἀριστώδινος ἀνάσσης,
ἀλλά μιν ἐκ βαιοῖο μέγαν καὶ τοῖον ἐγείρει,
κῦδος ἀεξήσασα πολυσκήπτρων γενετήρων·
πάντα γάρ ὅσσα τέλεσσεν ὑπέρτερα τεῦξε τοκήων,
ὀρθὴν πίστιν ἔχουσα φιλοχρίστοιο μενοινῆς.
τίς γὰρ Ἰουλιανὴν οὐκ ἔκλυεν, ὅττι καὶ αὐτοὺς
εὐκαμάτοις ἔργοισιν ἑοὺς φαίδρυνε τοκῆας,
εὐσεβίης ἀλέγουσα; μόνη δ᾽ ἱδρῶτι δικαίῳ
ἄξιον οἶκον ἔτευξεν ἀειζώῳ Πολυεύκτῳ.
καὶ γὰρ ἀεὶ δεδάηκεν ἀμεμφέα δῶρα κομίζειν
πᾶσιν ἀεθλητῆρσιν ἐπουρανίου βασιλῆος.
πᾶσα χθὼν βοάᾳ, πᾶσα πτόλις, ὅττι τοκῆας
φαιδροτέρους ποίησεν ἀρειοτέροισιν ἐπ᾽ ἔργοις.
ποῦ γὰρ Ἰουλιανὴν ἁγίοις οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδέσθαι
νηὸν ἀναστήσασαν ἀγακλέα; ποῦ σέο μούνης
εὐσεβέων οὐκ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν σημήϊα χειρῶν;
ποῖος δ᾽ ἔπλετο χῶρος, ὃς οὐ μάθε σεῖο μενοινὴν
εὐσεβίης πλήθουσαν; ὅλης χθονὸς ἐνναετῆρες
σοὺς καμάτους μέλπουσιν ἀειμνήστους γεγαῶτας.
ἔργα γὰρ εὐσεβίης οὐ κρύπτεται· οὐ γὰρ ἀέθλους
λήθη ἀποσβέννυσιν ἀριστοπόνων ἀρετάων.
ὅσσα δὲ σὴ παλάμη θεοπειθέα δώματα τεύχει
οὐδ᾽ αὐτὴ δεδάηκας· ἀμετρήτους γάρ, ὀΐω,
μούνη σὺ ξύμπασαν ἀνὰ χθόνα δείμαο νηούς,
οὐρανίου θεράποντας ἀεὶ τρομέουσα Θεοῖο.
ἴχνεσι δ᾽ εὐκαμάτοισιν ἐφεσπομένη γενετήρων
πᾶσιν, ἀεὶ ζώουσαν ἑὴν τεκτήνατο φύτλην,
εὐσεβίης ξύμπασαν ἀεὶ πατέουσα πορείην.
τοὔνεκά μιν θεράποντες ἐπουρανίου βασιλῆος,
ὅσσοις δῶρα δίδωσιν, ὅσοις δωμήσατο νηούς,
προφρονέως ἐρύεσθε σὺν υἱέϊ τοῖό τε κούραις·
μίμνοι δ᾽ ἄσπετον εὖχος ἀριστοπόνοιο γενέθλης,
εἰσόκεν ἠέλιος πυριλαμπέα δίφρον ἐλαύνει.


'On the church of St. Polyeuktos the Martyr.

These lines are written all around inside the church.
Empress Eudokia, in her zeal to honour God, first built a church of divinely inspired Polyeuktos. But she did not build it as great and beautiful as this; not from any economy or lack of possessions — what does a queen lack? — but because her prophetic heart told her that she would leave a progeny who would know better how to adorn it.
Thence Iuliana, the glory of her blessed parents, inheriting their royal blood in the fourth generation, did not cheat the hopes of that queen who gave birth to noble children, but raised this from a small church to its present size and beauty, increasing the glory of her many-sceptred ancestors. For all that she completed she made more excellent than her parents, keeping the true faith of a mind devoted to Christ.
Who has not heard of Iuliana, that in her care for piety she glorified even her parents by finely laboured works?
She alone by her righteous sweat built a worthy house for immortal Polyeuktos; for she too learned ever to bring blameless gifts to all the athletes of the heavenly king. Every country, every city, proclaims that she made her parents more glorious by better works. Where do we not see that Iuliana has raised marvellous churches for the saints? Where do we not see the signs of your pious hands—yours alone? What place has not learned that your mind is filled with piety? The inhabitants of the whole world sing your labours, which will be remembered forever.
For the works of piety are not hidden; oblivion does not quench the labours of industrious virtue. You yourself do not know how many buildings dedicated to God your hand has made. For you alone, I think, have built countless churches all over the world, ever revering the servants of God in heaven.
Following all the finely labouring footsteps of her ancestors, she has made her race immortal, ever treading the whole path of piety. Therefore, servants of the heavenly king, all to whom she gives gifts, all for whom she built churches, preserve her gladly, with her son and his daughters; and may the ineffable pride of an industrious progeny remain as long as the Sun drives his fiery chariot.'

Text and translation: Paton and Tueller 2014.