E00912: Gregory of Nazianzus, in his Oration 44, On the New Lord's Day, refers to the festival of the martyr *Mamas (S00436) held in Kaisareia/Caesarea of Cappadocia (central Asia Minor) on the first Sunday after Easter. Composed and delivered in Greek in Cappadocia, in 370s or early 380s.

Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 44, On the New Lord's Day (CPG 3010.44; BHG 1021)

12. Τί τἄλλα; Νῦν μάρτυρες αἰθριάζουσι, καὶ πομπεύουσι, καὶ λαμπροῖς τοῖς βήμασι συγκαλοῦσι λαὸν φιλόχριστον. καὶ τοὺς ἄθλους δημοσιεύουσι. Τούτων εἷς ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἐμὸς στεφανίτης (ἐμὸς γὰρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ παρ’ ἐμοὶ, πιπτέτω φθόνος, εἰδόσι λέγω), Μάμας ὁ περιβόητος, καὶ ποιμὴν, καὶ μάρτυς· ὁ πρότερον μὲν τὰς ἐλάφους ἀμέλγων κατεπειγομένας ἀλλήλων, ἵνα ξένῳ γάλακτι τραφῇ δίκαιος· νῦν δὲ ποιμαίνων λαὸν μητροπόλεως, καὶ τὸ ἔαρ ἐγκαινίζων σήμερον ταῖς πολλαῖς χιλιάσι τῶν πανταχόθεν ἐπειγομένων, διάφορόν τε ἀρετῆς κάλλεσι, καὶ ποιμέσιν ἄξιον, καὶ λόγοις ἐπινικίοις. Ἔτι δὲ συντομώτερον εἰπεῖν, νῦν ἔαρ κοσμικὸν, ἔαρ πνευματικὸν, ἔαρ ψυχαῖς, ἔαρ σώμασιν, ἔαρ ὁρώμενον, ἔαρ ἀόρατον· οὗ κἀκεῖθεν μεταλάβοιμεν ἐνταῦθα καλῶς ἀμειφθέντες, καὶ καινοὶ πρὸς τὸν καινὸν βίον παραπεμφθείημεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ, καὶ κράτος σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς δόξαν Θεοῦ Πατρός. Ἀμήν.

‘(……) 12. What else is there to say? Now the martyrs go outside and lead the procession, and, with their shrines splendid, they summon together Christ’s faithful people, and proclaim their victorious contests. One of them is also my own crowned champion (mine indeed, even though he does not dwell at my home; let grudging subside; those I am referring to know what I mean): the famous Mamas, both shepherd and martyr. Once he used to milk deer which jostled one another, in order to nourish the righteous man with unfamiliar milk. But now he tends the flock of a capital city, and today, with the many thousands thronging from all around, he inaugurates a springtime distinguished by the beauties of virtue, one worthy both of shepherds and victory orations. To put it more briefly, this is a Spring of the world, a Spring of the spirit, a Spring for the souls, a Spring for the bodies, a Spring visible, a Spring invisible. May we, who have been rewarded with the bounty of it in this life, also partake of it in the other as well, and be escorted new to the new life, in Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be all glory, honour, and power together with the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.'

Text: Migne, J.-P. (ed.), Patrologiae cursus completus: series graeca. 166 vols. Vol. 36 (Paris: Imprimerie Catholique, 1857-1866), col. 620-621.
Translation E. Rizos (using Vinson 2003, and Daley 2006).