E01043: Gregory of Nazianzus in his Oration 15, On the *Maccabees (pre-Christian Jewish martyrs of Antioch, S00303), delivered during their festival in 379/381, stresses that they deserve equal veneration to Christian martyrs, and recounts their story according to the biblical narrative. Written in Greek in Constantinople.

Gregory of Nazianzus, Oration 15, On the Maccabees (CPG 3010.15, BHG 1007)

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΙΕʹ.
Εἰς τοὺς Μακκαβαίους.

Oration 15, On the Maccabees

Αʹ. Τί δὲ οἱ Μακκαβαῖοι; τούτων γὰρ ἡ παροῦσα πανήγυρις, οὐ παρὰ πολλοῖς μὲν τιμωμένων, ὅτι μὴ μετὰ Χριστὸν ἡ ἄθλησις· πᾶσι δὲ τιμᾶσθαι ἀξίων, ὅτι περὶ τῶν πατρίων ἡ καρτερία· καὶ οἱ πρὸ τῶν Χριστοῦ παθῶν μαρτυρήσαντες, τί ποτε δράσειν ἔμελλον μετὰ Χριστὸν διωκόμενοι, καὶ τὸν ἐκείνου ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν μιμούμενοι θάνατον; Οἱ γὰρ χωρὶς ὑποδείγματος τοιούτου, τοσοῦτοι τὴν ἀρετὴν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ὤφθησαν γενναιότεροι, μετὰ τοῦ ὑποδείγματος
κινδυνεύοντες; Καὶ ἅμα μυστικός τις καὶ ἀπόῤῥητος οὗτος ὁ λόγος, καὶ σφόδρα πιθανὸς ἐμοὶ γοῦν καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς φιλοθέοις· μηδένα τῶν πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας τελειωθέντων, δίχα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως τούτου τυχεῖν. Ὁ γὰρ Λόγος ἐπαῤῥησιάσθη μὲν ὕστερον καιροῖς ἰδίοις, ἐγνωρίσθη δὲ καὶ πρότερον τοῖς καθαροῖς τὴν διάνοιαν. ὡς ἐκ πολλῶν δῆλον τῶν πρὸ ἐκείνου τετιμημένων.

Βʹ. Οὔκουν, ὅτι πρὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ, τοιοῦτοι περιοπτέοι· ἀλλ’ ὅτι κατὰ τὸν σταυρὸν, ἐπαινετέοι, καὶ τῆς ἐκ τῶν λόγων τιμῆς ἄξιοι· οὐχ ἵνα προσθήκην ἢ δόξαν λάβοιεν· (τίνα γὰρ ὧν ἡ πρᾶξις ἔχει τὸ ἔνδοξον;) ἀλλ’ ἵνα δοξασθῶσιν οἱ εὐφημοῦντες, καὶ ζηλώσωσι τὴν ἀρετὴν οἱ ἀκούοντες, ὥσπερ κέντρῳ τῇ μνήμῃ πρὸς τὰ ἴσα διανιστάμενοι. Οὗτοι τίνες μὲν ὄντες, καὶ ὅθεν, καὶ ἐξ οἵας ὁρμώμενοι τὸ ἀπαρχῆς ἀγωγῆς καὶ παιδεύσεως, εἰς τοσοῦτον ἀρετῆς τε καὶ δόξης προεληλύθασιν, ὥστε καὶ ταῖς ἐτησίοις ταύταις τιμᾶσθαι πομπαῖς τε καὶ πανηγύρεσι, καὶ μείζονα τῶν ὁρωμένων τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν δόξαν ἐναποκεῖσθαι ταῖς ἁπάντων ψυχαῖς, ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν βίβλος δηλώσει τοῖς φιλομαθέσι καὶ φιλοπόνοις, ἡ
περὶ τοῦ αὐτοκράτορα εἶναι τῶν παθῶν τὸν λογισμὸν φιλοσοφοῦσα, καὶ κύριον τῆς ἐπ’ ἄμφω ῥοπῆς, ἀρε-
τήν τέ φημι καὶ κακίαν. Ἄλλοις τε γὰρ οὐκ ὀλίγοις ἐχρήσατο μαρτυρίοις, καὶ δὴ καὶ τοῖς τούτων ἀθλήμασιν· ἐμοὶ δὲ τοσοῦτον εἰπεῖν ἐξαρκέσει.

‘But why the Maccabees? This festival is indeed theirs, even though they are not honoured by many, because their martyrdom was not after Christ. Yet they deserve to be honoured by everyone, because they suffered for the sake of their ancestral traditions. For what else would they have done, those who suffered martyrdom before Christ’s passion, if they had been persecuted after the time of Christ, and had been able to emulate his death on our behalf? Indeed, these men displayed valour of this magnitude without the benefit of such a model: how then could they not have gained in heroic stature, had they undertaken their trial with the example before them? This is a somewhat mystic and arcane thing to say, but at the same time very persuasive, at least for me and for all those who love God: none of those consummated before the coming of Christ attained their end without faith in Christ. For the Logos was later openly proclaimed in His own era, but He was made known even before to the pure of mind, as is evident from the large number of persons who obtained honour before His day.

2. Such figures, then, are not to be overlooked because they lived before the time of the cross, but should rather be acclaimed for having lived in accordance with the cross, and are entitled to the honour that words bestow, not that they may acquire some additional repute or glory (for what could ever be added to men of inherently glorious conduct?), but that those who sing their praises may be glorified, and that the audience may be inspired to emulate their valour, being directed to their imitation by memory, as if by a goad. Who were these people, and from where? And what kind of culture and education did they have, so as to rise to such a peak of valour and renown that they are honoured annually by these festal processions and festivals, and that even greater honour for them is treasured in everyone’s heart than these visible expressions indicate? These things will be revealed to the studious and diligent by the book about them, which advances the theory that reason is the absolute master of emotions and has the power to incline us in both directions, virtue or vice. The book employs several other examples, in addition to the struggles of these men, but, for me, it will suffice to say what follows.’

(3-4) The author presents the heroes of the story, namely the elderly priest Eleazar, who is praised as the first pre-Christian martyr, and the seven youths with their mother, praised for their heroic steadfastness. (5-6). Especially admirable is the brave reply of the children to king Antiochus, by which they refuse to abandon their ancestral traditions and to betray God and the Mosaic Law, and declare their willingness to die. (7-8) They follow their fate with an enthusiasm which astonishes everyone. Their mother follows their martyrdom, cheering and encouraging them. (9-10) Once they have died, she rejoices for the triumph of her children, and rushes willingly into the fire, in order to die as a martyr herself. (11-12) The story of the Maccabees must be held in the same esteem as that of Daniel and the three Hebrew Youths, and of all the Christian martyrs. It provides models for priests, mothers and children, who should imitate the heroes of the story.

Text: Migne, J.-P. (ed.), Patrologiae cursus completus: series graeca. 166 vols. Vol. 35 (Paris: Imprimerie Catholique, 1857), 911-934
Translation : E. Rizos (using Vinson 2003)