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E01669: Gregory of Nyssa in his Life of *Makrina (ascetic S00899), written in Greek in the early 380s, reports that Makrina has the mystical name 'Thekla', after *Thekla of Seleucia (follower of the Apostle Paul, S00092), due to a dream vision experienced by her mother during her birth. Written in Cappadocia (central Asia Minor).
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posted on 2016-06-27, 00:00 authored by erizosGregory of Nyssa, Life of *Makrina (CPG 3166, BHG 1012)
For the context of this passage, see E01660
2.20-34
εὐθὺς ἐν ταῖς πρώταις ὠδῖσι ταύτης γίνεται μήτηρ· καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ὁ καιρός, καθ᾽ ὃν ἔδει λυθῆναι τὴν ὠδῖνα τῷ τόκῳ, εἰς ὕπνον τραπεῖσα φέρειν ἐδόκει διὰ χειρὸς τὸ ἔτι ὑπὸ τῶν σπλάγχνων περιεχόμενον καί τινα ἐν εἴδει καὶ σχήματι μεγαλοπρεπεστέρῳ ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐπιφανέντα προσειπεῖν τὴν βασταζομένην ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος Θέκλης· ἐκείνης τῆς Θέκλης, ἧς πολὺς ἐν ταῖς παρθένοις ὁ λόγος. ποιήσαντα δὲ τοῦτο καὶ μαρτυράμενον εἰς τρὶς μεταστῆναι τῶν ὄψεων καὶ δοῦναι τῇ ὠδῖνι τὴν εὐκολίαν, ὡς ὁμοῦ τε τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτὴν διαναστῆναι καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ὕπαρ ἰδεῖν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ὄνομα τὸ κεκρυμμένον ἐκεῖνο ἦν. δοκεῖ δέ μοι μὴ τοσοῦτον πρὸς τὴν ὀνοματικὴν κλῆσιν ὁδηγῶν τὴν γειναμένην ὁ ἐπιφανεὶς τοῦτο προσφθέγξασθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν βίον προειπεῖν τῆς νέας καὶ τὴν τῆς προαιρέσεως ὁμοιότητα διὰ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας αἰνίξασθαι.
‘Immediately, in her first pregnancy, she (Emmeleia) became her (Makrina’s) mother. When the due time came for her to be freed from her pangs in delivery, she fell into a sleep and saw that she was carrying in her arms the baby which was still contained by her womb; a man appeared, of a form and appearance grander than human, and addressed the girl she was carrying by the name of Thekla – that Thekla whose renown is great among the virgins. He did so and had her affirm three times, and vanished from her sight granting ease to her labour, so that she awoke from her sleep and saw in living what she had seen in her dream. That then was her secret name. But it seems to me that the apparition spoke that way not so much to guide the mother in the giving of a name, as to foretell the way of living of the girl and to indicate, by the sharing of the same name, the sharing of the same choice of life.’
Text: Maraval 1971
Translation: Silvas 2008
For the context of this passage, see E01660
2.20-34
εὐθὺς ἐν ταῖς πρώταις ὠδῖσι ταύτης γίνεται μήτηρ· καὶ ἐπειδὴ παρῆν ὁ καιρός, καθ᾽ ὃν ἔδει λυθῆναι τὴν ὠδῖνα τῷ τόκῳ, εἰς ὕπνον τραπεῖσα φέρειν ἐδόκει διὰ χειρὸς τὸ ἔτι ὑπὸ τῶν σπλάγχνων περιεχόμενον καί τινα ἐν εἴδει καὶ σχήματι μεγαλοπρεπεστέρῳ ἢ κατὰ ἄνθρωπον ἐπιφανέντα προσειπεῖν τὴν βασταζομένην ἐκ τοῦ ὀνόματος Θέκλης· ἐκείνης τῆς Θέκλης, ἧς πολὺς ἐν ταῖς παρθένοις ὁ λόγος. ποιήσαντα δὲ τοῦτο καὶ μαρτυράμενον εἰς τρὶς μεταστῆναι τῶν ὄψεων καὶ δοῦναι τῇ ὠδῖνι τὴν εὐκολίαν, ὡς ὁμοῦ τε τοῦ ὕπνου αὐτὴν διαναστῆναι καὶ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ὕπαρ ἰδεῖν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ὄνομα τὸ κεκρυμμένον ἐκεῖνο ἦν. δοκεῖ δέ μοι μὴ τοσοῦτον πρὸς τὴν ὀνοματικὴν κλῆσιν ὁδηγῶν τὴν γειναμένην ὁ ἐπιφανεὶς τοῦτο προσφθέγξασθαι, ἀλλὰ τὸν βίον προειπεῖν τῆς νέας καὶ τὴν τῆς προαιρέσεως ὁμοιότητα διὰ τῆς ὁμωνυμίας αἰνίξασθαι.
‘Immediately, in her first pregnancy, she (Emmeleia) became her (Makrina’s) mother. When the due time came for her to be freed from her pangs in delivery, she fell into a sleep and saw that she was carrying in her arms the baby which was still contained by her womb; a man appeared, of a form and appearance grander than human, and addressed the girl she was carrying by the name of Thekla – that Thekla whose renown is great among the virgins. He did so and had her affirm three times, and vanished from her sight granting ease to her labour, so that she awoke from her sleep and saw in living what she had seen in her dream. That then was her secret name. But it seems to me that the apparition spoke that way not so much to guide the mother in the giving of a name, as to foretell the way of living of the girl and to indicate, by the sharing of the same name, the sharing of the same choice of life.’
Text: Maraval 1971
Translation: Silvas 2008
History
Evidence ID
E01669Saint Name
Thekla, follower of Apostle Paul : S00092 Makrina the Younger, ascetic in Pontus, ob. 379 : S00899Saint Name in Source
Θέκλα ΜακρίναRelated Saint Records
Type of Evidence
Literary - Hagiographical - Lives of saint Literary - LettersLanguage
- Greek
