E01985: The emperor Julian in his Misopogon, of 361/362, refers to the removal of the relics of *Babylas (martyr of Antioch, S00061) at Daphne, and mentions that Christians prayed at the tombs of martyrs to get rid of the emperor; he also mentions the destruction of Christian shrines by pagans in Emesa. Written in Greek at Antioch (Syria).

Julian the Apostate (Flavius Claudius Iulianus Augustus), Misopogon, 10. 10-19; 28. 17-23; 33.

10.10-19 (…) Ἀφεὶς δὲ τὴν σκηνὴν καὶ τοὺς μίμους καὶ τοὺς ὀρχηστὰς ἀπολώλεκας ἡμῶν τὴν πόλιν, ὥστε οὐθὲν ἡμῖν ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχει παρὰ σοῦ πλὴν τῆς βαρύτητος, ἧς ἀνεχόμενοι μῆνα ἕβδομον τουτονί, τὸ μὲν εὔχεσθαι πάντως ἀπαλλαγῆναι τοῦ τοσούτου κακοῦ τοῖς περὶ τοὺς τάφους καλινδουμένοις γραϊδίοις ξυνεχωρήσαμεν, ἡμεῖς δὲ αὐτὸ διὰ τῆς ἡμῶν αὐτῶν εὐτραπελίας ἐξειργασάμεθα, βάλλοντές σε τοῖς σκώμμασιν ὥσπερ τοξεύμασι. Σὺ δέ, ὦ γενναῖε, πῶς ἀνέξῃ τὰ Περσῶν βέλη, τὰ ἡμέτερα τρέσας σκώμματα;»

‘(The people of Antioch addressing Julian) "[……] And, ignoring the stage and mimes and dancers, you have ruined our city, so that we get no good out of you except gloom. Having put up with this situation for seven months now, we have left it to the old crones who grovel among the tombs to pray that we may be entirely rid of so great a curse. As for ourselves, we have devised this solution by our own jolly spirit, shooting you with our satires like arrows. But how will you, brave sir, face the darts of Persians, when you take flight at our ridicule?"


28. 17-23 (……) Χριστὸν δὲ ἀγαπῶντες ἔχετε πολιοῦχον ἀντὶ τοῦ Διὸς καὶ τοῦ Δαφναίου καὶ τῆς Καλλιόπης, ἣ τὸ σόφισμα ὑμῶν ἀπεγύμνωσεν. Ἐμισηνοὶ Χριστὸν ἐπόθουν οἱ πῦρ ἐμβαλόντες τοῖς τάφοις τῶν Γαλιλαίων; ἐλύπησα δὲ ἐγὼ τίνας Ἐμισηνῶν πώποτε; ὑμῶν μέντοι πολλοὺς καὶ ὀλίγου δέω φάναι πάντας, τὴν βουλήν, τοὺς εὐπόρους, τὸν δῆμον. (……)

‘(Julian addressing the Antiochenes) [……] But, you say, you love Christ and have him as the patron of your city rather than Zeus and the god of Daphne, and Calliope who has revealed your ploy. Did the citizens of Emesa desire Christ, when they set fire to the tombs of the Galilaeans? Have I ever displeased any of the people of Emesa? Of you, however, I certainly have annoyed many, I should almost say all: the council, the wealthy, and the people! [……]’


33. Καὶ ὑμῖν γε αὐτὸ οἱ πολιοῦχοι τῆσδε τῆς πόλεως θεοὶ διπλοῦν δοῖεν, ὅτι πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ τὰς ἀστυγείτονας ἐσυκοφαντήσατε πόλεις ἱερὰς καὶ ὁμοδούλους ἐμοί, ὡς δὴ παρ’ αὐτῶν εἴη τὰ εἰς ἐμὲ ξυντεθέντα, ὃν εὖ οἶδ’ ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐκεῖναι μᾶλλον ἢ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν υἱέας, οἳ τὰ μὲν τῶν θεῶν ἀνέστησαν αὐτίκα τεμένη, τοὺς τάφους δὲ τῶν ἀθέων ἀνέτρεψαν πάντας, ὑπὸ τοῦ συνθήματος, ὃ δὴ δέδοται παρ’ ἐμοῦ πρῴην, οὕτως ἐπαρθέντες τὸν νοῦν καὶ μετέωροι γενόμενοι τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς καὶ πλέον ἐπεξελθεῖν τοῖς εἰς τοὺς θεοὺς πλημμελοῦσιν ἢ βουλομένῳ μοι ἦν. Τὰ δὲ ὑμέτερα· πολλοὶ μὲν ἐγειρομένους ἄρτι τοὺς βωμοὺς ἀνέτρεψαν, οὓς ἡ πρᾳότης ἡμῶν ἐδίδαξε μόλις ἡσυχάζειν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀπεπεμψάμεθα τὸν νεκρὸν τῆς Δάφνης, οἱ μὲν ἀφοσιούμενοι τὰ πρὸς τοὺς θεοὺς ἐξ ὑμῶν ἀντέδωκαν τοῖς ὑπὲρ τῶν λειψάνων ἠγανακτηκόσι τοῦ νεκροῦ τὸ τέμενος τοῦ Δαφναίου θεοῦ, οἱ δὲ εἴτε λαθόντες εἴτε μὴ τὸ πῦρ ἔδειξαν ἐκεῖνο, τοῖς μὲν ἐπιδημοῦσι τῶν ξένων φρικῶδες, ὑμῶν δὲ τῷ δήμῳ μὲν ἡδονὴν παρασχόν, ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς βουλῆς ἀμεληθέν, εἰσέτι δὲ καὶ ἀμελούμενον.

‘Now may the patron gods of this city grant you a double allowance of that Kappa [= a government like that of Constantius II]! For besides this, you have also slandered the neighbouring cities, which are godly and my fellow worshippers of the gods, claiming that the verses against me had presumably come from them. Yet I am sure that they love me more than their own sons, for they at once restored the shrines of the gods and destroyed all the tombs of the godless, on the signal given by me some time ago. And their spirits got so excited and their minds got so carried away that they harassed those indifferent towards the gods even more than I intended. Now, what about your behaviour? Many demolished the altars of the gods during their construction, but my clemency has just taught them how to be quiet. And when we drove away the corpse of Daphne, some of you, in expiation of their involvement in the worship of the gods, handed over the shrine of the god of Daphne to those angered on account of the dead man's remains, while the others, by accident or not, caused that fire which was horrendous for the strangers visiting your city to watch, but pleasing to your own people, and toward which your council was and still remains indifferent.’

Text: Lacombarde 1964. Translation: E. Rizos